Which muscle bike? CB or GSX

**Sparky Bills** · 29th January 2007, 11:52

You want to buy my CB1300!(Ill do you a sharp deal

)

P.s. I found the thread thanx people.

**bex** · 29th January 2007, 12:58

I thought you guys might appreciate a critique from a female point of view.

Indeed from someone who has just recently spent two weeks and nearly 3000km on the back of a cb1300 I can only say that the Honda performed and behaved meticulously in all weather conditions and loaded up to the hilt. Seems to me that this bike is capable of doing whatever is asked of it. It easily dispensed with queues of traffic stuck behind logging trucks on uphill gradients. On the other hand the Coromandel twisties provided a fabulous playground in which the cb excelled - and all this two up with luggage! So imagine what it will do without all the extra weight?
We bought the cb for much the same reason as HanSolo is intending ie.to tour with. It is a very comfortable ride and I can honestly say I didn't suffer any discomfort in all the time we were away. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder but to me the Honda takes the crown in the looks department compared to the competition mentioned in previous posts. Couple the good looks with the blistering performance and the creamy delivery from the silky smooth gearbox and to me you have the ultimate motorbike.
Its lucky for Mr Bex that my legs aren't a tad longer or he may just find the cb missing when he next wants a run out!

**ceebie13** · 29th January 2007, 14:06

Originally Posted by bex

Its lucky for Mr Bex that my legs aren't a tad longer or he may just find the cb missing when he next wants a run out!

Hmm... I wondered why the step ladder was next to the bike last time I went to the garage!

Well, Hans....as Graham says on Blind Date..." will it be No.1 - The Cuty Suzi GSX14 favoured by many to give you the ride of your life. Or will it be No.2 - The mysteriously rare but pig ugly X11 "naked Grace Jones" inviting you get your leg over and pull up to her bumper. Or will it be No3. - The long in the tooth Eddie Lawsuit throwback with those "oh so old fashioned carbs". Or will it be No.4 - The gorgeously creamy, silky smooth CB13 who's lardy but firm handling puts the others to shame. Or will it be No.5 - The mystery contender from Yamaha whose toned XJR1300 hasn't even been considered here. The decision...is yours.

Of course all the above will be meaningless jibberish if you aren't a pommie immigrant like me and been subjected to our Cilla on "Blind Date" every Saturday night!

Meantime you might like to check out my history of posts here on KB. Most of them are littered with pictures of the CB. Or go read a few reviews here
http://www.bikersoracle.com/cb1300/forum/. Might help you make your mind up. Whatever you choose, let us know how you get on. (No pun intended)

**The Stranger:Me** · 29th January 2007, 19:28

Originally Posted by Hitcher

Ditto.

1. You haven't ridden a ZRX1200R, yet condemn it out-of-hand as a "dinosaur" because it has carburettors.
2. You base your assessments of bikes based on manufacturer's published horsepower and torque figures.
3. I may be a "hamfisted" rider (nice attempt at diversion, BTW), but I am equally hamfisted riding an ST1300 with PGM-FI as I am riding a ZRX1200R with carburettors. I preferred the carburettors.
4. I offered my opinions and assessments based on first-hand experience, not from what I had read in brochures or on-line reviews. They were exactly that, opinions. I apologise for any damage I may have done to your manhood or self-esteem.

So in all this did you substantiate your bullshit about the Blackbird's FI?
Just be a man Hitcher and accept that you don't know what you are talking about.

As to your preference for carbs. Sure you may prefer them, unfortunately that does not make them better - it would seem that virtually every vehicle manufacturer would tend to disagree with you, but hey I am sure you know better than them - you should retire from KB and build engines.

So the first hand experience to which you refer includes riding an X11?

**RiderInBlack** · 29th January 2007, 19:51

Hey Dudes, can ya chill out a bit? Everyone is entitled to they own views about what they like in a bike. Please don't take it (or make it) personal. Some good feed-back in this thread re these bikes that I for one am finding useful (I will of cause be trying some of these bike and form my own option). Would hate to see this valuable thread end up PD due to too much shit flinging.

**merv** · 29th January 2007, 19:59

I too was wondering why CaN made this thread deteriorate so quickly.

Sparky have you made a sale?

**mstriumph** · 29th January 2007, 20:11

wat he said

i come here to learn, among other things ........... bothers me to see peop.s i respect having a serious go at each other - can u cool it a bit?

.... think about the CHILDREN!!!!

**robertydog** · 30th January 2007, 07:48

CB1300 is the bike i would have. Nice

**Jimmy B** · 30th January 2007, 07:48

Originally Posted by Hitcher

. Fuel injection can be very snatchy and hard to hold steady, like when cornering. The PGM-FI system that Honda has on the ST1300 is an absolute arse of a system. I hated it but learned to live with it.

it will handle the arse of an X11 with its poxy PGM-FI and face-only-a-mother-could-love styling. A naked Blackbird? What was Honda thinking!

Hitcher, with respect, bullshit

**Sparky Bills** · 30th January 2007, 08:02

Originally Posted by merv

I too was wondering why CaN made this thread deteriorate so quickly.

Sparky have you made a sale?

Na not yet.

**S&S** · 30th January 2007, 08:05

You want a muscle bike, have you considered a Buell ?

**Edbear** · 30th January 2007, 08:38

Tough choice! If you follow the threads regularly, you will notice very quickly that the owners of both these bikes absolutely love them!

What that says to me, is that both the CB1300 and the GSX1400 are great bikes with some significant differences that appeal to their owners.

The GSX1400 at the moment with the Suzuki Summerfest deal is hard to pass up, but I suspect that whichever bike you buy you're going to love it! Fortunately I'm not in aposition at present to face such a dilemma...

I've heard the CB1300 can be a bit thirsty until fully run-in by comparison to the GSX1400 which seems to have a rep for being rather frugal despite its grunt. Interesting to hear owner's comments about fuel use, as well as regarding pillion comfort as one owner and his wife I met said the pegs on the CB were a bit too high. Of course Bex may be an exception, here...

**bex** · 30th January 2007, 09:12

Originally Posted by Edbear

I've heard the CB1300 can be a bit thirsty until fully run-in by comparison to the GSX1400....

...regarding pillion comfort as one owner and his wife I met said the pegs on the CB were a bit too high. Of course Bex may be an exception, here...

That's interesting, Ed. Ive never noticed a particular thirst from our CB, although its certainly fully run in now.
The pillion pegs were indeed found to be high (even for a shorty like me!) but we fixed that by modifying (thickening) the seat (courtesy of Riders in Tauranga). This also improved the overall pillion comfort when compared to the stock Honda seat which tended to force me backwards and caused lower backache as I compensated for this. I guess this is an important issue for anyone contemplating buying the Honda.

**Hitcher** · 30th January 2007, 17:02

Originally Posted by CaN

So in all this did you substantiate your bullshit about the Blackbird's FI?

I never at any time mentioned the Blackbird or its FI. You raised that red herring. I actually quite like Blackbirds to ride, as you may have noted from other threads. I just don't much like their ergonomics over long distances. The PGM-FI to which I referred, if you had taken the time to read, was that on my ST1300.

Originally Posted by CaN

Just be a man Hitcher and accept that you don't know what you are talking about.

I am not sure from your rambling incoherence what you think it is I am supposed to be talking about. I have no difficulty apologising when I am wrong.

Originally Posted by CaN

As to your preference for carbs. Sure you may prefer them, unfortunately that does not make them better - it would seem that virtually every vehicle manufacturer would tend to disagree with you, but hey I am sure you know better than them - you should retire from KB and build engines.

Again you have shown an inability to comprehend written English. I said I liked the carbs on a ZRX1200R. I also said that I really liked the injection on a Yamaha FJR1300. I have ridden many injected bikes that I really enjoy, as you may have noted from comments I have made in other threads. If you want to extrapolate these comments to imply that I love all things carburettored at the expense of all things fuel injected, then that is your call, but it's not what I wrote.

Originally Posted by CaN

So the first hand experience to which you refer includes riding an X11?

Yes it does. Honda sold thousands of these in New Zealand. They were amazingly popular...

And in case you're having trouble understanding joined-up words, here's a summary:

1. In my opinion, the Kawasaki ZRX1200R is the pick of the Japanese big naked muscle bikes that I have ridden (I can supply a list and witnesses, if necessary).
2. I deduce from your vitriol that you haven't ridden one. You may not like it. That's fine, not everybody does.
3. I prefer the fuel injection system in the Yamaha FJR1300 to the PGM-FI system in the ST1300. I have ridden other PGM-FI Hondas (including the Bird and VFR800) and found them acceptable, albeit a bit snatchy at times (especially the VFR).