Gord Posted April 12, 2004 Share Posted April 12, 2004 Im looking for a retirement bike as my time in the work force is rapidly coming to, a close(cant wait),.My first choice was the st1100, then after talking to some riders of the blackbird at a local race last year, I have changed my mind and I am leaning toward the cbr11ooxx, Ok all you experts out there, what is the best year between 1999 and 2003. I assume the f.i. bikes are better than the carbs, fill me in, at the moment I own a 1973 CB750,1985 VF1000R, so the Blackbird would be a nice addition!! Thanks Gord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbird Posted April 12, 2004 Share Posted April 12, 2004 What's you favorite color? :grin: Very informative thread on the subject here- http://www.cbr1100xx.org/forum/viewtopic.p...?t=8945&start=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhanxx Posted April 12, 2004 Share Posted April 12, 2004 I test rode a couple of st1100s b4 getting the XX, pretty tame stuff, do da bird while u still have lead in your pencil :grin: ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted April 12, 2004 Share Posted April 12, 2004 I have both, a '91 ST1100 and a 2001 Bird. They are completely different beasts. The ST1100 is incredibly comfortable and very passnger friendly. The Bird is , in my humble opinion, the finest engineered bike ever made. Here are some of teh high's and low's: ST - Reliability. It's a Honda, nuff said there. It'll easily go 200K if you change the oil regularly. great gas mileage, very comfortable for both driver and passenger. Lots of luggage room for trips. Can be tuned to handle well. This is a wonderful touring bike. Long range per tank (@ 250 miles at freeway speeds per fill-up) Bird - I believe this to be the finest engineered bike available at any cost. The power is intoxicating (you be let down by other bikes after ths one!). Very comfortable for taller riders (like myself) for distance although not as comfortable as the ST. fairly rare so it's an eye-catcher (especially in the faster RED color). Zero vibration as the counter balancers really work. brakes instantly with little worry. Very quiet even without earplugs and stock windscreen. Hope this helps some... Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickcbr1100 Posted April 12, 2004 Share Posted April 12, 2004 Go for 01 onwards, if you're unlucky you could get the wiring loom connector problem that can affect 99 & 00 bikes. From 01 it was changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdie_xx Posted April 12, 2004 Share Posted April 12, 2004 250 miles at freeway speeds per fill-up I go few times a year to visit my friend in Windsor Ont. It's about 320 miles one way, from Chicago. I was able to do it on one tank of gas few times, with my '92 ST :cool: It was a great bike and I was lucky enough to have the XX and the ST together .... It's true, they are two different bikes. The daily transition from XX to ST wasn't that unnoticed... :???: I wish I had kept it. But then again, the post '95 ST is a better bike and I may get one some day - I'd look for the ABS model, or go all the way to the ST1300. :cool: Cheers, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
severdog Posted April 12, 2004 Share Posted April 12, 2004 Gord- I've had three ST's and one Bird. The Bird is one notch up the food chain in terms of pure riding; engine, brakes, and handling. The power and acceleration is addictive dope. Compared to the ST it was very light and handled great. But I found that 99% of my riding was either on the slab or touring 2-lanes, where the ST is a lot easier to live with. The ST is a lot more comfortable over the long haul, gets much better range, and carries a lot more crap.....all very important factors to me. I also lacked the basic maturity and self-control to ride the XX at "normal" speeds. The power is addictive and everything under 90 mph feels like you're CRAWLING. So I went back to the ST. But I do dream of the day when I can afford two bikes in the garage; I would get another XX in a heartbeat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironmike Posted April 13, 2004 Share Posted April 13, 2004 ... but mechanically there's essentially little or no difference.. well, except the gauges... analog vs digital. The earlier ('99-'00) have analog - later are digital. As an old pilot, I have a preference for the analog gauges - but that's just me. But don't let the age (or the mileage either) of a FI 'Bird scare you; the care and routine maintenace are far more important. These may well be the finest engineered bikes ever available to the public; and with proper care & feeding, they'll seemingly last forever. :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynx60 Posted April 13, 2004 Share Posted April 13, 2004 Craig you old dog, I just knew that you would want another Bird sooner or later. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that you're already scouting out some opportunities to replace the Bird you sold. I know, I know ... keeping the Bird under 90 mph is often a strain on your right hand, but you know in your heart that you lust after another one. So go ahead, take the plunge and park another one of those super-smooth-handling god-awfully-wicked-fast hyper-sport-touring machines in your garage. Lynx60 (Actually should update my handle to Lynx62 since my 62nd birthday is just a few weeks away.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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