The Honda CB1100R was an exotic
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...
model that was produced in limited numbers from 1980 to 1983. It was a single-seat,
fully faired sport bike
A sport bike (sports motorcycle, or sports bike) is a motorcycle designed and optimized for speed, acceleration, braking, and cornering on asphalt concrete race tracks and roads. They are mainly designed for performance at the expense of comfor ...
based on the
Honda CB900F
The Honda CB900F is a Honda motorcycle made in two iterations which appeared some twenty years apart. Both generations of the CB900F are straight four-cylinder four-stroke roadsters.
The first generation was produced from 1979 through 1983, and ...
.
The R suffix denotes a racing version, however the CB1100R was a road-legal machine produced by Honda and offered for sale to the public. It was produced only in numbers sufficient to meet the
homologation
Homologation (Greek ''homologeo'', ὁμολογέω, "to agree") is the granting of approval by an official authority. This may be a court of law, a government department, or an academic or professional body, any of which would normally work fr ...
requirements for the R to be classed as a production motorcycle in markets into which it was sold. It was Honda's first 'homologation special'
[ and was raced in the production class racing in most major markets: including Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. It was not sold in the US.
In 1980 a first batch of 110 naked versions were rushed to Australia specifically with the aim of winning the world renowned Castrol 6 Hour race. The Honda did indeed win with future world champion Wayne Gardner and Australian champion Andrew Johnson riding. The organisers of the event then prevented the single seat Honda from entering the 1981 Castrol 6 Hour as they deemed it a "race special". In 1981 the CB1100R won the New Zealand Castrol Six Hour ridden by Australian pair of Malcolm Campbell and Mick Cole. The CB1100R was slightly modified to have a dual seat so as to reclassify it as a road bike, so allowing it to enter the 1982 Castrol 6 Hour, and duly won this premier Australian production race in 1982, the ]Castrol Six Hour
The Castrol Six Hour was a motorcycle race for production motorcycles, held in Australia from 1970 through to 1987.
History
The race was run by the Willoughby District Motorcycle Club and held at Amaroo Park until 1983, when it was moved to ...
in the hands of future 1987 500cc GP World Champion Wayne Gardner
Wayne Michael Gardner (born 11 October 1959) is an Australian former professional Grand Prix motorcycle and touring car racer. His most notable achievement was winning the 1987 500 cc Motorcycle World Championship, becoming the first Aust ...
and teammate Wayne Clark. Other CB1100Rs finished the race 2nd, 3rd and 4th, with 6 CB11000Rs finishing in the top 8 spots. The Australasian success of the CB1100R lead directly to the development of the Suzuki GSX1100SXZ Katana homologation racing specials.
The model designations are CB1100RB (1980 and 1981), CB1100RC (1982), and CB1100RD (1983). In 1980/81, 1050 units were sold, followed by 1500 per year in 1982 and 1983. The 1981 'RB' was half faired with a solo seat only. The 82 and 83 models have different bodywork including a full fairing, aluminium fuel tank, and pillion seat covered with a removable seat cowl. The 82 (RC) and 83 (RD) (pictured) were largely similar in appearance, yet with considerable differences what concerns the full fairing and dashboard layout. None of the fairing parts of any of the 3 models are interchangeable with one another ! The RC fairing, fairing bracket and dashboard combo was only made for the RC and does not interchange in any way with the RD, which had a slightly shorter overall length. Other differences include the paint scheme, rear swing arm design and color and front fork design. In 1983 the Honda CB1100F was launched that essentially was a blend of the CB1100R and the CB900F, for a broader market. The 1981 CB1100RB had a claimed @ 9000 rpm.[
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Notes
CBR1100R
Sport bikes
Motorcycles introduced in 1981
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