Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird

W e actually tested the '99 version of Honda's high-speed flagship before we tested the new Suzuki Hayabusa, but the report about the second of those two bikes was completed and published first. This might lead one to think it's now going to be difficult to say much in the way of praise about the CBR1100XX, but that's not so. Yes, the Hayabusa is now the king of top speed but the XX still has goods that should interest many riders.

H onda made a number of significant changes to the '99 CBR1100XX that were intended to improve the motorcycle's overall streetability, but not to necessarily improve the machine's top speed. I never rode an earlier version of the CBR1100XX so I can't compare notes with that version of the bike but, after reading about all of the bike's improvements, it was remarkable to see how every one of those items are now beyond reproach. Honda says that the changes to the new Double X were to improve its powerband, its freeway comfort, its handling, and its linked braking system. And they're right.

The Changes T he two ports on the nose of the XX that looked like ram air intakes, but weren't, now are. Originally the openings directed cool air to the bike's oil cooler but now they are linked to a couple of snorkels that feed high pressure air into the XX's giant 9 liter airbox, providing for a boost of power at high speeds. The shape of the openings is the same as before but now, just inside them where there used to be screening, there are vertical louvers that are designed to prohibit birds from entering the combustion chambers while also allowing for an unimpeded flow of air.

T he snorkels themselves have the same sort of popular growths that are found on the intake tubes of Honda's 600 F4. The funky things are hidden from view but don't be embarrassed by them because they are an indication of the bike's performance abilities. If the intake tubes had just been straight-line snorkels, then at low speeds when the throttle is snapped open all of the air would be sucked out of the tubes and the poor thing would lose its breath. The extra volume is necessary because ram air only works when the air is ramming.

T he CBR1100XX now has efi with new three-D mapping for throttle position, ignition timing, and intake pressure that adds to the machine's mid-range power. The bike shares the injectors designed for the latest version of the Honda VFR Interceptor that flow 30% more fuel than the earlier design yet produce a claimed improvement in fuel consumption. The XX sports giant 42 mm throttle bodies with plastic velocity stacks tuned for improved flow with the inside ones protruding a full 10 mm further than the outer stacks. The addition of efi also allowed more room under the tank so the airbox was moved forward and the tank capacity was increased by two liters.

B est of all, Honda went all the way with the efi system and there's no stupid lever for cold starting. This was partially accomplished by use of Honda's Automatic Bypass Starter system that provides an additional shot of air at intake temperatures below 104 degrees Fahrenheit. That sounds a little warm to us but it's the temperature that Honda claims and we're not about to second-guess those guys.

T he cold start bypass system works by little pistons in each throttle body that open an auxiliary air passage. At cold starting, when the air passages are open, an extra shot of air increases the engine idling speed. It's the same as on the Interceptor VFR 800 with the exception that an actuator moves the pistons automatically rather than your left thumb doing the work. The actuator is… uh, actuated by one of the weirdest combinations of low and high tech: the expansion and contraction of heated and cooled wax does the deed.

T o get the most out of high performance engines, compromises need to be made in the ignition timing that sometimes results in knocking at lower rpms. The new XX never needs to wonder who's knocking because it has a knock sensor that precisely adjusts the spark advance whenever it detects a pre-ignition condition. If knocking is detected, the spark is retarded by 2 degree increments until the knocking goes away and then, as the engine's rev increases, the ignition is advanced at 0.35 degree increments to maximize performance while maintaining knock-free acceleration.

T he CBRXX now also has air injection to reduce emissions. Who cares? Well, we do actually. It's nice to be nice to the environment while traveling through it at 180 mph. It's a great conversation item that every traffic cop will enjoy.

T o reduce that unpopular first gear clunk that seems to be ever more prevalent on new bikes, the XX has a rubber friction damper on its transmission main shaft. The damper slows the shaft when the clutch is disengaged, reducing the difference in speed between it and the motionless counter shaft when shifting at a stop from neutral into first gear. The clutch pull has also been softened even though we can't remember a single human ever complaining about the pull of a Honda clutch. We do hope that someone at one of the southern European motorcycle manufacturers is reading this. Someone at one of the companies who have super-stiff clutch levers on their bikes but act dumb whenever we mention that fact. Hello?

A lthough the CBRXX's frame looks the same, it ain't the same. And it wasn't changed to make it stronger because it was plenty strong. Nope. It was changed to remove the old frame's tendency to "resonate and amplify certain engine sounds such as gear shift noise," according to Honda. As I said, I never rode the previous version of the XX so I don't know about any such noises but I also don't remember anyone ever complaining about the XX having any annoying noises. This is part of the charm of Honda. It's never good enough for even them.

T he suspension of the XX did receive complaints about its harshness on expressways so, to soften it up yet maintain stiffness for spirited riding on tight roads, the damping settings were altered at both ends of the bike. The bike still has linked braking but it has been altered to be much more like that of the latest Interceptor, which I have ridden and which has a linked braking system that works very well. The past XX had too much rear braking when the front lever was applied. And there is a delay valve to minimize frontend dive when the rider is using the rear brake foot lever to give the rider more control of the bike on slippery surfaces.

A nd the XX has a new taillight. From the outside, the only way to tell a '99 XX from the earlier version is the taillight, the grates on the ram air intakes, and the colored engine side covers. If that's important to you. B ut the coolest of all the changes to the bike is the conturing of the front brake lever to make it more aerodynamic. Honda realized that, at maximum speeds, the wind was pushing the lever back far enough to engage the brake light so they reduced its frontal area.

Riding Big Bird

I can't join the damning with faint praise that the Honda CBRXX has been getting in some publications, those who exclaim that in comparison to the Suzuki Hayabusa the CBRXX is a "gentleman's" bike, whatever the hell that means. I guess it's supposed to imply that only 3rd-class, low-life, trailer-trash who'd shove women to the deck in a rush to the lifeboats would ride a Hayabusa. If all-out top speed and being the fastest bike on the planet is the sole measure of the bikes in the class of the CBRXX then, as you well know by now, the Suzuki Hayabusa has the numbers. But if your interests include just plain really fast, and/or you have a Honda leaning, and/or if you're interested in a bike with a swell personality all of its own, then the XX is unashamedly still worthy of consideration.

A ll of the little changes to the new XX listed above address every complaint of the previous model with success. As I mentioned, I never rode the earlier bike but I'd heard the complaints so I knew the potential possibilities of the XX's weaknesses, such as the linked braking and the harshness on the expressway. The new linked braking feels much like that of the new Interceptor and gone is any tendency for the rear to lock in street riding conditions. Because the XX is a heavier bike than the VFR, the linked braking is appreciated even more. It gives the bike a balanced attitude when entering a corner under hard braking because both ends are working together to slow the bike down. On a racetrack, though, the system becomes unbalanced and the rear locks. But this isn't a race bike.

A lthough the XX is meant to be a sport touring machine for sweeping roads rather than tight roads, we rode it on both. On roads where this Blackbird can stretch its legs, it's silly how it loves to run at speeds above 150 mph without complaint or concern. At that speed, the bike is just cruising. On the tight roads, it eats up short straights rather quickly and because of the XX's size it needs to be slowed down for the turns much more than a smaller sportbike. This is especially noticeable because it gets to those turns at a rate of speed well above that of those smaller sportbikes. Because of that, riding the XX on tight roads requires planning.

T he XX has actual wind protection and the new windscreen also has a groovy coating that changes color depending on the angle of lighting and viewing. On the Hayabusa the wind protection is nil unless the rider is in a full-race tuck. And the XX has all the niceties of a sport touring machine. A clock, a comfortable seat, a non-crippling riding position, and the ability to carry two in comfort at speeds that should otherwise be uncomfortable.

W hen we tested the top speed of the XX, we were a bit surprised that we were unable to break 180 mph. We made about five runs on a windless day from over a two-mile distance but the best we managed was 178.5 mph. Honda told us that the improvements to the new XX were designed to make the bike better rounded for the street and not to make it faster, but we didn't take that statement to heart. Maybe the XX just couldn't find enough air in the high desert on that day. We didn't give up until we saw that the bike's speed hit a wall that it just could pierce for about the last half mile of the run to the gun.

I n considering the virtues of the XX, if it ever was a great bike, it's clearly a better one now. Is that good enough? In the end, that's for the buyer to decide, but you know that. In this day, when great performance can be third-rate because the manufacturers keep producing better, greater, lighter, faster, motorcycles, one can find himself in dizzying confusion when trying to make a bike purchase. The losers in any bike comparisons today are generally wonderful machines that are a million years ahead of any two-year-old motorcycle. I'm not making excuses for the XX, I'm just trying to put its evaluation into perspective. The Hayabusa is more of a sportbike and has the performance numbers over the XX. But that doesn't make the XX slow. Or does it? The XX still has real speed, and is better suited for long haul touring. We've made our call; what's important to you?