Jeff Gilbert's 1983 Honda CB1100F

NAME: Jeff Gilbert
AGE: 52
HOME: Burlington, Vermont
OCCUPATION: Bike restorer, personal trainer

I'm the original owner of this awesome CB1100F, which I bought in October 1983. I sold my '82 CB900F to get it, and I can't tell you how much of an improvement the 1100 was over the 900.

The Honda CB1100F was the last branch on the family tree that sprouted from the original 1969 CB750. It was the inheritor of the performance lessons Honda learned while racing the '79 CB750F, famously ridden by "Fast Freddie" Spencer in the Superbike era. Unlike some of today's sportbikes, which are built to race, the CB1100F was a product of racing.

Honda took the 750's DOHC engine and punched it out, strengthened the running gear, transmission, and wheels, and ultimately upped the power to a level far exceeding that of the CB750. You got all that for just a few hundred dollars more than the 750. But the 1100F was made for just one glorious year before the V-4 era dawned. It was overshadowed on the sales floor by the striking Interceptor but not in the performance department. For one brief, shining moment the 1100F was the fastest production bike on the planet.

Unlike some bikes that were ridden hard, parked in a barn to rot for years, and then rebuilt or passed on to a nephew just to find their way to some guy like me, this one has been ridden by me every year since it was new. I ride it like I stole it every time I take it out, and after buying and selling hundreds of bikes—I currently own five others—it’s the one I’d keep if I could have only one.

It has period--correct upgrades to the intake and exhaust, Ferodo brakes, a Barnett nine-plate clutch, a Jardine 4-into-1 exhaust that produces a raucous sound like no other bike, and a chin fairing I painted and designed myself to give it that "1985" look.

My bike proves that if you don’t treat a motorcycle like a disposable paper cup it can still be relevant and enjoyable even after 30 years. And who needs antilock brakes and wheelie control? I control both with my right hand—no computers needed, thank you.