You already have a touring bike so I'd say get the Honda I have a Harley and a cbr and I love being able to switch back and forth it's a nice way to change things up

 

Yes, it's true that the old one wasn't that fast by today's standard, but this one, even though it is a "throwback" supposedly runs in the 11's IIRC.

 

Same here. The new CB1100 is a great bike.

 

I grew up on Japanese standards. The CB1100 has a heritage almost as relevant as Harley. It's a very good update on a classic. It's also substantially different from your current rig so it would provide great contrast. Get the CB!

 

Another vote for the CB1100.

 

I had a CB1100F that I bought new back in 1983...awesome bike and I really like the look of the new one with the a nod to the past. This was my last street bike before switching to Harley and it holds a fond spot in my heart.

 

Not sure the comparison is relevant, but I had a Honda Shadow Spirit (1100cc V Twin). I wonder
if the cb1100 uses the same engine, or at least very similar?

The Spirit had decent enough power. It was a nice bike. A friend of mine had a Dyna Wide Glide,
and I thought they were similar in performance.

Personally I'd go with the HD. Nothing wrong with Honda's, but they don't have the soul
of a Harley. Not even close.

 

The 1978 Honda CB 750 K was the biggest bike I ever owned till I got my 2000 Wide Glide, and it was fun, but it wasn't a Harley. Now to answer your question, if it was me I would go with the air cooled Sportster, I am not a fan of the liquid cooled motorcycles, I don't care whose names are on them. That means that I would pick a sportster over a V Rod.

 

One of my favorite early bikes was a 1981 Kawasaki KZ750LTD.

Personally, with the CVO already in the stable, I'd opt for the CB.

 

I owned a 2014 CB1100 and it is a very nice bike that gets more thumbs up than any Sportster I have owned. It is a modern version of a iconic classic, but lacks some of the refinements that have been developed over the decades. Air cooled, (like the HD) it does not produce the numbers that a comparable liquid cooled bike can easily achieve. Mine was not equipped with ABS, which I consider to be a potentially valuable feature. Mine was in mint condition with low miles and I paid about $5500 used. Some dealers still have them in new stock. I believe the 2017-2018 versions are all ABS and around $12K.

As far as the ride, it is excellent, and much more capable than any of my Sportsters. Down side is that for the same money you can have a bike with ride by wire, abs, traction control, throttle mode, liquid cooling and an additional 50 hp. Like every inline 4 I've owned, mine had a irritating buzz in the handle bars. Heavy bar ends, grip puppies minimized the numbing.

Bottom line, in stock form it is a better performing bike than any stock Sportster. Down side is that if you are not engaged with the "nostalgia factor" it does not compete with similar naked 1000cc bikes from the metric makers, and it does not enjoy the historical/mythological aura of owning a genuine HD. It is a Honda.

For $7K you better be talking about a new one, or an astoundingly upgraded perfect example.

It is fun to ride, but I think my Yamaha xt250 is more fun than any of my Sportsters so consider the source.

There is an excellent online Forum devoted to the CB1100.