The Honda CB1000R
is a very well thought
out, beautifully
built, very capable
and rideable naked
machine
As I said earlier, the engine is from the
older Fireblade 2006 model generation and
was chosen because it has a longer stroke
more suitable for road work, but Honda also
re-tuned it for more torque and accessible
power. Like I said, there are no huge
numbers here, but the engine is quick, fun
and very useable.
The steel tube main frame/alloy subframe
chassis is a beaut, striking a good balance
between agility and stability. The machine
feels compact and lighter than you might
imagine for a 1000cc inline four, and is
very agile without ever feeling unstable at
reasonably normal speeds on the road...
kinda Honda-like I guess. Turn-in is effortless
and accurate and in general the CB-R is
a pleasure to blast around on. It does
perhaps have a slightly short feel, but this
is mainly due to its propensity to waggle
its front wheel (one of its non-conservative
characteristics).
The suspension is taut and controlled
despite being of a modest spec level. The
shock is adjustable for preload and rebound
only. As delivered the five-step preload
adjuster was on the second to hardest level
giving the rear an overly sprung/firm feel
for me and I’m no lightweight – softening
a step or two is the way forward. The forks
are adjustable for both compression and
rebound all done in one fork leg. They
offer a nicely controlled and compliant
ride without very feeling hard or too soft –
they’re excellent for road work.
The brakes offer plenty of pucka power and
excellent feel; they’re well matched to the
performance of the bike. One thoughtful
thing I like is that when braking hard both
of the indicator lights flash like hazard lights
do. This sends an obvious alert to the sleepy
motorist behind that he should slow down
too. This is smart work from Honda and will
surely result in a few less rear-ended riders.
The instrumentation is a simple yet multi-
functional round LED unit that covers all
you need to know. There are small round
dials that show your levels set for TC, engine
braking and power, plus the mode selected,
speed and various other information and
warning lights.
Overall the Honda CB1000R is a very well
thought out, beautifully built, very capable
and rideable naked machine – one you could
own with pride and confidence.
KIWI RIDER 51