2018 Honda CB1000R pricing announced

Honda’s new CB1000R will go on sale in May 2018 for $16,499 plus on-roads – $2700 less than the previous European-made CB10000R which was on sale locally in 2008 and 2009.

The new ‘Neo Sports Café’ CB1000R has upped the ante appreciably as well, and is powered by a retuned version of the engine found in the “previous-generation CBR1000RR”. That equates to 143hp at 10,500rpm and 104Nm at 8750rpm in its new guise.

Honda claims 16 per cent more peak power at just over 10,000rpm, and five per cent more torque in the mid-range. Shorter gearing also adds to the increased flurry and tempo of the CB1000R, which Honda says makes it ride “harder” than the CBR1000RR in the first three gears. The engine has an assist/slipper clutch.

The engine tweaks from the door are aplenty: the pistons are now forged rather than cast, there’s higher valve lift, the throttle body is now 44mm (up by 8mm) and feeds larger inlet ports, and the airbox is new. The compression ratio has increased to 11.6:1, and there’s a new 4-2-1 exhaust.

The chassis is centred around a newly developed steel backbone frame, while the suspension is Showa – a Big Piston Fork and fully-adjustable monoshock at the rear.

Despite its stripped-back nature, the CB1000R’s considerably heavier than the sports bike, largely attributed to its use of a 16.2-litre steel fuel tank and aluminium bodywork instead of lighter plastic options. Honda says that only six exterior parts are made from plastic.

Wet weight of the CB1000R is 212kg, which is still 12kg lighter than the 2008-09 CB1000R.

The new CB1000R also has a swingarm-mounted mudguard, which is a first for Honda. Radial brakes, ABS and a 190-section rear tyre complete the chassis upgrade.

The electronics package includes a ride-by-wire throttle, four riding modes and switchable traction control. Lighting is LED and the thin, round headlight employs a horseshoe-shaped light ring, as well as a distinctive two-bar light signature. The rear light is also a semicircular light bar that fully lights up when the brakes are applied.

The T-shaped instrument panel integrates into the top triple clamp, and the ignition switch is positioned at the front of the fuel tank.

The pricing for the CB1000R puts it firmly in the mix against its Japanese opposition, with the Kawasaki Z1000 $15,599, the Yamaha MT-10 $18,990 and the Suzuki GSX-S1000ZA $15,190.

Meanwhile, the other new CB, the CB300R, is locked in for release in June 2018, with price still to be announced.

The single-cylinder 286cc CB300R uses the same styling cues as the CB1000R for a minimalist result. The machine uses a steel-trellis frame, 41mm upside-down front forks, boasts a UMI-actuated two-channel ABS system and a single disc four-piston caliper Nissin brake package.