Honda CB1000R

It’s not often you get to compress seven years of technological progress into just a few seconds, but that’s exactly what I did when I recently visited Honda Australia’s headquarters, in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. Dropping off my CB900F Hornet – formerly Honda’s flagship naked streetfighter, and largely unchanged from its introduction in 2002 – I slung my leg over a CB1000R; Big Red’s next-gen hooligan musclebike, introduced just last year.

Riding the CB1000R was a revelation, but it was also a bittersweet experience – in the first 100m from Honda’s front door, my beloved ‘old’ Hornet – itself a 2006 model – had just lost a whole lot of its sting...

Yep, there’s no escaping Old Father Time. I might add that my sense of disappointment was short-lived, because I now had a couple of weeks stretched out before me in which to get to grips with this menacing urban guerilla – bring it on!

NAKED AGGRESSION
Even from some distance, the CB1000R commands attention. One of MT’s regular snappers, Stu, summed it up on the bike’s photoshoot: “It’s like something Darth Vader would ride,” he said. I couldn’t agree more – its lines are the stuff of science fiction, and in our test bike’s Pearl Nightstar Black colour scheme, the CB1000R certainly has a sinister edge.

Its 825mm seat height will suit a majority of riders, and once you’re on that perch you’re presented with a ride position that at once places you firmly in control. With a slight forward incline there’s little if any pressure on your wrists as you make the easy reach forward to that broad, chunky ’bar, and the legroom’s pretty decent too – certainly you’ll be feeling fresher at the end of a day’s ride than any sportsbike-mounted mates.

You won’t be having any less fun, either – with a Fireblade-derived donk you’ll be keeping the knee-down set honest, and it’s only when you reach ‘go directly to gaol’ speeds (or the gallows, if you live in Victoria) that you’ll struggle, as the lack of bodywork makes its (lack) of presence felt.

A press of the button sees the in-line four purr into life. That stubby, low muffler – an effort on Honda’s part at weight centralisation – may look all Buck Rogers, but it keeps noise levels down to a fairly conservative level. Pull in the clutch (not too heavy, not too light), snick first gear, a blip of revs and we’re off – and all-too-easily watching that front rim flick skyward if we’ve been a little too enthusiastic with the throttle...

The engine has been tuned for “dynamic low to mid-range performance” (Honda’s words), and it shows. There’s useable go from just off idle, but the thrust just keeps on coming as the tacho needs streaks towards its indicated 10,250rpm redline (the rev-limiter actually cuts in a little past 11,000rpm). At 100km/h in sixth you’ll be pulling a fairly subdued 4100rpm.

Ample midrange grunt feeds seamlessly into a storming top end – this really is an exciting, tyre-torturing engine, perfectly suited to demolishing just about anything from a standing start, and leaping from corner apexes like a cheetah charging down its prey.

However, despite all the fury, the CB1000R is also Honda’s usual picture of refinement – supremely easy to ride, with light and responsive controls. It’ll only go as fast as you twist the throttle, after all... Vibes only make themselves known once you’re past 6000rpm (and even then they’re not a bother), and there isn’t a hint of snatchiness in the drive train – this really is a smooth operator.

HIT AND RUN
The six-speed gearbox is a good ’un – slick and positive, it’s far superior to my Hornet’s ’box, which gets the job done in an unspectacular manner. Likewise, the CB1000R’s suspension represents another big step up from stock Hornet fare (I recently replaced the springs in my Hornet, which was a big improvement – see MT #226).

The inverted front fork is fully adjustable for preload, rebound and compression, while the rear shock is adjustable for preload and rebound – all the adjustors are easy to get to. I found them to be spot-on as they came from Honda – compliant enough but on the sporty side. Certainly they’re firm and responsive enough to carve up a winding road in quick order.

You can punt this thing through the bends at a rapid old pace – it’s got a fairly compact 1445mm wheelbase, but with a 25-degree rake it’s nimble enough, yet super stable – even when powering on over bumps as you exit a corner. The steering is neutral, and those wide ’bars allow you to flick the CB through chicanes with ease.

Doing their bit for your continued enjoyment (and existence) is a set of top-notch stoppers. These radial-mount, four-piston Tokicos are powerful, progressive and offer a high level of feel – and they don’t even have braided steel lines. At the rear is a twin-piston Nissin set-up, which offers just the right amount of strength for around-town maneuvering.

A bonus with the CB is the option of Honda’s Combined-ABS. It adds $1000 to the price and 5kg to the bike’s weight, but – in my opinion – it’s money well spent.

On the practicality front, the mirrors tended to blur a bit (surprising, given how smooth the thing is), and the LCD instrumentation – while looking all cool and Battlestar Galactica behind its smoke lens – is actually pretty hard to read (especially when riding into the sun).

The factory Alcantara seat on MT’s test bike looked superb, but when it gets wet it takes forever to dry out. Despite its size, the nose section does a great job of flicking the wind’s blast over your head, and the 17lt tank is good for a range of around 240km – in my hands the bike returned a fairly thirsty average fuel economy of 16.2km/lt.

CRUNCH TIME
In my book, streetfighters should be all about bulk power, easy ergonomics, and edgy looks. On all three fronts, Honda’s kicked a goal with the CB1000R. Beautifully constructed and finished, you couldn’t help but be proud to own one, and you’ll delight in the manner in which it dissects your favourite road.

As Honda’s next-gen streetfighter, it’s a big step up from the old Hornet 900 in virtually every respect (fuel economy and range aside), but with that progress comes a big step up in price, too. At $18,190 plus ORC you’ll be getting a fine machine that’s almost impossible to fault, but you’ll have to disregard some significantly cheaper competitors to put one in your shed.

- Alarm $726.00
- Clutch cover* $66.00
- Crankshaft cover* $121.00
- Wheel striping kit* $93.50
- Protective crankcase ring set* $121.00
- 3D logo set* $88.00
- Fuel filler pad kit* $31.71
- Heated grips* $412.50
- Alcantara rider seat* $225.50
- Alcantara pillion seat* $225.50
- Rear seat cowl $308.00
- Carbonfibre swingarm protector* $258.50
- Carbonfibre hugger* $484.00
- Carbonfibre front guard* $935.00

(*As fitted to test bike)

SPECS: HONDA CB1000R

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed, constant mesh
Final drive: Chain

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Wet weight: 217kg (222kg with ABS)
Seat height: 825mm
Fuel capacity: 17 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $18,190 plus ORC* ($19,190 plus ORC* for ABS version)
Test bike supplied by: Honda Australia
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres