HONDA CB1000R BLACK EDITION by Andrew Booth
This is the latest Honda CB1000R released which is Euro 5 compliant all-in black street fighter / café racer style . Completely restyled , from the sleek headlight , to the newly redesigned aluminium subframe , with an individual and aggressive character Honda have produced this latest bike in such a way to create their own twist on design . The CB1000R has been around almost 30 years and has certainly proven itself in this time .
The arrangements were to meet my riding buddy Mark on this warm sunny day at Smiths Honda where we were pleasantly surprised to see this black beast parked up outside . First impressions , small , sleek , hard to believe it ’ s a 1000cc bike . Climbing on board surprised me as it is quite tall , comfortable and with a very unobtrusive TFT display screen , it felt really good relaxed and confident , and we pulled away . This bike is so easy to ride .
Engine & Transmission : The CB1000R is powered by a 998cc inline 4-cylinder engine producing 143.5 BHP @ 10500 RPM and 76.7lb / ft of torque @ 8250 RPM . The engine is very smooth , and it does have this lovely growl once you get above 5500 rpm the power delivery to the single sided swinging arm chain drive is pretty rapid but controllable .
The bike has a 6-speed box with quick shifter and auto blipper as standard . Once I ’ d mastered the art of not shutting down the throttle , wow , this works brilliantly , Honda have totally nailed this , big time .
Mid-range power is great and once you hit that 5500rpm in top gear the CB just takes off . It ’ s very nicely balanced between a well-behaved tourer and a top sports bike . The bike is equipped with a 4-settings rider modes , from ‘ wet ’ to ‘ sports ’, which control the TC and power delivery . Most of my riding was in sports , but ‘ user mode ’ made the bike just that little more relaxed .
Handling and Brakes : The CB1000R is fitted as standard with Tokico 4 pot piston front callipers , Showa front and rear suspension fully adjustable and Michelin power tyres . The brakes are fantastic and give you a lot of feedback when breaking hard with no sudden snatching , a nice little touch by Honda is the flashing hazard warning lights when hard breaking . Suspension is very confident on factory settings , not too hard , giving great handling along with comfort in conjunction with the Michelin power tyres .
Equipment Instruments and Controls : The instrument panel is TFT LCD ( Thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal display ) for easy management of navigation , calls , messages and music while
you ’ re riding and positioned low down over the front with gives you a more open feeling of being on a naked sports bike , very clever . ABS and adjustable traction control are standard along with self-cancelling indicators which is very useful and a USB socket under seat . A slipper clutch is standard keeping you in strict control of the rear wheel when changing down .
As previously mentioned , a 4-setting rider mode ‘ sport ’, ‘ user ’, ‘ wet ’ and ‘ standard ’. Switching between the modes proved to be very useful in adapting to the type of riding you are doing . All controls are easy to use , well positioned and of the usual Honda super high quality . The Horseshoe shaped front light looks cool and produces a really sharp mega watt white light from LEDs .
Grin factor : Big power . Great handling . Unique looks . Very high quality . There is something about the CB1000R that ’ s very different to all of its rivals . When I pulled up at one of the bike stops , I noticed all the heads turn , along with a mix of different kind of bikers , coming straight over to take a closer look , asking questions .
In summary : Until the last few years , I have never really been a big lover of naked sports bikes , yet I now own a Triumph Speed Triple which I adore . The Honda truly is a solid all-rounder , whether you are commuting to and from work , days out with the boys ( or girls ), or on a track , this is a brilliant , fun bike for whatever you desire . With its hefty dose of torque , light confident handling and sleek stealthy looks ( like a modern Batman Bat Cycle ), I am seriously considering updating my Triple for the CB1000R it makes sense to get out of my riding abilities on an up-to-date machine with the very best latest tech .
The CB1000R costs slightly more than its close rivals . But I think with its unique looks , design and world renowned Honda high quality , it is well worth every extra penny .
Go and test one immediately ! I guarantee you will not want to give it back . Price : £ 12,999
Smiths Honda Whitchurch Road Christleton Chester CH3 6AE T : 01244 336 565 W : smithshonda . co . uk
78 wirrallife . com