I recently had a quick ride on the 2018 Honda CB1000r, so just a few initial impressions.
Reading the news release and seeing the pics, even though I'm not a big Honda fan - I was intrigued. This thing looked impressive.
I had to see it in the flesh, and I wasn't disappointed. This bike looks fantastic and is adorned with a stack of great details and high-quality materials.
The Honda CB1000r is by far the most impressive Honda I've seen in the showroom for years.
I'm in the process of expanding on this, so just a few key points and images for now...
- Engine:
- very smooth, puls hard low down and then takes off up high
- very tractable, doesn't jump/ jerk
- Brakes, amazing
- Sounds Great, even stock standard. Starts up with a deep smooth hum, which transforms into a racing scream higher up in the RPM range.
- Nimble but solid handling. Firm suspension but not jarring.
- Great futuristic display, and visibility. One of the coolest I've seen.
- Adjustable shock front and back
The whole look is like something out of Bladerunner, but firing up the bike is typical Honda. Which is not a bad thing at all.
What's not to like.
Not much - minor irritations. Hard seat, some vibes creep through at about 5,000rpm but not terrible - a sort of tingling through the balls.
A relatively tall motorcycle I could just flat foot. Sitting quite upright, quite a commanding position. Could be a challenge for shorter riders.
All in all, to be honest, I only rode the CB1000r for 45mins or so, but in that short time, I could undoubtedly say that it's a great bike. Looks incredible, plenty of power with razor handling and a bucket-load of tech. I'll be keeping an eye on this one!
Thanks to Sydney City Motorcycles Lane Cove for the Quick ride
Interested retro cafe racers? Check the R Nine T review