Test Honda CB1000R – The wheelie goddess in a retro dress

Test Honda CB1000R – The wheelie goddess in a retro dress

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ergonomics

When I saw the first photos of the new Honda CB1000R, I wasn't sure what it was: naked bike? Cruisers? Retro bike? A cuvée from all three? In the photos she appears beefy, masculine, massive. However, when she stands in front of me live, she hardly seems beefy anymore. Rather compact, sleek. Well, the round headlight - interpreted in a modern way - looks futuristic. The tank shape, on the other hand, is a bit old school and still fresh. The super short rear immediately impressed me. The cruiser-like positioned license plate holder on the swing arm looks cool. I really like the fine aluminum applications of the + version. A nice slicer. Saddled up. Look: Suddenly the bike seems really short. The tank is flat, more similar to the MT-07, the seat is comfortable, except for the questionable transition to the tank. Caution: high risk of attack for the body. The footrests with their incredibly long nipples are perfectly positioned. I can hardly believe the seat height of 830 millimeters. Doesn't feel that high at all. Grip the tapered handlebars. The view of the front wheel is clear. You sit almost as front wheel oriented as on a Ducati Monster. Driving actively, not aggressively. Sporty, but not stretched. But also somehow comfortable. I can't describe it better, but the seating position is comfortable, leaning towards cruiser, but still active. In short: Ergonomically, I feel very comfortable on the Honda. But there are two sticking points: the windscreen is rather modest and the small speedometer is difficult to read. 

Handling

When I start rolling, I notice how well the Honda is balanced: even at walking speed, it drives stable without seeming unwieldy. I can balance standing with both feet on the pegs at the traffic lights for an unusually long time. When turning in the city, it appears extremely short, light-footed, playful without being wobbly or nervous. It stays stable for a long time on the highway. As long as the rider doesn't pull on the handlebars unnecessarily. If you grip the handlebars too tightly and are buffeted by the wind, the Honda becomes a bit prone to swaying. Never dangerous, but noticeable. Other naked bikes drive straight ahead more stubbornly. The same picture occurs in high-speed curves: Stable and agile for a long time, jerky course corrections are met with more nervous straight-line stability. At the Öamtc Fahrtechnik test track in Teesdorf, the Powernaked shines like no other bike before. I rush through the curves in a handy, almost lively manner. The CB1000R takes alternating curves and hairpin bends naturally and easily. You find your line completely automatically in the saddle of the Honda and can - if necessary - correct it in the middle of the curve. The test model was fitted with Dunlop Sportmaxx D214 tires. As confessing Bridgestone S21 -Fan, whose casing suits my riding style very well, I didn't feel the front wheel stability that I would have liked in high lean angles. Don't get it wrong: you can move up to the knee and footrest grinding point, but that's exactly when the front seems a little soft on the edge of the tire. So soft that I twice had the feeling that the front wheel was absolutely at its limit. I simply took out some of the lean angle and everything was better. By the way, the long fear nipples have a purpose: the footrests should be mounted quite high, without fear nipples nothing would drag. This gives you an acoustic warning that the freedom from lean angles is soon coming to an end. The handling in summary: foolproof, light, playful. 

Engine/transmission

My heart belongs to the two-cylinder engines. But honestly: the in-line four-cylinder with its 998 cubic meters and 145 hp and 104 Newton meters is a very fine engine. Although it doesn't run quite as smoothly as the Kawasaki Z900 RS Cafe, the throttle response and elasticity are really good. In the lower speed range you can occasionally feel a change in load and a minimal jerking after quickly opening and closing the accelerator. But from the middle the engine pushes forward really well and develops its power in such a predictable and calculable way that it's just fun to twist the CB1000R to your heart's content. There are four riding modes available: Sport, Touring, Rain and User. In all four modes, power, engine braking and traction control can be adjusted in three levels. By the way, the Honda CB1000R is a dream for rear wheel riders: turn off the traction control, set the engine brake to level 1 (minimum), set the engine power to level 2 (direct but not nervous throttle response and gentle use) and set the engine brake to level 1 - and you've got the best wheelie bike I've ever ridden. It's probably also due to the geometry of the Honda, but I've never been able to ride the rear wheel so steeply, safely and for such a long time on any naked bike. Of course, no one needs it in traffic, but if you can do it - and with the CB1000R you can do it quickly - it just puts a big, fat grin on your face. It can be that easy. A dream. I still believe that it is largely due to the fine engine tuning. Also practical: The quickshifter with blipper function means clutch-free up and down shifting. This worked wonderfully in the test. Although not quite as perfect and smooth as that Ducati Panigal V4 S, but the quickshifter truly deserves the rating of good. The high-torque middle of the engine is very successful. A gear too high is absolutely no problem for the Honda. The CB1000R can easily handle even two gears too many. The 104 Newton meters can be clearly felt and accessed in everyday life. 

Undercarriage

So now I'm starting to complain at a very, very high level: no electronic chassis. Fully adjustable chassis components. Why the whining? Because it deserves a semi-active chassis. Then the Honda would be at the front. But that doesn't mean that the conventional, fully adjustable spring elements don't work well. Maybe a little soft in the basic setting, the Honda goes along with everything with enough feedback. I attribute the slight lack of precision at the front more to the tire than to the fork. Because even if you hit the brakes hard, there is movement in the fork, but it doesn't rush out from under you, but rather offers enough feedback to feel how much braking pressure the front can still withstand. The same applies to the shock absorber: when saddled up, it settles in at the back a bit, but once in motion, the set-up is a good compromise between precision and comfort. If you press hard, you will certainly have to readjust something to make it tighter. Heavier riders will also need the adjusters. Overall, the chassis setting is harmonious and balanced. 

Brakes

Typically Honda doesn't skimp on the brakes and thus in terms of safety. The combined ABS is not super sporty, but it is sporty. Ultimate late brakers would like a little later intervention, but for ambitious sports drivers it is easily enough. The braking performance of the front stoppers (two 310 mm brake discs, radial brake calipers with radial brake pump) is fine and the controllability is good. The rear brake (256 mm individual discs, double-piston calipers) is very easy to control and the braking performance is remarkably good. In short: a not too sharp, but still sporty, direct braking system that has enough remaining potential to withstand even very fast laps. 

Noticed

The harmonious overall impression, the many small details. The surprisingly good ergonomics. The impressive wheelie ability. How unspectacular the great engine sounds. 

Failed

The edge of the seat at the tank transition – ouch! 

Test verdict Honda CB1000R, by p.bednar

More information about Honda CB1000R

With kind support from  TOTAL Austria

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