Honda CB1000R riding impression

The Honda CB1000R looks cool, and with 125bhp, goes pretty hard as well...

We think the Honda CB1000R is quite all right. Not as completely mind-blowing as the CB1100R concept, but still, all right. It looks funky and modern, and since it’s fitted with the 2007-spec Fireblade engine, the CB1000R can’t be lacking in the go! department. Motociclismo recently tested the bike, and here are some excerpts from what they have to say about it:

The CB1000R looks strikingly good – so much so that people often walk up to you to praise the bike’s styling. If you see it, this is one bike you can’t ignore. The detail touches – the LEDs at the front and at the back, the stubby exhaust, the four-spoke rear wheel bolted to the single-side swingarm – are what make the bike really come alive.

The CB1000R’s LCD instrument panel gives you all the information you need, in digital format. It works well, and the blue light it emits is very futuristic, if a bit comic book like. But perhaps more important is that this naked sportsbike is very comfortable, with a broad seat and a handlebar that feels just right.

The CB1000R is fitted with the engine from the 2007 CBR1000RR, and it combines power with absolute smoothness. The power curve is exemplary – at anything over 1,500rpm the engine responds beautifully. The fuel injection is spot-on, and there are no dips anywhere in the power delivery right up to 10,000rpm.

It's not as hard-core as the Fireblade, but it's certainly comfortable and fun to ride
First two pics: Special Mag / Motoblog

The Fireblade engine has been retuned to produce 115bhp at 9,900rpm and 92Nm of torque at 7,400rpm. The CB will accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 3.6 seconds, hit a top speed of 228km/h, and from a standing start, cover one kilometer in 22 seconds.

The clutch is light, the gearbox is very slick and there is no vibration on this bike. The exhaust also sounds good, without being too loud. Brakes and suspension work well, with the 43mm USD fork and 310mm front discs with four-piston radial mount calipers being particularly good.

Weighing in at 204kg dry, the CB1000R isn’t the lightest sportsbike around, but it’s comfortable and once you’ve adjusted the suspension to suit your weight and riding style, the bike can be hustled along pretty quickly wherever you choose to ride it.

No, it’s not as quick or as fast as a pure sportsbike, but the CB1000R is still quite spectacular and works very well at all levels. It impresses everyone who sees the bike and those who actually ride it are even more impressed…