The Honda CB1000R, the neo-retro naked sport based on the Honda Neo Sports Café, has made its debut in Thailand, with an introduction at the 2018 Bangkok International Motor Show. The new CB1000R remains a naked sport, but it replaces the old streetfighter design with an all-new chassis and design, and of course, the attractive neo-retro design of the Neo Sports Café concept. The 2018 Honda CB1000R was unveiled at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan last year and the CB300R also follows similar design language.
The 2018 Honda CB1000R follows a completely new design language
The 2018 Honda CB1000R does not get the same engine as the 2018 Honda CB1000RR Fireblade, but is powered by the same engine as the current CB1000R, which is still on sale in India. The 998 cc, in-line four engine is the same, but the compression ratio has been bumped up from 11.2:1 to 11.6:1. The pistons are now forged, as opposed to cast on the earlier engine, and the valve inlet and exhaust have been raised to improve flow through the engine. Throttle body size has also been increased to 44 mm and now the engine's redline has increased from 10,300 rpm to 11,500 rpm and peak torque has also increased from 99 Nm at 7,750 rpm to 104 Nm at 8,250 rpm.
The Honda CB1000R gets a host of features, including ride-by-wire, and upgrades to the engine
The 2018 Honda CB1000R also gets ride-by-wire featuring four main riding modes - Standard, Sport, Rain and User, which make adjustments to engine power, engine brake and Honda Selectable Torque control (essentially the traction control system). The new CB1000R also gets a standard slipper clutch, as well as dual channel ABS. With a kerb weight of 212 kg, the new 2018 CB1000R is also 12 kg lighter than the outgoing model, improving the power-to-weight ratio by 20 per cent. In India, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) is expected to introduce the 2018 CB1000R later in the year as a CBU model, which will replace the current CB1000R.
