Motorcycles

Honda undresses the Fireblade and creates new model family

Honda undresses the Fireblade and creates new model family
Honda based the 2018 CB1000R on the powertrain of the latest CBR1000RR Fireblade
Honda based the 2018 CB1000R on the powertrain of the latest CBR1000RR Fireblade
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The 2018 Honda CB1000R is a naked project based on the Fireblade
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The 2018 Honda CB1000R is a naked project based on the Fireblade
Honda based the 2018 CB1000R on the Neo Sports Cafe concept it showed at the recent Tokyo Motor Show
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Honda based the 2018 CB1000R on the Neo Sports Cafe concept it showed at the recent Tokyo Motor Show
Very few parts from the Fireblade found their way to the 2018 Honda CB1000R
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Very few parts from the Fireblade found their way to the 2018 Honda CB1000R
The 2018 Honda CB1000R comes ten years since its predecessor was introduced
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The 2018 Honda CB1000R comes ten years since its predecessor was introduced
The 2018 Honda CB1000R sports a single sided swingarm
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The 2018 Honda CB1000R sports a single sided swingarm
The 2018 Honda CB1000R has a brand new exhaust system
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The 2018 Honda CB1000R has a brand new exhaust system
The LED tail light of the 2018 Honda CB1000R lights up in a semi circle and fills up when the brake is applied
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The LED tail light of the 2018 Honda CB1000R lights up in a semi circle and fills up when the brake is applied
The 2018 Honda CB1000R in action
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The 2018 Honda CB1000R in action
The instrument panel of the 2018 Honda CB1000R is an LCD screen
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The instrument panel of the 2018 Honda CB1000R is an LCD screen
The 2018 Honda CB family includes the CB1000R, CB300R and CB125R (from left to right)
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The 2018 Honda CB family includes the CB1000R, CB300R and CB125R (from left to right)
Honda based the 2018 CB1000R on the powertrain of the latest CBR1000RR Fireblade
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Honda based the 2018 CB1000R on the powertrain of the latest CBR1000RR Fireblade
The 2018 Honda CB1000R features a LED headlight
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The 2018 Honda CB1000R features a LED headlight
The 2018 Honda CB1000R in grey color
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The 2018 Honda CB1000R in grey color
The steel fuel tank of the 2018 Honda CB1000R holds 16.2 liters (4.3 gal)
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The steel fuel tank of the 2018 Honda CB1000R holds 16.2 liters (4.3 gal)
The 2018 Honda CB1000R runs on a Fireblade engine that has been detuned from 189 hp (141 kW) down to 143.5 hp (107 kW)
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The 2018 Honda CB1000R runs on a Fireblade engine that has been detuned from 189 hp (141 kW) down to 143.5 hp (107 kW)
The radial four-piston Tokico calipers and Showa forks of the 2018 Honda CB1000R
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The radial four-piston Tokico calipers and Showa forks of the 2018 Honda CB1000R
The main switch of the 2018 Honda CB1000R
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The main switch of the 2018 Honda CB1000R
The 2018 Honda CB1000R+ is a standard model with a lot of factory-fit original equipment
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The 2018 Honda CB1000R+ is a standard model with a lot of factory-fit original equipment
The 2018 Honda CB125R
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The 2018 Honda CB125R
The 2018 Honda CB300R
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The 2018 Honda CB300R
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Ten years after Honda last based a naked roadster on its superbike, a new CB1000R has broken cover at EICMA 2017. Evolved from the latest CBR1000RR Fireblade, it heads two new entry-level CBs with a family signature styled after the minimalist Neo Sports Café concept that Honda displayed at Tokyo.

For Honda, designing a naked Fireblade entails a lot more than simply stripping it naked, as clearly demonstrated in its two previous attempts, the 2001 CB900F Hornet and the 2008 CB1000R.

In fact, the 2018 CB1000R shares very few parts with the CBR1000RR, and even the four-cylinder engine has undergone an extensive makeover in order to adapt to its new role. Honda says it has retained the 998 cc motor's architecture and layout, but beyond that a lot has transpired in order to properly detune it from 189 hp (141 kW) down to 143.5 hp (107 kW).

Very few parts from the Fireblade found their way to the 2018 Honda CB1000R
Very few parts from the Fireblade found their way to the 2018 Honda CB1000R

The engine's electronics is an obvious first, but then there are also different valves (in size and lift), reshaped combustion chambers, plus new throttle bodies, airbox, ducts, air filter and a brand new exhaust system. The power produced by the engine is fed to a reworked gearbox, with four percent shorter ratios.

According to Honda, the end result translates to 16 percent more peak power and five percent more mid-range torque over the previous CB1000R, and with a wet weight of 212 kg (467.4 lb) it is lighter too. It is also claimed to be stronger in acceleration through the first three gears and up to 130 km/h than the current CBR1000RR.

The motor features an assist and slipper clutch as standard, and is handled via a throttle-by-wire system, equipped with three preset riding modes and one that's configurable by the user. Just like the Fireblade, the CB1000R also sports engine power modes, engine brake and selectable torque control (i.e. Honda's traction control), all adjustable to three levels.

The 2018 Honda CB1000R has a brand new exhaust system
The 2018 Honda CB1000R has a brand new exhaust system

Most importantly though, the reworked engine now hangs from a completely different frame. The twin spar aluminum design of the Fireblade has given its place to a new backbone steel frame.

Suspension-wise, Honda went for Showa's 43 mm separate function big piston forks (SFF-BP), a simpler variant of the big piston forks that the Fireblade uses. Originally developed for off-road racing applications due to its simplicity and lighter weight, the SFF-BP use Showa's big piston architecture, with hydraulic functions on one leg and spring action on the other. At the rear we find a Showa monoshock, similar to the one used in the Fireblade. Both suspensions are fully adjustable.

Honda completes the new CB with a series of official accessories, and will also offer a richer CB1000R+ variant that will come equipped as standard with heated grips, aluminum front fender panels and rear hugger panels, flyscreen with aluminum inserts, single seat cowl, radiator grille with CB1000R logo, and quickshifter.

The 2018 Honda CB300R
The 2018 Honda CB300R

Along with the announcement of the 2018 CB1000R, Honda introduced two new entry-level models, the CB125R and CB300R. Both are based on existing engine and frame packages, while adopting the distinctive new look and receiving some impressive equipment. Undoubtedly, many CBR125R and CBR300R riders will crave for those inverted forks and radial front brake calipers.

Which leads to the inevitable next question: how much longer before the CB500F and CB650F inherit the fresh family identity and replace the F with an R?

Source: Honda

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