Honda CB-F Concept Revealed
More Retro, less Neo
Honda revealed a new concept model based inspired by the CB900F. The Honda CB-F Concept is based on the Neo Sports Café-styled CB1000R, but with a decidedly more retro vibe. The CB-F Concept was originally intended to be a part of Honda’s display at the Osaka and Tokyo Motorcycle Shows, but due to COVID-19, was instead revealed in an online “Virtual Show” along with other models like the new CT125 Hunter Cub.
The CB-F shares much with the CB1000R, as the juxtaposition below illustrates. The steel mono-backbone frame, 998cc Inline-Four engine, wheels, single-sided swingarm and swingarm pivot plates appear similar to the production bike, but the headlight, fuel tank, silencer, rear subframe and tail are completely new.
Honda only released to photos of the CB-F concept, neither of which show the left side of the bike, but Honda’s video presentation gives us a better look at the headlight design as well as the LED taillight.
The CB900F (along with the Japanese market version, the CB750F, pictured below) that inspired the concept was first introduced in Europe in 1979 before arriving in North America in 1981. It was produced through 1983 when it was replaced by the CB1100F, returning in 2002 with a more contemporary design as the CB900F Hornet.
At the moment, Honda hasn’t indicated any plans of putting the CB-F into production. There is a little matter of Honda’s current retro roadster, the air-cooled CB1100F, being on its last days due to Euro 5 restrictions. A new Honda CB1000F could make for a suitable replacement, and competition for the likes of the Kawasaki Z900F and Suzuki Katana.
Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.
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Likely because my beloved second and third bikes were early-80's CB750F's, I really like this design.
I wish it would be available. But, Honda builds a desirable concepts and makes unsaleable bikes. You can't see 8 out of 10 models on the road what they make..