Honda CB1000F Review: A Litre-Class Retro Done Properly

Honda has spent years watching the retro-naked segment boom from the sidelines, fielding small-capacity tributes while rivals cashed in on big-bore nostalgia. With the CB1000F, it has finally answered properly. This is a genuine litre-class, four-cylinder retro that openly borrows from the 1979 CB750F, and it arrives at a price that quietly undercuts most of the competition. For a fuller backstory on the launch, see our CB1000F reveal; here we focus on what it is like as a bike to actually own.

A Fireblade engine, retuned for the road

At the heart of the CB1000F sits a 1,000cc liquid-cooled DOHC inline-four, sharing its architecture with the CB1000 Hornet and ultimately derived from the 2017 CBR1000RR Fireblade. But Honda resisted the temptation to drop in the Hornet's aggressive tune. Engineers reworked the intake to fatten up low and mid-range response, and the result is a friendlier, torquier character that suits the relaxed riding position. Honda quotes around 122 hp and roughly 103 Nm of torque, though the real story is usable midrange punch rather than a peak-power headline.

What you get is the thing only a big inline-four can give you: a smooth, surging delivery and a soundtrack that no twin can match. It is fast enough to be genuinely exciting yet tractable enough to be easy.

Honda did not raid the parts bin for a soft retro. It took its 1,000cc four and built exactly the bike a lot of riders have been asking it to make for years.

Surprisingly modern underneath

For a bike that looks built in 1980, the CB1000F is thoroughly current. It carries a six-axis IMU that unlocks lean-sensitive Honda Selectable Torque Control, cornering ABS and a suite of ride modes, all managed through a ride-by-wire throttle. A five-inch TFT display handles the interface. Suspension is a 41mm Showa SFF-BP fork and a Pro-Link monoshock, with twin radial-mount front calipers for the brakes. It is a properly modern chassis hiding under classic clothes.

Living with it

The CB1000F is set up to be used every day. The 795mm seat is accessible, the riding position is upright and comfortable, and the narrow midsection makes it easy to manage at a stop. At a claimed 211 kg it is reasonably contained for a litre naked. The honest catches are familiar retro ones: there is little wind protection for long motorway stints, the styling will divide opinion, and it is firmly an A2-ineligible big bike. None of that dents its core appeal as a characterful, well-priced modern classic.

Key specs

Spec	Detail
Engine	1,000cc liquid-cooled DOHC inline-four
Power	~122 hp (market dependent)
Torque	~103 Nm
Electronics	6-axis IMU, cornering ABS, HSTC, ride-by-wire, ride modes
Display	5-inch TFT
Seat height	795 mm
Weight	~211 kg
Price	$10,599 (US) / £10,599 (UK)

Verdict

The CB1000F is Honda doing heritage properly. It pairs a real litre-class inline-four with genuinely modern rider aids and honest CB750F styling, and it does it at a price that undercuts a lot of the retro competition. It is not the lightest or the most weather-protected bike in the class, but it offers the presence and soundtrack of a big four with Honda's reliability and a sharp sticker. That makes it one of the most likeable modern classics of the year, and a natural pick on our list of the best retro and modern classic motorcycles.