Among the sea of litre-class naked streetfighters, the Honda CB1000R manages to stand out, all thanks to its Neo-Sport Café design which fuses futuristic elements with some visual flair dating back to the years gone by. While most of the manufacturers are chasing astronomical performance figures, Honda has banked on CB1000R’s approachable nature and distinctive styling. The litre-class roadster motorcycle is due for an update though as the current iteration doesn’t comply with Euro5 standards. Honda has dropped a teaser of the upcoming 2021 CB1000R.
More details
Not much is revealed in the teaser video but come 10th November, Honda will unveil the CB1000R in full. The 2021 CB1000R as seen in the teaser video appears to have retained the same silhouette as the current iteration of the motorcycle.
Visible cosmetic changes
It’s a good thing that the updated model will retain the same visual characteristics because it is a widely accepted fact that the CB1000R is a looker! We can expect some visual tweaks though and it seems like Honda has seemingly taken the opportunity to also update the bike’s looks, apart from making the bike Euro5 compliant. A close-up view in the teaser video reveals the front end which further reveals that the headlight is virtually unchanged except for the Honda-branded “belt” that splits the circle in half that now looks shorter.
It also appears to have a slanted angle as compared to the outgoing version. The alloy wheels, too, get a new design. We may also see revised paint options on the 2021 CB1000R. Apart from these cosmetic changes, it looks like the fork clamps are now black instead of the usual contrasting silver. Honda also reworked the shape of the side plates that frame the radiator and underline the fuel tank.
Specifications
The outgoing model is powered by a 998cc DOHC four-cylinder engine that is tuned to make 143 HP at 10,500rpm and 104Nm of peak torque at 8,250 rpm, which is almost 20 HP and 5 Nm more than the previous generation CB1000R. We expect the upcoming Euro5 compliant CB1000R to have the performance in the same ballpark. To transfer all this power to the rear wheel, the engine of the bike is paired with 6-speed chain drive gearbox. The bike also gets rider assist features like Throttle By Wire (TBW) with 3 preset riding modes: P (Power), EB (Engine Brake) and HSTC (Honda Selectable Torque Control) and a raw-edged exhaust for a sporty feel.
Also read: Honda CB350 Hits the Road As its Deliveries Commence
We don’t expect Honda to incorporate any changes to the cycle parts either. The current iteration utilizes fully-adjustable inverted front forks and a rear mono-shock to perform the suspension tasks. Anchoring setup should include 310mm twin-discs at the front and a single 256mm rotor at the back.