FIRST IMPRESSION
P78
Honda's work in the engine department
lends some help to this feeling, too. The CB's
engine builds power so smoothly that some-
times you forget that you're wide-open throttle.
And that's not to say it's slow, either. Once the
tachometer surpasses the 8000-rpm mark,
the CB will be building speed in a hurry before
it tapers off at its redline of 12,000 rpm. It's a
power that will get you where you need to be
in a hurry, but one that you're in control of at
every step of the way.
The new ride-by-wire and electronic aids
make for a rather uneventful ride on the
CB1000R, which is testament to the system's
abilities. Even with the HSTC setting with the
least means of intervention and large handfuls
of throttle, there were only hints of the systems
holding the CB back and instead aiding its ac-
celeration off the corner. Racing-like behavior.
Impressive. That said; I spent most of my time
in Sport Mode, which is preset with the full-
power setting, and low engine brake and HSTC
settings. The only issue here was an overly
abrupt initial throttle response, which can get
tiresome in a tight series of corners or heavy
traffic. A switch to Standard Mode and the
middle power setting resolves this issue, but
also dumbs down the midrange power of the
bike. Oh, and where is cruise control?
Along with the updated main frame, Big Red
fitted the CB1000R with a set of fully adjust-
able, Showa Separate Function Fork Big Piston
(SFF-BP) front forks and a revised Showa rear
shock absorber out back. The package always
The CB's LCD
dash displays all
the need-to-know
information while
riding, and is also
home to rider-aid
selections like
HSTC, Engine
Brake Control,
and Power
modes.
The CB1000R is
a rocket ship, but
it has plenty of
useable power. And
wheelies, lots of
wheelies.
