HONDA CB1000R (2018 - 2021) Review

Long wheelbase makes it extremely stable in corners, and the brakes could stop a plane. Motorways, B roads, A Roads, commuting, you can tour on it, drag race from the lights, pull wheelies, do track days, carry a pillion easily for a romantic sunday afternoon ride...all things to all men really. It's not even that big, so if you're short in the leg you can still fit. Seat is a little firm but I could ride for several hours before it became a problem.

Buttery smooth and tons of power. I've never been able to use all of it on the road, it takes very little effort to go very fast. It's polite at low speeds but keep it above 6k in the rev range and not much will catch up with you.

It's overall excellent. Only slight gripe is the thin paint on the bottom of the fuel tank, and can lead to rust spots. Apart from that, no issues.

It's probably a bit more expensive than other offerings with more gadgets, but it is built solid.

It's reasonably simple by modern standards, which is what I liked about it. Fully recommend the quickshifter.

Brakes are good, rear shock is a weak point of the bike. I took mine to the track a few times and put an ohlins rear shock and it transformed the bike, night and day difference.

Engine is good, but the fuel mapping and ecu from the factory isn't that great. I know its for euro emission requirements but the on/off fueling sucks and it is extremely neutered from the factory. It's got a big flat spot in the power below 6000 rpm and being able to the get the ecu flashed has proven to be a difficult process, not a lot of tuners are offering services on this bike as the ecu is very difficult to get into and modify. This model has been out for 3 years of writing this and only now is there a couple of main stream tuners offering flashing services for the bike.

Fantastic build quality, 30,000km on mine with never an issue.

Other than new fluids, oil as needed, brake fluid and rad flush every year its never needed anything

TC sucks like mentioned in the review, the way it just cuts the power and the front comes straight down and then there is nothing for a couple of seconds until the bike starts to give you some juice again is terrible. I turn mine off everytime I get on. For a new model bike this should have been better, and they definitely should have added cruise control on a modern bike with ride by wire.

Brilliant handling, very easy to ride. Awesome front brakes, average rear. The rear shock is much criticized but I had no problem with it, perhaps because I am a relative lightweight at under 70kg. [There is a useful suspension set-up guide on the web.] Hard seat becomes uncomfortable after approx. 2 hours in the saddle, but easily fixed: I used a gel strap-on cover which allowed all-day riding in comfort. Footpegs are positioned unnecessarily high and forward. They could be much lower without sacrificing ground clearance. After initial back pain my body quickly got used to the slightly strange riding position and I could ride all day in comfort (with the gel pad fitted). Not suitable for a pillion: seat is too small, too hard, and the pegs are too high.

I loved the power delivery: pulls smoothly from low revs and never feels slow. From about 6,500 revs it takes off like a missile, absolutely intoxicating. So you can ride it depending on your mood, enjoying the scenery and taking it easy or having an absolute blast. The vibrations spoiled it for me, unfortunately. Also, the fuel consumption should be better in this day and age.

No mechanical problems in 4,000 miles of riding, but the paint quality is very poor. Paint on tank and seat cowl is deep and lush, but very soft and prone to scratching, as if no clear coat had been applied. A magnetic map holder which I had been using for years without problems left deep scratches on the fuel tank after only one short use. Engine paint is extremely thin and flakes off quickly where it is exposed to road grit etc from the front wheel.

Loses value quickly, which is one of the reasons I bought it as a low mileage used bike. Fuel consumption not great. I got 40 - 50 mpg out of it depending on riding style whereas my Triumph Speed Triple delivers a consistent 59 mpg.

I bought the "Plus" version with quickshifter, seat cowl, and some brushed aluminium bits. As a used buy, the Plus commands very little premium over the standard version so it's the one to go for. I fitted Dunlop Roadsmart III tyres which worked brilliantly with this bike, very confidence inspiring in dry and wet conditions.

Excellent all round bike,comfortable and very little effort required.

Fireplace unit so excellent

No problems so far.

Can't remember,so can't have been bad.

Engine,gearbox,frame,single side swinger and overall finish

Mira, las marchas son muy suaves, y con Quickshiffter es aun mejor, la relación corta hace que puedas adelantar con mucho brío incluso con 6ta marcha. Es muy alegre después de 6mil rpm, el sillín es suave, pero no importa que tan suave sea un sillín, después de 3 horas seguidas en ella ya estarás cansado.

La experiencia del sonido, el torque y la potencia es excepcional, es muy suave y docil en bajas, el acelerador electronico dosifica muy bien la potencia al tacto, y definitivamente es una bestia cuando le abres el gas. Encantado con ella.

Las piezas son de excelente calidad, salvo por el plastico de la farola, que es un plastico blando y que tiende a rayarse con cualquier cosa, la pintura de las partes muy bien lograda. Llantas de serie excelentes en piso mojado y seco, obviamente con las precauciones que se deben tomar.

Dolares americanos que en Colombia son aproximadamente 680.000 (Menos de un salario minimo) asi que me parece muy economica.

La posicion de manejo me gusta, es sobre la moto y no dentro de ella como la mayoria de a mi nakeds del mercado. De accesorios ojala viniera con el quickshiffter de fabrica (mi version no la trajo asi que lo instale) y sin duda la plataforma de honda no esta en mi pais asi que no puedo tener conectividad bluetooth a mi telefono, algo que honda deberia solucionar pronto, debido a la gran cantidad de usuarios con motos en Colombia.

Comfortable enough sitting position but seat isn’t the best. The longer your out the worse it gets.

Fantastical smooth engine and throttle response. More than enough torque solo riding. Can’t comment about two up as I’ve not had a pillion on yet.

Not not it had to service it yet so can’t comment. Mileage wise if your into that kind of thing is a solid 50 mpg giving a tank range of 170ish.

Great quickshifter both up and down the box. Bit disappointed about lack of cruise control and heated grips at this price point.

The rear shock absorber is dreadful. It has a very soft progressive spring and there is no way you can adjust it to get a quality ride and handling. I got a YSS shock and transformed the ride. Two hours. No pillion.

Smooth. Never got it flat out as it just keeps pulling,

The powder coating on the sump flakes off with 200 miles. It is very poor quality preparation and so thin you scratch it off with your finger nails. The armour plating on the water hoses is disappearing, rust on various brackets, Just not Honda quality.

ABS, Engine modes.

Needs setting up and then excellent.

Pulls like a train with loads of low down torque making it wìeasy and fun to ride at all speeds. Lovely.

It's a Honda, period.

Oil, filters and chain lube.

Has everything you need, I just added a Puig screen.

Very comfortable for real world speeds. This is the first naked bike I've had and I find that the constant steady airflow is more comfortable than the constant noise and buffeting that I've had from various screened/faired bikes in the past.

Very versatile, can be ridden like a commuter when required but comes alive after 6000rpm.

Traction control gives peace of mind. Other than that, it stops, goes, and puts a smile on my face, what more do you need in a bike.

Rear shock absorber too soft.

Paint flaking of sump. Exhaust end cap. Front reflector brackets. Oil cooler completely hammered with road debris. Hose protection fraired

Great brakes, plenty of feel and usable with just two fingers. Smooth to use when riding at slow speeds on congested city roads.I can ride for two hours before needing a break, but a pillion passenger needs a break after around eighty minutes.

Nice and flexible with a well matched gearbox. Beautiful exhaust note.

Outstanding quality, faultless.

Cheaper than many of my previous bikes to maintain.

My bike has the monochrome LCD display which can be tricky to see in bright sunlight. The best accessory I have is heated grips from Oxford, they make winter jaunts a pleasure.

Disgusting rear suspension. Week spring impossible to set up. For Honda it is a disgrace.

Like everything

Sump paint flaking.

Not had a service yet

No extras on the bike not even air temperature. Favourite is fuel tank looks.

So much power even in normal mode it would pull wheelies going from 2nd to 3rd so you couldn't open up the throttle fully until in a higher gear, however when I got used to these things the bike was awesome, the scream of the engine and the exceleration are fantastic, you should get 2 hours between filling unless plodding but I generally used 2nd and 3rd gear as this is when it is at it's best

More power than most would ever need and I include myself, the engine breaking is brilliant and I hardly ever used my breaks when out of town

Starter motor issues from early on and dealer couldn't find the issue

Service very reasonable but fuel economy when ridden as it should was low 30's mpg and it loves eating tyres.

It has 3 power options plus a personal set up, fully adjustable suspension, comfortable seat (you'll be filling up before any numb bum), I had heated grips fitted, and ran Michelin pilots after the oem tyres needed replacing, I loved the candy red colour, I would recommend a screen as over 80 you get blown down the saddle, I went with smoke grey perspex one that looked quite good on the bike. All speeds quoted may be kph or mph, you decide 😉

At its best on fast, smooth, sweeping A and B roads. Nakedness limits distance (bike, not me). Slightly uncomfy riding position for me, easily solved by a higher seat option.

Smooth and powerful top end, but lacks a bit of character and grunt low down.

Perfect

Favourite feature - quickshifter. Needs a higher seat option for 5'10" plus riders... Position is a bit too arms out-feet forward for longer journeys.

Its plenty fast for me especially as its a naked bike

I only change oil n filter on this one

I cant figure out how set time and reset trip meters i got no instruction book with it .

I'm tall at 6'4" but strangely this bike fits me perfectly, your legs aren't too tucked up and I find the riding position perfect.. A couple of things I've changed.. I've put foam grips on the handles as they seem very hard and I think a gel insert in the seat will be needed for longer journeys

More than enough power for me and the sound from the stock exhaust always makes me smile!

Break down?! It's a Honda!!

The new TFT screen looks amazing (especially compared to the previous model) still working out how to get the Bluetooth to work but probably just user error!

As mentioned above rear shock absorber is inadequate. Brakes front good but rear poor.

Flexible and smooth.

Standard Honda superior quality.

Lacks items such as air temperature gauge.

Road focused so quite plush. No dramas in the fast corners.

Nice smooth and predicable power curve. Pulls well from low down.

New so can't really comment. Had honda in the past so not worried.

Cheaper insurance, servicing and mpg than my previous tuono. Still gives the same smiles though.

It's a shame cruise control wasn't included.

So smooth through all gears,plenty off power all round loves to rev.

Plenty of power does not dissapoint.

Quality built bike typical honda quality.

Everything I need on board plus more,rider modes and abs work a treat.

Bike it light and well balanced at walking pace when filtering which is great Saddle good for 2 + hours when just sat touring fast b roads much better as your moving around on the bike Brakes are fantastic Suspension now great Front compression & rebound 2.5 turns out from fully in Front preload also 2.5 turns out from fully in Rear preload 8 out of 10 (10 the hardest) Rear rebound 1.5 turns out from fully in Much firmer ride, so much better at speed Can't comment on pillion comfort as rear peg hangers removed and pillion pad still in factory bag I wouldn't go on the back of it so no one else is

Engine is fab, free revving with lots of torque low down, then revs like a lunatic slight buzz through the bars at times

It shouldn't fail - Says Honda on the tank

Valve inspection is @ 24000 miles, What's not to like ?

Favorite two features are how it looks and rides Evotech tail tidy is pure class as it merges almost seamlessly into the rear underbody I don't get why people put £50 ones on that look like they bent a few bits of metal in a vice and fastened it together with gutter bolts Akrapovi'c race can is no louder than std, just a much deeper tone. Puig h/bar fairing takes all the wind of the upper torso but no turbulent air at the head, just clean air - perfect I would never use a quick shifter up or down through neutral - that's just cruel !

A great bike for a the pilot. Not fab with a pillion TBH - upsets the balance. Luckily the Mrs has her own bike - a Grom :0)

Fantastic: goes well, sounds wonderful!

It's a Honda - nuff said

Bought a 2 year service plan = £316.

Great as she comes from the shop, but of course you have to fettle! This is what I've done - so far: R&G: RD Moto Oil Filler Cap Red - RDM-OC6R £14.99 Kickstand Shoe - PKS0038SI £31.66 Bar End Sliders for Honda CB1000R(+) '18- BE0058BK £24.99 Tail Tidy for the Honda CB1000R(+) '18- LP0254BK £150.Motea: ConStands Central Stand Power-Classic Honda CB1000R 2018 Red. SKU: 994449-0-572529-0 c/w 3 Year WarrantyGivi: BF30 Tanklock Tank Ring ST602B Sport-T Tanklock Tank Bag - 4LOptiMate: OM TM73 AccuMate Extension Lead 2.5 MeterAkrapovic: Slip-On Line (Titanium & Carbon) S-H10SO20-HAPLTASV: C5 Clutch & Front Brake Levers

When I first had the bike it was very uncomfortable needed to get off after an hour but never had a naked and pegs are quite high, soon got used to it and now find it very comfortable. Handling is superb corners really easily and brakes are excellent.

I would have given it 5 stars but for the fuelling issue which is still not solved, sometimes runs rough and sometimes very twitchy on throttle response, Having said that you can ride at 30mph in 4th or 5th and accelerate away with ease

Until recently (had the bike 2 years) exhaust was ok but now rust appearing and downpipes have become tarnished and stained, fuelling not great very twitchy took it to dealer but couldn't find a fault. Paint on tank scratches very easily

Get around 40-45 so MPG not bad but not great, rear tyre expensive and plugs will be very expensive apparently 25 quid each when its time to change them. Bought bike on 0% finance so great value

You get what you need for this type of bike, 3 rider modes, and one you can set but too much bother normally leave it on standard, headlight very good. I will fit the meter visor and the rad guard looks good.

Suspension is a bit bouncy. Brakes are excellent

Lacks a bit of power. Could do with an extra twenty horses

Quick shifter

An hour or so riding is fine, is no tourer, but that’s not why you buy a naked bike. Great riding experience with bags of confidence.

Can be a bit choppy at low speed irrespective of power setting. It’s fast, proper fast!

It’s a Honda! Just wish the quick-shifter could avoid false neutrals between 1st and 2nd.

It’s a Honda, it doesn’t go wrong!

Make sure yours has Bridgestone tyres.

The engine is excellent and really takes off at 7k rpm and up. Nevertheless, it is a pussycat in town, especially in Rain mode. It's really easy to switch modes on the go and I've learned to do this a lot depending on riding conditions. Not ideal as a commuter as you get very mucky in rain, and there's no weather protection. So long m-way rides are wearing with the constant wind blast and with no cruise control. It's more for blatting B-roads (which is mostly what I bought it for). As Neevesy says, the seat is comfy until it isn't - usually after 1.5-2 hours. Best of all, this is the only bike I've never dropped (so far!), despite its being a smidge too tall for my perfectly formed legs.

Tried and tested Fireblade RR7 engine. Bomb-proof reliable, super smooth, really powerful over 7k rpm, and it has some 'character', thanks to Honda's tweaking of the power and torque delivery from the original Fireblade version. The only thing that slows this bike down is the rider's tolerance of wind resistance (mine's getting lower as I get older).

Never had an issue with the bike in the 2.5 years I've owned it. Surfaces seem to be standing up to the wear and tear after 18k miles riding in all weathers and all seasons.

Even the 'expensive' 16k-mile service came in at sub £400 so this is not an expensive bike to own.

Love its looks. It looks like a hooligan with its short perky tail, squashed nose and low tank. I've customised it a bit - Evotech rad guard, ASV levers, Oberon bar-end mirrors, paint protection film, Nitron R1 shock, Leo Vince carbon end-can, R&G tail tidy. I replaced the OE tyres immediately after purchase and put Michelin Road 5 on. Sold the OE ones on Ebay. No brainer. Don't understand why Honda put such poor OE tyres on their bikes - it must affect the handling on test rides and put some potential buyers off.

Handling is sharp and spot on - some say rear shock is poor - I don't get it myself. It works better if you push on through the corners...this seems to get the bike settled as it tracks a line with real precision. Give it a good chance before rushing off for a Hagon or Nitro after market...the OE is probably as good as most riders require . The front big piston showas are really good. My 4 stars is down to only one thing as the brakes are superb - progressive with great feel and very undemanding - NO, it's the seat!! - It chews my arse after about an hour an a half something rotten. I have a VFR and that seat I can be on all day

Lovely thing. Great midrange now Big H have remapped the power curve, and loves the revs. All the best features of an in line 4. I don't get any vibes through my bars. Smooth response from the ride by wire. Fast enough for anyone quite frankly, especially when you combine the sprightly performance with the pin sharp handling. For road riding, especially urban, you can comfortably run with all comers!

Beautifully engineered. Rimless tank, silky quickshifter and auto blipper, elegant single sided swing arm, crafted alloy wheels, aluminium not plastic body parts, etched engine casings, classy tapered tube handle bar, forged pistons, more mid range grunt, superb brakes. No corrosion (but only done low miles). Never failed.

Don't yet know, but Honda build, and made in Japan. Ex Fireblade engine has been around for years with millions of test miles under its pistons so most problems will have been sorted. Also, the Fireblade engine welcomes 'hard revs' so there will difficulty in over doing it on this engine

Auto blipper and quick shifter a work of art. Some say they get a 'fal;se neutral' with the quick shifter between 1st and 2nd - well I was always told not to use the QS between 1 and 2. The OE Bridgestones mine came with are absolutely fine. Trust them...combined with the bikes handling they are good - wet or dry

You might great some corrosion under the plastic panel at the front of the tank, remove the plastic and spray with acf50 right off the bat. If you have a tracker, get a trickle charger

only done 5000 odd miles in two years due to lockdown, so will see.

OEM tyres are rubbish, swapped mine for Road 5's from purchase, had no issues.

A bit firm but very secure. Brakes are excellent. The seat is pretty hard and I'm glad to get off it after 100 miles. There is some space to shift about though. There is some high frequency vibration on the right bar which I hope may reduce over time (or maybe I'll get used to it).

Cracking engine. Honda bombproof and it loves to rev.

Top quality. Nothing has gone wrong and I don't expect it to.

The list price is high, but I got a cracking deal.

Heated grips and the quick shifter are great. I've added an Arrow exhaust, which saves lots of weights and is much smaller - showing off the single sided wheel. Cruise control would be useful (so you can get your right hand away from the vibration occasionally).

Bike is perfect for summer blasts on B roads (but then, which bike isn't?). It's comfy enough for most riding. It's not a long distance tourer - I usually need to fill up at c140 miles and am always glad of the break. I never take a pillion. Fit decent tyres from new and sell the OE crap on Ebay. Also, replace the shock with something better.

Creamy inline four that's got loads of grunt and flexibility. It's a bloody fast bike so the fact that it's a naked bike means that wind resistance keeps me out of jail.

Great build quality. No corrosion so far after 2.5 years and 18k miles. No breakdowns and no part has failed.

Even the 16k valve service wasn't that bad. Service manager told me that they hardly ever need to touch the valves on these bikes. Nothing goes wrong between services. So although the upfront price may look rich versus the rivals, it soon becomes obvious that it's money well spent. Bomb-proof reliability is priceless - especially when you're planning a continental trip.

Favourite features - probably the riding modes, the quickshifter, the brakes. I favour Michelin Road 5 or their predecessors but imagine almost anything will be better than what it comes with as standard.

Pillion ???? I’d have the seat cowl off and I’ve told no one but nearest and dearest that there’s a pillion seat.

Quickshifter needs a little improvement between 1st and 2nd.

Only had first service so far.

The abs was called into action recently (smidsey at a junction) and worked well although I had thankfully started to slow down when I saw the car racing to the junction, I can ride a good two hours before needing a break and/or petrol, the riding position means you are not leaning on your wrists all day, seat it quite adequate. I do need to get the suspension set up for me as it is a bit too bouncy

No matter what hear you are in it pulls, I love 2nd and 3rd gear and the acceleration for the faster rides but you could quite easily leave it in 5th or 6th, I also like the engine braking especially in 2nd gear on twisties.

Not had any problems at all

Just paid £73 for annual service at Kent motorcycles. The bike feels like it is in sports mode after the service even though the setting is in standard, very pleased. Decent rear tyre will cost £180 and £120 for the front

I would have expected heated grips on a new U.K. bike and self cancelling indicators, I have fitted a Givi rear rack but it spoilt the lines but unfortunately I need it, I also fitting a puig light smoke screen that looks good and really helps with wind pressure once you get over 80, and have just fitted Michelin pilot 5's as I am an all year round rider

on the road the bike is amazing, im 14 stone and the suspension is far from harsh and gives good feeling braking in and accelerating out of corners.

this underpowered naked honda? acceleration is where you need it on the road to think about overtaking is to overtake, standard mode smooth through all the gears.

realy too soon to tell, but secondhand bike picked up in excellent condition. no problem with the paint finish as some seem to have, slight niggle the seat cowl is so high the previous owner and myself are scratching it getting on and off.

again too soon to tell

dealer fitted new tyres (after only 1800miles ) and also have the aftermarket slip on, so all good.

The suspension Honda have set a few notches off dead soft, so a lot of people are replacing rear shocks, this appears to mainly be larger riders, i have had my suspension set up and its much more planted and useable! The brakes appear sharp and give plenty of stopping power!

Despite the CAT being in place i find the power more than enough and midrange is good fun,the front wheel often pops up and skips about under acceleration and with the right rider will wheelie no problem.

i have given the bike the rating i have due to the many issues the bike has shown over the months,not just from myself but from the many owners worldwide who voiced these views on owners groups. 1st example the riders seat appears to have rips in, this im told is how they are produced and the stitching is incomplete leaving you with "gaps" either side of the rear where it bolts on. secondly in my case is the rust forming around the welds, this appears on the top of the tank where the shrouds bolt in and on the back of the tank where the front seat sits and also at the front inside of the tank, the paint finish even though im assured by honda is an adequate finish considering the euro friendly paint/clearcoat is shocking, after being aware the paint was soft i avoided contact where possible but after light buffing/cleaning and a little polish it is left looking like i have used wire wool on it and the rainbow looking micro scratches show through big time.I have had my tank and seat replaced under warranty ,the new tank is scratched beyond belief and the rust i am in no doubt will appear again..Other owners suffer condensation in the display to the point they have had them replaced,failing peeling paint around the sump bolt is another issue, so in short Honda have really dropped the ball on finish!

Has to be the quickshifter/blipper,i owned a 2017 fireblade prior which i added this too and it was a delight, and the heated grips on the plus model work well for what they are!

The strong suit of this bike are the brakes and (with a few turns toward hard on the rear-damper) the suspension.

Could be stronger - especially in the middle of the rev-range you feel a torque-plunge that really goes on your nerves. Sixth gear uphill around 6 - 7000 rpm it nearly stagnates. I have installed a Shark Track Raw Slip-on exhaust with claims to bring 4 additional hp. I wreck my brain why they did not use the SC59 engine as basis - so much more expensive?

The core-virtues of Honda are still well made - very smooth engine and everything seems well crafted and engineered. But... all the other japanese producers excel in this catagories as well for years.

As Honda seems not to be able to sell its huge stock, you can get them at a bargain, far under listprice. With 998 ccm you are in any case in the 749 to 999 ccm-range - due to a bit lower horsepower it is a few Euros cheaper than my previous GSX-S. The fuel-economy is on average - I neet 5,66 l to 100 kilometers on very low-rev-pace. I was used to 5 l straight with the Suzi and a bit more punch through the rev-range.

First thing you need to install is something against the wind as soon as you go over urban-riding, onto country roads or tours. I was pondering a long time what will not worsen the looks of the already not so sharp front with the round headlight and reduce wind-pressure. I chose the Puig 3133F eventually. The traction-control is very different to the GSX-S - I was used to have power on full and traction on highest (safest) setting. Worked perfectly on the GSX - you never had the feeling you are hindered but super safe and fast. The same setting on the CB frustates you as it brutally slowes you down - somehow unnecessarily overzealous. Strangely when going uphill fast through corners in high gear it also brings you down although the wheel are most likely not to spin... somehow as the lean-angle and corner speed sets off the traction control. Then I went down to two bars in the User-mode - same. Then I went down to only one bar left for traction-control. Now it is not as intrusive as to slow you down but I am a bit anxious what happens when I accelerate fully and lose grip... how fast it will engage and prevent a crash. I tested this setting on a gravel parking-area - it does work at least there. ABS is excellent front and rear.