• last year
As the already flagship model of the Honda’s Neo-Sports Café lineup, the 2021 CB1000R Black Edition takes it a step further with a number of form and function improvements for the new model year. The best part? Honda maintained its relatively well-priced $12,999 MSRP despite such upgrades.

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Honda added the “Black Edition” suffix to the CB1000R, following the footsteps of its premium automobile offerings. The rebadge identifies an up-spec fit and finish to the outgoing, with hints of blacked-out coloring scattered throughout. Bits like the radiator shrouds, fork legs, airbox covers, exhaust system, and more drip in black finish. New seven-spoke cast aluminum wheels are also fitted to the Black Edition for a more intricate styling.

Powering the CB1000R is a 998cc DOHC inline-four powerplant, originating from Honda’s previous-generation superbike. While sharing the same basic architecture as its track-slaying sibling, the engine has been adapted for improved midrange delivery on the public road via an improved airbox flow, significantly larger throttle bodies, larger intake ports, and increased valve lift on both intake and exhaust. For reference, the last CB1000R we ran on our in-house dyno produced 120.1 hp at 9,700 rpm and 68.6 pound-feet of torque at 8,200 rpm...

Full story here: https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/story/reviews/2021-honda-cb1000r-black-edition-mc-commute/

Videography/edit: Bert Beltran
Photography: Jeff Allen

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Sports
Transcript
00:00 Good morning everyone and welcome to another episode of MC commute where we review motorcycles
00:06 as we ride to the motorcyclist headquarters in Irvine, California.
00:10 And today we'll be reviewing a new motorcycle that being the 2021 Honda CB 1000 R Black
00:18 Edition that you see here behind me.
00:21 Now Honda has given this a number of visual updates as well as a couple of functional
00:26 updates as well.
00:27 So we got a lot to talk about, why don't we hit the road.
00:32 All right ladies and gentlemen, the 2021 Honda CB 1000 R Black Edition.
00:40 Now obviously this is an updated model for 2021 being the Black Edition.
00:46 That's kind of Honda's language for their premium more up spec models, especially in
00:51 the automobiles.
00:52 I think this is actually the first of the motorcycles that they've called it.
00:57 And funny enough, there is no standard edition of the CB 1000 R. It is only the Black Edition.
01:02 Anyways, we're going to talk about it.
01:04 The Black Edition gets, as it suggests, it gets a lot of black finishes, a black paint
01:11 scheme.
01:12 You'll see with the forks you have black anodizing, you have black anodizing throughout the chassis
01:20 and the engine as well.
01:22 Kind of just black finishes, even in the exhaust, you get a black finish there as well.
01:28 New wheels for 2021 that replace the old hoops that were aboard the 2019 CB 1000 R. And what
01:41 you're also going to get on this new motorcycle is an updated five inch TFT display that you
01:49 see here in front of me.
01:50 Now that replaces kind of the clunky old analog dashboard of the outgoing model.
01:58 Ooh, Ooh.
02:05 I like the sound of that.
02:10 It's really not a bad sound.
02:13 The CB 1000 R is powered by a previous generation Honda CB 1000RR Superbike motor, that being
02:26 the 2008 to 2016 model motor.
02:31 Although it's got some various updates to tune it to the street rather than racetrack
02:40 performance.
02:42 Now one of those updates being Honda's retrofitted ride by wire throttle system, which gives
02:48 you the ability to adjust this motorcycle and tailor this motorcycle via selectable
02:55 power modes, traction control settings, engine brake settings, to really kind of dial in
03:02 the performance to your liking.
03:06 Along with that, you're going to get three preset riding modes, sport, standard and rain
03:11 with a fourth additional mode user that we can tailor over here too.
03:18 And that will allow customizable performance of those settings.
03:23 So the last time we threw this CB 1000 R up on the motorcyclist dyno, it produced roughly
03:29 120 horsepower and about 69 foot pounds of torque.
03:36 Now the horsepower figures, especially in relation to maybe it's a CB 1000R Fireblade
03:44 sibling might be a little bit modest, but man, this thing packs a punch that really
03:50 becomes addicting and suggests that it has more in the tank than those figures offer.
03:57 Oh, see, you see what I mean there?
04:03 Man, this thing is a blast and it really throws the front end up, uh, sometimes a lot quicker
04:09 than you anticipate.
04:11 I would, uh, I would suggest that this thing is definitely tractable usable around town
04:17 with good feel from the throttle, pretty smooth running.
04:21 Honestly, there's not a whole lot of vibrations.
04:23 It's not real lurchy, but man, um, once this thing gets ripping through the mid range,
04:30 maybe six to 7,000 RPM, it really takes off.
04:34 It might be a little bit slow right off the bottom.
04:41 Like yep, like right at 6,000 RPM, man, this thing really wants to blast off and really
04:50 kind of harnesses that CB 1000RR performance that, you know, we've come to love at the
04:56 racetrack, but this is not a CB 1000RR.
05:00 This is Honda's flagship naked machine.
05:04 Um, the head of its Neo Sports Cafe lineup also leading the CB 650R and CB 300R.
05:13 It's more adapted to street performance, more everyday performance.
05:17 Um, while still packing some of that excitement, I think Honda has done a good job there.
05:23 In terms of naked bike ergonomics, I think Honda has kind of struck the balance right
05:27 in between a very aggressive naked bike, maybe like a Aprilia Tuono 1100 and something that's
05:35 a little bit more relaxed, like maybe a Suzuki GSX-S 1000.
05:40 Um, now that meaning the foot pegs are up and back and placed in a pretty aggressive
05:47 stance, um, that when it comes time to, you know, use your legs to get yourself through
05:57 the twisties or kind of put the motorcycle where you need it underneath you, um, it's
06:03 in that aggressive stance where you can utilize your legs.
06:05 Now the handlebar position is relatively relaxed, uh, with a nice comfortable reach to the grips.
06:15 Comfortable stop at the stop sign, 32.8 inch seat height, um, but a really narrow feel
06:22 in between the legs, which actually makes it pretty easy to, uh, to touch the ground
06:29 on both feet.
06:30 I wouldn't say I'm flat footed.
06:31 I'm five foot seven.
06:32 I wouldn't say I'm flat footed, but I definitely feel confident, um, rolling at low speed,
06:39 uh, in low speed situations or stops.
06:43 I think, uh, I think Honda has done a pretty good job there.
06:46 Why don't we do a little wheelie here?
06:49 We have traction control turned off in our user mode.
06:54 Oh, maybe we have a curve here.
06:57 Yup, man.
07:02 This thing is a blast.
07:04 Every time I get on this bike, it's, it's, uh, it's just so much fun, man.
07:09 Like it, it, Honda really, this CB1000 really kind of embodies a really good balance of
07:17 performance and usability and comfort.
07:20 Um, for me, I like getting on it, turning off the track control, turning the power all
07:25 the way up in his three selectable modes and kind of wailing on it.
07:30 If I'm being honest, it, uh, that balance, you know, kind of lends itself to really good
07:37 everyday use.
07:40 And when you want to turn it up, you can kind of make fun of it, make fun out of your commute.
07:46 You know, it doesn't always have to be, uh, just a slog to the office.
07:52 Now add into that performance, uh, for the 2021 model is a standard fitted quick shifter.
07:59 Now that allows clutchless up shifts as we roll through the gearbox, through the six
08:06 speed gearbox.
08:08 And it also allows clutchless down shifts with an auto blip function.
08:11 Now that means you can take your fingers off the clutch as you're slamming through down
08:15 shifts on the way to stoplights, kind of a neat little feature, um, that we're starting
08:19 to see become more standard on production motorcycles.
08:23 And honestly, it's really nice.
08:25 Once you get on one of these things, once you start making use of the quick shifter,
08:29 you're going to get back on a bike that has their traditional, uh, clutch and you're not
08:36 really going to want to get off of it.
08:39 Now that somewhat aggressive power delivery and power plant is complimented by a pretty
08:46 agile and nim nimble, uh, chassis that Honda has given the CB1000R, um, 467 pounds with
08:55 a full tank of fuel measured on the motorcyclist dyno.
08:58 It might not be the lightest thing in the world, but it carries itself very, very well.
09:03 It rides on Showa suspension being the big piston fork up front, um, and a Showa shock
09:09 in the back.
09:10 The fork is actually fully adjustable compression and rebound and spring preload.
09:15 Whoops.
09:16 We don't want to get a ticket here this morning.
09:20 While the shock is rebound and preload adjustable.
09:25 Now I have to admit that I've always found the CB1000R to have a slightly harsh setting
09:32 for just riding around town.
09:34 Um, I wouldn't say that it pogo's off of the small bumps, but it definitely, uh, it lends
09:41 itself to more sporty riding and really appreciates hard inputs, uh, maybe in the canyons with,
09:49 with a lot of brake pressure or throwing the thing in to corners and hard acceleration.
09:55 That's what this, this suspension setup feels like it's designed for.
10:00 Uh, you kind of feel all the little imperfections, which is a good thing, but when you're cruising
10:08 around town, I would say that it's just slightly harsh.
10:12 This guy is making an interesting turn there, but we're all good.
10:17 Um, so slightly on the sporty side, if I were to own this motorcycle and use it for my daily
10:23 commute, maybe I just soften it up, uh, via damping settings and maybe even a softer spring
10:29 rate for my liking.
10:30 Again, I'm, I'm a smaller rider, about 140 pounds, so maybe it's just slightly stiff
10:36 for me.
10:37 But again, that kind of makes for a pretty entertaining commute when you want it to be.
10:44 Yes, it might not be.
10:45 Let's rip through here.
10:47 It might not be the smoothest motorcycle around or the most comfortable in terms of, uh, suspension,
10:54 damping and performance, but pair that with the somewhat aggressive, uh, performance of
11:01 its 998 CC inline four power plant.
11:06 And you're going to have a wicked good time when you want it to be.
11:10 Now the CB1000R has smooth off the bottom power response as we've discussed, but a little
11:16 bit lurchy throttle.
11:18 I think, you know, Honda has done a good job of, um, creating a very natural throttle feeling,
11:27 but I think that the fueling off the very, uh, bottom or crack of the throttle is a little
11:33 bit harsh and a little bit lurchy.
11:36 I'll show you guys.
11:39 It can be a little bit harsh, um, without very delicate inputs.
11:45 Otherwise, I think they've done a really good job and this power plant is awesome.
11:52 The assist slipper clutch fitted to this motorcycle making for easy, uh, getaways from the stop
11:59 light.
12:00 I like that feature.
12:01 Nice, especially for riders with maybe a little bit less experience.
12:05 Um, just allows them, allows a little assistance getting off from a stop.
12:13 Now the CB1000R is stopped by a pair of four piston, uh, calipers up front with 310 millimeter
12:22 discs and ABS as standard.
12:25 I don't really have, uh, any complaints about the braking system.
12:30 I think that they have adequate stopping power and bring you to a quick halt.
12:35 Um, the ABS sensitivity is, is, is really well balanced, I would say.
12:43 You know, it doesn't flare up too much input or, um, pulses through the finger as you're
12:48 trying to come to a hard stop.
12:51 The feel from the brake lever from the master cylinder, however, uh, could be improved.
12:55 I wouldn't say that it feels wooden, but it definitely lacks a little bit of feel.
13:00 Maybe changing to an aftermarket brake pad, a softer brake pad would help with that.
13:06 Now, we got our turn here.
13:08 We got the bump.
13:09 Let's see how the suspension handles it.
13:12 A little bit harsh, but it keeps wheels in line.
13:16 Let's that Pirelli Diablo, uh, Rosso 3 rubber do its thing.
13:21 And now we're on the I-5 headed to the motorcyclist offices in Irvine, California.
13:27 Let's use that quick shifter, get ourselves up to top gear where we are spinning, I don't
13:33 know, maybe 4,500 RPM cruising along highway speeds, 66 miles an hour.
13:40 Maybe traffic's a little bit slower here in California where usually everyone's doing
13:44 about 120 and on small bikes, you're doing everything you can to keep up.
13:49 Anyways, we're settled in.
13:52 We're headed to the offices.
13:55 One of the most, uh, notable changes I would say to this black edition CB1000R is the use
14:04 of this five inch TFT display that you see here in front of me.
14:08 Now that replaces the clunky and sort of almost outdated, uh, LCD display that was used on
14:15 the previous.
14:16 I don't even want to call it the previous generation, but the previous, uh, 2019 model
14:22 CB1000R, um, if you remember that dashboard was a little bit difficult to read, a little
14:29 bit clunky to navigate your way through this dashboard, in my opinion, kind of solves all
14:37 those issues.
14:38 Um, you have that big analog looking analog yet digital tachometer over on the left.
14:44 You have your big speed indicator, pretty easily readable fuel gauge.
14:48 Those are the important things for me.
14:50 And even, um, the gear indicator is pretty well, uh, pretty easily readable.
15:00 I like that.
15:01 Kudos Honda.
15:03 So we're cruising along.
15:05 Wow.
15:06 Look at that Viper.
15:07 That thing's bad-ass.
15:10 We're cruising along to the motorcyclist offices doing about 45, 5000 RPM.
15:15 Uh, we got a 4.3 gallon fuel tank fitted to the CB1000R.
15:21 On average, because I like ripping, I've seen 34 to 35 miles of the gallon.
15:30 I've even seen a little bit lower.
15:32 Um, so you can expect getting about 120 miles to a tank.
15:36 Now if you're going to, you know, ride this motorcycle a little bit more gentle and not,
15:46 you know, whale on it so much, not take advantage of the wheelies and everything that this bike
15:51 has to offer, uh, in terms of performance, probably do a little bit better.
15:56 You could probably get close to 40.
15:58 Um, but you know me, I'm a racer.
16:00 I like doing wheelies.
16:01 I like ripping and you know, the use of the quick shifter, everything kind of entices
16:08 you to, to, uh, to ride this bike a little bit harder.
16:13 Of course, naked bike ergonomics mean you're going to get put in the wind blasts headed,
16:19 uh, down the freeway.
16:21 This isn't unbearable on this bike.
16:23 I think, um, the relaxed handlebar position, if not slightly aggressive, kind of puts you
16:27 in a forward stance to where you don't feel like you're hanging on, um, from the wind
16:33 blast.
16:34 But it is, you know, that's just kind of the, uh, the downsides of riding a naked bike on
16:42 the freeway.
16:43 The mirrors over here are a little bit buzzy as well.
16:46 I can't deny that it has bugged me, um, in my time on the CB1000R, maybe getting a set
16:55 of aftermarket mirrors or something just to kind of, uh, to balance it out and give you
17:00 a better picture of what's actually going on behind you and make better use of those
17:04 mirrors.
17:05 I think that would be a positive.
17:07 Otherwise, I don't really have many other complaints, um, about this bike.
17:14 Yeah, the brakes might be a little bit numb.
17:18 The power might be a little bit snatchy, uh, in terms of initial response.
17:25 From there, it's very smooth, um, very easy to use and the mirrors might be a little bit
17:30 buzzy.
17:31 But, honestly, this bike kind of just does everything really well and, and honestly,
17:39 I enjoy my time on it.
17:41 So, where does this Honda CB1000R Black Edition stand?
17:47 On my list, I'd say it's actually pretty high up.
17:49 Yes, it might not have the most performance.
17:51 120 horsepower in this class isn't, uh, isn't really trend setting, not trend setting, but
17:59 it isn't really, uh, impressive when you compare it to bikes like the Tuono or maybe a Super
18:06 Duke, but I also don't think that it's really, uh, meant to be competing with those super
18:11 nakeds.
18:12 It's kind of a flagship model of that Neo Sports Cafe, um, lineup as we mentioned in
18:17 the past.
18:18 So, it's a great final destination for someone making their way through that category, through
18:24 that lineup from the CB300 over the CB650R and finally the CB1000R.
18:32 Alright, MC Commute Wheelie Zone.
18:36 We haven't done one of these in a while.
18:39 Uh huh.
18:40 Yeah!
18:41 Now, that was a blast.
18:44 I'm telling you, telling you guys, this bike is a blast to ride.
18:48 A little bit lurchy.
18:50 Um, now in terms of direct competition, I think that this bike has to be compared to
18:56 something like the Yamaha MT-10, um, the Suzuki GSX-S1000, but, and, and, before I get into
19:11 that, before I get there, I would say that this bike has very comparable performance.
19:15 They're all a blast.
19:16 They're all super fun to ride.
19:17 What I think that this Honda, this Yamaha, you dumb dumb, I think what this Honda has
19:25 is a really premium fit and finish, attention to detail, especially in this new black edition,
19:33 and they've done a really good job, um, just creating a really high-end feeling motorcycle
19:40 in a package that's not necessarily, uh, the most pricey thing in the world.
19:45 Now that being said, the CB1000R Black Edition is $12,999.
19:54 That is an identical price to the previous model without those, without those additional
19:59 upgrades, like the quick shifter, the dashboard, all the premium finish.
20:04 So Honda has kept the MSRP exactly the same.
20:09 So to recap, this CB1000R Black Edition utilizes that 998cc, uh, previous generation super
20:18 bike platform with really approachable performance.
20:21 It's smooth off the bottom with a wicked ripping, uh, mid-range that you've seen.
20:26 We did some wheelies, um, and honestly, I have a hard time not taking advantage of what
20:31 it has to offer, but it's also smooth running, cruises down the freeway, and is a really
20:36 comfortable, easy to use platform.
20:39 The chassis is super nimble, lends itself to sporty riding.
20:42 Yes, the show of suspension might be a little bit harsh, um, for cruising around town, but
20:48 when you get onto those back roads once again, I think that it finds its place really well.
20:54 The styling of this bike, in my opinion, I think Honda has knocked it out of the park.
20:59 I think that it finds a really good blend of that retro feel that they've been going
21:05 for, but also packing some modern lines, modern contours, giving it LED lighting, a lot of
21:11 neat little features that really bring it up to speed with a premium fit and finish.
21:16 Honda has killed it in my opinion.
21:19 So finally, the Honda CB1000R Black Edition is a nice upgrade from the outgoing model
21:27 with all that fit and finish, the functional, uh, details as well.
21:32 Honda has really done a good job.
21:33 It holds an awesome place in this category, and I look forward to putting this thing alongside
21:38 some of those other competitors.
21:40 I had a blast aboard this motorcycle.
21:42 I hope that you guys enjoyed riding along with me.
21:45 So if you like this video, be sure to like it, comment, we want to hear from you, and
21:49 subscribe to the Motorcyclist YouTube channel.
21:52 Head over to MotorcyclistOnline.com, read the full story, and we'll see you guys next
21:57 time.
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