2021 Honda CB-F Concept Bike

[Guth_imp]

Thought I would compare some retro standards with their origins. To me, the Honda is truest, retro without compromise. The Kaw's laid-down shock forces the airbox under the tank, causing it to be very bulbous. The tank looks too far back, and the engine looks puny, especially with the gap above it and the small sidecover. It looks busy and really tall. The Katana is all bodywork, not about the engine at all. I have no words to describe it except busy.

Just one more example. The best of them all :

All just my opinion here, but for me this particular comparison highlights the fact that the CB1100 was designed around 18" wheels. As a result the proportions of the RS appear off to me. Yet I can understand the attraction for those who want to have access to a greater selection of rubber available but for me the smaller 17" wheels.

When considering the original CB1100 design, the proportions appear much more balanced to me. While the CB1100 was not intended to replicate any one specific motorcycle, the goal was to create a motorcycle that was unique and stood on it's own, while at the same time honoring a range of CB motorcycles that primarily existed in the 1970's with a bit of overlap into the late 60's and early 80's. A big part of that challenge was getting the proportions right as compared to the bikes back in the 70's (such as those seen here in the image of the CB750).



The later variations of the CB1100 weren't so much a reflection of Honda's vision that the engineers and designers brought to the table as much as they were an answer to market demands after the original CB1100 design had been around for a few years. The CB-F concept bike is interesting because it largely reflects Honda's direct vision as it relates to the current market for retro-styled motorcycles (should it make it to production). I personally find this particular concept to be far more attractive than Kawasaki's Z900RS which is the motorcycle I would be comparing the CB-F against as opposed to the CB1100. In my mind the CB1100RS sort of bridges the gap between these two approaches. How the CB-F might change to accommodate market demands would be interesting to see.



I like what I see of the CB-F. For what it is, I think that it's a great looking motorcycle — at least based on what I've managed to see of it so far. Kawasaki did a pretty good job of presenting photos of the Z900RS that managed to show only the better views of that tank. But once I got to see just how bulbous that thing is "that tank" came to define the motorcycle for me.

If Honda does go through with producing the CB-F concept, then not only will it be interesting to see how well the bike is received but also to learn what the demographic of CB-F buyers ends up looking like. Finally, in my case in particular, I will be most interested to see what the final design that makes it to production looks like (how will they incorporate a license plate support?) and, like the CB1100, how it might change over time.