Second version of upcoming CB1000F shown in two colours
Officially, Honda still calls its CB1000F – shown earlier this year – a ‘concept’ despite overwhelming evidence that the model will reach showrooms soon. Now a second version dubbed CB1000F SE Concept has also been revealed and it is also certain to be a production bike for the 2026 model range.
Revealed at the Suzuka 8-Hour, the CB1000F SE is identical to the CB1000F that Honda showed back in March, but with the addition of a small nose cowling, a more luxurious seat and extra equipment including heated grips. It was shown in two colour schemes, the silver-and-blue of the previous CB1000F concept and a black-and-grey variant, while the naked CB1000F was displayed alongside it in both silver-and-blue and silver-and-grey schemes.
Since the March unveiling of the original concept, the original and the new SE version have gained production-style elements including indicators and licence plate brackets, although they’re still missing the mirrors that will be required for road-legality.
Mechanically, the CB1000F and the SE are both all but identical to the CB1000 Hornet, with the same chassis and 150hp, FireBlade-based four-cylinder, 998cc engine. The wheels, brakes and Showa suspension are also identical to the base version of the CB1000 Hornet (the higher-spec CB1000 Hornet SP gets Brembos and an Ohlins rear shock, but those parts don’t make it to the CB1000F or SE).
At the back, the CB1000F and SE have a revised subframe to carry the flat, retro-style seat and repositioned pillion footpegs, while the rider’s pegs are also shifted to give a more upright stance than the CB1000 Hornet’s. A retro, chrome exhaust is fitted to suit the 1970s-inspired styling, which takes its cues from the CB750F that was launched at the end of that decade.
In Japan, the CB1000F and CB1000F SE will replace the CB1300 Super Four and CB1300 Super Bol d’Or models, which finally ended production this year more than 30 years after the launch of the CB1000 Super Four Project Big-1 that they’re derived from. While discontinued in most markets many years ago, the CB1300 models have become a touchstone for Japanese Honda fans, making their replacements, the CB1000F and SE, important models in that market.
Whether the CB1000F and CB1000F SE will be sold outside Japan remains unknown. There’s no technical reason preventing them from being global offerings, as the CB1000 Hornet they’re based on meets all major emissions and construction rules around the world, but Honda has a history of keeping some bikes exclusive to the Japanese market – as it did with the Africa Twin-based Hawk 11 café racer, which would also theoretically comply with international emissions rules but hasn’t been exported.
