Next generation Honda CB1000R to take flight with aero wings, more power?

Honda looks set to follow up the launch of the eagerly anticipated new Hornet with an overhaul of its bigger brother, the Honda CB1000R, according to new patents.

The flagship naked in Honda’s expansive range, the CB1000R has been a mainstay of the Japanese firm’s range since 2008, when it replaced the CB900F in 2008.

Having last undergone a major re-tool and restyle in 2018 - debuting the firm’s self-style Neo Sports Cafe design direction - the Honda CB1000R is now coming up for its third iteration utilising the engine and running gear of the firm’s CBR1000RR-R Fireblade sportsbike.

While Honda has remained fairly quiet on the future of the CB1000R while it focused on relaunching the Hornet nameplate on the CB750 - which debuts a brand-new 750cc twin-cylinder platform that will also spawn an ADV variant, the Transalp - patents reveal development is now underway.

The schematics - presented on Moto.it - are a basic, stripped back outline designed to emphasise some of the more intricate details, rather than the design itself.

However, on one of the drawings we can see Honda will follow the trend of other higher performance nakeds like the Ducati Streetfighter V4 and KTM 1290 Super Duke R by equipping the CB1000R with aerodynamic winglets located behind the fork and above the radiator.

Another shows an idea to place rear indicators in a more central position either side of the mudguard.

Going back to the use of winglets, the addition of these aero devices - which from their positioning suggest will serve a purpose and not simply be an aesthetic feature - would indicate that Honda will be upping the power for this generation of CB1000R.

Despite being based on the now succeeded CBR1000RR Fireblade, Honda has shied away from participating in the race for more power in the so-called ‘super naked’ or ‘hypernaked’ class, preferring instead to focus on greater maturity and more useable low down grunt.

Indeed, while the likes of the Kawasaki Z H2 and Streetfighter V4 have raised the benchmark with 208bhp and 197bhp on tap respectively, Honda has kept things modest with the current generation model pinned at 143bhp.

However, with even the latest generation Yamaha MT-10 and Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS rising to 163bhp and 178bhp, the CB1000R has been left adrift.

As such, Honda looks well placed to follow the trend of both its rivals and its own Fireblade, which saw a significant power hike from 189bhp to the current model’s 214bhp.

As for when the new CB1000R could make its debut, it will be interesting to see if Honda performs a similar trick with the Hornet by presenting a teaser at the 2022 EICMA show in November ahead of a late 2023 launch.

Moreover, with the revival of the Hornet nameplate, could Honda also pin it for use once again on the CB1000R? 

And if so, could this be the beginning of the end for that Neo Sports Cafe look? Time will tell…