2026 Honda CB1000F First Look: 11 Fast Facts

October 14, 2025

After teasing it earlier this year in Europe, the 2026 Honda CB1000F has arrived—at least overseas. While there’s no word on if this retro-style upright naked sportbike will make it to the United States for the 65th anniversary of Honda’s storied CB models, that doesn’t stop us from taking a closer look at the bike.

The 2026 Honda CB1000F is positioned as a roadster. That’s to differentiate the F from the high-performance CB1000R Hornet sportbike. That’s not to say the F isn’t sporty, however. The F is designed to be a more relaxed bike, though still sporting.

The inline-4 on the CB1000F is tuned for torque in the lower half of the powerband. The 122 horsepower peak comes at just 9000 rpm, with maximum torque of 76 lb-ft delivered just 1000 rpm earlier. The CB1000 gets different cams and valves.

Three present modes are available—Sport, Standard, and Rain—along with two user-configurable modes. The modes allow for adjustment of power delivery (three levels), engine braking (three levels, and combined wheelie and traction control (four levels, including off). The dash can be paired to your smartphone with an app, allowing the typical range of capabilities. The five-inch TFT display can be viewed in three different ways: Bar, Circle, and Simple.

A wide-ratio gearbox matches the broad powerband. The CB1000F has lower 1st and 2nd ratios, while the top four gears are higher, for a less frenetic ride on the highway. The quickshifter becomes optional on the F.

The CB1000F has the same geometry as the CB1000R Hornet. That means 26 degrees of rake, 3.9 inches of train, and a wheelbase of 57.3 inches. The F weighs about four pounds more, so the handling should be familiar.

The 2026 Honda CB1000F has the same suspension components as the R, but with different tuning. Befitting its roadster positioning, the CB1000F’s Show suspension has softer settings, and the shock linkage on the F has its own leverage rate. The fork is fully adjustable, while the shock gets by without adjustment for compression damping.

Dunlop Sportmax Roadsport 2 tires on mounted on the cast aluminum wheels. This tire is a step up from the GPR-300, but not on the level of the Qualifier tires. The Roadsport 2 is designed to have quick warm-up, good wet weather performance, and slower wear.

Braking is performed by Nissin calipers on the CB1000F. Cornering ABS is standard with the help of a six-axis IMU, and the tuning of the braking system is unique to the CB1000F’s roadster mission.

Honda offers three Packs of grouped accessories for specific goals. The Sport Pack adds a bikini fairing, a quickshifter, a radiator grill guard, an engine guard, and cosmetic upgrades. The Travel Pack introduces soft saddlebags and a tank bag. The Comfort Pack consists of a windscreen, wind deflectors, and more comfortable seating for the rider and passenger. The Packs can be installed collectively or individually, and with other accessories, such as a centerstand.

Styling is straight out of the 1980s. Freddie Spencer’s AMA Honda racebikes inspired the look of the new CB1000F. Three colorways are available, with the Wolf Silver Metallic w/ Blue Stripe being the most iconic.

We don’t have an arrival date for the 2026 Honda CB1000F. The list price in the UK is £10,599. We will be lobbying Honda for this bike to be available in the US—we want to ride it!

2026 Honda CB1000F Specs

ENGINE

Type: Inline-4
Displacement: 1000cc
Bore x stroke: 76 x 55.1mm
Maximum power: 122 horsepower @ 9000 rpm
Maximum torque: 76 lb-ft @ 8000 rpm
Compression ratio: 11.7:1
Valve train: DOHC: 4 vpc
Transmission: 6-speed w/ quickshifter
Clutch: Wet multiplate w/ assist and slipper functions
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS

Front suspension; travel: Fully adjustable Showa SFF-BP inverted 41mm fork; 5.1 inches
Rear suspension; travel: Linkage-assisted, rebound damping and spring preload adjustable Showa shock; 5.4 inches
Wheels: Cast aluminum
Front wheel: 17 x 3.5
Rear wheel: 17 x 5.5
Tires: Dunlop Sportmax Roadsport 2
Front tire: 120/70-17
Rear tire: 18/55-17
Front brakes: 310mm floating discs w/ radially mounted Nissin 4-piston calipers
Rear brake: 240mm disc w/ Nissin single-piston caliper
ABS: Standard