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30-Year Arcs / Heritage / Honda Big Retro Naked
Honda Japan

Honda CB Big Retro. CB1100 → CB1000F: Honda came back.

Honda made big air-cooled CB inline-four retros for 50 years — CB750 Four (1969), CB750 Nighthawk (90s), CB1300 Super Four (2000s), CB1100 (2010s). Production stopped 2020 when Euro 5 killed air-cooled big-bores. Six years later, Honda answered with the CB1000F — Fireblade-derived 999cc liquid-cooled four wearing CB-F (1979) styling. Not air-cooled. Not the same. But the big CB retro is back.

1996
CB750 Nighthawk
2006
CB1300 Super Four
2016
CB1100
2026
CB1000F (NEW)
Continual audits are underway to verify local pricing for every bike in every market. Apologies for any gaps you see while this is in progress.
1996 CB750 era · 1996

CB750 Nighthawk

747cc air-cooled four
Last of the cheap CB750 retros

747cc air-cooled four
75 bhp
63
215
800
ABSFuel injectionTraction controlRide modesTFT dash747cc air-cooledRound tank,
Known issues
  • CB750 Nighthawk — generally bulletproof inline-four — all years
  • Carb gumming after sitting — all years
  • Reg/rec failure — all years
$5,500
$11,000
$3–4.5k
2006 CB1300 · 2006

CB1300 Super Four

1284cc air-cooled four
Honda last big air-cooled retro

1284cc air-cooled four
113 bhp
117
254
795
ABSFuel injectionTraction controlRide modesTFT dash1284cc air-cooledTwin clocks,
Known issues
  • CB1300 Super Four — final-run, very few issues — all years
  • Heavy weight stresses fork seals on sport riding — all years
$8,500
$14,300
$4.5–6.5k
2016 CB1100 · 2016

CB1100

1140cc air-cooled four
Pure heritage tribute (2010-2020)

1140cc air-cooled four
88 bhp
92
252
795
ABSFuel injectionTraction controlRide modesLCD multi-function1140cc air-cooledTwin shocks,
Known issues
  • CB1100 — generally exceptional reliability — all years
  • Some reports of slow throttle response on EX trim — 2014-17
  • Honda old-school air-cooled four — minimal known faults
$9,000
$11,700
$5–7.5k
2026 CB1000F · Honda came back

Honda CB1000F

Fireblade-derived 999cc inline-four
Retro-styled, CB-F (1979) inspired · liquid-cooled

999cc inline-four, liquid-cooled
122 bhp
103
214
795
Throttle-by-wire6-axis IMUCornering ABSCornering HSTC5in TFT5 ride modesA2-restrictableAir-cooled (NO — liquid)
Known issues
  • Liquid-cooled — purists wanted air-cooled to retain CB1100 character
  • Quickshifter is optional, not standard at this price — 2026
  • Stock seat firm for tall riders
  • Engine derived from 2017 Fireblade — bulletproof platform
$10,599
$11,499
$11,995
// 30-Year Delta

What actually changed.

1996 → 2026 · 30 years of "progress"
The shape of this lineage Gap closed — Honda came back CB750 Nighthawk (1996) → CB1300 Super Four (2006) → CB1100 (2016) → CB1000F (2026). The CB1100 was killed in 2020 because air-cooled emissions couldn't meet Euro 5. For six years there was no big CB retro four in Honda's UK lineup. The CB1000F arrives Feb 2026 to close that gap with a Fireblade-derived liquid-cooled engine wearing CB-F (1979) retro styling.
Engine architecture Air-cooled → liquid-cooled (forced) Every CB inline-four retro from 1969 to 2020 was air-cooled. That was the whole point — Honda CB had a sound, look, and visual character that depended on cooling fins. Euro 5 forced the change. The CB1000F uses the 2017-generation CBR1000RR Fireblade liquid-cooled engine, retuned for low-rpm torque (122bhp / 103Nm). Purists will mourn the air-cooled character, but it was that or nothing.
Why the gap, and why the comeback Hornet platform made it viable The CB1000F shares its frame, suspension, brakes, and engine with the 2024-launched CB1000 Hornet. Honda only re-entered the big CB retro segment because the Hornet platform existed to share costs across. A standalone retro-only platform wouldn't be viable at 2-3k UK sales/year. Built off Hornet, the CB1000F enters at $10,599 — undercutting Z900RS ($11,499) and Bonneville T120 ($11,995).
CB1000F vs CB1000 Hornet Same engine, different ergonomics The CB1000 Hornet is the streetfighter (149bhp peak at 11,000rpm); the CB1000F is the retro roadster (122bhp peak at 9,000rpm). Honda used different cams, longer 140mm intake funnels, and different gear ratios to bias the F towards low/mid-rpm — at 62mph the F runs 4,000rpm in top vs Hornet's 4,300rpm. Same chassis, same brakes, same wheels. Different riding character.
CB-F (1979) styling cues Freddie Spencer race-replica Honda explicitly cited the 1979 CB750F — the bike Freddie Spencer raced in the AMA series — as the styling source. Round headlight, paint stripes ('Wolf Silver Metallic with Blue Stripe' is the iconic colour), 4-2-1 megaphone exhaust, simple round tank graphics. Riding position is upright with bars closer/higher than Hornet, pegs slightly forward — relaxed retro stance, not streetfighter stance.
Where this category sits in 2026 Big retro four-cylinder revival The big-bore retro four-cylinder segment has been growing. Kawasaki Z900RS (since 2018) is the segment leader. Triumph Bonneville T120 (twin, not four). Suzuki Katana (V-twin... well, inline-4). The CB1000F joins the four-cylinder retro club at the lowest price in the segment. Honda's late re-entry is timed to a market that has clearly proved it wants this kind of bike — not a niche but a real category.
// Sources

Where these numbers come from

Every figure on this page is from a published manufacturer spec sheet or a reputable review publication. No press junkets, no opinions in the spec data. Inflation calculated using US BLS CPI tool.

1996 CB750 Nighthawk Manufacturer specs · MCN · Cycle World archive
2006 CB1300 Super Four Manufacturer press · MCN Reviews · autoevolution
2016 CB1100 Manufacturer UK specs · MCN · Total Motorcycle
2026 No big CB retro four Manufacturer UK · Cycle World archive · Cycle World