Honda CB1300 SuperFour
4-12-2003
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Honda
currently produces a wide range of successful motorcycles geared toward
virtually every taste and riding style. From hardcore sportbikes
equally as comfortable on the racetrack as they are on the street to
easy-riding cruisers directed toward a slower pace of riding enjoyment
and adventure bikes raring to explore far-off lands, Honda’s varied
stable of motorcycles show a passion for all kinds of riding enjoyment
unmatched by any other manufacturer.
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| A decade ago, Honda released an unfaired, or ‘Naked’ sportbike called
the CB1000, nicknamed the ‘Big One,’ which combined the stark beauty of
machined metal with a satisfying rush of powerful, full-bodied
performance. While not a major best-seller, the CB1000 proved to have a
strong appeal for a wide cross-section of riders with no obsessions
about having the ‘biggest’ or ‘fastest,’ but simply wanting a strong,
reliable ‘standard’ that looks tough and delivers a mean punch, with a
little extra in the way of quality of execution and attention to detail
to set it apart from the rest. |
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Over the years, the CB1000 also became a favourite base model for hot
rod customising, with both looks and performance taken to some
remarkable extremes in the pursuit of a more personal statement of
performance. In recent years, a growing number of street riders have
been rediscovering the joys of Naked sportbikes, which stay close to
the basic fundamentals of motorcycling’s appeal: exciting performance
with little in the way of added ‘accoutrements’ to distract from the
pure enjoyment of riding face into the wind.
| This trend has been reflected in recent new bike sales, as the market
segment represented by Naked machines has grown at a significantly
faster rate than any other, especially in the higher displacements.
Honda has recently enjoyed several big hits in this segment, led by its
two bestselling mid-displacement Hornets. Up in the large-displacement
segment of the market, the Hornet 900 and 1100cc X-Eleven has gathered
a discerning and dedicated niche of aficionados who appreciate their
levels of performance and unique styling, although their appeal has not
been quite so widespread.
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| Returning
to the drawing board, Honda’s ‘Naked bike’ development team drew up a
list of the factors that most appeal to them personally as riders and
lovers of the motorcycle riding experience. Primary among these points
of appeal was the ‘Fun Factor’ that encompasses the exhilaration of
high performance, an acute responsiveness that makes the machine feel
like a personal extension of the rider’s will, and all the sensations
of a big engine’s sound and vibration that cause a rider to feel really
alive when on the move. All difficult to quantify factors that an
experienced rider instantly knows but can’t quite put into words, never
mind tally up on a performance chart. Therefore, expressing this deeply
felt riding experience in a new, large-displacement motorcycle proved
to be a challenge that required much concentrated thought and testing
of every part to get just right. |
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The final result of these efforts come together in the new CB1300, a
big, brute of a ‘naked’ standard with a heart-stopping blast of
performance that really puts the fun into the ‘out-in the open’ Naked
bike riding experience.
Specifications
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· Engine: Type Liquid-cooled 4-stroke 16-valve DOHC inline-4
· Displacement 1,284cm3
· Bore x Stroke 78 x 67.2mm
· Compression Ratio 9.6 : 1
· Max. Power Output 85kW/7,500min-1 (95/1/EC)
· F-type 78kW/7,500min-1 (95/1/EC)
· Max. Torque 117Nm/6,000min-1 (95/1/EC)
· F-type 115Nm/6,000min-1 (95/1/EC)
· Idling Speed 1,000min-1
· Oil Capacity 4.6 litres
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Fuel System
· Carburation PGM-FI electronic fuel injection
· Throttle Bore 36mm
· Aircleaner Dry, cartridge-type paper filter
· Fuel Tank Capacity 21 litres (including 4-litre warning light reserve)
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Electrical System
· Ignition System Computer-controlled digital transistorised
with electronic advance
· Ignition Timing 5° BTDC (idle) ~ 31° BTDC (7,500min-1)
· Sparkplug Type CR8EHVX-9 (NGK)
· Starter Electric
· Battery Capacity 12V/14AH
· ACG Output 420W/5,000min-1
· Headlight 12V 55W x 1 (low) / 60W x 1 (high)
· Drivetrain
· Clutch Wet, multiplate with coil springs
· Clutch Operation Hydraulic
· Transmission Type 5-speed
· Primary Reduction 1.652 (88/56)
· Gear Ratios:
1. 3.083 (37/12)
2. 2.062 (33/16)
3. 1.545 (34/22)
4. 1.272 (28/22)
5. 1.130 (26/23)
· Final Reduction 2.277 (41/18)
· Final Drive #530 114-link sintered link chain
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Frame
· Type Double-cradle; steel tube; dual backbone
· Chassis
· Dimensions (LxWxH) 2,220 x 790 x 1,120mm
· Wheelbase 1,515mm
· Caster Angle 27° 00'
· Trail 99mm
· Turning Radius 2.7m
· Seat Height 790mm
· Ground Clearance 135mm
· Dry Weight 224kg
· Kerb Weight 252kg (F: 124kg; R: 128kg)
· Maximum Carrying Capacity 188kg
· Loaded Weight 445kg (F: 170kg; R: 275kg)
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Suspension
· Type Front 43mm cartridge-type telescopic fork, 120mm
axle travel
· Rear Dual conventional dampers with 5-step adjustable
spring preload, 116mm axle travel
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Wheels
· Rear 17M/C x MT5.50
· Tyre Size Front 120/70 ZR17M/C (58W)
· Rear 180/55 ZR17M/C (73W)
· Tyre Pressure Front 250kPa
· Rear 290kPa
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Brakes
· Type Front 310 x 4.5mm dual disc with 4-piston callipers
and sintered metal pads
· Rear 256 x 6mm single-piston calliper disc with sintered
metal pads |
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CB1300 
