Honda Cb1300
HONDA CB1300 More of an old thing
Quick Ride
THE RETRO-STANDARD craze continues in Japan, and Honda has Unleashed what may be the ultimate evolution of the UJM, the four-cylinder CB 1300. No technical details were of fered, but the CB1300 is basically a big-bore update of the CB 1000. Honda has also ladled on more technology, perhaps to cover up what continues to be the genre's biggest weakness: lack of power.
The CB1300's engine comes from the domestic-market X4 "monster cruiser," itself a hotted-up version of the CB1000 mill. The liquid-cooled, dohc, 1284cc inline-Four differs from that of the X4 in terms of cam timing, carburetion and exhaust, all of which are aimed at giving the bike a more sporting character.
Parked next to the old bike, the CB1300 looks similar, only bigger. From behind, the "Super Four" has serious girth, courtesy of its twin large-vol ume mufflers. Tucked behind the chrome canisters is the new "Double Pro-Link" rear suspen sion, which is designed to make the most out of the old, twin shock setup. Basically, the shocks are connected to the alu minum swingarm via rocker arms for a rising-rate effect, giving the suspension a moreprogressive action.
Also in the performance-plus column, six-piston front brake calipers are now standard issue, as are wider wheels fitted with meatier tires. Another improve ment is a lower seat height, which makes it easier to get a foot down at stoplights. The up right riding position isn't all that different, though, meaning the bike is still comfortable for both sport riding and touring.
Push the starter button and the engine fires instantly. There's torque to spare; you barely have to touch the throt tle to get underway. When you do whack the throttle open, the bike accelerates hard, al though top speed is electroni cally limited to 112 mph, preventing any untoward be havior during our short stint on Honda's Japanese test track. At highway speeds, the engine is exceedingly smooth, but not terribly exciting. Seri ous grunt is always available, but there's never a big power hit. As for the suspension setup, we'll have to run the CBI300 on some of our fa vorite backroads before mak ing a final conclusion. On Honda's track, though, it fared better than expected.
What Honda has assembled is a large, heavy, old-style motor cycle that, for its displacement, is still down on power. Consider ing its size and weight, though, the CB1300 does handle and stop well. While pricing wasn't available at presstime, the offi cial word is that there are no plans to bring this model to the U.S. American Honda is interest ed in bringing standard-style bikes stateside, but as the slowselling CB 1000 proved, Ameri cans have made it pretty clear they want performance to go along with large-displacement engines and classic styling.
Yasushi Ichikawa
