Honda CB-F Bol d'Or Concept will not be hitting the road anytime soon

IT may have been just a concept, but with lines like that and such an evocative, faithfully retro paintjob, the Honda CB-F Bol d'Or concept gained a lot of attention when the first images of the bike came to light.

It was a homage to the legendary CB900F race bikes of old, as ridden by heroes like Freddie Spencer and many more. With that styling and those colours, the CB-F concept was a seriously tasty prospect from the world's most prolific motorcycle maker.

Sadly though, we must bring you the news that the CB-F concept will go no further in life, as the designers of the bike have confirmed the machine is to be mothballed. The news comes from a press conference in Japan, where Honda was pulling the wraps off a new special edition CB1300. Confirming the news was Tesuo Ban, the designer of the first Honda CB1300. He did sadly break the news to the world that the stunning-looking concept from Honda would remain just that, a concept.

Orginal article continues below.

Honda has pulled the virtual wraps off a new concept version of its CB1000R – the Honda CB-F Concept – which draws inspiration from its original early 1980s CB750F and CB900F sportsbikes for a more retro nostalgic finish.

Using the CB1000R as a familiar naked base, the concept version gives it a cosmetic overhaul influenced by the model’s long lineage, which began way back in the 60s with the CB750 superbike and helped consolidate Honda’s status as the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer.

However, it is the Honda CB900F that shares most of the CB-F concept’s design traits, a machine introduced in 1979, with today’s CB1000R’s sharp, handsome looks given a retro refresh with a silver and blue colour scheme.

Further nods to its heritage include a single ‘megaphone’ exhaust, a simpler seat design and a cleaner tail and headlight design, plus a restyling of the engine housing.

Under the skin, the CB-F Concept retains the more modern aspects of the CB1000R’s engineering with a familiar water-cooled, four-stroke in-line four cylinder 998cc engine, together with the inverted fork, single-sided swingarm and single shock.

Created to highlight the contribution the CB series has made to Honda’s motorcycle success over the last 60 years, the CB-F Concept could nonetheless hint at what the next generation CB1000R could look like by going further with its neo-retro approach.

“The CB-F concept, taking advantage of the milestone of the CB's 60th anniversary last year, re-examined the history of the CB series and thoroughly discussed the "defending and reforming" of the CB, a Honda's leading sports bike, this is one of the proposals we have derived,” read a Honda statement.

“As a global model from Japan that contributed to the solidification of CB in its 60-year history and played an active part in race scenes such as North America, with respect to the CB750F (export model: CB900F), It is a challenging model finished with the latest technology while following the design motif.”

The CB-F Concept was revealed online in lieu of its proposed launched at the Osaka Motor Show when it and the Tokyo Motor Show were cancelled due to the coronavirus.