Tokyo, February 10, 1998 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has announced the launch of the new CB1300 Super Four motorcycle, which will go on sale on March 2. Designed to look like a stripped-down superbike road racer, the CB1300 Super Four is large, yet handles superbly. Whether riding city streets, country-roads or cruising the highway, the CB1300 Super Four's awesome power makes it a lot of fun to ride. Its huge liquid-cooled inline 4-cylinder 1300cc engine provides more than enough power to place it at the top of its class.
It was first displayed at the 32nd Tokyo Motor Show in 1997, and proved extremely popular. The CB1300 was developed to embody what a cutting-edge stripped-down road racer ought to be.

4,500 units

The engine is based on that of the X4, the best-selling bike in the over-750cc class during 1997. In this liquid-cooled 4-cycle DOHC inline 4-cylinder design, the intake, exhaust and ignition characteristics have been altered to give more torque at the lower revs often used in everyday riding, while still allowing the machine to cruise effortlessly on the highway.

Simple matte black counter-pointed by sophisticated chrome define the elegant external face of the vehicle's powerplant - all the way from the fins positioned on the cylinder sides, through to the hub-sheathed head- and crankcase covers, and the double mufflers. Carburetion is by powerful VEPB-style 36mm-diameter units. With the carburetor attachments positioned low on the machine, the seat has an elegantly slim profile and is positioned at a height of 790 mm, a comfortable height for most people.

The double-cradle mono-backbone frame uses steel tubing with both cylindrical and rectangular cross-sections. This helps to achieve a balance of flexibility with tough rigidity, and conveys excellent turning ability and smooth, light handling, despite it being such a large machine.

The front suspension combines a large-diameter 45mm inner tube with a high-rigidity bottom bridge for a dynamic feel. The rear suspension features a double Pro-Link system - the first on a Honda production motorcycle - which improves compliance and road holding throughout the swingarm's movement by expanding the suspension's ratio over a wider range of acceleration and load conditions.

The front brakes feature 310mm-diameter floating hydraulic double disc and - another first for a commercially available Honda bike - these are combined with different-sized opposed 6-piston calipers mounting sintered metal pads - an arrangement designed to deliver a high degree of control. The rear 276 mm-diameter hydraulic disc brake features specially lowered opposed 2-piston calipers that are well designed to cope with changes in temperature.

Both front and rear tires are tubeless (front: 130/70ZR17; rear: 190/60ZR17). Combined with the lightweight 3-spoke aluminum wheels, they convey a strong, sporty image. The design etches out the fuel tank and rear cowling in sharp relief. For a big bike, it still retains a slim, individual profile.

Three color variations are available: a vivid Pearl White/Candy Red two-tone combination, plus two solid color options - Silver Metallic and Candy Orange.

Finally, the quick-response tachometer features a peak reading needle that records the maximum revs reached during a ride. Fluorescent orange needles with a blue LED display improve nighttime visibility.