If you want a Honda CB1000R import from Japan, you are after the best-built, best-finished litre naked money can buy second-hand — the one bike in this class that treats you like an adult instead of a lap-time chaser. The CB1000R has never sold in the numbers the Yamaha MT-10 or Suzuki GSX-S1000 managed, and that is exactly why importing one makes sense. Clean, low-mileage Japanese-market bikes are landing in the UK, Australia and New Zealand at prices that make a same-year home-market example look overpriced, and Japan's roads and storage habits treat these single-sided-swingarm showpieces far more kindly than a British winter ever did.
Here's the thing nobody tells you at the dealership: there are two completely different motorcycles wearing the CB1000R badge, and a third, brand-new bike that shares almost the same name and confuses half the used market. Get that wrong and you either overpay for the pretty one or buy the wrong bike entirely. This guide fixes that first, then walks you through every problem, price and inspection point before you wire money to Japan.
We pulled the real-world detail here from owners, not brochures. Yammie Noob's "Did I Overlook the Honda CB1000R?" review has racked up over 670,000 views and 930 comments precisely because so many riders skip this bike and then wonder why. MOTOBOB's long-term "Why I Love the Honda CB1000R" love-letter (over half a million views) and his CB1000R-versus-CB650R shoot-out keep hammering the same point: this is a bike people buy with their heart and keep for years. That tells you everything about resale and about how these bikes get looked after.
What is the Honda CB1000R?
The Honda CB1000R is a 998cc inline-four naked bike built around a detuned version of Honda's own Fireblade superbike engine. Honda first sold it from 2008, paused it around 2016-2017, then relaunched a completely restyled version in 2018 under the "Neo Sports Cafe" design language. Both versions share the signature single-sided swingarm, a round LED headlight and an upright, roomy riding position that makes them genuinely usable every day.
What separates the CB1000R from the rest of the litre-naked pack is not outright power — it is deliberately the mellowest of the bunch — but finish, refinement and character. The brushed-alloy detailing, the machined top yoke, the exhaust that curls out on the right: this is a bike designed to be looked at as much as ridden. Honda built it for the rider who has owned the 180-horsepower missiles, sold them, and wants something they can enjoy at seven-tenths without a licence-ending moment.
That brief matters for you as a buyer because it changes who owned these bikes and how they were treated. CB1000R owners tend to be older, out of the stunt phase, and obsessive about paint and service history. On the used and import market, that translates to bikes with full stamps, garage storage and gentle miles — the opposite of a thrashed track-day supersport.
Honda CB1000R generations explained (2008-2017 vs Neo Sports Cafe 2018+)
This is the section that saves you the most money, so read it twice. There are two distinct generations of the Honda CB1000R, and they look, ride and cost nothing alike.
First generation (2008-2017): The original CB1000R used a retuned version of the 2006 CBR1000RR Fireblade engine, producing around 123-125 horsepower at 10,000 rpm and 100 Nm (74 lb-ft) of torque at 8,000 rpm. Styling was angular, aggressive and very late-2000s — sharp bodywork, a chunky underslung exhaust on many markets, and a stacked, muscular stance. It rode well and the engine was bulletproof, but the electronics were basic: no riding modes, no traction control, and ABS only on the later CB1000RA versions. Weight sat around 222 kg. These are now the value buy, often changing hands for a fraction of a newer bike.
Second generation (2018 onward, "Neo Sports Cafe"): Honda kept the same long-stroke 2006 Fireblade bottom end but did serious work on top. The redline climbed from roughly 10,300 rpm to 11,500 rpm, power rose about 12 horsepower to 143 hp, and there is noticeably more torque between 6,000 and 8,000 rpm where you actually ride. Honda fitted Blade SP-style forged pistons, a gas-flowed head, higher compression, bigger 44mm throttle bodies (up from 36mm), a new airbox and an exhaust that shed 4.5 kg. Add ride-by-wire, riding modes, Honda Selectable Torque Control, a full TFT dash, a fresh chassis, a bigger rear wheel and a clear step up in build quality, and you get a bike that feels a class above its predecessor.
Motorcyclist Magazine's 2018 first-ride review (over half a million views) summed it up: the Neo Sports Cafe finally gave the CB1000R the styling and equipment to justify its premium price. If your budget stretches to a 2018-plus bike, that is the one to chase. If it does not, the first-gen car is a lot of reliable engine for the money — just go in knowing you are buying an analogue bike.
CB1000R vs CB1000 Hornet vs CB650R: don't buy the wrong Honda
This is where the used market turns into a minefield, so let's clear it up. Three Honda naked bikes have nearly interchangeable names, and buyers mix them up constantly.
The CB1000R is the premium neo-retro machine this guide is about: single-sided swingarm, round headlight, brushed alloy, roughly 143 hp in second-gen form, and a new UK price for the Black Edition of around £13,399. It is the expensive, style-led one.
The CB1000 Hornet (2025 onward) is an all-new, completely different motorcycle that happens to share "CB1000." It uses a twin-spar steel frame with 70% more torsional rigidity than the CB1000R, a conventional two-sided swingarm, makes 150 hp (or 155 hp in SP trim), weighs less, and launched at around £8,999 — far cheaper than the CB1000R it sits beside. It is the sporty, aggressive one aimed at the MT-10 and GSX-S1000. If you see a "CB1000" advertised cheap with a normal swingarm and a spiky tail, that is a Hornet, not a CB1000R. They are not the same bike and they do not command the same money.
The CB650R is the little brother: a 649cc inline-four making about 94 hp, sharing the CB1000R's Neo Sports Cafe looks in a smaller, lighter, cheaper package. MOTOBOB's "CB1000R vs CB650R: Which One Would I Buy?" video (over 375,000 views) exists because plenty of riders genuinely cannot decide — the 650 looks nearly identical for far less outlay. If you want the style and mostly ride in town, the 650 is the sensible pick. If you want the effortless litre-class midrange, only the 1000 will do.
Bottom line: confirm the exact model, engine size and swingarm type in the auction photos before you bid. A single-sided swingarm and a round LED headlight means CB1000R. Anything else is a different bike.
Why import a Honda CB1000R from Japan
Japan is the best place on earth to buy a used CB1000R, and it comes down to how Japan treats motorcycles. Bikes there cover low annual mileage, spend their lives in dry storage, and pass a strict inspection regime that pushes owners to keep everything maintained. The domestic market also churns bikes quickly — riders trade up often — so the auction halls are full of clean, honest, low-owner examples.
Because the CB1000R was a slow seller in export markets, home-market supply and pricing in Japan is often better than what you will find on your local classifieds. Add the auction system's brutal honesty — every bike gets an independent inspector's grade and a condition map — and you can buy a machine you have never seen in person with more confidence than a private sale down the road.
One honest note on markets. The first-generation CB1000R (2008-2017) was never officially sold in the United States, so American buyers face the 25-year import rule, which keeps a 2008 bike off public roads until 2033. The Neo Sports Cafe was sold in the US from 2018, so American riders do not need to import one at all. This guide is written for the UK, Australia and New Zealand, where you can register an imported CB1000R of any age. If you are in the US chasing a first-gen bike, talk to us first about the legal path.
New to the mechanics of buying at a Japanese auction? Our step-by-step guide to importing a motorcycle from Japan and our guide to reading a Japanese auction sheet cover the paperwork side in full.
Honda CB1000R common problems and what to check
The CB1000R is one of the more reliable naked bikes you can buy, but "reliable" does not mean "perfect." Here is what actually comes up, drawn from owner forums and long-term reviews rather than spec sheets.
Low-rev throttle dip (first-gen especially): Owners report a flat spot or hesitation roughly between 3,500 and 4,500 rpm on early bikes. It is a fuelling characteristic, not a fault, and a throttle-body sync or a Power Commander tidies it up. On a test ride, feel for hesitation rolling on in that band.
Starting on the sidestand: A well-known quirk — some bikes are reluctant to start with the sidestand down but fire instantly with it up. It usually traces to the sidestand switch. Cheap to sort, but check it so you are not surprised on delivery.
Heel plate paint rub: The paint on the heel plates wears off where your boots contact them, especially in hard boots. Owners fix it with matt helicopter tape. It is cosmetic, but a scuffed heel plate is a quick tell that a bike has done real miles.
First-generation recalls and charging: Honda recalled a batch of early 2008 bikes for a rear tail light that could short-circuit, and some very early bikes had generator (stator) coils short to ground, replaced under warranty at the time. On any first-gen import, confirm the charging system is healthy and the recall work was done.
Cam chain tensioner rattle (older bikes): Early CB1000Rs can develop a cam chain tensioner rattle on cold start-up. Listen on a genuinely cold engine — a persistent top-end rattle that does not settle is worth a mechanic's opinion.
Consumables and the usual: Chain and sprockets, fork seals, brake pads and tyres are the normal wear items. None of it is unusual for the class. The engine itself is a known 50,000-mile-plus unit when serviced, so spend your inspection energy on history and crash damage, not on hunting for a mythical engine flaw.
Which years to buy and which to approach with caution
There is no genuinely bad year of CB1000R, which is refreshing. But some years are smarter buys than others.
Best value overall: 2018-2020 Neo Sports Cafe bikes. You get the full electronics package, the stronger 143-hp engine, the modern chassis and the good looks, and the earliest depreciation has already happened. These are the sweet spot for an import right now.
Best condition-per-pound: 2021-onward bikes, including the Black Edition trims, which added minor styling and equipment tweaks. They cost more but arrive with lower miles and newer everything.
Value hunter's pick: 2008-2015 first-gen bikes. Cheap, tough and characterful, but analogue — no rider modes, no traction control. Buy one for the engine and the price, not the tech. Confirm recall work and charging health.
Approach with a checklist, not caution: the very earliest 2008 bikes. Nothing structurally wrong, but they are old enough now that history and charging condition matter more than the model year on the logbook.
What a used Honda CB1000R costs (and the landed-price math)
Let's talk real numbers. In the UK used market, second-generation bikes are strong value right now. A 2020 CB1000R with just under 10,000 miles has sold around £6,299; a lower-mileage 2020 example near £6,899; and a barely-run 2021 bike with around 1,200 miles listed near £7,490. New, the current Black Edition is roughly £13,399, which is exactly why clean used and imported bikes look so appealing. First-generation 2008-2016 bikes sit well below that, often in the £3,000-5,000 band depending on condition and miles.
When you import from Japan, your landed cost is the winning auction bid plus export and shipping, your agent's fee, then home-country duty, VAT or GST and registration. The exact figures vary by destination, but the pattern holds: a clean Japanese CB1000R frequently lands for meaningfully less than an equivalent-condition local bike, and it usually arrives with lower miles and a tidier history. Our UK motorcycle import duty and tax guide breaks the charges down line by line so there are no surprises at the port.
Living with the CB1000R: the riding impression
This is the part the spec sheet cannot tell you. The CB1000R is not trying to rip your arms off, and once you accept that, it is a deeply satisfying bike. The inline-four is smooth and torquey from low down, pulls cleanly through the midrange, and only reminds you it is Fireblade-derived when you chase the top end. The upright bars and roomy seat make an hour in the saddle painless, and the single-sided swingarm and quality finish mean you catch your own reflection in shop windows more than you would admit.
MOTOBOB's ownership videos keep returning to the same word: character. The CB1000R has a personality that the more clinical super-nakeds lack, and that is why owners hang onto them and why used values stay firm. It is quick enough to embarrass most traffic, comfortable enough to commute, and pretty enough to justify itself in the garage on the days you do not ride it. Yammie Noob's whole "did I overlook this?" framing lands because riders keep discovering, late, that the bike they dismissed as "just the pretty Honda" is the one they actually want to live with.
How the Honda CB1000R stacks up against its rivals
The litre-naked class is a knife fight, and the CB1000R wins some categories and loses others. Here is the honest scorecard.
Yamaha MT-10: The angry one. Around 165 hp from a crossplane engine, sharper electronics, more aggression. It out-guns the Honda everywhere on paper. Second Gear's MT-10-versus-CB1000R Black Edition comparison lays it out: the MT-10 is the faster, more focused weapon; the CB1000R is the more refined, better-finished bike you want to keep. Different buyers, both right.
Suzuki GSX-S1000: The value pick. K5 Fireblade-rival engine, roughly 150 hp, sportier and cheaper than the Honda, but nowhere near the finish or the presence. If budget rules, the Suzuki wins; if you want the best-made bike, the Honda does.
Kawasaki Z1000: The muscle-naked. Strong low-end torque and aggressive Sugomi styling, but older electronics and a firmer character. Our Kawasaki Z1000 import guide covers it if you want the comparison in full.
Yamaha XSR900 and Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe: The retro rivals. Cycle World's three-way test against these two (over 580,000 views) is worth watching because it frames the CB1000R correctly — not as a lap-time tool but as a modern-classic you buy for style and feel. Against those two the Honda brings more power and a more premium finish.
Where the CB1000R clearly leads: build quality, finish, refinement, resale and everyday manners. Where it trails: outright power, cutting-edge electronics and value-for-money. If you are cross-shopping any of these, our current import listings are the fastest way to see what is actually available right now.
Popular Honda CB1000R modifications
CB1000R owners modify with taste rather than aggression, which is another reason imports arrive in good order. The common changes: a full or slip-on exhaust to wake up the inline-four soundtrack (Arrow and Akrapovic systems are favourites — one Arrow-equipped cold-start clip has passed 2.6 million views, which tells you how much owners love the noise), fender eliminators and tail tidies to clean up the rear, bar-end mirrors, frame sliders and radiator guards for protection, and a small flyscreen for a little wind relief. On first-gen bikes, a fuelling module smooths that low-rev dip. None of it is exotic and most of it is reversible, so a lightly modified import is nothing to fear — just confirm the work is tidy and the original parts come with it.
Is the Honda CB1000R a good first big bike?
Yes, with an honest asterisk. The CB1000R is more forgiving than its power figure suggests: the fuelling is smooth, the riding position is natural, and the softer state of tune means it does not punish clumsy inputs the way an MT-10 will. Riding modes and traction control on second-gen bikes add a safety net. Plenty of riders step up to one from a 600 and get on fine.
The asterisk is weight and price. At over 210 kg it is a substantial machine to paddle around a car park, and it is expensive enough that dropping one hurts. If you are brand new to big bikes, the CB650R gives you 90% of the experience for less money and less mass — which is exactly why that MOTOBOB comparison video exists. But as a first litre bike for a competent rider, the CB1000R is one of the friendliest in the class.
Mileage: how much is too much on a CB1000R?
The engine is derived from the Fireblade and is genuinely long-lived — owners routinely pass 50,000 miles with nothing more than routine servicing. That means mileage matters far less than history. A 40,000-mile bike with a full service record, honest storage and clean charging system is a better buy than a 6,000-mile bike with mystery gaps and a scuffed heel plate that says otherwise.
What you actually want is evidence: stamped service book, valve-clearance checks done on schedule, chain and tyres with life left, and an auction sheet that matches. On a Japanese import, the auction inspector's grade and condition map do a lot of this verification for you before the bike ever ships. Our guide on whether Japanese motorcycles are reliable explains why the auction grading system is such a powerful buying tool.
How to import a Honda CB1000R from Japan, step by step
The process is simpler than it looks once someone has done it before. Here is the shape of it.
Step 1 — Set your spec and budget. Decide generation (first-gen value or Neo Sports Cafe), year range, colour, standard or Black Edition, and your all-in landed ceiling, not just the auction bid.
Step 2 — Register with an auction agent. You cannot bid in the Japanese auctions yourself; you go through a licensed agent (that is us) who has access to the auction network and can read the sheets in Japanese.
Step 3 — Shortlist and read the sheets. Your agent sends you candidate bikes with their auction grades and condition maps. This is where the honesty lives — a grade and a map tell you about scratches, rust, repairs and mileage verification before you commit a penny.
Step 4 — Bid and win. Set your maximum, let the agent bid, and pay the winning amount plus fees. No emotional overbidding at 2am.
Step 5 — Export, ship and clear. The bike is de-registered for export, crated or roll-on shipped, and lands at your port. Your agent handles export paperwork; you or a customs broker handle import duty, VAT/GST and registration on arrival.
Step 6 — Register and ride. Once duty is paid and any local inspection is passed, you register the bike and it is yours. Our UK-specific import walkthrough covers the destination paperwork in detail, and our team can manage the whole chain for you.
Pre-purchase inspection checklist
Before you bid on any CB1000R, run through this. Most of it can be verified from good auction photos and the condition sheet; the rest is for the first cold start on delivery.
Confirm the model is genuinely a CB1000R (single-sided swingarm, round LED headlight) and not a CB1000 Hornet or CB650R. Check the auction grade and condition map for accident repairs, frame damage and corrosion. Verify mileage against the sheet and the general wear — bars, pegs, seat, heel plates. On a cold start, listen for a persistent cam chain tensioner rattle and feel for the low-rev throttle dip on the test roll. Confirm the charging system is healthy, especially on first-gen bikes, and that any 2008 recall work was completed. Check the sidestand-start quirk. Inspect chain, sprockets, tyres, fork seals and brake pads for remaining life. Make sure all keys, the service book and any removed original parts are present. Finally, confirm the paperwork is clean and exportable before money moves.
Honda CB1000R running costs and ownership
A CB1000R is cheaper to live with than its litre-class power figure suggests, which is part of the appeal. Because Honda tuned the engine for the road rather than the redline, you spend less time replacing thrashed consumables than an owner of a hard-ridden supersport does. Fuel economy sits in the mid-40s to high-40s miles per gallon for normal road use, and the 16-litre tank gives a usable real-world range for a bike in this bracket — enough for a proper Sunday loop between fills.
Servicing follows Honda's usual pattern: minor services with oil and filter at regular intervals, and a valve-clearance check at the longer service milestone. The inline-four is not fussy, and independent Honda specialists can look after it without dealer prices. Chain and sprockets, tyres and brake pads are your recurring costs, and none of them are exotic — this is a mainstream Honda, so parts are everywhere and reasonably priced.
Insurance is where the two generations diverge. A second-generation Neo Sports Cafe rates as a premium litre naked, so expect a group appropriate to a 143-hp machine, while first-gen bikes are older and often cheaper to cover. On an import, a couple of insurers specialise in JDM and grey-import motorcycles, and using one of them avoids the inflated quotes that mainstream insurers sometimes attach to a bike they do not recognise. Factor that into your budget before you commit, not after the bike lands.
Depreciation is the quiet win. Because owners love these bikes and hold onto them, used values stay firm, so the money you put into a clean import is money you are likely to see again when you sell. That is the opposite of buying the trendy super-naked that everyone dumps two years later.
First-generation CB1000R: is the cheap one worth importing?
Plenty of buyers land on this guide chasing the newer Neo Sports Cafe, then notice a 2008-2015 first-gen bike for half the money and start to wonder. So let's answer it directly: yes, the first-generation CB1000R is worth importing, as long as you know exactly what you are buying.
The good news is the engine. The first-gen car runs the same tough 2006 Fireblade-derived unit, so the 50,000-mile-plus longevity is there. The riding position is roomy, the single-sided swingarm is still gorgeous, and around 123-125 hp is plenty of real-world speed. For a rider who wants litre-class character without litre-class money, it is a lot of motorcycle for the outlay, and Japanese examples tend to have led gentle, garaged lives.
The trade-offs are honest ones. There are no riding modes, no traction control, and ABS only on the later CB1000RA versions — so if you want electronic safety nets, buy the RA or step up to a second-gen bike. The styling is late-2000s angular rather than modern-retro, which is a matter of taste. And because these bikes are now over a decade old, the charging system, cam chain tensioner and general history matter more than the year on the logbook. Confirm the 2008-era recall work was done and that the stator is healthy.
Our take: if your budget is tight and you value the engine and the price over the tech, a clean first-gen import is a smart buy that most people overlook. If you can stretch to a 2018-plus bike, do — the extra power, electronics and finish are worth it. Either way, the auction sheet is your friend, because a first-gen bike with an honest grade removes most of the age-related risk.
How AWA Auction helps you import a CB1000R
AWA Auction gives you direct access to the Japanese motorcycle auctions, honest reads on every auction sheet, and one team managing the bid, the export and the shipping so you are not stitching together three companies across a language barrier. We tell you when a bike is wrong as readily as when it is right, because a happy owner beats a quick sale. If you want a CB1000R that arrives clean, honest and priced better than your local market, this is the straightforward way to get one.
Browse what is landing now on our current listings, or contact our team with your ideal spec and we will hunt one down at the next auction.
See Also
Share this article: