What’s that saying? “If you complain enough, you’ll eventually get what you want”? Well, that may not be the way the saying actually goes but that’s exactly how the Honda CB900F came to be.

From 1981 to 1983, Honda manufactured and sold the Honda CB900F, a bike that introduced Honda as a contender into the “naked bike” field that made motorcycles show off actual machine parts. As you’ll learn, the introduction of the Honda CB900F represented a bike that had already been tested on European and Australian roads, so the bike itself become known for its longevity, comfort, and performance - but it only got the United States because we complained enough about not being able to get one.

So, what did our whining and complaining get us? Read on to learn more. 

Development and History
You may know that car and motorcycle manufacturers sell different versions of vehicles and motorcycles to different countries. These decisions are often based on the perceived preferences of buyers in the United States versus the United Kingdom, Japan, or Australia. In the case of the Honda CB900F, American buyers first heard about the new motorcycle not via a salesperson at a dealership, but via Cycle World magazine; who described it as similar to the new Honda CB750F - a 1000cc sports bike being sold in Europe.

The motorcycles had slight differences in power and suspension, and even Honda thought they were too similar to be marketed separately. For the American side, a mix of priorities led to many American motorcycle buyers and dealers complaining that both bikes should be made available in the United States. Honda offered the CB900F a couple of years after it was introduced elsewhere as more of a “hot rod” bike, similar to the low riding muscle cars Americans also loved. The CB actually had more power but added plenty of weight, at nearly 50 additional pounds.

Curiously enough, once Honda brought the CB900F over to the United States, it began making it both more and more similar to the CB750F. The CB900F graphics began to match the CB750F, but it also get a new fuel strainer and Bridgestone tires. A few years later, Honda would replace the CB900F with the CB1100F with a redesigned combustion chamber, larger pistons, and better carburetion. 

The bike sold well in the United States, of course, considering that we had literally heard about it in a magazine and asked Honda to ship them over here, that was to be expected.

Honda itself claims that the CB900F is a “Thundering Super Sports bike with devastating performance and an unwavering stamina,” which was convincing enough for Americans who already wanted one.

Engine
Honda introduced a major accomplishment with the CB900F: they outfitted the CB900F with the first production 16-valve four-cylinder, DOHC engine. 

The Honda CB900F had a relatively large 901cc 89 horsepower engine capable of speeds of about 139 miles per hour and could thrust riders through the quarter-mile in around 12 seconds. 

Drivers noticed that the Honda didn’t have an overwhelming amount of high-end power, but faired well when accelerating up to highway speeds. 

Every CB900F had air cooling, which you could readily see without a cover on the bike, and paired with a 5-speed transmission for additional fuel economy and control over speed. Since the bike had spent a couple years on European and Australian roads before coming to the United States, Honda had time to refine and tweak the engine. Not many people reported problems with the new 16-valve four cylinder and many can be found in good condition today. 

Chassis
As you might expect, the CB900F shares many, if not all similarities with the CB750. Many riders complimented the frame and chassis of the Hondas for being difficult to break and a bit difficult to fix when it did. Others complained that it dropped out of gear sometimes.

Honda controlled the CB900F with two front disc brakes and a single rear disc brake. In the mid-life years of 1982 and 1983, Honda added an air-assisted fork and an anti-dive system which prevented drivers from throwing themselves off a bike when applying the brakes hard. In 1981, Honda also added a second piston to their braking system to increase reliability and stopping power. 

Overall, riders liked its driving ability compared even to the Honda cousin, the CB750. The combination of a powerful engine with a lightweight frame made for an especially fun drive and it was amongst the best in its class for a brief period before engine and suspension technology pushed further.

Impact on Motorcycle Culture
While the Honda CB900F introduced a new kind of engine to the Honda world, its popularity didn’t last especially long. Like many bikes, the model itself was gone after a couple of years though Honda later revived it in the 2000s as the Hornet. 

Among the largest impacts of the Honda CB900F were aesthetic and marketing. The “naked bike” appeal caught on and the weight of overhead covers was at least temporarily lowered. People didn’t mind staring directly at the face of a machine, especially if it meant having slightly better handling.

From a marketing standpoint, Americans learned that if they ask for a motorcycle, they might get one. While it’s not clear why Honda didn’t think that the CB900F would sell well in America, but the only limiter on its potential was the constant innovation by Honda that made it obsolete. Honda also learned in the process to listen to their customers and that slight differences between motorcycles didn’t make them less marketable. In fact, it showed that Americans had different potential priorities that led them to want something different, like a smaller, lighter, more powerful bike.

Honda did prove in the process of making both the CB900F and the CB750 that they were capable of competing with American and European manufacturers to make a comfort bike. The blend of speed and small bike handling was largely appealing to the American audience, and Honda hadn’t yet cemented themselves as a company that could make a good combination of both.

Overall, the CB900F is an awesome old-school bike with a big old Honda heart.