Return Of The Honda Super Four Bol D'or - Now With 1,300cc!

Few motorcycle manufacturers have gained the mass appeal and iconic heritage of Honda's CB line of bikes. What could be considered as the company that made superbike performance more accessible to the masses in 1969 with the CB750 Four, Honda continues to have an extremely rich lineup of motorcycles bearing the iconic CB nameplate. In Japan, Honda has re-launched the iconic CB1300.

The biggest and baddest of the inline-four UJMs, the CB1300 is equipped with a fuel-injected 1,284cc inline-four. Rated at a decent 111 horsepower, the CB1300 isn't built for sheer performance. Unlike its supersport counterparts, bikes like the CB1300 are meant to be capable all-rounders. This means the CB1300 can be a bike you could use to commute to work, and gobble up miles of highway and twisty roads on the weekends. At first glance, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the new Honda CB1300 is still the same as the iconic machine of the late 80s and early 90s. 

Honda has launched the new CB 1300 range of bikes in Japan, which are offered in four trims, the Honda CB 1300 Super Four, the Honda CB 1300 Super Four SP, the Honda CB 1300 Super Bol D'or and the Super Bol D'or SP. The first two trims are naked roadsters, while the Bol D'or and Bol D'or SP feature a semi-faired design. The Honda CB 1300 range is powered by a 1,284 cc, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine which makes 111 bhp at 7,750 rpm and 112 Nm of peak torque at 6,250 rpm.

Just like the iconic machine, both iterations of the CB1300 have made a comeback: the Super Four and the Super Bol D'or. The Super Four gets the iconic roadster aesthetic with a fuel tank, tail, and body panels shaped similarly to the iconic machines. On the other hand, the Super Bol D'or gets a half fairing and an angular headlight that gives the bike more touring ability and protection from wind buffeting. Subsequently, both the Super Four and the Super Bol D'or get standard and SP versions, with the latter featuring more premium color schemes.

The Honda CB 1300 isn't built for sheer performance, but designed to be capable all-rounders, to be used as a daily rider, occasional highway duties and weekend twisty mountain road leisure riding. The design is inspired by the iconic Honda machine of the late '80s and early '90s. The Super Four gets the iconic roadster aesthetic with a fuel tank, tail, and body panels shaped similarly to the iconic machines. The Super Four Bol D'or gets a half fairing and an angular headlight that gives the bike more touring ability and protection from wind buffeting.

All variants feature the same double cradle frame, and on the regular models, suspension is handled by a simple telescopic front fork and twin rear shocks. The SP models have similar suspension, but the units are slightly higher-spec from Ohlins, with a lot more adjustability. In terms of electronics, the Honda CB 1300 range features standard ABS, traction control, cruise control and three riding modes, Standard, Sport and Rain. The new Honda CB 1300 range is unlikely to be launched in Singapore.

Underneath the Super Four and Super Bol D'or styling, the CB1300 features the same double cradle frame for both machines. The suspension system, albeit rudimentary, is adequate for city riding and the occasional spirited mountain ride. It's composed of standard telescopic forks and a mono-shock at the rear. As far as prices are concerned, the CB1300 Super Four is pegged at 1,562,000 Yen (around $19,900 SGD), while its SP counterpart will set you back 1,936,000 Yen, or the ballpark of $24,700 SGD. The Super Bol D'or with its gorgeous fairing comes in at 1,672,000 Yen ($21,300 SGD), while the SP comes with a sticker price of 2,046,000 Yen, or a hefty $26,100 SGD. The prices quoted above of course are before all the taxes, ARF, COE, and other costs involved with purchasing a motorcycle in Singapore.

Honda CB1300 Super Four SP

Honda CB1300 Super Four Bold'Or SP

Honda CB1300 Super Four

Honda CB1300 Super Four Bold'Or

While the 1,300cc CB1300 is unlikely to make it to Singapore's shore, we certainly hope that Boon Siew Honda will bring back the CB400 Super Four - the most popular Class 2A naked street bike in Singapore since the start. What do you think? Would you still buy a Super Four with the amount of Class 2A options available? And would you go for the standard naked CB400 or the extremely rare and limited CB400 Bol D'or?