In 2012, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer launched the CB1000RA, a motorcycle that packed liter-class sports performance in a compact and muscular package that delivered fast acceleration topped by light and responsive handling.
The gravity die-cast mono-backbone aluminum chassis was specially designed to place the engine out front and center, which resulted in a more upright seating position and one of the most versatile motorcycles built at the time.
The bike rolled on a set of 17-inch wheels with a four-spoke design, shoded with supersport-class radial tires, and fitted with 310 mm floating discs with three-piston calipers on the front and a 256 mm disc with a dual-piston caliper on the rear that provided strong braking performance.
As for suspension, the bike packed a 43 mm adjustable inverted fork on the front and a Pro-Arm single-sided swingarm with a Honda Multi-Action System (HMAS) single shock absorber on the rear that offered optimum suspension performance.
In the engine department, the 2012 Honda CB1000RA took its thrust from a 998cc four-stroke four-cylinder liquid-cooled engine with an electronic fuel injection system that helped deliver an output power of 123 hp at 10,000 rpm and 100 Nm (74 lb-ft) of torque at 8,000 rpm.
In addition, the bike featured a unique triangular headlight integrated into a compact cowl with an LED position light, a fully digital instrument panel with three LCD readouts, a short and slim seat, and an upswept tail cowl with a distinctive LED taillight.