The first CBR motorcycles came to the United States in the 1980s, with the CBR600F and 1000F landing on U.S. shores in 1987 (a domestic Japanese model, the CBR400, was never officially imported). The CBR1000F replaced the V4 VF1000R, a bike that was having trouble competing with rival liter bikes from Kawasaki and Yamaha.
The CB1000F used a 998cc inline-four engine that was liquid-cooled and carbureted and made 132 horsepower, a big number for the 1980s. That was more power than anyone made with a 1,000-cc production bike at the time. Oh, and the top speed? It could go 164 miles per hour — the highest number from any production motorcycle thus far.
If the CBR1000F’s mission was to outgun bikes from Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Yamaha, it accomplished that and more. The Hurricane was fast enough that the engine remained unchanged for its entire lifespan in the United States. Sure, there were minor styling updates and changes to the braking system, but the powertrain remained mostly untouched.
[Featured image by Levethene via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]
