What to pay
Always a bargain for such a capable litre bike on the new market. The CBF was £5999 when launched in 2006 and only rose in late 2009 when all bike prices leapt up due to the weak pound.
It’s good value as a used buy too. The cheapest examples are early, high mileage bikes in private sales and these can be had for a little under £3000. £3500 gets a pretty decent early bike in a private sale or a higher mile example from a dealer. With £4000 you can get a tidy 07 from a dealer or an 08 privately. With £5000 the world’s your CBF oyster and with a little haggling will net a one year old minter from a dealer. At the time of writing several main dealers were advertising pre-registered 1 mile bikes for £6500 which should go for not much more than six grand.
The Touring model (introduced 2008, discontinued in 2009) had lower fairing panels and is worth about £50 more second hand. The GT version (also introduced 2008) has these panels plus hard luggage and fetches £250-£300 more as a used machine.
ABS added about £400 when new, depending what exact year and these bikes are worth about £200 more than the base model on the used market.
Parts
Honda parts aren’t famous for being cheap but they’re not outrageous for the CBF. The model hasn’t changed at all while it’s been in production other than colours 2006 (orange, green, black, blue, silver), 2007 (red, black, blue, silver), 2008 (red, black, white, silver)
Genuine Honda parts prices:
- Bar end weight £14.16
- Mirror (l/h) £20.51
- Rear brake pads £20.35
- Clocks (complete) £635.75
- Headlight (complete) £185.40
- Clutch lever £27.87
- Indicator (l/h front) £24.29
- Front brake discs (pair) £126.44
Known Issues
Quite small and some owners reported what they regarded as premature failure of original items. If the engine’s slow to turn over, budget £30 for a cheap replacement or £60 for a quality one.
Some bikes came with the handlebars twisted slightly to one side from new. It’s not a big job to fix but can be time consuming to get spot-on.
Weak, especially dip beam. HID kits make a big difference and you can get one for as little as £55 (www.HIDs4U.co.uk 0844 8842600).
Check for panels which rattle or buzz when the bike’s being ridden. They’re not a huge problem but can be time consuming to remedy.
The handlebars on a few bikes seem to shake gently if you take your hands off them. A top box often makes it worse.
Can be damaged if crash bungs are fitted and over tightened so check carefully before you buy.
The only major known reliability weakness. The alternator can fail. Only two (out of 55) owners in our survey suffered so it’s pretty rare. Early (2006) bikes are said to be the most prone.
Bridgestone BT-57s were fitted to many bikes from new. They’re a very old design and disliked by many owners. Michelin Pilot Road 2 are regarded as the best choice.
Continue the Honda CBF1000 lowdown
