Patent filings reveal potential mono-shock Honda CB250

PATENTS relating to the location of an oil-pump for a small capacity engine could have revealed a potential new model in the works from Honda.

The images show an engine that is almost identical to that found in the CB300R naked machine, although the frame is a totally new design. That seems like a lot of trouble to go to merely for a patent that is examining oil pump assembly.

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The frame and bodywork look to be closely related to the CB400 SF, a Japanese domestic market A2 machine. The frame is a fairly conventional double cradle type and the swingarm seems fairly innocuous. There does seem to be a lot of attention paid to the rear suspension though.

The bike has a mono-shock suspension set up, and the patent shows the system in intricate detail. The set up mounts the shock directly to the swingarm with no rising-rate linkage, mounting it to the frame directly behind the machine’s fuel tank. If this component wasn’t important, surely a more generic image could have been created?

This patent of the Honda CB400 SF looks quite similar to the images on the rest of the page

While it does indeed look like a new model incoming from Honda, I’m struggling to see where the bike slots into the existing range. Honda already has a full range of CBs, from the CB125R right the way through to the CB1000R that was recently updated. Adding more machines to the existing lineup seems counterproductive, but there may be another answer.

The rear shock assemble as seen in the patent

Honda has been teasing us with images and news about the possible return of the CB900F that we’ve been drooling over since March. Could this bike form the A2 compatible part of that retro naked range?