1981 Honda CB900F

By Margie Siegal
Published on October 25, 2010
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Almost old when it was new, the Honda CB900F is still a blast and still fast.
Almost old when it was new, the Honda CB900F is still a blast and still fast.
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Remote reservoir-type shocks were unique to the CB900F.
Remote reservoir-type shocks were unique to the CB900F.
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Tail fairings and bold graphics were pretty much requisite on early ‘80s sport bikes ...
Tail fairings and bold graphics were pretty much requisite on early ‘80s sport bikes ...
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... as was a black engine treatment. The 900F’s 902cc four started as a 749cc in 1979.
... as was a black engine treatment. The 900F’s 902cc four started as a 749cc in 1979.
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Honda claimed 89hp @ 9,000rpm; Cycle Guide measured 66.8hp @ 8,500rpm in 1981.
Honda claimed 89hp @ 9,000rpm; Cycle Guide measured 66.8hp @ 8,500rpm in 1981.
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Almost 30 years on and the CB900F is now an old school classic, its excellent proportions masking a sizable heft of some 575lb with fuel and oil.
Almost 30 years on and the CB900F is now an old school classic, its excellent proportions masking a sizable heft of some 575lb with fuel and oil.

Honda CB900F
Years produced: 1981-1982
Claimed power: 89hp @ 9,000rpm
Top speed: 129mph (period test)
Engine type: 902cc air-cooled, DOHC inline four
Weight (wet): 575lb (260kg)
Price then: $3,495
Price now: $1,500-$3,000
MPG: 40-50mpg

John Davy lives surrounded by motorcycles. During the day, he works as a motorcycle wholesaler, buying used bikes and selling them to dealerships. On evenings and weekends, he indulges his passion for collecting classics, especially classic Japanese motorcycles. One of John’s latest finds is this 1981 Honda CB900F.

“I got lucky,” John admits. “There are only a few nice CB900F’s around, and most are the silver and blue ones, not the black and orange. This one was all original, with 1,400 miles on it. It had been sitting in a garage for 10 or 15 years.”

Like Kawasaki triples and Yamaha SR500 singles, the Honda CB900F is something of a cult bike. Imported into the United States for only two years, it got pulled from the U.S. market not because it wasn’t a good bike, but thanks to political problems not of its own making. The power and good handling of this inline four, one of the first Japanese-built bikes whose handling matched its horsepower, has kept interest in the 900F high.

The Big Four

The modern Japanese motorcycle industry had its roots in the turbulent years after World War II, when dozens of small factories vied to provide the home market with cheap transportation. By the late 1970s, the four remaining Japanese motorcycle manufacturers, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki, had a lock on the world’s lightweight and middleweight motorcycle market, and a healthy percentage of the heavyweight market. The four companies, jousting for market share, saw America as critical to their success. Courting American motorcyclists was serious business.

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