Modern motorcycle technology is undeniably impressive. And yet, there will always be riders who long for a more analog aesthetic. Sometimes instead of everyone's increasingly large TFT displays; sometimes alongside of (and even adapted to) those same displays.
But what if you just want an old-school, no-frills kind of naked bike? And what if you like 'em big, both in terms of physical size and in terms of displacement?
As I write this in February of 2025, Honda's got you, provided you live in one of the many markets where it sells the CB1300 Super Four and/or Bol d'Or. Throughout the 33 years since Project Big 1 was first introduced, it's never officially been sold in the US (although some gray markets imports have made it through on occasion).
And now, it's all about to come to an end, as Honda officially introduced a teaser site for a CB1300 Super Four Final Edition on the Honda Japan webpage.
Full details about the bike haven't been released yet, but Team Red also took this opportunity to share some nostalgic promotional videos from big CB entries of years past. Take this incredibly strange, incredibly '90s one (specifically from 1998).
Once the rider gets on the bike and starts really getting down the road, the music in this video is amazing. And the twin round analog gauge pods? Surprise surprise, not much has changed between then and now on the CB1300 Super Four.
There are some LCD flourishes in the center on the 2024 version, but the analogue gauge sweeps around the outside for speedo and tach still remain; just how some of us like 'em. Yet there are also LED lights, because it's true; they're a lot better at illuminating the road. Other concessions to modernity include heated grips, a USB socket, and right-angle valve stems on the wheels so it's easier to check your tire pressures.
Is it possible to feel nostalgia for a bike you've never ridden? Maybe. That's clearly what the CB1300 is about, isn't it? Whether you choose the Super Four (totally naked) or Super Bol d'Or (little cowl) variant, the instant time travel, hit-you-right-in-the-flux-capacitor feels are the same.
Here in 2025, the current CB1300 lineup is powered by Honda's 1,284cc water-cooled, DOHC inline four. It makes a claimed 111 horsepower at 7,750 rpm, alongside 112 Newton-meters (about 82 pound-feet) of torque at 6,250 rpm. It has a double-cradle frame, a pretty standard suspension and disc brake setup, and a six-speed gearbox.
Weight of the current CB1300 Super Four is about 266 kilograms, which equates to 586.4 pounds. Choose the Super Bol d'Or instead, and it's 272 kg (just a hair under 600 pounds on the nose). This is a chunky boy, folks.
If you're in a market where Honda has been selling the CB1300, how do you like it? Are you looking forward to the Final Edition once it's out? And if you live in the US, or somewhere else this bike wasn't sold, do you wish it was? Tell us about it in the comments, and pour one out with us for another historic model line coming to an end.
