Honda introduced this naked 400cc road sport model in March 1989 for the Japanese market, positioning it as a new kind of performance street motorcycle at a time when full-fairing supersport bikes dominated the class. Honda’s own history describes it as the pioneer of the naked sports motorcycle, emphasizing a simple, functional look paired with a high-performance liquid-cooled inline-four engine. The nameplate was also shown to U.S. dealers as the CB400F CB-1, reflecting Honda’s plan to export the model.
Within its short run, the bike became important less for sales volume than for influence. It pointed toward a more upright, stripped-back roadster format that would later become a major theme in Honda’s 400cc lineup. In 1991, Honda added a Type II version with touring-friendly changes such as semi-raised handlebars and a larger fuel tank, showing that the company was still refining the concept near the end of the original run. Honda then used the lessons from this model to launch the CB400 SUPER FOUR in 1992, which carried the naked road sport idea forward in a new generation.
As a result, this nameplate is remembered as an early and significant step in Honda’s modern naked-bike history: a compact, sporty standard that bridged the supersport era of the late 1980s and the roadster boom that followed.