Want a big, old-school four-cylinder with minimal bodywork? The days of the Universal Japanese Motorcycle are long gone in the States, but if you go to Japan, you can buy one still. Or at least, you could until now. Honda is bringing its CB1300 series to a close, with two final Special Edition models.

The CB1300 has been around for a while; it’s directly descended from the CB1000 Super Four that hit the market all the way back in 1992. We’re talking about a line with more than 30 years of history here, although it’s seen updates over that time, beyond the big-bore job to 1300cc in 1998. In its most recent update, Honda added throttle-by-wire in 2021, which also allowed them to add cruise control and riding modes to the bike’s electronics suite.

It’s a great-looking machine for a liquid-cooled, fuel-injected four-cylinder, although aesthetics are always a subjective question. Honda certainly did a good job of maintaining ’80s lines as closely as possible considering the modern equipment on the bike.

Not long ago, Yamaha had a big four-cylinder similar to this in their overseas lineup, and before that Kawasaki had its lineup of ZRX retros and even the GPZ900 was kept into production well into the 2000s in other countries. But now, Honda is the only company making a proper modern UJM.

Want a classic endurance racer look? The Bol D’Or version of the CB1300 is the answer. Photo: Honda

In its current edition, the CB1300 makes 100 horsepower and a very healthy 89 pound-feet of torque, so while it is not the screaming performance machine that once typified four-cylinder superbike performance, it will certainly get out of its own way in a big hurry with that much grunt.

Now, 2025 is the end of the line for these machines. Honda will make the CB1300 Super Four SP Final Edition as well as a Bol D’Or variant (done up like a 1980s endurance racer). From what we can decipher of Honda’s website here, it looks like 3,400 bikes will be made in total, although that actually sounds like a pretty large number.

What will replace the CB1300? Big, expensive made-in-Japan bikes are hard to sell these days, but low-priced, simple machines made in offshore factories? That’s a much easier sell, and don’t be surprised if the GB350 or something similar is basically the Honda retro flag carrier going forward.