Design Patent Submitted in Europe for the Honda CB4X Concept

One of the more lust-worthy motorcycles seen at the 2019 EICMA show may have just gotten closer to coming to reality, as design patents for the Honda CB4X have been spotted.

The patents come from the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), and while many are pointing to their filing as a sure sign that the Honda CB4X is headed for production, we reiterate our usual caution about reading too much from a patent application.

That being said, if there was a candidate for motorcycle concepts coming to real life, the Honda CB4X (which is based off the Honda CBR650R), is high on our list.

Last year’s show was the fifth year of Honda Motor Europe showcasing its work, and the R&D team in Rome does have a fondness for dead sexy concepts, and they often are based off the venerable Honda CBR650 platform.

With plenty of smoke, and no fire, each year we are teased with a concept (or concepts) and nothing comes to production. Could the Honda CB4X be the bike that finally pushes through though? We certainly hope so.

From the looks of things on the patent application, Honda has messed too much with the bike’s design, which could be good or bad news, depending on how you look at it.

The CB4X has a simple aesthetic, that is minimalist in a perfect way. Additionally, the 650cc four-cylinder engine from which its based has finally found some legs in its “R” variant, and the sweeping header pipes are iconic in their design.

Honda has kept all these elements in place. Actually, Honda has not changed a damn thing about the CB4X concept, including the bike’s lack of mirrors, turn signals, or license plate bracket.

This could mean that Honda is merely protecting its intellectual property in the EICMA concept bike, rather than preparing the CB4X for production. In truth, this is how A&R readers the crystal ball on this one.

Sporty but comfortable, the long-travel suspension “adventure-sport” engineering could make the Honda CB4X a great all-around option for daily riders.

As such, our hope remains high, but we have seen too many times how history has predicted this situation.