Honda celebrates 50 years of fours with custom CB1000Rs

Dressed-up CB1000R Neo Sports Cafés shown in Wheels and Waves, Biarritz

Honda showed up to the recently concluded 2019 Wheels & Waves event in Biarritz, France with no less than twelve customized CB1000R Neo Sports Cafés. The motorcycles were made by different dealers and custom shops around Europe, taking influence from different sources and themes. The occassion is the 50th anniversary of Honda's first production four-cylinder motorcycle – the CB750.

VC Moto’s “Dirt Endurance” from Spain puts knobby Pirellis on a retro endurance racer; while no one recommends combining clip-ons and knobbies, some builds are able to get away with it (even MotoCorsa's notorious Panigale TerraCorsa doesn't wear its dirt tires daily). The custom fairing and rear cowl are callbacks to old-school competition machines, the air filter mount was 3D printed, and the bike gets a new split-level silencer. The Soichiro Honda quote “improves the breed” can be found on the handlebars, while the Japanese number 48 honors Honda Motor Company’s beginnings in 1948.

The “CB1000R-adical” by Gannet Design and Fuhrer Moto (Stefan Fuhrer is a former MotoGP mechanic) in Switzerland features a camouflage paint job by Walter Oberli, bespoke Rotobox carbon fiber wheels, and a fiberglass belly pan. It also has a custom triple clamp as well as a new mount for the headlamp and little windshield. Performance-obsessed mods include ultralight front forks and custom sprockets by CeraCarbon care of 422 Corse, clip-ons and Synto Evo levers by ABM, a K&N air filter, and a titanium and carbon fiber Akrapovič can. This aggressive superbike won Honda Switzerland’s CB1000R build-off.

The Brivermo Motors dealership in Switzerland showed up with the “Africa Four CRF1000R” inspired by the CRF1000L Africa Twin. The four-banger dual sport uses a CRF450R front end and front brake with a large front disc and 4-piston caliper, aluminum handlebars, new headlight and mudguard, hand guards with LED indicators, and serrated foot pegs. The rear seat cowl and exhaust with a carbon fiber muffler were bespoke. The adventure-ready motorcycle rides on versatile Continental Twinduro TKC 80 tires.

Meanwhile, Hakuba Motos in Spain showed “Alfredo” — inspired by Freddie Spencer and showcasing the famous American racer’s '80s colors and old-school Honda logo. The handlebars and foot pegs have been moved for a sportier riding position, the headers and exhaust are custom made, and the bike receives an SC-Project muffler. Hakuba Motos also laser-engraved its logo on the clutch cover.

The “CB1000R Neo Sports Café Endurance Team Replica” by National Motos in France waxed nostalgic, harking back to its own winning team at the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans (24 Heures Motos). The shop chose wire-spoked wheels for a classic look and gave the bike a retro Honda logo. This throwback wears the same clashing color scheme of the #55 CBR1000RR, fielded by Team National Motos to win Le Mans in 2006.

Moto Macchion Srl in Italy paid tribute to Dani Pedrosa and his #26 RC213V MotoGP racer with an iconic Repsol Honda paint scheme. The racing seat by Italy’s Race Seats is a great touch, as well as the full titanium SC-Project MotoGP Replica 4-2 exhaust system. SC-Project also supplied the lazered titanium trim and carbon fiber details. This Pedrosa tribute features a lightweight homologated plate holder and Rizoma accessories, including the indicators, mirrors, front brake guard, and aluminum handlebars.

Two entries went with Honda Monkey themes. The Mallorca Motos dealership in Spain chose a yellow color scheme for “Monkey Kong” and put actual Monkey components on the liter-large motorcycle, including the mirrors, indicators, and front mudguard. The dealers even applied a Monkey-style chrome ring for the engine case cover. The bike wears an Africa Twin silencer and suspension in gold and yellow. They gave the rear mudguard, headlight, heat shield, and high handlebars some chrome finish, while a Monkey-inspired custom seat seals the deal.

Wether Honda’s “Monkey 1000R” from France chose the Monkey’s blue livery. The Continental Twinduro TKC 80 tires call back to the Monkey’s knobbies. Actual Monkey components were used here too, like the mirrors and handlebars. The shop tidied up the tail and gave the bike mini LED indicators and Arrow dual-outlet exhaust tips.

The Horizon Racing Cergy 95 dealers in France made “The Café Chic CB1000R” applying some Euro luxe via a fawn-colored leather seat, a custom rear cowl, and a brushed aluminum and candy red paint job. The Neo Sports Café now sports Kineo wire-spoked wheels and Hurric twin silencers. The headers and exhaust pipes have been thermal painted.

The 3C Motos dealers in France presented the “CB1000R Black Edition” covered in three different shades of black paint. They darkened up a lot of things on the motorcycle, then gave it an Akrapovič exhaust system with a titanium and carbon fiber muffler. The bike also comes with its own engraved “Black Edition” plate.

Honda Italia chose to celebrate 50 years of the CB750 with another “CB1000R Tribute,” this time donning a paint job inspired by the 1969 CB750 KO. For retro-modern kicks, JoNich tubeless spoked wheels were chosen. The tank sports a new three-dimensional Honda emblem and the seat is covered in Alcantara. The bike also gets a LighTech license plate holder and numerous Rizoma accessories. The exhaust ends in SC-Project twin conic mufflers, although the CB750’s quad pipes would have been cooler to see. Honda Italia made a blue and gold tribute to the CB750 Four earlier this year, which was raffled off during Roma Motodays.

Honda Motor Europe, Italy showed off its “Limited Edition CB1000R,” of which 350 will be sold around the world. The special bikes come with HRC tricolor liveries and etched production serial numbers — with mufflers and carbon fiber components by SC-Project. It's too bad it doesn't come with gold forks and wheels (like Honda Racing UK's Glemseck CB1000R). The special bike costs €15,990 and will be released to global markets, but Italians get first dibs.