There are a few bikes graced with the title of the first ever ‘superbike’ – Vincent’s Black Shadow and the Brough Superior are two that spring to mind. But when it comes to heralding the birth of the four-cylinder superbike and bringing high-performance, reliability and sweet handling into the crosshairs of the average Joe; the CB750 is the first bike that springs to my mind.
Built in a time when the outdated and fairly unreliable British twins had ruled and were beginning to fade, the CB750 was like a bolt from the blue. It included innovations that the boys and girls at Hinckley factory cold hardly fathom including electric start, disc brake and suspension that, for the time at least, really worked!
To mark the 50th anniversary of Honda’s iconic, inline four-cylinder engine (and every bike that came after that) they took a stack of drool-worthy custom CB1000Rs and a mint original CB750 from their heritage collection to Wheels and Waves in Biarritz.
Here are some of the highlights…
The ‘CB1000R-adical’
- By: Gannet Design and Fuhrer Moto, Switzerland
- Inspiration: ‘Take it to the Limit’
- Contact: Instagram/fuhrermoto and Gannet Design
- Work includes:
- Ultralight CeraCarbon racing front fork and custom sprockets
- Bespoke Rotobox carbon fibre wheels
- Synto Evo brake and clutch levers
- Fibreglass belly pan
- K&N air filter
- Titanium and carbon fibre Akrapovic end-can
- Hand-painted ‘camo’ bodywork by Walter Oberli
The ‘Africa Four CRF1000R’
- By: Brivermo Motors dealer, Switzerland
- Inspiration: the CRF1000L Africa Twin
- Contact: brivemo.ch
- Work includes:
- CRF450R front end, inc. single large front disc and anodised 4 piston caliper
- Bespoke 4 into 1 exhaust with stubby carbon fibre end-can
- Custom rear seat cowl (with original seat)
- New headlight and mudguard
- New aluminium handlebars
- Engine bars
- Serrated footpegs
- Mini LED indicators
- Bodywork in Africa Twin colours
CB1000R ‘Monkey 1000R’
- By: Werther Honda, Nice, France
- Inspiration: Honda Monkey
- Contact: honda.werther.nice
- Work includes:
- Frame, covers and fork legs painted Glittering Blue
- Monkey mirrors and handlebars
- Mini LED indicators
- Undertray tail tidy
- Arrow double exit high exhaust
- Enduro tyres
CB1000R ‘Black Edition
- By: 3C Motos dealer, Biarritz, France
- Inspiration: ‘Full Black’
- Contact: Instagram/hondamotofr
- Work includes:
- Three shades of black paint scheme
- Black forks, swingarm and frame
- Gloss black wheels and rear shock
- Akrapovic exhaust
- Special engraved ‘Black Edition’ plate
CB1000R Neo Sports Café Endurance Team Replica
- By: National Motos, France
- Inspiration: 2006 24hrs LeMans winner
- Work includes:
- Spoked wheels,
- 2006 24hrs Le Mans race winning paint scheme
- Classic Honda logo
- Contact: Instagram/nationalmotos
The Café Chic CB1000
By: Horizon Racing Vergy 95, France
- Inspiration: Café Chic
- Contact: Instagram/horizonracingcergy95
- Fully brushed aluminium and candy red paint
- Fawn coloured leather saddle and seat pad
- Customised rear seat cowl
- Kineo spoked wheels with mass-cut hubs
- Moriwaki silencer
- Thermal paint on exhaust and headers
CB1000R ‘Dirt Endurance’
- By: VC Moto dealer, Sabadell, Spain
- Inspiration: classic Honda colour scheme
- Contact: Instagram VC moto
- Work includes:
- The number ‘48’ in Japanese on the rear cowl to honour the foundation of the Honda Motor Company in 1948.
- Bespoke fairing inspired by vintage café racers
- Bespoke rear cowl, with standard headlightRacing handlebars with Soichiro Honda quote ‘improves the breed’
- Bar end mirrors
- New split-level silencer
- Air filter mount made by 3D printer
‘Monkey Kong’
- By: Mallorca Motos dealer, Spain
- Inspiration: the Honda Monkey
- Contact: Instagram MallorcaMotos
- Work includes: original Monkey mirrors, indicators and front mudguard
- Engine cover with original Monkey style chrome plate ring
- Headlight details in original Monkey yellow, with chrome surround
- Original Monkey yellow and white paint scheme
- Customised seat inspired by original Monkey
- High mounted handlebar with chrome finish
- Chrome finish to rear mudguard
- Africa Twin silencer
- Gold forks, yellow rear shock spring
‘Alfredo
- By: Hakuba Motos, Spain
- Inspiration: Freddie Spencer
- Contact: Instagram hakubamotor
- Work includes: Tank hand painted in three colours with Freddie Spencer logo on tank
- Hakuba logo laser-engraved on clutch cover
- Black enamelled front forks
- Front and side number boards
- Bespoke handmade exhaust with SC-Project racing end-can
- Relocated pegs and controls
Honda Limited Edition CB1000R
- By: Honda Motor Europe, Italy (total 350 units for sale in France, Spain, Germany and Italy)
- Inspiration: HRC racing tricolour
- Contact: Instagram hondamotoitalia
- Work includes:
- HRC-inspired tricolour paint scheme
- Split-level SC-Project end-can
- Carbon fibre parts by SC-Project
CB1000R ‘Tribute’
- By: Honda Italia
- Inspiration: Celebration of 50 years of CB750
- Contact: hondamotoitalia
- Work includes:
- Paint inspired by CB750 ‘K0’ of 1969
- Tubeless Jonich spoked wheels
- Conical split-level SC-Project end-can
- New 3D Honda logo
- Rizoma indicators, mirrors and handlebar weights
- Alcantara velvet seat coating
- Lightech plate holder
CB1000R ‘Dani Pedrosa replica’
- By: Moto Macchion, Italy
- Inspiration: #26 Dani Pedrosa RC213V
- Contact: hondamotoitalia
- Work includes:
- Full titanium SC-Project GP 4-2 exhaust
- Carbon fibre parts with titanium details by SC-Project
- Lighter homologated plate holder
- Rizoma indicators, aluminium handlebars, front brake guard and mirrors
- #26 Dani Pedrosa RC213V paint scheme
- Seat by ‘Race Seats’
