LBC to HRC: Honda CBX250 Street Tracker

Argentina’s LBC Motorcycles builds an HRC-inspired street tracker… 

Built from 2001-2015, the Honda CBX250 Twister was a single-cylinder commuter bike popular in South America and South Africa. The 250cc / 24-bhp CBX excelled as a reliable, affordable, and largely bulletproof motorcycle that relied on simple, proven technology: air/oil-cooling, carburetor induction, and a four-valve DOHC engine. The bike was also sold in Australia and Europe as the CBF250.

Commuter bikes like these often make great candidates for retro-style customs, as they’re abundant on the used market, utilize more old-school tech than many new bikes, and they’re generally pretty bland in stock trim — just itching for customization.

Our friend Juan Taurel of Argentina’s LBC Motorcycles (Low Budget Customs) has a knack for transforming such machines into lightweight scramblers and street trackers. Some of them have their own modern LBC style, such as the Beta 200 “Mad Scrambler” and Suzuki DR-Z400 “Full Aluminum Flat Tracker” we’ve previously featured.

Others are more retro-inspired machines like the CBX250 street tracker you see here, which recalls the glory days of HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) flat track racing, when the Honda RS750 rose to supremacy. Says Juan:

“The idea was to make a light, sporty motorcycle, inspired by the Honda flat track motorcycles of the 70s and 80s.”

Interestingly enough, this would not be Juan’s first time laying hands on this particular 2013 CBX250 Twister. Ten years ago, when the bike was nearly new, it was one of the first customs to roll out of the LBC workshop — a “basic tracker.” The owner, Nicolas, sold the bike to a friend after a few years, but some machines seem to have a habit of finding their way back home:

“Years later Nicolas bought the bike back again and brought it to LBC to completely redo it with a Dirt Tracker style.”

This time around, the modifications would be much more extensive. The frame was detabbed and powder-coated, as were the fork lowers, while the swingarm was polished and a custom tail section shaped up out of fiberglass.

Other highlights include a grippy motocross-style custom seat cover, stainless steel exhaust, 80s Honda 125 tank, custom-fabricated aluminum number plates, LED lighting, and most of the consumables and hardware were replaced with new, higher-spec items.

The bike is nearly 50 pounds lighter than the original, and Juan says you can really feel the difference in the saddle:

“With the low weight, good carburetion, and the new exhaust system, it is much more agile than the donor bike. It has the classic touch, not only in aesthetics but also in the simplicity of its components: analog speedometer, carburetor, normal suspension and brakes, and with the reliability of a Honda engine.”

Below, we talk to Juan for more details on this HRC-inspired 250 street tracker.

Honda 250 Street Tracker: Builder Interview

• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?

Honda CBX250 Twister, 2013.

• Why was this bike built? (Customer project, company promotion, personal, etc.)

This project was for a client. Nicolas was one of our first clients in 2013; at that time we made a basic Tracker for him. Sometime later he sold the Twister to a friend and years later he bought the bike back again and brought it to LBC to completely redo it with a Dirt Tracker style.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

The idea was to make a light, sporty motorcycle, inspired by the Honda flat track motorcycles of the 70s and 80s.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

We modified practically all the parts of the original motorcycle. We started with the chassis and lightened it as much as possible, then powder-coated it red with black for the fork lowers.

We polished the swingarm and made a custom fiberglass tail and seat, using motocross-style material for the seat cover.

 

New LED lights, ProTork stainless steel exhaust system, new tires, new electrical box, Honda 125cc gasoline tank, and we manufactured both side number plates in aluminum.

 

We painted the full engine black and manufactured aluminum racing footpegs. Analog speedometer, new chain, new grips, new hardware, higher-flow air filter, and a paint job inspired by Honda vintage dirt track bikes.

• Does the bike have a nickname?

Not really, LBC / Honda CBX250.

• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride?

It is a very fun bike to ride. With the low weight, good carburetion, and the new exhaust system, it is much more agile than the donor bike. It has the classic touch, not only in aesthetics but also in the simplicity of its components: analog speedometer, carburetor, normal suspension and brakes, and with the reliability of a Honda engine.

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

I think I lean more towards the final result, the combination of colors, the proportions. I am very satisfied with the result.

• Is there anyone you’d like to thank?

Yes, to Nicolas, the client, chose us to modify his motorcycle twice at LBC. He brought the motorcycle to the garage to do a few touches on the version we’d already built before, and in the end, after chatting a bit, he accepted my idea and we ended up disassembling it completely and redoing it with a vintage racing style.

Follow the Builder

Instagram: @lbcmotorcycles / @jtaurel.

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