Introduced in 1978, Honda CBX1000 would become an instant classic thanks to its 1047cc six-cylinder engine. Designer Shoichiro Irimajiri knew just what kind of machine he had on his hands:
“Something in the CBX that could not be measured in numbers like speed and weight, (something that) made it a very sexy machine.” –Cycle World
Nearly 50 years later, the CBX remains one of the most iconic Japanese vintage motorcycles ever produced, and also a darling of the new wave custom scene. Part of the draw is the fact that the CBX engine was bigger, heavier, and more powerful than the chassis, brake, and suspension technology of the era could handle. That makes the CBX a prime candidate for a cafe racer build.
CBX Reborn: Honda “CBX1147” Café Racer - Family Heirloom, Transformed: 1147cc CBX from Laurent Heraux x JDMAX… As far as production motorcycle engines go, few can claim the mystique, visual presence, and soundtrack of Honda’s six-cylinder CBX1000 engine. The 1047cc “slant six” […]
Cid 6: 1100cc Honda CBX Café Racer - “Like Riding a Dragon” — CBX1100 from Cid Motorcycles… The Honda CBX grew out of the Japanese superbike wars of the 1970s. At the time, manufacturers kept putting ever larger and more powerful air-cooled […]
Greasy Hands, Clean Bike: Honda CBX Restomod - Modern Retro CBX1000 from Dubai’s Cafe Rider Customs… In 1978, nearly a decade since releasing the world-beating CB750, Honda unleashed the CBX1000, a brawny six-cylinder superbike with dual overhead cams, six Keihin carbs, and […]
Super 6 II: Honda CBX Café Racer - Lys Motorcycles builds a six-cylinder café racer… For the 1979 model year, ten years after the introduction of the revolutionary CB750, Honda released another two-wheeled marvel of engineering, the CBX1000 Super Sport. The mighty CBX […]
Uncommon X: Honda CBX1000 Custom - Mike Common’s six-cylinder rocket ship… For many lifelong motorcycle lovers, true love was sparked on a humble Honda Z50 — a minibike with an outsized impact on the hearts of entire generations of motorcyclists. Such […]
Built for a MotoGP Legend: Honda CBX1000 Café Racer - Bolt Motor Co. builds a CBX for MotoGP legend Jorge Martínez Aspar! On the 40th anniversary of his first-ever race, Jorge Martínez “Aspar” was selected to be inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame. The […]
Super 6: Honda CBX1000 Cafe Racer - Lys Motorcycles builds a carbon-clad CBX… The Honda CBX1000 remains one of our favorite Japanese motorcycles of all time. While the stock machine didn’t have the handling some expected from Honda’s first six-cylinder production bike, […]
Honda CBX “1098R” by MotoRRetro - A CBX1000 cafe racer from Sydney’s MotoRRetro… In 1966, Mike “The Bike” Hailwood won the 250cc Gran Prix championship on one of the most radical machines of the era, Honda’s RC166 six-cylinder racer. Designed to […]
Legends of Boost: 1980 Honda CBX1000 Turbo - “I was disappointed with the power of the standard CBX.” These were the words of one Colin Baker of Cheltenham, UK, when asked why he built his Honda CBX turbo in the 1980s — the […]
CBX Reborn: Honda CBX1000 Restomod - “If Honda was to bring out the CBX again, how would they make the bike?” More than forty years ago, Honda introduced the CBX1000, a modern marvel with six cylinders, six carbs, 24 valves, two […]
Restomod Monster: Honda CBX by dB Customs - 1147cc CBX from a restomod master… Ten years after their introduction of the CB750, Honda unveiled the CBX 1000 — a six-cylinder, 1047cc superbike intended to show the world they were still the tip of […]
Hayabusa CBX1000 by Roland Skate - Pipe Dreams: Six of them… In 1978, Honda unveiled the CBX, powered by a 1047cc, 24-valve six-cylinder engine that made 105 hp at the crank. At the time, Honda had been making steady progress in […]
Honda CBX1000 Streetfighter by Tony’s Toy - “The Vincent Black Shadow of 1979” — Cycle Guide The Honda CBX (or CBX1000) had one of the most incredible engines ever produced, a 1047cc air-cooled inline six that offered 105 horsepower at 9000 rpm. […]
Honda CBX1000 Custom by Cafe Racer SSPirit - (Words by Mark Turner. Highlights by us.) Spanish-based Café Racer SSpirit create some of the most elegant, refined custom motorcycles to ever grace the blacktop. They say each built is a collaboration, a partnership between […]
