Custom Creation: Honda CB1000R-adical

Honda CB1000R-adical

This impressive custom motorcycle is the creation of Stefan Fuhrer and the crew at Fuhrer Moto and designer Ulfert Janssen of Gannet Design, and won Honda Switzerland’s custom CB1000R competition, as well as being presented at the 2019 Swiss Moto Show in Zurich this February.

The aim was to produce a completely new appearance by changing the proportions and handlebar position, while leaving the basic components untouched to show the extensive possibilities for the CB1000R’s customisation. The contemporary camouflage graphics on the tank and the paneling was gradually built up in seven layers.

Through the special collaboration with 422 Corse, the bike has also been fitted with carbon-fibre rims from Rotobox, as well as a carbon fork from CeraCarbon. Altered proportions, along with the modern graphics and ultra high-tech carbon parts, give this Honda R-adical an incomparably aggressive fast forward attitude.

Ulfert Janssen

“The idea of the contemporary graphics was to reinterpret the camouflage design with sharp graphics and certain highlights in yellow to make it modern and sporty. These graphics together with the new tight and sexy proportions transformed the tame CB1000R into a camouflage power rocket.”

The Plan

The project started with initial loose sketches and design studies by Ulfert, with the overall brief being to maintain basic components but deliver an all new look, as far as proportions and ergonomics, with the design of the belly fairing helping to put the bike visually tight on the road.

Ulfert Janssen

“Many people underestimate the importance of balance and proportion in a custom build. Just by changing the stance, angles and position slightly, you get an entire new perception and attitude of a bike.”

Stefan started the transformation by adapting and custom milling the triple clamp to make it lighter and more racy. Then adapted the belly fiberglass fairing according to the design, giving the bike a low and sexy stance.

Stefan Fuhrer

“The front is incredibly beautiful and hot. Through CNC milling, we have created a new fixation design for the front light and the mini windshield. With the new three-piece CNC mechanism, we can now change the height of the headlight and adjust the windscreen to any angle. The front headlight has been moved forward by 60mm and
slightly lowered . This new special fixation together with the Multiclip, the triple clamp, and the carbon fork give this bike a very technical and cool visual impression like in a Transformer movie.”

Dario Dauru at 422 Corse, is a special partner in the build, and specialises in carbon lightweight performance parts, such as Ceracarbon forks and Rotobox wheels. The bike is now equipped with the ultra light CeraCarbon-Racing front-fork and custom made sprockets. The front-fork is designed and constructed in Carbon-fiber with Dyneema and a unique patented Ceramic technology. It has the strength and stiffness of the standard steel fork but the lightness of Carbon, and the Ceramics provides the wear-resistance.

One typical 43mm steel front fork inner tube has a weight of almost one kilo, while a CeraCarbon 43mm front fork tube has a weight of 237 grams. It is 75 per cent lighter than the conventional steel front fork inner tubes, and reduces the unsprung weight by 1.5kg on a complete front fork.

CeraCarbon offered us amazing support and went all the way in, by specially fabricating a new sprocket prototype for our Honda R-adical project. This sprocket is made of aluminum and is ceramic coated. This ensures a long life and the carbon inlets provide additional stability and lightness.

The Rotobox Carbon Fibre wheels are up to 50 per cent lighter than original equipment rims and are the world’s only one-piece carbon monocoque wheels. As this new Honda CB1000R is from 2018, there were no carbon rims yet on the market for this model.

With the special help by Dario at 422 Corse, Rotobox went the extra mile and specifically developed these new rims within one month to fit the Honda CB 1000R-adical to premiere at the 2019 Swiss Moto show. The dimensions of the rims are 17 x 3.50in front and 17 x 6.00in rear and got fitted with Dunlop Moto 2 Rain Tires which also enhances the unique appearance of the bike.

The clip-on’s were sponsored by ABM Fahrzeugtechnik who equipped the bike with their Multi Clip and some fine Synto Evo brake/clutch levers in grey/black to fit the color scheme of the bike. In addition, the motorcycle was equipped with K+N air filters for better breathing and an exhaust upgrade with the titanium/carbon fiber muffler by Akrapovic which provides a rich sound.

The fine paint work is a masterpiece by painter Walter Oberli, who gradually built up the seven layers of paint to achieve the final camouflage pattern.

Ulfert Janssen

“By using paint layers, we could control each single element and place it without any deformation you would get by using foil. Therefore the result is very precise and you can clearly see the impeccable paint job by Walter.”

Stefan Fuhrer

“I found this work on the CB1000R extremely exciting and inspiring. When I think back it is almost like a poem, or a story. I spent evenings and nights screwing together parts to take them apart again because it was somehow not consistent yet. It is a gradual building process to get the right coherence of the bike. At the end you can clearly identify the original Honda CB1000R donor bike, but yet the impression of our custom build is totally new.”

This bike will be at The Reunion in Monza and Glemseck 101 among others.

Images Fuhrer Moto/Gannet Design