Air-cooled straight 6-cylinder with newly developed swingarm: Honda CBX1000 fully customized by BITO R&D
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The Honda CBX1000 is one of a very few examples of a commercially available model that uses a straight 6-cylinder engine, and when it comes to air-cooling, it is a one-of-a-kind machine. The CBX1000's popularity is still going strong, and this demo bike exhibited at the Osaka Motorcycle Show was fully customized by BITO R&D, who have a reputation for manufacturing high-quality, top-notch parts. As BITO specializes in refined customization, the bike was carefully customized so as not to spoil the originality of the CBX. In other words, instead of using flashy parts to give it an unrealistic appearance, they kept the atmosphere of the stock CBX as much as possible while seamlessly incorporating modern top-quality parts, for that beatiful finish you would expect from BITO.
An engine where beauty, power, and performance coexist
There are no major changes in the appearance of the engine itself. The beautiful shape of the stock engine has been preserved, but the intake and exhaust systems have been redesigned. The six exhaust pipes are lined up in a row, which anyone would agree is a beauty of craftsmanship.
■Except for the polished clutch cover, there are no major changes to the engine appearance. The machined aluminum crank side cover next to the crankshaft provides solid protection for the engine in case of emergency. Inside, the engine is tuned to 1130cc, and armed with a φ67mm forged piston kit and chromoly forged connecting rods.
■The engine mount set, which appears to suspend the engine from the frame, is made of very elaborate machined aluminum. It is an essential part to improve the rigidity of the CBX, which does not have an underpipe. The surfaces are not merely flat, but have convex ribs to improve both aesthetics and rigidity. The edges are not chamfered at 45 degrees, but have rounded corners.
■The six exhaust pipes are neatly lined up, and you can see that they are all equal length, each with a slightly different bend coming up to the merge collector. No matter what angle you are looking from the pipes look perfectly lined up, and yet they are all the same length. This is definitely not an easy task. The oil cooler kit visible on top of the engine is a 9-inch 13-stage. The greatest feature of this kit is that it uses a rubber band fixation system to prevent cracks, which is very rare.
■The JB-POWER titanium hand-bent full exhaust is of very high quality, and the demo bike was equipped with a standard type silencer (a megaphone type is also available). What's even more amazing is that there is also a left-right, dual exhaust of the same quality available. The beautiful welding of the tail piece and the edge treatment have an astonishingly high quality finish.
■View from the rear of the engine, where the six-barrel FCR carburetor is very prominent. It is specially constructed with two sets of three-barrel carburetors at different angles to avoid the cam chain in the center, while also not coming in contact with the knees when knee gripping. It has a constant velocity joint in the center to synchronize the carburetors that are at different angles, but unfortunately this cannot be seen without removing the tank. In addition to the black anodized aluminum body, a CR carburetor is also available to match the times.
Completely replaced front end
The front forks, wheel, brake rotors, brake calipers, fender, and axle shaft have been replaced, for a full overhaul that conversly makes it difficult to tell if there are any stock parts left. However, with no use of inverted forks or flashy color anodizing, the finish is very subdued, fitting the BITO style.
■Although Φ41 special front forks are used, a silver outer color was chosen to give them a look similar to stock. Since they are originally designed as bolt-ons for the GPZ900R, the electroless nickel-plated hollow chromoly axle shaft, Φ320mm 6-pod cast iron brake discs, magnesium forged "MAGTAN JB4" wheels, original calipers, and caliper supports were undoubtedly chosen to match.
■For this demo bike the front area was completely replaced, but BITO R&D offers a variety of products for CBXs, so you should also be able to use CBX-specific parts as well.
■The area around the headlight doesn't look oppressive, but in fact they've gone all out. The stem, headlight bracket, and turn signal brackets are one-off parts that are not available on the market.
■The brake side also has a relaxed finish that doesn't feel like an all out custom. The master cylinders are made by AP Racing (AP Lockheed), which is a nice touch that reflects the atmosphere of the era. The brake hoses have also been replaced with stainless steel mesh, but the old-fashioned compact fitting and black hose covers give them a stock look.
■The view around the handlebars also gives off a stock feel not expected of a full custom. However, a closer look reveals a machined stem (variable offset type) and an AP Racing master cylinder.
First unveiling of new swingarm
The demo bike was impressive all on its own, but the highlight had to be the newly developed aluminum swingarm. This swingarm is not yet available for purchase, but we can only hope that it will be soon.
■Here is the display case that housed the various BITO products. The atmosphere was completely different from the displays at other companies' booths, with the parts baring all to be seen, which is only possible because they are so exquisitely crafted.
■This is the new swingarm. It features sharp edges on the corners and "JB-POWER" engraved on the side. The shape of the chain case is exclusive, different from stock, and will be sold as a set with the swingarm. The shape of the bracket and other features have a strong one-off feel, so there may be specification changes when the product is put on the market.
■Here is a close-up of the chain adjuster, which is made entirely of machined aluminum, including the slider block, and has a quick-release design. The block wont fall or come off when the axle shaft is pulled out, and there is no need to tighten the axle nut, which is the same construction used for endurance racers.
■Another look at the overall view. The CBX is often associated with the image of a two suspension system, but this is a later model with a mono-suspension. By removing the large stock front cowl, it has taken on the look that everyone expects from a CBX.
