Purpose Built Moto Honda CBX1000

THE ICONIC, SIX-CYLINDER HONDA CBX1000 was much loved during the 1980s, primarily because of its six-cylinder layout and a soundtrack reminiscent of early Formula 1 cars. Australian custom bike builders, Purpose Built Moto, have now created their vision of a retro-modern six-cylinder café racer around the CBX1000 motor and we quite like it.

Their creation is extremely svelte when compared to the bulky stock CBX, with a purpose-built fuel-tank that flows to a neat tail section and not much else in terms of bodywork. The guys at Purpose Built Moto have gone way beyond just aesthetics and, to ensure that their build handles as well as it looks, it employs the fork from a second-gen Suzuki Hayabusa and an Öhlins TTX shock mounted to a swingarm from a 2010 Aprilia RSV4. Rather than using clip-ons, the Purpose Built Moto CBX gets a single-piece handlebar and the foot-pegs aren’t too far rear set either, for a sporty yet reasonably comfortable riding position.

At the heart of this bike is the stock 1,047cc, air-cooled straight six that has been upgraded with a set of Keihin FCR carburettors with pod filters for that minimalistic custom look. And, of course, we can’t miss those gorgeous exhaust pipes that complete the look and probably sound glorious.