In recent years manufacturers have increasingly found that the synergy of modern and retro elements making up a two-wheeled sum in the form of scramblers, cafe racers and trackers is a successful recipe for good sales numbers. This notable custom-built example takes a different approach by combining vintage and well…less vintage (1960-70’s and 1990’s) in lieu of something more modern.
600’s were by no means excluded from the sportbike arms race of the early-to-mid-2000’s where massive advancements were achieved, the F2 lacks many of the advancements made since when it was engineered in the early ’90’s, albeit it’s still monumentally ahead of your average cafe racer of the 1970’s when it comes to performance which is a big part of the appeal this example possesses.
The low mileage (>5k) 1992 CBR600 F2 custom is primarily defined by two central modifications; a tail-section that appears to be from a two-stroke era sportbike or racer that features a slightly-protruding undertail exhaust, and a what looks like a full fairing from a CR750 aka CB750 Racer, (after talking to the seller it turns out this custom was modeled after that exact bike). The stock 4-1 side-pipe found ’92 F2 has been chopped near the right rearset and rerouted to the vintage monoposto tail section, (perhaps someone more knowledgeable than myself can identify what this tail section came off?). Both of this one-off’s new sections of bodywork are made from premium carbon fiber and are mounted with gold quick-release fairing fasteners. From a distance the bike just looks black, so the carbon bodywork is cool subtle touch that adds as much character as it does value. The frame has been painted (or powder coated) with a lighter brown to contrast the rest of the bike’s dark color and the tank got a shiny new coat of black to match the carbon. The builder stated that he was trying to replicate the aesthetics of 1970’s race and track machines and it’s hard to argue he failed on that front.
This early-nineties supersport turned cafe racer wears the late Nicky Hayden’s (RIP) number 69, sloppily yet intentionally slapped on the body and tail, along with gold levers and grips that match the quick-release fasteners. (I can personally do without the numbers and stickers adorning the bike’s fresh paint and the various gold parts). A hand-cut front/nose fairing houses what appears to be a JW Speaker LED headlight, that the seller says came from a Harley, though I don’t know if the seller meant the headlight was an aftermarket offering. This unique cafe racer retains the stock rims found on the ’92 F2, though they’ve been painted (or powder-coated) to match the rest of the bike. Based on the large Yoshimura stickers on the rims, I’m left assuming the hidden exhaust on this example is hopefully made by the iconic Japanese aftermarket racing exhaust and parts company but I can’t say either way. I can say the exhaust and custom tail section look absolutely stellar.
In addition to the extensive cosmetic work, the donor bike had been sitting for more than half a decade so the power plant was broken down and rebuilt for this project. A fork from a 2015 (unspecified) GSXR was also utilized to enhance the machines handling and new front and rear brakes complete with braided lines were thrown into the mix. The entire build is sitting atop Dunlop SportMax tires and stock F2 suspenders.
This bike was professionally-built and experienced a complete breakdown and rebuild over the course of this cafe racer’s creation. Don’t let the questionable decision to sloppily cover this custom in stickers prevent you from fully appreciating this build as this is a quality, well-built one-off bike that has a lot of character. It would be awesome to see the OEM’s offer vintage fully-faired street bikes like this that feature updated components to enable more modern performance while retaining the 1970’s Racer-look. To the best of my knowledge Ducati is the only manufacturer to do this in recent years with its Paul Smart Sport Classic 1000 which sadly wasn’t financially accessible to the majority of riders.
You can find this one-off #69 1992 Honda CBR600 F2 cafe racer for sale here on CafeRacerForSale in Sopot, Poland with a “negotiable” asking price of $9,900.