Insane six-cylinder turbocharged Honda CBX 1000 | Rno Cycles

For some people, modifying a classic Honda CBX motorcycle is a cardinal sin, but for Arno Overweel (owner of Rno) it’s pretty tame. He often builds far more outrageous and somewhat impractical motorcycles then the one presented before you. 

The 1979 CBX - which was already turbocharged and left to rust for many years - was a build commissioned by a client who was impressed by Arno’s work. Whilst the client wanted the bike back on the road and restored to its former glory, this just isn’t how Arno works. In his own words, restoration is not his passion. Instead, he saw the CBX as an optical and technical upgrade challenge. 

Evidently, Arno managed to convince the client his vision, which was to make the turbo CBX as striking looking as it is powerful. That vision included, a front AMA superbike-style number plate, short rear subframe and beefy Brembo brakes mounted to gold Ohlins forks. 

About the Rno Honda CBX 1000 Turbo

The original Honda CBX 1000 was produced from 1978 to 1982. It had a 1,047cc 24-valve, air-cooled inline-six motor, which produced around 105bhp. As if this wasn’t enough, some owners fitted an America Turbo Pack too ( like the one you see here). The compact Rayjay turbo unit breathes through a Bendix carb (popular for their simplicity and ease of tuning)

Although the engine worked well, Arno added a Setrab oil cooler - with anodised Goodridge hoses - as a precaution. And for performance he added a Procom igniter set (to increase spark) and a new ZX-7R alternator. After these mods, the motor is a real reliable howler. 

Whilst a lot of respect was paid to the 70’s styling of the CBX, the front fairing, rear subframe, and seat was modified to better proportion the bike. Underneath the subframe, a slightly longer Fireblade swingarm was installed to enable a visually cleaner Pro-link monoshock set up, and an RSV Mille 190 section rear tyre was installed. 

With the under-seat tray removed, this meant that all the electronics had to be relocated under the tank, and the battery into the tail. A pretty challenging task as space is very limited. 

Other modifications include:

The CBX was painted by Ben Oud in a classic Honda red, white and blue with a black stripe on top of the tank. Ben added a few extra special touches to the bike, like the Honda wings painted onto the curves of the fuel tank, and a custom CBX logo beneath the filler cab. The final result is simply stunning.  

How would you rate the Rno CBX1000 Turbo resto custom build? 

Let us know in the comments below

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