The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Honda CBR 1800RR by Cedric Smith

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Honda CBR 1800RR by Cedric Smith of Everett Powersports
Honda CBR 1800RR by Cedric Smith of Everett Powersports
click to enlarge

We’ve seen it happen before, a couple of guys start talking over a few beers, one of them says, “Ya know, I bet I could put one of these engines in that bike,” and if he has the skills to pull it off, the project begins. I have no idea if this bike began like that, but Cedric Smith, a service tech at Everett Powersports in Everett, Washington, is the brains behind this one, an 1800cc flat six from a Gold Wing mated to a Honda CBR, a Honda Gold Wing with CBR bodywork.

Sure, the CBR’s handling will be somewhat compromised, but that’s not the point and anyone who’s been around The Kneeslider for any length of time already knows that. I love the bike. It looks really well done, especially compared to many of the botched engine swaps you often see. This one looks good.

Not many details yet, we’ll update accordingly as we find out more.

Thanks for the tip, Don!

UPDATE: Just got off the phone with Cedric. The bike started out as a totaled Gold Wing, bodywork pretty much destroyed, but the frame and engine were fine. Though he was trying to stay all Honda, the front end is from a GSX-R. He mounted a CBR subframe and added aftermarket CBR replacement bodywork. The hardest part was making a wiring harness from scratch. Headers are stock but are now ceramic coated because they’re visible. The rear wheel was also widened.

This isn’t a CBR with a Gold Wing engine, it’s a Gold Wing that had a huge weight reduction. He says the engine is like a steam roller and it’s all stock, … but there’s a supercharger in this bike’s future. I like the way Cedric thinks.

Link: Everett Powersports via PNW Riders

Honda CBR 1800RR
Yes, it’s a rider. Doug Staab shot this photo at Backfire Moto, the monthly bike night in Seattle. According to Doug, the rider, presumably Cedric, said the frame and swingarm are stock.

Posted on Filed Under: Motorcycle Builders

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Comments

  1. Can’t think of a better use for a flat-6! It might be a bit too heavy, and that long wheelbase might not handle as sharply as a stock CBX and it won’t lean so well, but who cares? It’s about the motor. I recall that Honda paid close attention to exhaust note when designing the Wing’s 6. One configuration sounded something like a jet fighter, and Honda nixed that one as not matching the Wing’s image. I hope Cedric found that kind of sound — sixes of all kinds have a fabulous exhaust note when properly done.

    • Ced had this at work yesterday, it sounds like a stinking corvette! Amazing finish. Too long to wheelie, but burns that rear tire all day long. 0 effort.

    • Yep. But shortening up that swingarm/driveshaft ought to take care of a lot of it. As it is, this looks like a dragbike, probably by design.

      cl

  3. I WANT ONE! NOW!

    What a giggle that thing would be…

    Who cares that it won’t cut under a GSXR/YZF etc. I would bet my next bike he would have more people coming around to chat at bike night than any sport bike…or Harley.

    Great job.

  4. I have seen longer wheelbases on bikes riding around here (Why one would go “carving” on a drag oriented bike, I don’t know) but I bet even so, it is a bit hard to keep the front planted when whacking open the throttle

  5. That has got to be one of the coolest custom bikes EVER!!! I appears that the frame and engine is gl1800 with a cbr fork, rear shock/linkage mods, and customized cbr bodywork. I must put this bike in my must have list. Would love to hear that sweet six cylinder sound!

  6. I don’t care much for sportsbikes, but this one wins a place in my heart for the fun factor. Doing odd things for a laugh – and doing them well – is the spice of life.

  8. The 1800 engine in the Goldwing has about 60 horsepower less (120 vs 180) than the original engine in this bike. And it (obviously) weighs a lot more. I’m all for doing neat, different stuff, but adding weight and losing power for no obvious gain seems like a waste of time…

    • But that 1800 engine is way understressed. Hot-rod it or pump it up with a turbo, and it will stand up and howl, and maybe make up the difference plus enough to overcome the extra weight with bags of torque. It would have to sound better.

    • As noted above in the update to the original article, this isn’t a CBR that gained weight, it’s a Gold Wing that lost several hundred pounds! In my book, that’s time very well spent.

  9. Forget the CBR1800…lookit the bike behind it, a Yamaha Vision! Don’t see those puttering around everyday. ; )

    • good spotting…the Backfire Moto event is a cool deal. The diversity of bikes is deep. It is held in between 2 bars, 2 micro breweries, and one of the local rollergirl practice tracks.

      3rd Wed of every month in Ballard and 1st Wed of every month on Capitol Hill (‘The Capitol Hillclimb’)

    • Funny, but that was exactly the same thing I was thinking. How ironic that a bike called “Vision” can be so invisible.

      -todd

  10. Very cool use of a wrecked Goldwing. Great job by the builder. I’ve wondered why Honda doesn’t offer a minimally equipped version of the GL1800 like the 70’s standard GL1000/1100. It seems like they could give the V-max some competition without too much effort. On the other hand, that may require redesigned heads (GL is 2 valve right? or 3?) or forced induction. I think this bike looks great except for the rear end. There’s a lot of open space between the tail and swingarm/wheel. Maybe a hugger would make it look better. Or maybe bringing the swingarm angle up closer to horizontal would help, although that may cause ground clearance issues. Some brackets and passenger pegs might even look good there.

  12. I am very OK with this.

    Although I might have used a half fairing that is intended to be a half fairing, instead of cutting a CBR fairing.

    Maybe I would do more of a Flat 6 Superhawk, instead of a CBR, but any application of a boxer engine… especially a 6-cylinder… is fine by me.

    BTW… a BMW paralever Evo would be a shorter driveshaft option for that. Just sayin’…. If the front suspension is Showa/Nissin per Suzuki, rather than Showa/Nissin per Honda.

    This is giving me ideas… I couldn’t decide whether it would be more interesting to contemplate building an oilhead boxer, or a flat-4 K-bike… a water-cooled flat 6 is like the best of both, plus a half… And a big upgrade over the Honda Hawk GT I had.

    Honda certainly isn’t building anything this interesting from the factory anymore, anyway.

    • The Hawk GT was a cool bike. I like the idea of a stripped Goldwing but that paint job does nothing for me at all.

  14. Too bad that the most interesting bikes (practical or not) are no longer being built by the manufacturers but by individuals. Too bad companies like Honda don’t have the guts to pull something like this off – supercharger and all.

    -todd

  15. That big engine makes 167.00 Nm ( or 123.2 ft.lbs) @ 4000 RPM, less than 1/2 the rpm of the CBR. This bike would have So much acceleration from very low speeds. It has less horse power but so what. Horse power number only equals top speed and 120hp is enough to go well over 200 kph any way.

    This is one of the best builds I have seen for very long time. Good on ya Cedric.

    • No no no NO!!!!! Not the hp-king vs torque-master debate again!!!

      Real cool bike that over-matches any rider with measurable intelligence.

    • it will accelerate slower than a CBR1000 because it has less power. It’s that simple. The GL motor makes about the same amount of torque as a strong bicycle rider.

      End of argument.

      -todd

      • todd,
        You have obviously never ridden a GL 1800 Goldwing. You probably ought to stay on your bicycle until you get out of high school. Just sayin’………

        Joe

  16. I’d like to see someone put a Wing motor in a small buggie. I found one on-line for sale but wasn’t completed. I too am wondering how well this bike handles? Probably real fast in a straighht line. In the twistes????

  17. ABSOLUTELY THE COOLEST THING I’VE SEEN ALL WEEK! Too bad I. Work at a bmw dealership. Geuss ill just have to wait for a wrecked K1600…

  18. Now I remember where I first thought this was a good idea. The above bike seemed like slight deja-vu.

    But now, I remember the EVO6 concept Honda did a while back.
    [img]http://motoloft.com/wp-content/gallery/honda-evo-6/honda_evo6_1.jpg[/img]

    Significantly slimmer than a Honda Rune, let alone a Goldwing.