Black Cycles Australia presents their customized CBR street tracker. Historically, the fiercely competitive 600cc sport bike class has seen race-replica supersports excel as both agile track weapons and practical street motorcycles. In 2000, Honda unveiled the 2001 CBR600F4i, pushing the boundaries towards a more aggressive stance.

The CBR600F4i boasted a compact, high-output 599cc four-cylinder engine nestled within a lightweight yet rigid twin-spar aluminum frame. This marked the introduction of fuel injection to the CBR lineup, and it performed flawlessly. Weighing in at 370 pounds dry, the 16-valve inline four engine produced 108 bhp, with a solid midrange for a 600:

"The torque-rich motor of the F4i makes street riding a pleasure. Combined with this year’s stiffer chassis, the F4i feels bulletproof, predictable, and stable." —Motorcycle Daily

Recently, Noel Muller of Black Cycles Australia, the mastermind behind the highly acclaimed Triumph Preunit bobber featured last week, stumbled upon a used 2001 CBR600F4i in late 2019. He had an unconventional idea for this impressive machine:

"As far as I know, it's still one of the best power-to-weight CBR600s ever built, right? So, don't ask me why, but I thought it would make an excellent 'flat tracker'."

Essential for any street tracker is a set of 19-inch wheels. Noel began with custom-built KKE spoked wheels equipped with Dunlop K180 street-legal flat track tires. Crafting the wheelset required machining new axle blocks, along with new bearings, crush tubes, and spacers. The rear end was lowered by 60mm through rebuilt links, while Chris Jones (@x.x.x.rated.suspension) internally adjusted the forks to match.

Noel integrated an Acewell speedometer into the original fuel tank, restructured the subframe, fabricated a new tail section, and had his associates at Carmans Auto Trimmers create a saddle to complement the build. The front number plate was fashioned from aluminum, housing a pair of 50mm Highsider LED headlights. A retro Honda CR-inspired color scheme followed:

"We then tackled the deep red paint here at the shop and decided to dull down but not hide the unusual perimeter frame with a satin bronze paint, including the modified swingarm."

What's the moniker for this 108-hp CBR street tracker? Noel humorously dubs it "The Thing That Should Not Be." He's delighted with the result, and so are we. Below, we delve into a conversation with Noel to learn the full story behind this unique build.

#Honda #Custom #Bike #Moto #CBR600F