Miss Honda CB1100 TR concept? Revealed in 2016 at EICMA, it was designed by Honda Europe designer, Valerio Aiello, as a rugged, flat-road-inspired model based on the modern classic styling of the Honda CB1100. Not only did it never go into production, but Honda finally discontinued the CB1100 altogether last year.
The spirit of TR Concept lives forever in this Honda CB1100 RS from rudimentary crafts in Taiwan. When Rough Crafts’ Winston Yeh was tasked with customizing the CB, his thoughts immediately turned to Valerio Aiello’s design.
“If you ask me which is my favorite CB1100 in the world,” he says, “my answer will always be one that wasn’t actually built by any builders; CB1100 TR concept. The flat road bodywork, plus the super powerful performance components, make for such an attractive package.”
“So I decided that was the direction I wanted to go with it—but with a little more Rough Crafts flavor. The rest is finding the right ingredients and the right balance between ‘race’ and ‘custom’.”
If you’re not familiar with Rough Crafts (you must be new here), Winston’s style is dark and menacing, with a deep scalloped bodywork and a very selective color palette. Working with a group of local craftsmen and regular collaborators, he started by wrapping the CB1100 with a new body kit. The look is quintessential ‘Raw Craft’, with a slight hint of the current TR Concept vibe.
But the real magic here is how compact this CB1100 looks. The big 540 lbs car is nothing but svelte, but Winston has balanced its proportions with a slim tail and wide rubber at both ends. It’s still a big machine, but it’s tightly packed.
MS Pro is responsible for crafting the custom fuel tank, tailgate and side skirts, all of which are crafted from handcrafted aluminum. Gold pinstripes define the CB’s new silhouette—from the wings dipped beside the fuel tank to the elegant ducktail that obscures the rear end. The design also mounts with a short fender at the front and a rear section that doubles as an inner fender.
Parts are laminated with forged carbon cladding, handcrafted by Simon Fiber Craft. Rover Works Custom Paint took care of the rest of the paint job, including the gold foil work on the stripes and the fuel tank logo. Diamond stitching on the seat’s synthetic leather upholstery adds a touch of style.
Winston worked on another regular Bike EXIF, 2LOUD Custom, about assembling the bike — including throwing a bunch of high-end parts at it. You’ll see black-painted Ohlins suspension at both ends, with a specially machined fork that holds the forks in place. Set up slightly lower than stock.
The Honda rolls on luscious 17-inch carbon fiber wheels from BST, wrapped in sturdy Pirelli Supercorsa tyres. A pair of Beringer Aerotec brake calipers adds stopping power to the front end. The RK Takasago chain is painted black and the KCT rear sprocket adds color-coding accents.
Honda’s OEM handlebars have also been reworked in black, but they’re the only part left in the cockpit. The team installed Rough Crafts handlebar controls, Beringer clutch and brake controls, tachometer, switches, grips and turn signals at the end of the bar from Motogadget. The signature Rough Crafts headlights do front duty, with three-in-one Koso LEDs acting as taillights and rear turn signals.
Other add-ons include a Sprint filter, an Over Racing foot controller, and a Rough Crafts gas cap. Then there’s the exhaust system—a burly four-in-one titanium system, built by MS Pro and covered with an SC-Project box. It seemed like it would be jarring, but Winston modified it with dB reduction technology so the car could be city-friendly.
Winston reports that the CB1100, now nicknamed the ‘Oriental Uppercut’, is easy on the road, even with its 160-wide front tires. What’s helpful is that the mods have dropped an estimated 44 lbs in weight.
The Rough Crafts portfolio has more Harley-Davidson bikes than anything else. But this Honda is once again proof that Winston can take any make and model of motorcycle, and transform it into liters of Rough Crafts style.
rudimentary crafts | Facebook | Instagram | Taken by JL . Photography
