Honda CB1100R kit bike breaks cover in Tokyo

To the Doremi Collection stand at the Tokyo bike show, where the Japanese specials builders were showing off their new CB1100R kit bike. Now, if you're as old as us, you might remember the original CB1100R - a super-trick homologation special, sold from 1981-84 in tiny numbers to qualify for superbike and endurance racing. Based on the CB900F, it put out an incredible 115bhp, and weighed just over 200kg. Heady stuff back then. The motor was bored out to 70mm, for a 1062cc capacity, forged pistons and race cams went in, and the frame was stiffened, strengthened and given a set of sleek bodywork. Ron Haslam won two UK superbike titles on one, and folk like Wayne Gardner started out their winning ways on CB1100Rs.

Buying an original CB1100R (below) now involves thousands of pounds and endless hunting for stuff like original exhausts and wheels, which are disappearing fast. The CB1100 cost almost £4k in 1981 – nearly twice as much as a stock CB900F, and a mint one will cost more like twice that these days.

If you're sold on the looks, but want to ride something a little more modern, then Doremi can help out. The firm's put together this conversion kit, which uses the 2018 Honda CB1100 RS as a base. A top fairing, headlamp, tail unit and exhaust all gives the CB1100R look, with the sweet handling and grunty motor of the 2018 bike underneath. Doremi's still working on fairing lowers – but even the half-faired bike still looks pretty good to us…

Prices are still to be determined – Doremi Collection is at http://www.doremi-co.com/museum/honda-cb1100-typer and they have a US importer here: http://doremi-usa.com. Good luck!