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Honda CB650R Custom Contest Winners Announced

Honda Motor Europe picks the top builds in its annual dealer competition.

September 2, 2021

Mototrofa’s Fenix custom won Honda Europe’s 2021 CB650R Custom Contest.Honda Motor Europe

Wheels and Waves was delayed again this year, so Honda Motor Europe took its annual European dealer-built custom show online, showcasing the best CB650Rs from dealers in France, Spain, and Portugal. The custom builds were completed, and 10 entries uploaded onto the Honda Customs website (hondacustoms.com) several months back to allow viewers to vote for their favorite builds.

With the votes tallied earlier this week, Honda announced the top three winners. Receiving almost 29 percent of the total votes on the website was the Fenix build from Portuguese dealership Mototrofa, which had suffered a devastating fire in 2019 and had to rebuild from the rubble.

The first place win makes a fitting exclamation point for the Mototrofa team’s rebuilding phase.Honda Motor Europe

The tidy custom looks totally modern and up to date, yet also makes use of past Honda models in key areas. The single-sided swingarm and rear wheel are from a VFR750F and the front wheel comes from a CBR900RR Fireblade. Custom parts include the seat and rear cowl and the “93” paint scheme (courtesy of Nexx Helmets) both pays homage to MotoGP hero Marc Márquez, and marks the year Mototrofa was founded. The Fenix bike obviously held special importance to the entire Mototrofa team’s comeback story, and the win is sure to be icing on the cake.

Werther Honda’s CB650R BMX build came in second.Honda Motor Europe

The CB650R BMX by Nice, France-based Werther Honda took second place, with design touches the builders said were “inspired by stunt bicycles.” Gloss black paint, black fork, and gold engine cases were matched to gold wheels with whitewall tires, while shorter final drive ratios and a full Akrapovič exhaust system add to the bike’s already punchy performance.

Espace Motos’ CB650R Limited Edition was inspired by the legendary CB750 Four.Honda Motor Europe

Espace Motos’ CB650R Limited Edition came in third, just behind the Werther bike, with only 12 votes separating the two French dealerships. The bike features a higher, flatter brown leather seat, rich green paint with gold pinstriping, and a classic 1980s Honda Wing logo. The paint also covers the headlight surround and front fender, with vintage-style bar-end mirrors, black footpegs, a blacked-out frame, and scrambler tires to round out the revamp.

All the bikes can still be viewed on hondacustoms.com.