

Rick Hayberg of Sarasota, Florida, has worked in the auto industry for thirty years. And like a lot of riders, he was drawn back to a bike he’d seen many years ago. “I was fortunate enough to ride a brand new Honda CBX back in 1980, purchased by a good friend. Between the looks and sound that the CBX made, the bike remained stuck in my mind for many years. I bought my own CBX in 2008, and started my quest to create a classic old bike with the modern innovations found in the sportbikes of today.”

Suspension, brakes, tires, and many upgrades followed. “My build was supposed to be a ‘budget’ build, but soon got out of hand.” Parts were recycled from Hondas, Suzukis, Yamahas and Kawasakis, with a few bits thrown in from Ducati. Even more amazingly, Rick did the entire build himself, in his garage at home. And that includes fabrication, welding, machining, electrical, paint and carbon fiber work. (The bodywork is not painted: virtually all the bodywork is 2×2 twill carbon fiber.)

There are too many mods to list, but they include GSX-R750 forks and six-piston brake callipers, a VFR swingarm/wheel assembly, and a Ducati subframe and tail section. “Because this was a naked bike, and because of my fondness for the Truimph Speed Triple’s looks, I had to go with the big dual lights up front.” One of the few things left untouched is that glorious CBX engine—a 1047 cc, 24-valve, DOHC air-cooled straight six with over 100 hp at the crank.

With Rick’s suspension upgrades handling the twisties, this is a CBX that will leave many modern middleweight sportbikes in its dust.