Welcome to Inspiration Friday: Wheels and Waves 2022 Honda Customs Winners week #212! 212 glorious weeks of rider inspiration to get you out riding. Honda showcases ten of the best European custom CMX500 and CMX1100 Rebels from Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and the UK while celebrating the return of the Wheels and Waves festival in Biarritz on the French Basque coast! Total Motorcycle gives you the run-down of the ten best Honda custom bikes. Inspired from Sand Racers of the 1930s, 16th Century Spanish armor, Californian spirit, classic CB175 of the late sixties, urban lightweight street flat trackers, retro sports bikes and Honda D-T’s we got something for you to drool over!
The top three bikes were all based on the CMX500 Rebel. Introduced in 2017 the Honda Rebel has been universally popular across USA, Canada, Australia and Europe; and was the best-selling custom motorcycle in Europe in 2021. Both the 500 and 1100cc Rebels provide an enticing platform for customizations of all levels.
Check out all the Honda Rebel 2023 motorcycles as well as 2022 bikes (and back to 1970) right here on Total Motorcycle.
Total Motorcycle would like to Honda, Wheels and Waves plus the hundreds of millions of motorcycle riders who visit TMW for inspiring us to bring you this week’s Inspiration Friday: Most Epic Adventure is Back. Each week we bring you another Inspiring Motorcycle story to inspire you to get out and ride!
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Winner of the 2022 Honda Customs competition announced
- Italian built ‘Maanboard’ has been announced as the winner of the 2022 Honda Customs competition
- ‘Maanboard’ comes from the creative minds of Sardinia-based customisers Motocicli Audaci
- UK’s ‘5Four Honda Rebel Street’ and Portugal’s ‘Lucy’ round out the podium
- Over 8,000 unique users expressed their preferences on the ten best customised Rebels showcased
- The builds were all shown at the Wheels and Waves festival in Biarritz in July
- Customisers from Italy, UK, Portugal, Spain and France competed for the title
Today Honda have announced that ‘Maanboard’, the customised CMX500 Rebel from Sardinia- based customisers Motocicli Audaci, has been crowned the winner of the 2022 Honda Customs competition.
Over 8,000 unique users expressed a ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ for the ten best customised CMX500 and CMX1100 Rebels, with builds coming from Italy, UK, Portugal, Spain and France. All ten were displayed at the annual Wheels and Waves festival in Biarritz in July. The top three bikes received ‘likes’ from 5,175, 4,823 and 4,335 respectively – equivalent to 63%, 59% and 53% of the unique user total.
The winning builder, Motocicli Audaci, took their inspiration from the Sand Racers of the 1930s. The customisation was headlined by a completely rebuilt front suspension featuring springer forks, 19in wire spoke wheels and full stainless steel exhaust system, capped off by a SC-Project muffler. A unique blue candy and gold-leaf paint scheme adorns the tank and the bespoke custom tail, with handlebar risers and a new leather seat finishing off the look.
Coming in a close second was the ‘5Four Honda Rebel Street’ from the workshop of UK bike builder Guy Willison. The third in his line of Honda customs, following the CB1100RS and CB1000R, the ‘Rebel Street’ grabbed voters’ attention with its striking crackle ivory and candy red paint scheme from Pro Kustom, wire spoke wheels, racing tail piece and stainless-steel front number board. Portuguese dealer, Honda Garonda, claimed third space with their gold and white Rebel ‘Lucy’, inspired by the CB175 of the late sixties and early seventies.
The top three bikes were all based on the CMX500 Rebel. Since its introduction in 2017 it has been universally popular across Europe; it was the best-selling custom motorcycle in Europe in 2021 and remains top of the chart in 2022 year to date. Both the 500 and 1100cc Rebels provide an enticing platform for customisations of all levels.
Winner of Honda Customs 2022, Nicola Manca, founder and head of Motocicli Audaci, talks about the inspiration for the Maanboard
Today Honda have announced that ‘Maanboard’, the customised CMX500 Rebel from Sardinia- based customisers Motocicli Audaci, has been crowned the winner of the 2022 Honda Customs competition.
Receiving over 5,000 ‘likes’ from the public, and beating out nine other special customs, Motocicli Audaci took their inspiration from the Sand Racers of the 1930s, applying custom parts across the board, from rebuilt front suspension, to 19in wire spoke wheels and full stainless steel exhaust system. A unique, stunning blue candy and gold-leaf paint scheme adorns the tank and bespoke custom tail, with handlebar risers and a new leather seat finishing off the look.
Below, Nicola Manca, Founder and Head of Motocicli Audaci, talks through the inspiration for and challenges involved in creating the Maanboard.
- Congratulations on being crowned the 2022 Honda Customs winner. Maanboard is truly a unique bike – why were you inspired by the look of 1930s Sand Racers?
- Thank you, it was a really enjoyable experience and thank you to everybody who voted for us.
We were inspired by the sand racers of the 1930s for several reasons. The first was the context in which the bike was to be presented: in our imagination, Wheels and Waves is all about racing on sand at full throttle so being inspired by classic Sand Racers was almost inevitable.
The second was actually related to a technical issue. To achieve the line that we wanted, we needed to raise the rear of the bike a lot and also lower the front end by approx. 16cms. As we wanted to use 19-inch tyres, this caused a space problem because the front wheel would touch the radiator. To avoid this, we used a springer fork that allowed us to move the front wheel forward, freeing up the space we needed, while also allowing us to lower the front end to get the line we wanted.
- The candy blue colour is certainly eye-catching. Does this colour have any personal significance?
- Initially the bike was to be red with gold leaf decorations. Our friend Ivan Motta sent us the candy blue colour as a test sample and we liked it a lot. We felt it really fitted with our inspiration as it recalled the sea and the waves. Because it’s a ‘candy’ colour, it changes depending on how the light touches the bike, a bit like what happens when the sun hits the sea.
- Maanboard proudly wears the number 90 on the front and tail. Does the number mean anything specific?
- The number 90 is taken from the ‘Kabbalah’ (an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism) which translates to the word ‘fear’.
Also to tie in with the custom scene, if you look closely, the number 90 on the bike is formed by the letters ‘fear does’. Of course, there were so many numbers that we could have used, but as riding flat out on the sand, without the front brake could best be described as ‘a bit scary’, the number 90 seemed appropriate.
- What was the hardest part of the build?
- The most difficult part to build was the initial idea. Before we set to work, we looked at several Rebel-based designs and noticed that they all tended to emphasise its rising line towards the front.
To make the Maanboard really stand out, we decided to work in the opposite way – working on flattening the line as much as possible without changing the tank or cutting the frame.
Obviously, before building the custom parts there was a little anxiety within the team about how the final bike would look, but we trusted our sketches and our skills and evidently it worked. The rest of the build almost fell into place and all of us are really proud of the final vision.
- What part of the build are you most proud of?
- The thing we are most proud of is that we were able to achieve a completely different line from the starting model without having to modify the frame, tank or the swingarm. The choice, which is more difficult than radically modifying the bike, is linked to the fact that we like to think that it can be an inspiration to hobbyists and amateur customisers, highlighting the very high potential of the Honda Rebel in terms of customisation, which, with very few and reversible modifications, can become a true laboratory for fantasy and customisation.
In addition to this, there are many details that make us proud because, for example, the sculpted saddle or the hand-painted or hand-beaten tail come close to the custom world while maintaining the racing soul that we have imbued into the bike.
Honda returns to Wheels and Waves with ten of the best European custom Rebels
- Honda showcase ten of the best European custom CMX500 and CMX1100 Rebels
- Customs include Rebels from Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and the UK
- The most popular Rebel will be announced in August
This summer, Honda is celebrating the return of the Wheels and Waves festival in Biarritz on the French Basque coast with a display of ten of the best European custom Rebels, featuring builds from Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and the UK.
To further celebrate these visually striking customisations, all ten Rebels are being showcased on the Honda Customs website for those who are unable to see them up close and personal in Biarritz.
Here is a run-down of the ten bikes.
Motoveiga
Builder: Motoveiga, Braga, Portugal
Portuguese dealer Motoveiga has taken inspiration from the beauty in 16th Century Spanish armour and Florentine lilies to turn their CMX500 Rebel into a rolling work of art. A hand painted tank is complemented with equal attention to the headlight surround and clutch cover. A Vance and Hines muffler and leather seat add the finishing touches.
Lucy
Builder: Honda Garonda, Portugal
Lucy reflects the Portuguese sunshine and is the creation of the Honda Garonda dealer. The one-of-a-kind gold and white paint scheme, complete with a handcrafted Rebel logo on the tank, is reflected in the use of white walled tyres on gold wheels. Inspired by the classic CB175 of the late sixties and early seventies, Lucy is completed by upgraded rear suspension, new radiator grills and a Vance and Hines muffler.
5Four Honda Rebel Street
Builder: Guy Willison, 5four Motorcycles, UK
Having already created customisations of the CB1100RS and the CB1000R, UK bike builder Guy Willison continues his Honda journey with the 5Four Honda Rebel Street. Inspired by urban lightweight street flat trackers, the ‘5Four’ CMX500 wears a striking crackle ivory and candy red paint scheme from Pro Kustom that shimmers in the sunshine. Hand built details are found throughout, including a mirror polished under tray, Brazilian hard wood grips, racing tail piece and stainless-steel front number board, complete with rally high / low headlights. The look is completed with a one-off titanium Racefit Urban Growler exhaust.
Mannboard
Builder: MAAN, Motocicli Audaci, Sardinia
Sardinian custom builder Motocicli Audaci, have taken their inspiration from the Sand Racers of the 1930s. Headlining the customisations are the completely rebuilt front suspension featuring springer forks, 19in wire spoke wheels and the full stainless steel exhaust system, capped off by a SC-Project muffler. A stunning candy and gold leaf paint scheme adorns the tank and bespoke custom tail, with handlebar risers and a new leather seat completing the Mannboard’s look.
Akaimoto
Builder: Akaimoto, Barcelona, Spain
No stranger to customising Honda’s, having made successful CB1000R and CB650R builds, now Barcelona dealer Akaimoto have taken the look and feel of the CMX1100 Rebel to a new level. Taking their inspiration from retro sports bikes and Honda’s Neo Sports Café range, the bikes wears bespoke bodywork, complete with a higher positioned fuel tank and a custom paint scheme from designer Chopinart. The purposeful look is finished with a Kalex undercowl clip on bars and a bespoke short muffler.
Mikuniguro
Builder: Ikono Motorbike, Madrid, Spain
Designed and built in partnership with Nomade Cycle and Dave Design painting studios, Mikuniguro is named after General Samurai Honda Tadakatsu’s horse, which, legend has it, was never injured in battle. Inspired by the Honda D-Type, brat style and the Japanese Bobber trend, this CMX500 features a bespoke paint scheme from Dave Designs, who design and paint the helmets for HRC riders Mark Marquéz and Pol Espargaró, plus a Vance and Hines muffler, upgraded front and rear suspension, handlebar risers, micro LED tail light and indicators and fork gaiters.
Mallorca Moto
Builder: Mallorca Moto, Mallorca, Spain
There is no mistaking the look of Mallorca Motos CMX1100 Rebel. Metallic Green wrap, featuring matt black and white details highlight angles and features across the bike including the fly screen, front mudguard, tank and high angled muffler. The Neo Retro inspired bike is completed by underslung round mirrors, a modified CB300R muffler, fork gaiters, under seat tail light, a diamond stitched seat and a sporty forward-facing riding position.
The Sport
Builder: FCR Original, Chauvigny, France
FCR Original wanted to highlight the practical and playful side of the Rebel, but make it more sporty, muscular and aggressive. A swingarm modification allowed fitment of a pair of black Öhlins rear shocks, as well as 17-inch CB500F rear wheel and Dunlop D212 190/55-ZR17 tyre. The front mudguard is scratch-built and 25mm lower; oversize handlebars add leverage while the speedo has been moved to the top yoke.
Stunning in its simplicity, the bodywork is result of a complete 3D scan and consists of custom polyester-carbon fuel tank (with aluminium filler) and rear seat unit with LED lighting and Alcantara seat. Hand-built footrests add a racing feel while the red/black paint and detailing pays subtle homage to classic Honda imagery. The engine is stock, but breathes through an FCR Original stainless steel exhaust.
The Bobber
Builder: FCR Original, Chauvigny, France
Inspired by the ‘elemental’ design of the CMX1100 Rebel, this interpretation has a more custom feel, pushing it even further toward the bobber style. The swingarm and suspension are stock, but lowered 25mm at the front while custom-built black-spoke wheels wear fat Bridgestone tyres.
Building on the bobber vibe are aluminium handlebars, leather seat with perforated leather ribbing, simple aluminium front mudguard with Mirrachrome finish and painted headlight surround. Mini-Bates FCR Original LED indicators tuck neatly away and like the CMX Sport a 3D scan produced the custom polyester-carbon fuel tank – with Mirrachrome/blue satin finish – and aluminium filler. A ceramic-coated FCR Original exhaust is the finishing touch, highlighting the mechanical beauty of the bike.
Honda CMX Rebel Waves
Builder: FCR Original, Chauvigny, France
The third member of the ‘family’, FCR has revisited all the original lines of the CMX500 giving it a whole new purposeful identity. Taking their inspiration from the feeling of the Wheels and Waves festival and the Californian spirit, they have left the engine stock, but have made changes to the rear suspension, the bars, indicators, front mudguard, exhaust, tank and rear luggage rack. The whole bike is finished off with a blue and white paint scheme featuring a wave motif on the fuel tank’
