Photo: Wedge Motorcycle via Pipeburn
Many custom bike builders from Japan are worth bringing into the spotlight, but some of them stand head and shoulders above the rest. Among them, there is Takashi Nihira over at Wedge Motorcycle, a man whose work always succeeds in leaving us utterly dumbfounded. The bike we’ll be looking at today is no exception, encompassing just about everything we love about Takashi’s signature style.
It started out as a Honda CB1100EX from the model-year 2014, and our protagonist has dialed the visual appeal and retro charm all the way up to eleven. As the donor was coming apart, the mastermind at Wedge did away with each and every piece of stock bodywork he could get his hands on. Items such as the factory seat, exhaust mufflers, and lighting components followed suit.
Then, Nihira-san proceeded to shorten the motorcycle’s subframe, so as to tighten up its rear-end proportions and reduce visual mass. As the Honda was going to receive fatter tires later on during this transformation, its swingarm has also been revised accordingly. There are adjustable aftermarket shock absorbers taking care of suspension duties in that area, but the OEM forks are still present at the front.
However, they’ve been lowered ever so slightly in order to get the CB’s stance just right. The footwear department is still home to the standard wheels, yet their rims have been cloaked in chunky Shinko rubber at both ends. These new tires measure 120/90 up north and 130/90 down south, significantly beefing up its visual presence when viewed from the sides.
With the main chassis work out of the way, Takashi proceeded to craft a new outfit from scratch. Center-stage, we notice a gorgeous, downsized fuel tank whose lines echo those of the original to a certain extent. There are no fenders to speak of, but what you will find here is a pointy tail section with cafe racer vibes. A neat electronics tray is mounted right below the seat.
Speaking of which, the saddle is a custom part upholstered in black leather, seamlessly bridging the gap between the tank and tail. The rear end is finished off with a Bates-style taillight and a new license plate holder, both placed on the left-hand side near the upper shock mount. At the other end, you’ll spot a tiny retro-style headlamp and an incredibly tidy cockpit area.
It’s home to a replacement handlebar with Nissin master cylinders, retro-looking rubber grips, and discreet switches, as well as a small aftermarket speedo acting as the bike’s only instrumentation. After a complete rebuild inside out, Wedge fitted the creature’s engine with premium K&N pod filters and some new stainless-steel exhaust plumbing. For the paintwork, Takashi went with a mixture of teal and grey complemented by subtle yellow highlights.
Then, Nihira-san proceeded to shorten the motorcycle’s subframe, so as to tighten up its rear-end proportions and reduce visual mass. As the Honda was going to receive fatter tires later on during this transformation, its swingarm has also been revised accordingly. There are adjustable aftermarket shock absorbers taking care of suspension duties in that area, but the OEM forks are still present at the front.
However, they’ve been lowered ever so slightly in order to get the CB’s stance just right. The footwear department is still home to the standard wheels, yet their rims have been cloaked in chunky Shinko rubber at both ends. These new tires measure 120/90 up north and 130/90 down south, significantly beefing up its visual presence when viewed from the sides.
With the main chassis work out of the way, Takashi proceeded to craft a new outfit from scratch. Center-stage, we notice a gorgeous, downsized fuel tank whose lines echo those of the original to a certain extent. There are no fenders to speak of, but what you will find here is a pointy tail section with cafe racer vibes. A neat electronics tray is mounted right below the seat.
Speaking of which, the saddle is a custom part upholstered in black leather, seamlessly bridging the gap between the tank and tail. The rear end is finished off with a Bates-style taillight and a new license plate holder, both placed on the left-hand side near the upper shock mount. At the other end, you’ll spot a tiny retro-style headlamp and an incredibly tidy cockpit area.
It’s home to a replacement handlebar with Nissin master cylinders, retro-looking rubber grips, and discreet switches, as well as a small aftermarket speedo acting as the bike’s only instrumentation. After a complete rebuild inside out, Wedge fitted the creature’s engine with premium K&N pod filters and some new stainless-steel exhaust plumbing. For the paintwork, Takashi went with a mixture of teal and grey complemented by subtle yellow highlights.
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