The Catalyst
THE CATALYST
ROUNDUP
CYCLE WORLD/RIDE FOR KIDS PROJECT HONDA CBR1000RR
BLAKE CONNER
FOR THE 11TH YEAR, CYCLE WORLD AND Ride for Kids (www.rideforkids.org) have teamed up to create an incredible custom motorcycle that will be given away to a lucky winner in a drawing to be held on May 2; all proceeds will benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF). And for the fourth year in a row, American Honda has provided a donor CBR1000RR. The finished bike has been making the rounds with the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows.
This time around, we enlisted Gregg DesJardins of Gregg’s Customs (www. greggscustoms.com) to transform the stock CBR-RR into something truly memorable. DesJardins’ spectacular creations have appeared in CW multiple times in recent years, and they’ve even been cover bikes on two separate occasions (February, 2009 and February, 2010), so GC was an ideal choice for the project.
Inspiration for the build came from a famous racebike of the past. “Jonathan Reed from Sport Chrome and I started bouncing ideas off each other and came up with the concept of doing a 1980s Superbike theme,” says DesJardins. “He sent me a photo of Freddie Spencer’s ’82 Honda CB750F AMA Superbike, which was powered by a 1016cc RSI000 engine; once I saw that photo, I knew that was it. I really wanted to do that retro paint scheme, slap a big white numberplate on it, then take styling cues from the Spencer bike and apply them to the CBR1000RR.” A master fabricator, DesJardins was tempted to go crazy with the build but finally thought better of it. He machined the upper triple-clamp to accommodate the upright handlebars, then hand-formed the aluminum sidepanels and the aluminum numberplate that incorporates the gauge pod on the cockpit side. “Considering the short time frame, there was only so much we could do,” he says. “We didn’t want to make the bike super radical because you’ll be giving it away to
someone and you want them to be able to enjoy it on a regular basis.”
But that doesn’t mean the finished product is bland. Performance Machine provided Boss Gold Ops wheels and black-anodized four-piston calipers, while Galfer stainless-steel lines give the brakes a firmer feel at the lever. A LeoVince exhaust system with carbon-fiber muffler exits MotoGP-style under the right Sato Racing rearset provided by Kyle Racing. Other features include a Drive Systems USA Power Up sprocket kit with D.I.D 525 chain, custom Corbin seat, CRG control levers and Dunlop Sportmax Q2 tires. All plating was applied by Sport Chrome.
“It was definitely a tight time crunch,” says DesJardins. “It seems like that is always the case with these builds, especially considering we only had this bike for a month. My buddy Dave Garrison was a huge help; he would come over after work and lend a hand. I couldn’t have done it without him.”
With a fast-approaching deadline, the GC crew barely made the bike’s debut at the first IMS of the year in San Mateo, California. “Colorzone painted the bike literally two nights before the unveiling,” says DesJardins. “We delivered the bike an hour late, but I was super happy with how everything turned out. The only other thing I wish we’d had time for was one of my GC single-sided swingarms. But I had to be realistic, so we scrapped that idea. Otherwise, we accomplished everything that we set out to do.”
When asked what inspired him to commit his time to the RFK project, DesJardins said, “I just had my first child a couple of years ago, so as a parent, when you read about sick kids, it moves you.
I just thought about having to deal with the added pressure that families with sick children go through, and it’s really unfathomable to me. So, giving my time to help these families was an easy decision. I just decided it was something I had to do.”
