Alright, let’s talk about a motorcycle that is less a machine and more a mechanical symphony unleashed. This is “Tatsumaki,” a 1982 custom Honda CBX1000, reborn by the wizards at Unik Motorcycles in Lisbon.
The legendary CBX is already one of the most iconic engines in history—a colossal inline-six—and for builders Tiago and Luis, the goal wasn’t just to customize it, but to truly set its thunderous heart free.
This Custom Honda CBX1000 Shows Why Unik Motorcycles Is One of the Best Out There
To transform this six-cylinder heavyweight into some kind of athletic sportbike, Unik stripped it down and re-imagined its posture. The original fuel tank was kept to honor its lineage, but everything around it was sharpened.
They grafted on a swingarm from a Triumph Street Triple and front forks from a Kawasaki ZX9 (extended for the perfect stance), fitting the whole package with custom 17-inch wheels and a fat 180-section rear tire.
This required serious, ground-up engineering to ensure the geometry was flawless, resulting in a machine that handles with the poise of a modern superbike.
Of course, the star of the show is the engine. It received a thoughtful refresh and tuning, but the real magic is the 6-into-6 aftermarket exhaust system.
When the throttle is cracked, this system lets each cylinder sing its own note, creating a collective howl that earned the bike its name, Tatsumaki, which means “tornado” or “hurricane” in Japanese.
Finished with a clean Motogadget electronics setup, a sleek Honda Nighthawk fairing, and a bold black and pink paint job that captures the glorious excess of the ’80s, the Tatsumaki is more than a custom bike. It is a sharp, aggressive, and utterly desirable rebirth of a legend that roars into the future.
Source: Pipeburn, Unik Motorcycles
