2000 Honda Cbr929rr - Sonic Boom

The majority of super-trick custom sportbikes on the street have generally had pretty cushy lives. They've been purchased brand spanking newoff the glistening showroom floor, then, after being hauled home in aclimate-controlled luxury trailer, have had money and shiny parts thrown at them by their well-to-do owner from every angle. Never did they have to endure a newbie beating on their gearboxes or slamming wheelies and stoppiesdown repeatedly.

But things were different for this hapless CBR. It came to owner Chris Wooten in a twisted heap, leaving a trail of fluorescent fluid behind it. But old Chris is known as a bit of a beaten-bike savior in the southeastern region of Pennsylvania, and from minor smashes to complete write-offs (which this bike was) Wooten is the guy who gives scrapyard specials a second shot.

With this particular Honda in its junked-up state, Wooten originally intended to rebuild it back to a stocker and sling it as a salvage job. But somewhere along the way it stole a place in his heart, and he opted to make it into something more special.

Most notable is the powerful, yet squeaky-clean, paint scheme that comes courtesy of Wooten's fondness for the Ford-factory color "Sonic Blue." After replacing the forks and bodywork on the mangled 929, it was time to determine a color, and the vivacious blue tone was the winner. Wooten mentioned that he'd seen several Ford Lightning pickup trucks sporting the blue, but the streaks of electric energy on the plastic panels came as a coincidence. He explained the motivation for the design: "I gave it to Jeff at Young's Auto Body, and after we discussed the color he took over. I guess you could describe the paint as having a 'tearing' effect. I didn't want to get too crazy, though, because the idea of the project was to build something that I thought could possibly come from Honda. That's why we left the Honda decals. We've all seen custom bikes on display from some of the manufacturers, and this was my vision of something Honda might build."

We seriously doubt that there'll be any tricked-out custom chrome specials coming from the Honda camp anytime soon, but you never can tell for sure. The idea was right, though-particularly at a time in the custom-sportbike world when only the silliest three-foot-wide rear tires get much attention. Here comes an ultra-clean, well-planned street killer that rides as good as it looks-yet can go head-to-head with more elaborate creations.

Chrome plastic has been done to death, but the reason for its imminent industry-wide demise was due simply to poor planning. Gobs of gooey silver plastic doesn't accomplish much, and if it's about bragging rights then why not just light Benjamins on fire as you roll down the strip? Needless to say, thetop-to-bottom plastic chrome novelty was short-lived. Wooten, however, used the shiny sauce sparingly, and it worked tremendously with the blue-lightning sky theme.

Though there isn't a fat rear end to brag about, the 929 does have a banging backside. What was once a Targa seat cowl has been converted into the cover for a completely custom sound system. There's a seven-inch LCD monitor on the underside, and it's powered by a DVD audio system for cool looks and beats. If the slick paint job doesn't attract folks, the sounds surely will.

Prior to the custom-electronics setup, there was a deafening howl from the Yoshimura exhaust system, but Wooten quickly remedied that. "I removed the end can from the Yosh system, then gave it a slash-cut finish, but the sound was obnoxious so I made a baffle to go inside the tip. Now it's quieter but still runs great with the open system."

An obtrusive exhaust note wouldn't work on a clean ride like this, and it's good that Wooten recognized that matter. Remember the notion of planning and following a theme as opposed to slapping a load of bolt-ons together? That's the difference between this bike and a catalog-constructed 'Busa special.

The Buyer's Box

2000 Honda Cbr929rrFront end: Trac Dynamics lowering kitRear end: Trac Dynamicsswingarm extensionsMotor: Yoshimura full system,custom baffle, Power Commander IIIPaint: Jeff Cousamano at Young's Auto BodyPolish/chrome: Classic ComponentsBodywork: Modified Targa rear seat cowl, custom undertrayAccessories: DVD player with seven-inch LCD monitor, grips, bar ends, braided brake and clutch lines, reservoir caps, mirrors, HID headlightsOwner: Chris WootenBuilder: Chris Wooten