One of the approximately 200 units of the CR93 Race Version produced by Honda for Japan and Europe is in the United States, and it’s for sale on Bring a Trailer.
This rare find of a bike had a production run from 1962 to 1963, and this unit is apparently from the latter half of that period. Built and engineered to race, the bike comes with some of the best technology that its era could provide. While not bleeding-edge by today’s standards, for a small-displacement racer, it’s every bit as charming as it is rare.
Under the tank sits a 125cc dual-overhead-cam four-stroke parallel-twin engine that is mated to a five-speed transmission. It’s also air-cooled and features twin Keihin carburetors with gear-driven camshafts with a total of eight valves feeding air into the combustion chamber. The CR93 when it was new made a spritely 18.5 horsepower, which is no slouch by the standards of the day, and given the displacement. Heck, the bike makes about as much power, if not more, as a modern 150cc engine with all the bells and whistles like fuel injection and a computer to tell it what to do. Granted, it is a parallel twin, so there are two tiny pistons chugging away to give that figure.
Other interesting things on the bike include a dry clutch, as well as a set of magnesium drum brakes that are cable-actuated. That’s right, Honda didn’t settle for steel on this bike. It had to be light because race bike. Other notable footwork-related pieces include a set of 18-inch wire-spoke wheels with D.I.D. polished alloy rims and a set of period-correct Dunlop Racing tires. Its suspension utilizes a set of conventional hydraulic forks with external springs and a pair of shocks mounted to a standard swingarm.
So how much would it take to get this bike in your garage? Well, it’ll probably cost north of $21,000 USD. Yes, that’s an eye-watering amount, but you get a proper vintage Honda that is limited and of pedigree. On top of that, Honda never sold this bike here, so there’s that rarity that you cannot deny.
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Source: Bring a Trailer