Honda CBR 1000 RR PLAYBOY Replica 2009 — Specifications

What do you get when a passionate custom builder decides to marry the bunny-eared universe with one of the sharpest superbikes of its generation? A 2009 Honda CBR 1000 RR Playboy Replica, built by AD Koncept, which transforms an already formidable sportbike into a covetable machine loaded with high-end accessories. The kind of bike you spot instantly in a paddock and that divides opinion as much as it fascinates.

On the mechanical side, the foundation remains that of the era's Fireblade, and that's no small compliment. The 999 cc inline four-cylinder produces 177 horsepower at 12,000 rpm with 107.9 Nm of torque available from 8,500 rpm. Enough to propel the 198 kg wet weight to a top speed of 290 km/h. The aluminum twin-spar Diamond-type frame provides exemplary rigidity, and it's on this proven chassis that the builder grafted his list of upgrades. Because this is not simply a decal kit slapped onto a stock motorcycle. The inverted fork and rear mono-shock are Öhlins units, the braking system switches to Brembo with 320 mm radially-mounted front discs and four-piston calipers. We're entering track-prepped machine territory here, not cosmetic gimmickry.

The equipment list reads like a Rizoma catalogue all by itself. Triple clamps, grips, lever guards, rearsets, oil filler cap, brake fluid reservoir cover, tail tidy, chain adjuster: everything gets the treatment, everything bears the Italian logo. Add a Leovince exhaust system, braided steel brake lines, then a collection of carbon fiber parts covering the front and rear fenders, engine case protectors, tank cover, and side panels. The tail light integrates the turn signals for a cleaner line, and a Honda seat cowl eliminates any notion of carrying a passenger. The result is a machine where every detail has been rethought, even if one could debate at length the relevance of pairing the Playboy image with a Japanese superbike. A matter of taste, and tastes are not to be argued. Or rather, they are — endlessly so on forums.

At 28,790 euros including the motorcycle and all accessories, the price tag is steep for a 2009 sportbike, even one transformed to this extent. For that budget, you could at the time have picked up a Ducati 1098S or a first-generation BMW S 1000 RR with virtually no options. But the comparison isn't entirely fair: you don't buy this type of build for its price-to-performance ratio. You buy it for its unique character, for the care lavished on every single part, and for the thrill of lining up a machine that no one else owns in the track day parking lot. The 831 mm seat height and 17-liter fuel tank are reminders that this is still a Fireblade at heart, with all the constraints of a pure sportbike: aggressive riding position, modest range, and zero comfort on long rides.

This CBR 1000 RR Playboy Replica is clearly aimed at collectors of original custom builds and rare-parts enthusiasts who want to hit the track with serious hardware beneath a provocative skin. AD Koncept, the studio behind this creation, applied the concept to other Honda and Kawasaki models, proving that a market does exist for these extensively personalized machines. You may find the livery debatable, but the quality of the components is beyond reproach.