In June 2021, the global pandemic forced Wheels & Waves organizers to cancel the event for the second year in a row. Honda Europe had initially planned to unveil 10 custom CB650R versions at the show, but the last-minute cancellation forced the brand to think outside the box.
In July 2021, Honda unveiled the Wheels and Waves versions online French, Spanish and Portuguese Honda dealers. Without a festival audience to vote on the candidates, the company opened voting to the general public. After collecting more than 7.000 votes, a preparation emerged victorious with 29% of the votes. Fittingly, Mototrofa Honda's CB650R Fenix rose to the top of the rankings.
Based in Portugal, Mototrofa turned tragedy into triumph with their version of Honda's neo-racing café. The Fenix acknowledges the restoration of the dealership after a fire devastated their store. The ash gray and red livery refers to the event while the number 93 on the fuel tank pays homage to Marc Marquez but also to the year the store was created. Although the futuristic rendering favors the modern shape, the Fenix also borrows from Hondas of the past.
A single-swinging arm from a VFR750F purifies the rear while the front part borrowed from a CBR900RR Fireblade sharpens the whole thing. With Mototrofa, the retro roadster satisfies both modernist and traditionalist, but completists prefer a vintage aesthetic. In second place, Werther Honda's CB650R BMX is reminiscent of the motorcycles of yesteryear. Gloss black takes the understated route while gold wheels, white wall tires and gold accents add a bit of sparkle to the whole package.
To complete the podium, the CB650R Four Limited Edition from Espace Motos is inspired by the legendary CB750 Four. The wheels, the beige leather saddle with diamond stitching and the mirrors placed at the end of the handlebars add a high-end touch. Of course, the green/black livery and classic Honda logos fully realize Espace Motos' retro intentions.
