CB1000R Cafe? Look Out for Taste of Tsukuba’s Evolutionary Racer!

The Taste of Tsukuba, held every May (SATSUKI) and November (KAGURAZUKI), is Japan's largest Sunday Race for old motorcycles. There are 12 classes, including HERCULES and MONSTER, and the scale of the event has expanded to include 2 days, Saturday and Sunday, since 2017.

In this Taste of Tsukuba, the emerging forces such as new motorcycles and foreign motorcycles are increasing its presence. In this article, I will spotlight the evolutionary racers who will be competing in the Taste of Tsukuba!

The Taste of Tsukuba has a class that allows new motorcycles to compete as long as its frame is steel.

The CB1000R, with its impressive rocket cowl, is the machine that will be competing in the Taste of Tsukuba's DOBAR F Zero class. F Zero is a wide open class with no restrictions on the year or engine cooling system in the Taste of Tsukuba, and in the past, the CB1000SF vs GPZ900R was a battle of the old and the new.

The rider who will be competing on this CB1000R cafe spec is Webike's representative, Koki Shinano. The idea started when he learned that the CB1000R released in Japan in 2018 has a steel frame. From the beginning, Shinano envisioned installing a rocket cowl on the motorcycle, and although the motorcycle was not cowled in the 2020 Kagurazuki camp, it was completed in this year's Satsuki camp.

The CB1000R racer made its domestic debut in 2018. By using the neo-classic model as a base, it blends in with the Taste's entry, but also stands out for its individuality.

At Taste of Tsukuba, we have an ironclad rule that only steel frames can be used for racing, except in some classes where the year of the motorcycle is restricted. Since modern high-performance motorcycles are usually equipped with aluminum frames, which are both highly rigid and lightweight, this rule is designed to limit the entry of such models and keep the overall balance.

On the other hand, in recent years, new models are no longer exclusively equipped with aluminum frames, and steel frames are being used depending on the concept. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is that steel frames are more cost-effective. The CB1000R also had an aluminum frame until the 2017 model year, when it was switched to steel, creating an unexpected byproduct of being able to compete with taste.

The Rocket Cowl is KDC Service's race upper cowl for the Bandit 400 LTD. The red and white color pays homage to the CB1000 Super Four.

The seat cowl is a Clever Wolf CBR1000RR/2011 (SC59) cowl, which matches the CB1000R's style well.

The tank was replaced with an aluminum one. Superbuild Maximum's one-off aluminum tank was installed to reduce weight. The paint job was done by Nishimura Coat Grizzly.

Even if the engine is stock, the motorcycle is still very powerful with a stronger suspension.

Shinano's CB1000R has not had much work done to the power unit. The engine itself remains stock, but the computer is controlled by Rapid Bike EVO, and the exhaust system is equipped with titanium exhaust pipes and race silencers. The CB1000R's engine produces 145PS in stock form, which is superior to other models from the 1980s. It is based on the 2004 CBR1000RR, which produced 172PS, so it is expected to be durable.

The suspension and brakes were carefully selected to be race-ready, and although the motorcycle looks stock, the front brake master cylinder was replaced with a Brembo racing brake, Brembo racing pads, and Sunstar discs. The front forks are also equipped with custom-made G-sense cartridges from SHOWA. At the rear, the CB1000R's pro arms are custom, but these are stock. The Ohlins rear suspension has been modified with G sense. This was the first F Zero class race in 20 years for Shinano, who used to compete on the GPZ900R. His best time was recorded at 1 minute and 2.5 seconds, and he is aiming for the 1-second mark in the future. The steel backbone frame has no problem at all on the track.

Although it's a different type of racer, there are no major changes from the Street Kai, but Shinano still says, "Depending on the rider, you can aim for the Tsukuba 1 minute 0 second mark. Even if you want to compete in the Taste of Tsukuba, the price of the base motorcycles of yesteryear is going up rapidly. In addition, to make it race-ready, not only the engine but also the suspension would have to be fully tuned, and it's not hard to imagine the expense. Shinano's CB1000R racer is an excellent example of cost-effectiveness.

The ECU setup using the Rapid Bike EVO was done by Realize, using SC Project titanium exhaust pipes and Trickster's Ikazuchi silencers.

The brake master cylinder is from Brembo Racing and the lever guard is from K Factory.

The wheels and calipers remain stock. Brembo racing pads, SWAGE-LINE hoses, and Sunstar premium disc rotors were used.

SHOWA big piston front fork with G sense original cartridge for SHOWA.

A low Active aluminum handlebar is used. The cowl stay is a machined meter stay for the NSF250R.

The steps are made by Baby Face. The engine cover is made by Moriwaki and the slider is made by Baby Face together.

When it comes to steel frames, overseas companies such as Ducati and KTM are strong, but what about taste?

Another evolution in taste is the "foreign" racers in addition to the new ones. In terms of steel frames, Ducati's steel trellis frame for the L-twin is famous for its success in SBK. In recent years, KTM has also made a full-scale foray into road sports, stubbornly sticking to its steel frame in MotoGP. KTM's steel-framed Super Duke R also won the Battle of the Twin at Tsukuba Circuit.

However, the Taste of Tsukuba is a battleground for 4-stroke multi and 2-stroke racers. Surprisingly, there are few foreign motorcycles with steel frames and multi-stroke engines, and MV Agusta is the only one. Takuya Jin of Webike will be competing in this event with his MV Agusta Brutale 1090RR.
Just like Shinano's CB1000R, the engine of the Brutale 1090RR was stock and only the computer and exhaust system were modified. Even so, it produced 160PS at the rear wheel and recorded the best time of 1min 00.4sec.

Kami has been competing in the F Zero class on an MV Agusta for the past 10 years, and is a rider with a winning record. Originally a Kawasaki enthusiast, he considered competing on a Z1000, but decided to turn his Brutale 990R into a racer because it was "too ordinary". The current 1090RR is the second generation of the 2015 racer, and by continuing to use MV instead of making it a one-off, he was able to gain acceptance.

At this year's Satsuki no Jin, the official pamphlet used God's photo, which is a sign that MV Agusta is now recognized by the taste.

The ultimate evolution is that supercharged guy, finally winning the Hercules!

The ultimate in evolutionary racers for Taste is the Kawasaki H2 and H2R, the world's first supercharged two-wheelers that debuted in 2015, with the 310PS racer-spec R also on sale at the same time. The Hercules class, the highest level of the Taste of Tsukuba, was open to the public.

However, no matter how much power it had, it was difficult for the supercharger to show its true potential on the technical Tsukuba Circuit. Even after the challenge of the prestigious teams, the H2/R has never won before, and finally Kojiro Mitsumoto of Garage 414 got his first win in this year's Satsuki-no-jin. Mitsumoto competed in the H2 from 2016 to 2019, and switched to the H2R in 2020, and this was his sixth year of hard work.

The supercharged engine, which is fast approaching 400km/h, is not an advantage in Tsukuba.

The H2R has no room for tuning, and the key to the machine's construction is to adjust the power that causes the motorcycle to immediately wheelie, and the electronic control and chassis setup is full of know-how. As a result, the front forks were extended and the rear was lowered to a more comfortable position, which "makes the motorcycle turn surprisingly well". Kagayama, who fought for the top spot, admitted that the motorcycle was fast in the corners this time.

The Hercules class, which H2R won, was established in 2009 and has very few rules. This is why the Taste has been so popular with participants and spectators for many years. It's a free race that respects old motorcycles, but also accepts new motorcycles, foreign motorcycles, and H2Rs.

The Hiroshima-based Garage 414 H2R costs over 5 million yen, but is said to be one of the lowest cost Hercules racers. In the final, the H2R ran a 58.004 seconds, which was just shy of the course record.

Mitsumoto, who had won at Moto Revolution in Okayama, finally won at the main event, Taste in Kanto. He is sure to be one of the main players of Taste in the future.

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