We?re suckers for retro sportbike style. And if it?s married to classic Honda build quality and engineering, you?ve got an intoxicating mix.
That?s why this 2006 CBR600RR ticks all our boxes. It comes from Italian builder Francis Von Tuto, who has just returned to his homeland after eight years in Queensland, Australia. His tools and personal ride are in transit to Italy right now, but he?s left this latest build behind?and some lucky Ozzie is going to have it in their garage soon, because it?s for sale.

?After using donors from the mid 70s to the early 90s, I decided to ?take a bet? for bike number nine: a retro-looking build, starting from a modern base,? Francis tells.
He chose a CBR600RR because it?s a model close to his heart. ?The second generation was released while I was working for a Honda dealership in Florence,? he recalls. ?I had dozens of these bikes coming through for servicing and upgrades, so I know them quite well. I’ve personally owned four of them, two in Italy and two in Australia.?
Francis originally planned for this 2006 model to be his track bike in Australia. He bought it with cosmetic damage, but it had only 30,000 km on the clock. ?Structurally and engine wise, it was absolutely perfect.?
The CBR had been sitting unused in a garage for a long time, so Francis started by giving it a major service?right down to flushing and cleaning the entire fuel system and all eight injectors. ?On inline-4 bikes there’s very little space to work...