Honda and Onitsuka Tiger Unveil Mid Sports Concept at Milan Fashion Week - Honda's New Supersport Bike? CBR750RR?
Updated: Sep 29
A motorcycle at a fashion show? Honda and Onitsuka Tiger have joined forces, and their first collaboration is a striking yellow and black sports bike. Is this the CBR600RR replacement? New Honda Supersport Bike?
The Onitsuka Tiger Honda Mid Sports Concept made its world debut at Onitsuka Tiger’s show in Milan on 23 September, during Milan Fashion Week. Honda describes it as a concept based on a mid displacement sports model, created to mark the beginning of a wider collaboration between the two Japanese brands.
It wears Onitsuka Tiger’s signature Tiger Yellow, with bold black stripes running down both sides. Predominantly black wheels carry yellow accents, while both brands’ logos appear on the bike. It is an unmistakable look, and one that makes more sense on a fashion runway than another understated race replica would.
The motorcycle appeared alongside Onitsuka Tiger footwear and clothing inspired by motorcycle culture. Those pieces incorporate Honda’s Wing Mark, bringing the partnership off the bike and into the fashion collection.
Is it a new Honda sports bike?
New honda tiger concept
That is the question riders will immediately ask, but Honda has announced this as a concept, not a production model. The release does not identify the donor bike, give an engine capacity or announce a price or launch date. For now, the confirmed news is the collaboration and the concept’s unveiling.
Even so, I can see why Honda has chosen a motorcycle to lead the partnership. Bikes have always been about more than the journey from A to B. The machine you ride, the kit you wear and the places you stop all become part of how you express yourself. A fashion brand can explore that side of motorcycling in a way a conventional model launch rarely does.
Whether the concept ever reaches a showroom is another matter. Personally, I would be interested to see Honda offer something this bold to customers, even if it were a limited edition. At the very least, it is good to see a major manufacturer put motorcycle culture in front of an audience that might not normally follow a bike reveal.
What the images tell us?
From the side, the concept has a strong visual link to Honda’s MotoGP bikes. There’s a pronounced gap in the fairing around the front suspension, with the wheel sitting well forward of the sharp, angular bodywork. It also appears to have premium suspension, Brembo brakes, ABS and a quickshifter.
Honda hasn’t confirmed the engine, but what we can see looks remarkably similar to the CB750 Hornet’s 755cc parallel twin. Could this be Honda’s answer to the Yamaha R7, Aprilia RS 660 and Triumph Daytona 660? I reckon so.
Would you ride it, or is the Tiger Yellow and black stripe treatment a step too far? Let me know what you think.
Source: Honda’s official announcement.
Comments