1996 Honda CBR 600F

1996 Honda CBR 600 F3 ‘Smokin Joe’ number 279 of 500 made.

A very rare, limited edition Smokin Joe model made for the United States market only and probably the only one in the UK.

500 manufactured in 1996 with a further 1, 000 manufactured in 1998 and these were the only 2 years it was produced. Some found their way over to Europe via export and this is one of those examples. Imported into the UK in 1996 by Honda dealership HGB Motorcycles in Ruislip, Middlesex from Honda dealership World of Motorcycles in Torrance, California. I have the DVLA import & first registration paperwork to support that.

Manufactured in January of 1996, this example is correctly stamped as a CBR600SE with VIN: JH2PC253XTM550279, making it 279 of the run of 500. I have a letter of authentication from Honda UK confirming the frame & engine numbers as genuine.

Current mileage reading is 41, 805 with reasonably consistent annual use until 2019. 32, 000 miles from 1996 to 2006 and 10, 000 from 2006 until 2019. From 2019 it has been in a collection and ridden occasionally covering a further 25 miles in that period. It has a new MoT (Mar-25) and went through with only a headlamp bulb to replace. I intend to take it on occasional short rides in good weather conditions this year, so the mileage will increase slightly. JDL Motorcycles took the bike on a test ride after its recent MoT and said that the bike still pulls strongly through all gears with no flat spots.
The carburettors were professionally overhauled in 2024 and the fuel pump replaced at a cost of some £900. The oil & filter and air filter replaced in 2024. The stator regulator/ rectifier was replaced in 2025. The tyres, chain and brakes are all good with plenty of life left in them.
The bike is in remarkable condition for 29 years old as you will see from the photos with no signs of crash damage or major problems. Naturally there are small chips to the fairing in places due to the mileage. The seat unit is marked where the single seat cowl fits but the seat material is not torn.

I have the original sales brochure for the model plus the Honda owner’s manual (2 of them) and a workshop manual.
It looks fantastic, a real head turner. Over the last few years I have seen a few of these for sale in the United States for upwards of $6, 000, one even $10, 000. I am open to offers.

Located in Nottingham. Specialist delivery can be arranged within mainland UK and we can assist with removing fuel etc and packing for shipment over-seas.

As a history for the edition;
The 1995 AMA 600 Supersport season in the USA was another good one for Honda, with Miguel Duhamel putting on a Honda seminar all year, winning eight races in a row en-route to his second AMA 600 title. Honda F3s won all 11 of the races that year, scoring a perfect shutout against the competing manufacturers. This made four 600 titles in the Honda’s five years of existence (Yamaha won the title in ‘94). You simply can’t talk about 600cc racing in this time period without mentioning the Honda CBR600F2/ F3, it dominated the track.
Expectedly, after Miguel Duhamel won the AMA Championship in 1995, Honda wanted to celebrate the occasion in proper fashion. For 1996-1998, they offered a replica paint scheme of the Smokin’ Joe’s Camel livery that had graced his bike. An estimated 500 examples rolled out of the factory in the bike’s first year of production in 1996.
The liquid-cooled 598cc DOHC inline-four was factory rated at 105 horsepower and 49 ft-lb of torque and is equipped with an electronic ignition system, ram-air induction, four Mikuni CV carburetors, and a four-into-one exhaust system terminating in a black-finished canister.
The fully-faired bodywork is finished in a purple, yellow, and white racing livery and is mounted over a twin-spar frame. Equipment includes a solo seat, a passenger pillion, a tinted windscreen, a side stand, fairing-mounted mirrors, and rear-set foot controls. The tail section features Miguel Duhamel’s signature, and a photograph of him signing the bike is included with the sale.
Six-spoke 17″ aluminum wheels finished in yellow up front and purple out back are mounted with Bridgestone Battlax tires. Braking is from dual drilled 296mm discs and two-piston Nissin calipers up front and a single drilled 218mm disc and a single-piston Nissin caliper at the rear. Suspension consists of a cartridge-type 41mm fork with preload and rebound adjustability as well as an aluminum swingarm mounted with a Pro-Link monoshock that features adjustments for compression, rebound, and spring preload.
Clip-on handlebars mounted above the top triple clamp front a 180-mph speedometer and a tachometer with a 13, 500-rpm redline as well as an engine temperature gauge and indicator lights. 500 manufactured in 1996 with a further 1, 000 manufactured in 1998 and these were the only 2 years it was produced. Some found their way over to Europe via export and this is one of those examples. Imported into the UK in 1996 by Honda dealership HGB Motorcycles in Ruislip, Middlesex from Honda dealership World of Motorcycles in Torrance, California. I have the DVLA import & first registration paperwork to support that.

Manufactured in January of 1996, this example is correctly stamped as a CBR600SE with VIN: JH2PC253XTM550279, making it 279 of the run of 500. I have a letter of authentication from Honda UK confirming the frame & engine numbers as genuine.

Current mileage reading is 41, 805 with reasonably consistent annual use until 2019. 32, 000 miles from 1996 to 2006 and 10, 000 from 2006 until 2019. From 2019 it has been in a collection and ridden occasionally covering a further 25 miles in that period. It has a new MoT (Mar-25) and went through with only a headlamp bulb to replace. I intend to take it on occasional short rides in good weather conditions this year, so the mileage will increase slightly. JDL Motorcycles took the bike on a test ride after its recent MoT and said that the bike still pulls strongly through all gears with no flat spots.
The carburettors were professionally overhauled in 2024 and the fuel pump replaced at a cost of some £900. The oil & filter and air filter replaced in 2024. The stator regulator/ rectifier was replaced in 2025. The tyres, chain and brakes are all good with plenty of life left in them.
The bike is in remarkable condition for 29 years old as you will see from the photos with no signs of crash damage or major problems. Naturally there are small chips to the fairing in places due to the mileage. The seat unit is marked where the single seat cowl fits but the seat material is not torn.