Honda CB 750 Motorcycle by Raccia Motorcycles

Ryan Reynolds is an actor who unknowingly cost me a Scandinavian girlfriend. Back in 2005 I’d been dating a Norwegian girl and I struck upon the idea of taking her to the cinema, we bought our tickets and popcorn and settled in to watch Just Friends – a 2005 film starring Ryan and Amy Smart.
After having spent 90 minutes watching Reynolds be effortlessly charming and occasionally shirtless she turned to me and explained that it wasn’t going to work out, and that she wanted a guy more like Ryan. Now I know that none of this is Ryan’s fault per se, but I can’t help hold him vaguely responsible for stealing Synnøve away from me. So with this in mind you’ll understand my internal struggle when Mike LaFountain of Raccia Motorcycles sent me the images of the Honda CB750 you see here and told me he’d just finished building it for Ryan Reynolds. Not only had the Canadian actor stolen Synnøve, he’d also just taken delivery of one of the most beautiful and elemental Honda CB750 customs I’d ever seen. Damn him.

So far as motorcycles go, they don’t get much more iconic than the SOHC Honda CB750.

When Honda released the model in 1968 it was nicknamed the “superbike” – a moniker that stuck and led to the creation of ever more powerful motorcycles in a sort of two-wheeled arms race between motorcycle manufacturers.
The early CB750s all had 4-cylinder SOHC engines that were as reliable as taxes and capable of cheaply out-performing almost any road legal motorcycle in the world, in the eyes of collectors now it’s these early SOHC bikes that are in high demand – 10 years after releasing the original CB750 Honda released an updated DOHC version in 1979 that had some teething issues and lost some of the sentimental sheen of the earlier bikes.

The 1976 SOHC model you see here was requested specifically by Reynolds – he’d learnt to ride on an early CB750 and as is often the case, we hold the bike we started on in high regard, even years after the fact. He contacted Mike from Raccia Motorcycles and the two men began hashing out a plan for the new bike, it was to be a ground-up rebuild and Mike would have free-reign with the sheet metal.
All-in the bike took 7 months to build and with the exception of the engine and transmission, not much of the original metal remains. A new frame was fabricated from scratch as was the elegant headlight fairing, fuel tank, seat and rear cowling. The seat was upholstered using leather from one of Ryan’s screen-worn jackets – an act that Mike struggled with as he felt it borderline sacrilegious to take scissors to such a nice bit of tailoring.
Raccia Motorcycles is known for creating pristine custom motorcycles so this bike, dubbed “Cold War”, would be a significant departure from the garage’s usual creations. Mike wanted to create a bike that could be ridden hard, raced, dropped, dusted off and look better than it did previously.

The Raccia garage is near an area that produced military aircraft during WWII so he took some of than influence and out it into the fairing and weathered, almost flak-damaged metal work.

In order to ensure the bike would handle as well as it possibly could the front suspension was rebuilt and a new pair of Works Performance shocks were added at the rear, the engine was bored out to 836cc and a performance cam was added, four Keihin CR carburettors were bolted into place and synced before the newly ported and polished head was reattached.
The completed bike has an almost steampunk elegance to it reminiscent of the post-WWII salt flat racers, Ryan is regularly seen carving through California canyons on it – when he’s not preoccupied stealing the hearts of other men’s lady-friends.
See more from Raccia Motorcycles here.











First read on http://silodrome.com

THE URBAN TRACKER – HONDA CBR250R ’13

For two-wheeled Rakesh Kapoor is one of love for many decades, even as a child his parents are introduced and instill to the man who has 11 years of living in Indonesia is about two-wheeled world. Even so until now when Mr. Rakesh settled in Jakarta love of two wheels do not fade, especially with traffic conditions in Jakarta accompanied by a flurry of men who worked at one of the group's property even makes choosing a motor as a mount option hariannya.Boleh spelled as two-wheeler users and lovers not just Mr. Rakesh let mount perform standard. Coming to the workshops STUDIO MOTOR with a Honda CBR250R alerts in 2013, Mr. Rakesh want besutannya made with Scrambler style that became his dream. "Comfortable Riding position is needed to penetrate the congestion in Jakarta ...", he said during a discussion on the bike change later. Of course, the original form of the motor is produced at Honda Factory Thailand with model number MC41 brings sporty style with a 249.5 cc engine configuration (15:23 cu in) four-stroke single cylinder 4 valves PGM-FI will be changed completely after this custom project.

Early work focused hand down all parts of the body and legs of innate motor and install the sector further with new legs were already prepared. Shock front shock swap places with Upside Down copotan Kawasaki XZ6, combined with the rim spoke wheel wrapped 18X3.00 Inch Deluxe Champion 4.00-18 Firestone tires. While the rear own original swing arm Honda CBR250R is maintained, only adopts a suspension that had been turned into a double shock monoshock using YSS shock 360 mm Z-Series. Rear wheel itself nudged TK Japan 18X3.50 Inch wheels with round rubber Firestone Deluxe Champion 4.50-18. Finished work the legs up to the cultivation of the body. Relying 1.2 mm galvanized plate material around the part of the body is formed as desired concept Mr. Rakesh. Slightly many forms Triumph Scrambler inspired him to apply to the bike this time. Anticipate the shape of the frame congenital Honda CBR250R, the entire subframe cut and reshaped by using seamless pipes of 23 mm with a thickness of 3.5 mm. Stages of replacing the entire subframe is intended to provide a harmonious look and be able to display the classic impression that thick. When choosing colors that will whitewash the new body to his motorcycle, Mr. Rakesh directly thrusting classic colors Red Burgundy Khaki Brown combined with a dedication to the father who never had a variant of the BMW R25 motorcycle with these colors. "The highest dedication to my Dad for custom work we do Bro ...", he said the process was interrupted when he saw this custom. For paint and varnish materials Comet Studio still choose output Sikkens to get maximum results. Ultimate support multiple devices installed during the process of finishing. Headlights 7 inch belongs Suzuki Thunder 250 chosen for the sake of showing muscular impression when viewed from the front. Stang Fatbar Scarlet output, Daytona air filter and exhaust system custom made 2 silincer left and right are increasingly adding frightening impression on the motor, dubbed THE URBAN TRACKER this.

Completed a whole series of workmanship really make the original form of the Honda CBR250R changed completely. Scrambler typical classic retro look with modern elements in some parts bandage supporter and also forms the engine delivers its own harmony formed the motor end of Mr. Rakesh this. When the session is done several times a test ride another motorcyclist who see giving a positive appreciation of the changes Honda CBR250R is. So also with the mpu his motorcycle, excited with the results of this bike make it a custom to prepare a new project to change the look of the new Kawasaki ER6N this month has.

First published in http://www.studiomotor.com

Translation Google translate 

Back To The Future: custom Honda Nighthawk

Some custom shops like to breathe new life into old motorcycles. Others put a vintage spin on modern machinery. Tito and Jose of Spain’s Macco Motors have gone for the vintage approach with this CB750, and it works a treat. You’d never guess at first glance, but it’s actually a 2002 Honda—the model better known as the Nighthawk 750, and a machine with less graceful lines than its predecessors. “We wanted to give the Honda a retro-modern look,” says Jose, “by changing the fuel tank, paint scheme, side panels and backside.” To sweeten the clunky lines, Macco Motors borrowed a tank from a 1973 CB750 Four. It had to be restored, and then altered to fit the newer 750 frame. They then re-engineered the rear end of the frame and the area under the seat to be neater, and to be able to accommodate a steel battery box and custom-made seat. The subframe now ends in a sharp point rather than a loop, tracing the outline of the café-style perch. The new battery box not only holds the battery, but also the starter relay and rear brake reservoir, mounted on small brackets. The rest of the electrical bits are hiding under the seat hump. Wrapping up the bodywork are a pair of hand-made steel number boards, complete with grill-lined vents. The front fender is the original Honda item, shortened. The CB750’s engine was opened and treated to a new set of gaskets. The carbs were cleaned and the airbox ditched in favour of a set of filters. A pair of megaphone mufflers was adapted to fit the CB’s stock headers, and the whole setup was tuned. Macco Motors opted to retain the standard suspension—but rebuilt the rear shocks. The wheels are stock too, wrapped in Continental ContiMotion rubber. To tidy up the cockpit, the standard handlebar mounts were cut off and the top yoke welded up and polished. It’s now equipped with a set of clip ons from Tarozzi, grips and a 5¾” headlight from LSL, and a small analog speedo. Tiny turn signals and a Mongrel-style tail light—mounted on a custom license plate bracket—have also been fitted. To finish everything off the frame, engine and tank were painted in a striking black, metal and red color scheme to emphasise the CB750’s sharp new lines. It’s the perfect addition to Macco Motors’ blend of modern tech and classic style. And—since “Spitfire 09” was a commissioned build—we’re willing to bet Jose and Tito were sad to see it go. The post Back To The Future: custom Honda Nighthawk appeared first on Bike EXIF.

Caiman CB750 Racer

Honda continuously developed and improved its CB750 model throughout its production years. The final F version which reached showroom floors in 1979 was a far more refined motorcycle than the original showstopping 1969 K0 model. The CB750F had the double overhead cam motor which provided over 70hp and a top speed of around 200km/h at sea level. More importantly, the CB750 F put the final nail in the coffin of the myth that motorcycles with transverse four cylinder engines could not handle well in the twisties.

I have to tell you that I built a custom CB750F in the early 1990s. I paid R1500 for a shabby donor bike when a clean example was selling for R2500. A year later I sold it for R7000, a sum nobody believed was possible and I still lost money! She was a beauty but paled in comparison with our featured CB750F café racer from Caiman Urban and Dirt. These guys have an eye for detail for which most of us can only wish.

I have never really enjoyed the look of Honda’s Comstar wheels in standard form. Customisers are generally painting the wheels black to make them more appealing. Caiman have gone a step further by stripping the wheels and drilling multiple holes through the flange on the circumference. Brilliant. Those holes give a completely fresh, non Comstar look to the wheels. Drilled brake discs are café compulsary.

The bumstop seat is innovative yet still classic. Indicators are a necessary evil on a custom motorcycle, both for safety and legislation’s sake. The two small LED illuminated lights in the tailpiece serve as lights, brake lights and indicators.

Here at Retro Write Up there is a difference of opinion over whether side covers should be retained or removed on a custom motorcycle. Marnitz believes less is more and prefers the gaping hole in the frame look. I like side covers to be retained. Caiman have fabricated these unobtrusive metal side covers and drilled some holes in them. With drilled wheels, brake discs, sidecovers and even the brake pedal this could be described as a truly holy motorcycle. Weak jokes aside, back in the day, an electric drill was a weapon of choice to try and lighten a motorcycle to gain a bit more performance.

The success of a custom motorcycle, no matter what the style of build, depends on how all its individual custom bits interact with one another to create a harmonious whole. Caiman have created a very individual motorcycle without losing the essence of the original CB750F. To be able to enhance a motorcycle without chopping and changing everything requires real talent. We appreciate real talent.

first read in http://www.retrowriteup.com

deBolex Mk5

There’s one thing that unites builders, bakers and candlestick makers; the ability to stand back and say “I did that”. Even as an unvocalised thought, it holds the power to strive for more, for better, for improvement. And one thing that unites humans is the natural desire to be liked or acknowledged. Calum from deBolex Engineering is one of those happy blokes who does what he loves, does it well and people like him. Not only that, they like his bikes. So much so that there’s a virtual queue forming outside his countryside shed. One man in line was Ricardo, a record producer living in Ibiza. (No this isn’t some fairytale) Ricardo wanted to blast around in Balearic music industry style and a deBolex bike exactly fitted the bill.

One of Calum’s previous builds, the MK3, had Ricardo reaching for the chequebook and a Honda CB750f2n was sourced. With all the visual bulk up-front on these CBs it pays to graft in a set of fatter upside-down forks. The deBolex tried and tested R1 fork upgrade allows the mention of the original Honda front wheel. Twin discs keep the look balanced and keep Ricardo from flying off a cliff somewhere.

The top yoke has been machined to accept the Motogadget speedo, clean and efficient; got to love German engineers. The Brits get a look in too, Renthal clipons give a good degree of adjustability and are really nicely made. Keeping things multicultural, Brembo levers pump fluid form billet reservoirs.

The fuel tank is from a CB650 which was encouraged to fit with a few mods, good behaviour was rewarded with a sumptuous paint job. In a break from the deBolex black the front half of the tank is metal-effect silver with multiple coats of lacquer over this and the deep cherry red metalic. Just under the tank is a meshed battery box containing slimmed down wiring and lightweight Shorai Li-Ion battery.

The now ubiquitous chop ‘n’ loop has a slight twist here, a pair of LED tail light housings are neatly grafted into the subframe. The holes you can see aren’t an oversight, deBolex don’t do oversight. Ricardo wanted to be able to whisk bikini-clad crumpet around the White Isle so a removable pillion seat cover was fabricated. A subtle cafe style tail, with practicality and simple installation. It took a few attempts to achieve a “duck’s beak look” whilst hugging but not touching the leather.

The colour scheme continues with a vibrant, diamond stitched medium grain leather seat, complete with a slight hump which looks better than a flat plank, brat-style wafer. The frame in silver powder coat sets of the red and the flakes in the red, as well as the aluminium castings on the rear shocks. If you know Calum you’ll know the colour match was no coincidence.

The Öhlins shockers don’t disappoint in performance or looks and the trademark anodised gold is picked-up on the brake caliber piston caps and fork adjusters. Attention to detail, we like that.

Dunlop Mutants are fast becoming a go-to tyre for builders wanting a very slight whiff off flat-trackery whilst keeping their customers in once piece, and more importantly in the queue for another build. So, ever the gentleman, and businessman, Calum fitted a pair. Tarozzi  rear sets and pillion pegs are softly knurled to prevent wear to Ricardo’s dancing shoes.

Rebuilt carbs running handmade mesh filters, which match the battery box, fuel a standard engine but a far from standard exhaust. When asked to specify this component Ricardo simply said “short and loud”, so a nearly baffle-less 4-into-1 stainless system gives road users the heads-up “the sound, Wow! It BARKS, like a furious dog, haha, really noisy, but i love it!! There are some tunnels in the highway here, I cannot get tired of going there…” Mission accomplished!

After a few late nights the shipping deadline was looming, but good planning left enough time for a good road test. Calum left his shed near Croydon and went for a ride, with now real plan, just to put some miles on the clock. Sometime later he pulled up at CRC Motorcycles in Wembley. I know this because I had to down tools when I heard something loud and lairy roaring through the industrial estate. On a fine sunny autumn day the paintwork looked excellent and worthy change from the usual black.
The rest of the bike warranted positive comment from myself, CRC bossman Will and his crew; a really decent build, built for riding. Calum left us, still with no plan, and rode into the afternoon, through the night and into the early hours knowing he’d soon have to say goodbye to his endeavours.

But not just yet, a few hours later the DGR London kicked off from Borough Market under a scorching sun and the deBolex MK5 behaved in a gentlemanly manner through the throng of some 800 slow moving custom bikes. Riding alongside I was lucky enough to cop an earful of that exhaust going through the Blackfriars Underpass, Ricardo is right, a furious dog indeed.
Whilst Ricardo and his Honda enjoy paradise together Calum is back in his shed working on the build queue, and another exciting venture…more to follow soon. Keep an eye on the deBolex website and their Facebook page, or check out the latest video here.

first read on http://thebikeshed.cc/

Backyard build: Dave Lehl’s Honda CB550

We get quite a few emails from readers asking why we focus so much on pro customs, and not backyard builds from talented amateurs. It’s partly because pro builders push the envelope more often, but it’s also because it’s much harder for amateurs to hit the sweet spot—which is a well-crafted build and fantastic photography. This Honda CB550 from Colorado-based Dave Lehl ticks both boxes. It helps that Dave is a photographer by trade, but he’s also got unusually good taste—knowing what to change, and what to leave alone.


Dave is a true shed builder: a self-taught mechanic who built the CB550 by trial and error. “I have what I call ‘creative ADD,’” he admits. “If I don’t have at least one fabrication project going on in my life, I go crazy. I’ve built bicycles, flipped condos and done home remodels—and I was dying to try my hand at building a bike. “ At that point, Dave’s father discreetly stepped in. He hit the pavement in his hometown of Pueblo, looking for a 70s street bike that had seen better days. And when he came across a 1978 non-running Honda CB550, he snatched it up for $500 a week before Christmas.


“On Christmas morning he gave it to me under a red tarp in the garage,” says Dave. “And by noon I had the fairing, windshield, racks and air box off.” Since this was Dave’s first bike, he was cautious about what to cut off or modify. But over the next two years he tore it down and removed all the unnecessary tabs and the center kickstand, and ground down and recreated the worst of the factory welds.


“I also took the exhaust off and sold it to a guy in England for $400,” says Dave, “which knocked the total investment down to $100. I then got rid of the 19″ front wheel and laced an 18″ rim to the hub to balance the bike out.” Dave then made a new seat pan, which hides a recessed battery box. There are few wires to be seen, and that’s how it likes it. But it’s the ultra-slim taillight that attracts the most questions. It’s tucked under the new seat unit, and above the rear fender, which is a modified wheel cover from a 1931 Ford Model A.


The rest of the CB550 is a classic home build: Dave did everything except for the paint, upholstering and wiring. To finish it off, he’s fitted clip-on bars, new shocks, new levers and new cables. And despite the shoestring budget, it looks just great. Dave’s now been bitten by the bug, and next on his list is a 1979 Kawasaki KZ650. “This one should take a few months rather than years, though,” he says.
We’ll be keeping an eye out for it.
Dave Lehl website | Facebook | Instagram

The post Backyard build: Dave Lehl’s Honda CB550 appeared first on Bike EXIF.

Urban Scrambler: Caiman’s Honda CX500

South Africa is a motorcycling nirvana—especially for dual-sport riders. From the winelands in the Western Cape, all the way across to the Midlands in KwaZulu Natal, great riding and idyllic scenery abound. Commuting in Johannesburg is a far cry from traversing the countryside though. Jozi has it all: congestion, potholes, traffic lights that don’t always work and lawless minibus taxis.


Caiman Urban ‘n Dirt are dead set on building motorcycles that thrive in this environment. “Many people say that Africa is not for sissies,” says Caiman’s Walter Stander. “Our motorcycles need to look the part: rugged, and with earthy color schemes that resonate with our sometimes edgy city.” Caiman’s latest release is this Honda CX500 scrambler. Robust and purpose-built, it sums up the Randburg shop’s blunt aesthetic.


“The CX has a wonderful frame that lends itself to modifications on the rear suspension, subframe and seat,” explains Walter. “We decided not to make any dramatic changes to the fuel tank and front end.” Gone are the CX500’s twin rear shocks. They’ve been replaced by a mono conversion, using a Yamaha YZ250 shock with an upgraded spring. The front suspension has been left alone, but treated to a new set of fork gaiters to help keep muck out.


The subframe is now shorter and supports a custom solo perch. To clean up the area under the seat, Caiman ditched the airbox and tidied up the wiring. Everything runs on a smaller battery now—hidden away behind a hand-made skid plate. A pair of blacked-out reverse cone mufflers has been installed too. Up front are a set of tracker bars, an Acewell speedo and a smaller headlight. The turn signals and side-mounted tail light are a style that we’re used to seeing on cruisers, but they suit the CX500 well.
For paint, Caiman coated the frame brown and treated the tank to a subtle two-tone paint scheme. The wheels were powder coated black—along with a select few other parts—but the engine cases were left raw to maintain character.


Knobbly tires from Kenda were fitted for both their visual and practical appeal. “Thick knobbly tires and longer travel suspension make riding a lot easier in Joburg,” explains Walter. “With very little demarcated parking, they help with climbing onto kerbs and embankments to find safe parking—while you enjoy a beer that certainly does not adhere to the Reinheitsgebot.”
Sounds lekker to us.
Follow Caiman on Facebook | Photos by Louis van Zyl.

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