Eighth: db-DESIGN Honda CL 400 cafe racer

Cafe Racer Honda CB750 "Anvil"

Over the past 40 years, half a million Honda CB series have been sold. The early motorcycles of the 70s and 80s are outdated and have barely survived, so customizers usually choose models from the 90s for their projects - they retain the essence of the classic motorcycles of the 70s and 80s and are also cheap and super reliable. That's why the Wrench Kings chose a '96 Honda CB750 for their "Anvil" project.

Wrench Kings

The client did not have a motorcycle for the project and Wrench Kings found one themselves in a friendly shop. It turned out to be a late 1996 Honda CB750 F2 in good condition with low mileage and a full service history. Wrench Kings basically take such motorcycles for projects, because you can’t build a decent custom one from a dead motorcycle.

According to the idea, the custom should be similar to the old timers of the 70s, so the Honda CB750 motorcycle was specially aged in appearance, using, among other things, unpainted pure metal, but at the same time, modern electrics were installed, stylized as the 70s.

David Meyer

David Meyer begins his acquaintance with the Baliy motorcycle with a short lecture on the myths of Ancient Greece. He tells:

Baliy was an immortal horse. He and another horse were harnessed to Achilles' chariot during the Trojan War.

This is not at all the wooden horse in which the soldiers sat.

This name is perfectly suited to a motorcycle that, even after 40 years, remains more powerful and beautiful than the day it was introduced.

David has a very difficult job. He maintains jet aircraft, so in his free time he likes to blow off steam by unscrewing the nuts of something less technical.

I love the wow factor of functional machines that also look attractive. Just look at any of our Gulf Stream jets. They are certainly beautiful and have no flaws.

Cafe racer Honda "Baliy"

Building motorcycles is like a homecoming for me. As a child, I rode dirt bikes with my father. I had a used Honda SL70. I took the headlights off it, put the numbers on it and put it on “evil” tires. My dad caught me jumping over obstacles in a nearby field and took my bike away from me before I broke it or my neck.

Honda CB750 "Anvil"

Wrench Kings got to work by stripping the Honda CB750 down to just the frame, motor and wheels. From this moment the magic begins - looking at a naked motorcycle, the lines of the future custom begin to form in your head. As a result, they lowered the front fork, cut off the tail of the frame and installed a fuel tank from a model of the 70s - it fit perfectly into the frame, but for a long time there were no ideas on what the rear part should finally look like and the appearance of the tail was formed only after installing the tank - the lines of the rear fairing became match the tank lines.

What you need to know when building a Cafe Racer

Most mistakes when building Cafe Racer (from experience with clients):

Choosing the wrong base.

The reasons for using the wrong database are trivial. Some people just have it lying around in the garage, others are motivated by its cheapness. But this is very deceptive. Never build Cafe Racer using an unusable base. In the end, you will get far from what you expected and this will not return the effort and money spent.

Don't make decisions without thinking through all the details.

Think in advance about how the individual parts will fit together with the motorcycle. Don't expect all parts to fit right away. Please check all dimensions before purchasing and installing parts. This way you will avoid unpleasant surprises.

Do not attempt to paint all parts of the motorcycle yourself.

If you are not an artist yourself, then leave it to the professionals. Good painting, and especially airbrushing, requires talent and many years of experience.

The frame, tank, fenders are the most important elements of a motorcycle; they are like clothing for a person. These are the parts that will “shine” before your eyes. Therefore, preparation of parts and painting is very important.

No need to be too ambitious.

Don't start a project if the budget is too small. Remember that in this case, once you take the risk and start, you will get exactly what you paid for.

If the budget is not large, then it makes sense to spend a little more money at the beginning by purchasing a more suitable and reliable donor motorcycle. At a later stage, it will require only minor changes to become a Cafe Racer. Bear in mind that a truly high-quality, beautiful and functional motorcycle can cost thousands of euros in parts alone.

Never build a motorcycle to impress others.

Fancy design solutions are for show, not for comfortable everyday driving.

There is a big difference between a motorcycle that is impressive and an impressive motorcycle. The essence of an impressive motorcycle is intelligent simplicity and sophistication.

Traditional motorcycle models from the mid-80s, late 90s to build the Café Racer:

• Kawasaki KZ500/550/650
• Kawasaki GPz550
• Honda CX500
• Honda CBX550F2
• Honda CB500/550/750
• Yamaha Virago V-twin, rear mono-shock XV750 (1983)
• Yamaha XS650
• Yamaha XJ 750 (1983)
• Suzuki GS550-GSX750
• Kawasaki Zephyr 550/750 (1991-1999)

Café Racer – for men and women…

Traditionally, Cafe Racer conversions use motorcycles with a 650/750 engine. However, if a motorcycle is created for a girl, then in this case the rules are not so strict. Therefore, do not forget about motorcycles with a 400/500 engine. The motorcycle should be light, maneuverable and quickly pick up speed.

Because a girl needs a motorcycle that she can use for everyday trips around the city and out of town on weekends.

An ideal donor for building a lightweight Café Racer would be, for example:

• The Honda SR400 is a cult motorcycle in Japan, used in customization around the world, and has a reliable single-cylinder engine of sufficient power.
• Honda CB400N
• Honda CBX400/550 (1982-1986)
• Kawasaki Z400/550
• Suzuki GS400
• Yamaha SR400/500

Powerful Caff - "Do The Ton!"

Experienced (and only experienced) motorcyclists can consider modern motorcycles with a large engine capacity as a donor for the Café Racer.

Nothing stands still, so the modern Café Racer changes and takes on a new face.

A motorcycle in the Cafe Racer style based on modern bikes - the result is a kind of Neo Caff, as such a mixture of styles is now defined.

Donor motorcycle options:

• Honda CB750 SevenFifty (1992-2002)
• Yamaha XJR1200/1300
• Kawasaki ZRX1100/1200
• Suzuki GSX1200

There is an opinion that Café Racer is not able to “make a ton”, it is not Café Racer.

Using these options, the result will be a motorcycle with a powerful engine, sharp to control, a real “city madman.”

The choice is always yours...

Details

After the appearance was formed, the motorcycle was disassembled again. The frame was cleaned to a shine and sent for powder coating. The powerplant was serviced, repaired and repainted. After all the parts were prepared, we began the final assembly. Also, the Honda CB750 “Anvil” received a beautiful thin seat.

Cafe Racer Honda CB750 "Anvil"

Next we worked on the fuel tank and rear fairing. They needed to be aged. To do this, they were sanded to a shine, several horizontal scratches were applied, they were painted black and sanded again, while the black paint remained in the scratches. After which the tank and tail were coated with matte transparent varnish. Yes, it took a lot of work to make the bike look old and abandoned.

And the finishing touches. Domino throttle and clutch lever, Brembo master cylinders, Motogadget clip-on turn signals and speedometer, plus Motogadget M-unit Blue system with GPS tracker, custom stainless steel exhaust system, upgraded YSS rear shocks and K&N 2-in air filter -1.

Honda CB550K

But let's go back to today. As a donor, Dave purchased a 1977 Honda CB550K from a friend who had owned the bike for several years at this point. The motorcycle was in excellent condition, with low mileage. David admits that he was even embarrassed to remake it, it was so good. He donated original parts such as the exhaust system, fuel tank and seat to other motorcycle restoration specialists. After that, his feelings of guilt were dulled, and the real fun began.

The fact that the project did not start from a trash can made the process of creating a motorcycle even more enjoyable. David notes that what he likes most is when motorcycles and cars focus on the engine. It is in this spirit that the design of this custom is made. The original fuel tank did not meet these requirements at all, so David found a fuel tank from a Honda CB500T model. It is slightly taller and narrower at the back due to the knee notches. David moved the fuel tank mounts so that it could be lifted and pushed forward. Thus, and also thanks to the opening in the frame triangle, the engine and bike staxacks became better visible.

Cafe racer Honda CB550 “Baliy”

I wanted the fuel tank and rear fairing to look like they were forged from one piece of metal and the seat section was simply cut out. Even in the sketch I tried to give the fuel tank, seat and fairing an hourglass shape. So the head and carburetor protruded greatly, and the engine seemed much larger than it actually was. Once I had the fairing and seat made, I went to a local upholsterer to put the two pieces together. Since the design dictated a small seat with a fairing and no hinge, it was not easy to understand the electronic systems.

I made a special niche in which I placed a compact battery and other electronic components. I was also able to make the license plate mount with thumbscrews. So no tools are required to access electronic systems. The tail light and license plate are hidden under the rear fairing, but the bike is still completely legal.