Yes, the Honda CB750 is probably the most popular base bike for a cafe racer project. And yes, it’s been done over and over and over again. To be honest, it’s pretty hard to surprise the custom scene with a CB750 cafe racer. Of course, there are lot’s of pretty damn good bikes out there (also check out our Top 10 Honda CB Cafe Racers). But there are also lots of rip-offs or simply crappy builds out there. Last week, I received a message from Belgium with a darn good CB750 build which you can see here.
This beauty is built by Martial De Campenaere. He was bitten by the cafe racer bug about a year ago and he decided to build one for himself. He did his research and soon found out that the Honda CB’s are the #1 pick for building a cafe racer, especially when it’s the first project. And that’s an obvious choice: lot’s of them are still out there, there is a huge amount of information to find, just like parts and references.
He sourced the interwebs and found a cheap machine for €500. He didn’t have a clear plan and was simply inspired by projects of others. When we asked him about the budget, he had a hard time to tell. “It didn’t cost that much, really. I simply did everything myself”. He stripped the bike and refurbished most parts and repainted the engine and frame. The engine was in a very good shape, so he only gave it some TLC with fresh gaskets and liquids. He took a gas tank of a CB750 KZand adapted it to the CB frame. After that, he hand-crafted the seat and rear hump out of polyester with custom leather upholstery. Just like the frame, he did the painting all by himself. Custom cafe racer parts where source from all over the internet like the head light, grips, mirrors, rear shocks, pod filters, mufflers, exhaust wrap (yes, it actually suits this build!), and the license plate holder. Not bad for a low budget cafe racer project!
Can we expect more from Martial? Oh yes! He’s already working on a new project! We look forward to it!
Don’t forget to check out Martial’s Instagram
