For many a Honda CB is a logical choice to start their Cafe Racer project with. However normally people tend to use the CB’s of the seventies for the already Cafe Racer looks. Nelson did pick a Honda CB for his Cafe Racer project, but a CB750 F2, aka Seven Fifty, from the eighties/nineties.
Let’s dive into his Honda CB750 Seven Fifty Cafe Racer project.
When it first re-appeared in 1992, Honda’s latest CB Seven Fifty was a rather different beast from its 1960s namesake. The original CB750 was the first real superbike, and revolutionized the biking world – a rather tall order for an air-cooled retro roadster in 1992.
The CB Seven Fifty’s simple, unfaired chassis holds few surprises: a steel-tube cradle-type frame joins a twin-shock rear swingarm to the conventional telescopic front forks (based on the CBR600’s items).
Twin front disc brakes wear dual-piston calipers, while the twin piggyback rear shocks and 41mm (1.6in) air-assisted forks offer comfortable, soft handling.
The engine is similarly anonymous, despite its 747cc capacity and double overhead camshaft design. It is based on the mid-1980s CBX750 design, its 16-valve head uses hydraulic tappets for low maintenance, while producing a lower output than the CBX, down to 53kW (71bhp) from 67kW (90bhp) and uses a five-speed gearbox, one less than the CBX. The CB’s engine is willing enough at low to medium revs, but is less impressive at higher engine speeds: 145km/h (90mph) is its comfortable cruising limit. Windblast limits travelling much over 177km/h (1 lOmph), and the CB struggles to its 193km/h (120mph) maximum speed.
Styling and build quality are the CB’s strengths. A large round chrome headlamp
gives a classic look to the front end, and the deep paint finish and chrome megaphone exhaust impart a high-quality feel to the bike. A handy aluminium grabrail looks good as well as offering a secure grip for pillions and an easy-to-operate mainstand permits straightforward rear-end maintenance.
But for all its build quality and classic appeal, the CB Seven Fifty is a rather uninspiring machine, which would make it a great bike for an extreme Cafe Racer Make Over and Nelson couldn’t agree more.
Other stories you might like
Yamaha XJ900 Cafe Racer by Tarmac Custom Motorcycles
motomatter 
22nd November 2013 
Honda CB360 Cafe Racer by Dallas Ziebell
motomatter 5th February 2014 
Ducati Cafe Racer “Carallo Sport” by Radical Ducati
motomatter 3rd January 2014 
Yamaha XS500 Cafe Racer by Goodspeed Customs
motomatter 6th October 2015 
Popular tags
