Little Black Number: A Honda CB350 Café Racer from Austria

The colour black has been a staple of bike customization for so long as the artwork type has existed, however it’s typically overused. Whereas it’s tempting to homicide a motorcycle out from head to toe, the outcomes can look low cost and nasty. The trick is so as to add some distinction—like Reier Motors has carried out with this Honda CB350 café racer.

Primarily based in Salzburg, Austria, Reier Motors is a full-service workshop that handles every thing from upkeep to full-on {custom} builds. The 1973-model CB350 was booked in by a consumer with a brief checklist of requests. “He wished café racer styling with black throughout, besides on the engine and exhaust system, and he wished some particular particulars,” explains the store’s founder, Christian Reier.

The consumer by no means specified precisely what these particular particulars have been—solely that he didn’t need a run-of-the-mill classic café racer. It was as much as Christian and his crew to determine the remaining. In order that they responded by dragging the CB350’s working gear into the trendy age.

For starters, the front-end was upgraded with the upside-down Showa forks and twin Brembo disc brakes from a Ducati 848. New aluminum yokes have been machined to just accept the forks, and an Excel rim was laced to a KTM hub to finish the bundle.

Reier specced the other finish of the bike with Hyperpro shocks, matched to the swingarm from a Honda Dominator—a considerable improve over the CB350’s spindly inventory unit. The rear wheel makes use of the Dominator’s hub and disc brake, together with one other Excel rim. 17” Bridgestone Battlax BT-023 tires supply good grip for day-to-day driving.

Going deeper, Reier rebuilt the engine and carried out a needle bearing conversion on the camshaft. The dual cylinder motor breathes in by means of Mikuni carbs with Okay&N pod filters, and out through a hand-crafted twin exhaust system.

Reier additionally scrapped the Honda’s 50-year-old wiring, opting to construct a contemporary loom round a Motogadget mo.unit as a substitute. Different upgrades embrace an digital ignition and 12-volt alternator, and a brand new battery that’s housed in a custom-built tray.

The workforce modernized the cockpit too, becoming it with a Motogadget speedo, buttons, turn-signals, and mirrors. The clip-ons and LED headlight are LSL elements, and the brake grasp cylinder is a Brembo merchandise. Tomaselli rear-sets do obligation decrease down.

With the airbox gone and the wiring simplified, Reier set to work cleansing up the world under the seat. Christian de-tabbed the body and fabricated a brand new rear part, earlier than hammering a humped tailpiece out of metal. A slim LED taillight, and a custom-made license plate mount with LED flip indicators, end off the rear.

Ending touches embrace black leather-based upholstery on the seat and 3D-printed Reier Motors tank badges. The CB350 is sprinkled with different refined particulars—just like the elegant exhaust hangers and entrance fender braces.

Between its compact proportions and its matte black paint, this Honda CB350 café racer doesn’t scream for consideration. However the nearer you get to it, the extra bins it ticks. Bravo, Christian!