Billy's Bike: A 1973 Honda CB750 Four Brought Back from…

The Honda CB750 4 was successful when it hit the scene on the cusp of the Seventies. Typically referred to as the world’s first superbike and the unique UJM, it is now thought-about one of many Japanese marque’s most iconic fashions. However regardless of its standing, it frequently finds itself on the chopping block.

The glossy styling of this Honda CB750 café racer belies simply how a lot it has endured. It began out inventory, was rapidly become a chopper, ridden for many years, retired, after which reborn as a extremely dangerous try at a café racer.

1973 Honda CB750 Four café racer by Jeez Louise! Motorcycles

It lastly ended up at Jeez Louise! Bikes, a workshop in Victoria, BC, Canada, run by Andrew Peters. Motivated by the bike’s unique proprietor, Billy, Andrew rebuilt the CB to a typical worthy of its pedigree. Adorned with recent fairings, a killer paint job, and an array of restored, changed, and custom-made elements, the previous 750 has by no means appeared higher.

Nobody tells the story of Billy’s Honda café racer fairly like Andrew, so we’ll let him take the reins from right here.

“It was the late 60s, and Billy was a vagabond in Toronto—not a wanderer, however a member of the MC membership. Within the true spirit of the patch on his again, he could not settle and moved to the West Coast in late 72, the place he met the love of his life, Shaz.”

“She knew he nonetheless wanted to journey, so it was her thought to purchase a model new shiny Honda CB750! That ‘nicest individuals’ picture hardly suited these two rascals, so the bike rapidly developed right into a chopper (as seen in all the most effective motion pictures). Billy’s Honda, in fact, was crimson with yellow flames.”

“Quick ahead a couple of many years, and some completely different paint jobs, king and queen seats, and bars going from ape to flat to Zee. Billy simply could not journey the identical model from one season to the following, however he rode the wheels off that sumbitch. Actually!”

“Shaz handed a couple of years again, and Billy settled into a comfortable armchair. However seeing his Honda rusting away, he realized it was time for it to discover a new residence.”

“By that point, the CB was nearly inventory once more—Billy’s bike was a collector’s piece, and the sickle was a lot nicer to reside with with out foolish lengthy forks and sky-high bars. Billy would drift again to the time when he and Shaz rode away from the seller’s showroom. However little did he know the destiny that may fall on that icon of perform and kind.”

“A younger child ripped into it with all the keenness of a chainsaw massacrer, pondering {that a} stick welder and low cost angle grinder would absolutely assure him fame. Regardless of the filth bike tires, clip-on bars, and a few pipe wrap, the bike simply appeared… properly, it rhymes with ‘wrap’.”

“As I look again on receiving the pile of mismatched elements and weird ‘cool’ and ‘unique’ concepts, I bear in mind pondering, ‘I assume I may half it out.’ Billy nonetheless lives shut by—he even rides by my store sometimes on his 1928 Harley JD. He checked out me and mentioned, ‘I feel you need to put it collectively, boy. There’s at the very least three elements price saving’.”

“These elements have been the smoothbore carbs, stainless-steel custom-built four-into-four pipes, and that one-off thriller fuel tank. So we spent some winter store hours fixin’er up with a lot of new elements, and some that did not match with out some grinding and welding.”

“Doug at Perfection in Victoria did the fantastic paint job, impressed by my BMW R90S. Curtis Rafino in Mission acquired it useless proper with the seat. The bike is totally avenue authorized and useful, with LED lights and switch indicators underneath the fairing. A GPS speedo does the job in addition to it must.”

“For reliability, we stored the engine inventory, in addition to the wiring and hand controls. The rear-set footrests have been modified from some random elements. The Body acquired cleaned up significantly, and the again wheel is now held by a CB900 swingarm for just a little extra stretched-out model.”

“The ‘lil Honda sounds fantastic. And regardless of not being a comfortable chair to chill out in, she’s in search of journey and no matter comes her approach. A real Vagabond?”