This Honda had been in our warehouse for nearly 40 years. My cousin started building it as a cafe racer in 1974, so it was a great starting point. It already had a nice paint job, but unfortunately over the years, the bike was scratched several times. So, we started with a total disassembly for a complete, frame-up restoration. We began by stripping the frame bare, coating it with a heavy-duty urethane primer and painting it silver. The original fuel tank was retained and it was coated with POR15 fuel tank sealer. A custom seat was fabricated from the original pan and I made a one-off, hand-laid fiberglass seat. A cutout was made to use the stock taillight (something we did back in the day). An aftermarket fairing that best resembled those used in the 1970s was purchased and custom aluminum brackets were fabricated. A precision cut-out was made on the windscreen to clear the stock master cylinder. I painted the tank, seat, side panels and fairing with a high-quality, automotive basecoat/clearcoat process. A custom seat pad was designed to compliment the bike colors. As the bike was put back together, every nut and bolt was inspected and polished or replaced with high-quality stainless replacements. The steering head bearings were inspected and greased and the fork seals were replaced. New fork boots were installed and the fork legs were highly polished. To save money my son utilized the original rims (we originally planned to install vintage DID aluminum rims with stainless spokes). The bike currently has period correct tires from the 1970s, but I have a new set that is included with the bike, if your intention is to ride it regularly or at speed. The rims were cleaned and polished along with the brake drum on the rear and the disc on the front. There are a few blemishes on the rims and spokes, but I don’t think it distracts from the overall quality of the bike, because originality was our foremost desire when we started the project. That’s why we retained the original Honda logos on the tank and used the very cool and hard to find emblems on the side panels. The front brake master cylinder and caliper were rebuilt and the pads were replaced with high-quality items. The brake flex hose was replaced as well. The rear swing arm bearings were inspected, cleaned and greased. The wheel bearings were replaced with new items. Aftermarket shocks were installed because they look cool (and we couldn’t resist), but we have the original chrome shocks (which are included). New foot peg, shifter and kick-starter rubbers were installed. The hand grips were replaced with vintage-style replacements. The rear fender was bobbed and a polished aluminum license plate holder was fabricated. A new drive chain was installed.
Price: Auction
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Location: Saint Petersburg, Florida, United States
