One of the things I love most about the new wave custom scene is the healthy mix of professional and garage builders. While some use their craft to put food on the table, others hold down day jobs—slogging away at projects in their spare time.
Holger Breuer is one such builder. Since 2009, he’s been creating beautiful customs after-hours under the ‘HB Custom‘ moniker, while earning a living as an electrician in a dairy. This 1983-model Kawasaki Z 750 B is the eighth build to roll out of his garage in Husum, Germany, and it exhibits a level of craftsmanship that you’d expect from a full-time outfit.
Holger was initially building bikes for himself and friends, but in 2012 a Z 750 that he customised won first place in a competition run by Kawasaki Germany. The competition celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Z-series and the bike was displayed at INTERMOT, thrusting Holger into the spotlight. Since then he’s begun taking on commissioned work—such as this ‘Z.’
It was sent to us by Fred Siemer, a motorcycle journalist who befriended Holger while writing an article on him for the German magazine Motorrad Classic. According to Fred, the Z 750 wasn’t very popular in Germany, making it hard to find a good condition donor. This particular one hadn’t run in ten years when Holger got his hands on it, so an engine overhaul was in order, which included new clutch linings, pistons and an electronic ignition.
Holger also installed Mikuni TM34 carbs, fabricated new exhaust headers and fitted mufflers from Classicbike Raisch, which were originally designed for Triumph’s modern twins. He then shortened the subframe to house a hand-crafted alloy tail unit.
Suspension upgrades include Wilbers springs in the stock front forks and Ikon shocks at the rear. The front brake is from a Kawasaki Z 650, with a Honda CBR600RR master cylinder. Holger’s opted for a sporty riding position—with Tarozzi rear sets and Tomaselli clip-ons.
Since Holger’s an experienced electrician, the wiring has been neatened up significantly and a new Lithium-ion battery hidden inside the tail. The cockpit has also been cleaned up, with Motogadget‘s Motorscope Tiny speedo and m-Switch controls replacing the clunky stock units. The final finish is classic and elegant—gloss black with white striping and brown accents.
“In the beginning, Holger said he was influenced by Wrenchmonkees,” says Fred. “In my opinion, you can still see it a little—but with this noble and even cool bike and its high end finish, he’s defined his very own style.”
Visit Holger’s website at www.hb-custom.de to see more of his work. Photos by Timo Meinking.
