As anyone who builds things for a living will tell you, the customer is not always right. Many builders prefer to get carte blanche with a bike, and some demand it as a condition of hire.
But not Billy Kuyken of Rogue Motorcycles in Western Australia. Because he’s got one of those rare clients with good taste and an eye for what works: the new owner of this very crisp Honda CB750 cafe racer.
Rogue’s client is called Josh, and when he needed someone to tackle his CB, the choice was a no-brainer. Rogue had finished another custom bike for him just months before, and knocked it out the park.
So Billy was soon picking up a rolling chassis and a selection of pre-ordered components.
“Josh called up, and before I knew it, I was down his way to pick up this CB750,” Billy explains. “Josh had already accumulated some of the parts he wanted fitted—but there was still a fair amount of work to be done.”
“The CB750 is a very ‘classic’ bike to modify, and they come in all sorts of styles. This one’s fairly naked and stripped back.” (It’s certainly more low-key than the wild custom Thruxton Billy built for the artist Handbrake.)
Josh was quite particular from the get-go, with a clear creative direction in mind. So Billy could dive right in without having to bounce designs around first. The job started with a rear frame edit, and then the whole frame, engine, carbs and tank all went off for a fresh coat of black.
Josh went for the high end on his parts selection, starting with a smattering of Motogadget bits. The CB750 is now rewired around an m.Unit digital control unit, and also features a keyless ignition, speedo, bar-end turn signals and mirrors from the German brand.
Josh also put in an order with Cognito Moto in the US. They make some CB-specific bits, and sent over a new pair of spoked wheels in gold—F19, R18—and a set of triple clamps.
They’re specifically made to match up with the upside-down forks from a Suzuki GSX-R. So Billy’s installed those up front, with a set of Öhlins shocks doing duty out back.
The rear wheel’s designed to take a disc brake rather than the OEM drum, and is now sporting a Ducati/Brembo setup. Other Cognito parts include the oil tank and the rear-set brackets—which carry a set of Tarozzi controls.
Up top, Billy’s friend Doug machined a recess into the top triple, to flush-mount the speedo. There’s an off-the-shelf LED headlight out front, mounted on modified aftermarket brackets to get it as close to the bike as possible. The cockpit’s finished off with clip-ons and upgraded levers.
Other touches include a shortened front fender (again with custom brackets), and a modified chain guard.
With a well-sorted chassis, it made sense to fit practical rubber. So this CB’s rolling on a set of Avon Roadriders. The air filters are adorned with Rogue Motorcycle logos, the exhaust headers have been ceramic coated, and the stainless steel muffler is from Lossa Engineering.
The seat was custom-made to Rogue’s specifications—complete with a perforated upper section—by Lorenzo Poli of Poli Motor Trimming.
Billy had the idea to integrate a small tail light into the back of the seat; coupled with a discreet plate mount that includes the rear turn signals, it makes for a very tidy tail section.
The black paint is understated and classy, and the subtle hints of gold are extremely well judged. Even the fork lowers have been coated black—a hardly noticeable tweak that actually makes a world of difference.
The result is equal parts minimal and muscular—and ample proof that sometimes, the customer might just be right.
Rogue Motorcycles | Instagram | Images by RIDEJOURNAL | Instagram
