By Chris Kelland’s admission, he and his partner Elijah Reese will “build bikes for anyone that wants to throw bundles of cash at us.” But that doesn’t mean they’re not at least a little discerning. When a client asked them to turn their father’s 1974 Honda CB750 into a café racer, they said “no.”
“Cafés are uncomfortable and annoying, and everyone and his cat does that,” says Chris. “I thought, ‘Let’s build something more fun and unique.’ After all, who builds flat track CB750s? No one… that’s who.”
Chris, a British ex-pat, and Elijah, a Texas native, run Limey Bikes in Austin. They specialize in the maintenance, restoration, and customization of older Japanese and British bikes—and yes, they occasionally build café racers, too.
“CB750s were never really used for café racers, as they were too heavy and slow compared to the two-stroke screamers of the day,” explains Chris. “So we thought this was a better option. A Honda CB750 flat tracker—but light and not slow.”
The CB750 had been in the client’s family since new, but it was showing its age—so a full tear down and rebuild was on the cards. Chris and Elijah brought the motor back to life with an 836 cc big bore kit, a “new-ish” crank, and a milled head. They also cleaned up the intake and exhausts, and upgraded the valves with Kibblewhite parts and CNC-cut seats.
Limey Bikes then rebuilt the clutch with an EBC kit, and fitted a row of Keihin CR29 carbs with K&N filters. The sleek four-into-one stainless steel exhaust system comes from Delkevic in the UK. The wiring harness was greatly simplified, and the bike now sports a Dyna ignition and a Shorai Lithium battery.
Moving to the chassis, Chris and Elijah swapped the swingarm out for one from Carpy’s Café Racers (ironically), fitted with bronze bushings. A fresh set of piggyback shocks prop up the rear. The CB750 rolls on 19” Sun rims, laced with stainless steel spokes from Buchanans, and wrapped in Shinko flat track tires.
The steering stem was refreshed with tapered roller bearings, and the top triple clamp was swapped for a new CNC-machined item, devoid of any speedo or ignition brackets. Oversized bar risers grip ProTaper handlebars, fitted with Renthal grips, a reproduction Yamaha brake master cylinder attached to a stainless steel hose, and pared-down switchgear. The ignition now sits on the left side of the bike.
For the bodywork, Limey Bikes ordered a full set of fiberglass parts from Airtech Streamlining’s extensive catalog. The kit included a fuel tank, tail unit, and an oil tank with an integrated inner rear fender. (Airtech modeled the kit after the legendary Honda RS750 flat track racer.)
The duo trimmed the Honda’s subframe to accommodate the new rear section, then modified the oil tank and fender to get it sitting perfectly. “It does not fit,” adds Chris, “despite their fervent assertion that they’ve made the same kit for several decades.” A handmade seat and stainless steel oil lines complete the setup.
This Honda CB750 flat tracker wears minimal accoutrements. A small headlight is embedded in an enduro-style number board, with a taillight and license plate bracket tucked under the tail. Flat track-style fork protectors do duty up front too.
Then there’s the livery—an inspired cocktail of blue, black, white, and gold, with OEM-style Honda branding. Most of the hard parts have been redone in black, while the engine wears contrasting raw and black finishes.
Are Chris and Elijah glad that they managed to change their client’s mind? Heck yes.
“This is hands-down the lightest, best-balanced CB750 I’ve ever thrown a leg over,” says Elijah. “With approximately double the original power-to-weight ratio, it’s a blast. I weigh over 300 lbs, and it still feels like it wants to float the front wheel with me on it.”
“This has to be our favorite CB build ever,” Chris adds. “It’s everything you could want from a street bike that also happens to be 50 years old. Honestly—if we could have kept it, we would have!”
Limey Bikes | Images by Dalton Campbell
