The swing arm was taken out and rebuilt using NOS parts, and although the brass bushings are great, you can’t go wrong building a swing arm back to original spec.
This ensured that a wandering rear wheel wouldn’t be a problem for this racer. To lower it closer to the ground, the bike also received a fork drop of 1.5 inches.
As they moved along, the team realized the stock tank had seen better days. “I wanted to bring it more in line with the race look, so I decided on a Benelli Mojave replica race tank”, says Anthony.
Old school Honda badges adorn each side of the tank, making the build a nod to the original with a little extra flair.
Andrew made sure his metal work was nice and clean before sending it off for paint and bodywork by Daniel Kelley. The same treatment was given to the full fairing, purchased from Glass From the Past in Oregon City.
Custom decals were created by Jerry Spears of Ashland, Oregon—giving the fairing a unique look that stands out.
The seat pan was custom made by Little Horse, and wanting to follow the lines of the traditional hump, was sent off to Ginger McCabe at New Church Moto for the full treatment, getting covered in a gorgeous brown leather.
Feeling that something was missing, Anthony decided on a custom seat cowl to overlay the seat. This required a professional’s touch, and luckily his good friend Miguel Padilla was willing to drink a few brews and knock it out in record time.
The rear hoop has a slight up kick that enhances the look of speed. From here, they finished things off with a bullet style taillight implemented slightly under the frame.
With such detailed work going into the rear end, the front is kept just as clean and simple. There’s a custom-machined top triple tree housed directly above the tank within the cockpit of the fairing, giving the bike a smooth look. The start button and turn signals are small to the point of being invisible.
The new levers and classic grips give all the functionality you need, while a single speedometer instrument and small headlight shines the way.
The forks were rebuilt with progressive springs and the lowers were put through the painstaking polish and shine routine, done by Chedda at Little Horse.
Further traditional but admirable qualities in the design process are evident in the foot pegs, utilizing Tarozzi rearsets.
The original wheels have stayed, but with the rims and hubs refreshed and finished in black powder coat. A little urban touch is added with the fitment of Coker rubber.
“I wanted a tire that wouldn’t be too racy, but at the same time not too square. ‘Why not Avons?’ I can hear a lot of readers say, but I figured I might as well spice it up a little,” Anthony told us.
With the exception of the rearsets and the speedometer, Enginethusiast’s racer could have been built entirely with parts available in the ’70s. Yet it still draws on a wealth of knowledge and the influence of decades of custom builds, to create a neo-classic that will truly stand the test of time.
It’s simple and understated in a world where far too many can be tempted by the parts and crazy colors that are at their disposal.
“We have always set out to build bikes we want to ride”, says Andrew.
When I asked if there would be more builds coming from Enginethusiast and Little Horse Cycles, Anthony smiled and said “#StayEnthused”. That’s right, #26 is coming soon.
Enginethusiast | Facebook | Instagram | Little Horse Cycles | With thanks to Tank Moto magazine
