As soon as we laid eyes on this Honda CB cafe racer, we knew there was more to it than meets the eye. Mods like the mono-shock rear end and sleek bodywork had us curious—but the story behind the project turned out to be equally remarkable.
The Honda belongs to Mirko Messner, who builds under the moniker MessnerMoto. Mirko lives in Belgrade, Serbia, where he holds down a nine-to-five as a mobile app developer. He only worked on the CB750 after hours, so it took him a whopping three years to complete. And it’s his first build.
Then there’s how he built it. With limited time and hardware available, Mirko admits that he outsourced CNC machining, 3D printing and fabrication work to over 20 different individuals and companies—creating a few new friendships along the way.
To get that right and still maintain total creative control, he first taught himself 3D modeling software and researched mechanical engineering principles, before meticulously designing each part.
So Mirko acted as creative director, parts designer and project manager, and put everything together as the components rolled in. But he handled the mechanical duties himself, rebuilding the 1977-spec motor and boosting it with trick internal upgrades.
Inside you’ll find forged Wiseco pistons, bringing the capacity up to 836cc. There’s also a lightened and balanced crankshaft, a lighter flywheel from an 2009 Yamaha R6, and forged connecting rods. The full list is extensive, but other highlights include ported and polished heads, upgraded valves and springs, and a race cam.
The primary and cam chains are running on fully custom-made tensioners and sliders, CNC and laser cut from PA 4.6 polyamide plastic. Mirko says the mod has eliminated unwanted noise, upped power and given him more control over timing.
There’s also a new ignition system running four preprogrammed timing curves, which the rider can select via hidden switches. Even the oil pump rotors are upgraded, custom-made units.
A set of Mikuni RS34 race carbs sucks air through a custom filter setup. And when designing the exhaust system, Mirko had wooden bucks laser cut to spec; the final headers were then hand bent from stainless steel using the bucks.
The mufflers are custom too, and the whole system hangs off hidden mounting points on the frame. All in all, Mirko reckons there’s about 90 horses at the rear wheel now.
Naturally, the CB750’s also sporting a brand new electrical system. A Motogadget m.unit 2.0 is packed into a box underneath the seat, along with two Lithium-ion batteries. There’s a Motogadget dash up top too, but more notably there’s also a full complement of sensors in play, so that data like engine temperature, and oil temperature and pressure are on hand.
The charging system’s also been upgraded to a Yamaha R6 model; the engine cover on the alternator side had to be modified for everything to fit. For lighting, Mirko installed a 45w LED headlight with integrated turn signals up front, with custom-built taillight and turn signal combos embedded in the frame tubes out back.
Mirko has thankfully upgraded the chassis to match the Honda’s newfound performance. For starters, he’s ditched the forks for a set of upside-downs from a 2007 Suzuki GSX-R 750, attached via custom triples.
Then there’s that mono-shock rear end arrangement—built around a 1981 CB900 swing arm with a custom brace. The shock itself is an Öhlins unit from a Yamaha R1, but Mirko had the spring chrome plated.
The 18” front wheel is a one-off, featuring a custom-machined aluminum hub and rim, and laced with stainless steel spokes. It’s hooked up to the GSX-R’s brake calipers and Brembo rotors.
Out back, Mirko fitted the 18” wheel and disc brake from a KTM Adventure 1290R, along with its braking system, a Brembo rotor and a custom-designed rear brake mount. Both the front and rear sprockets are—you guessed it—custom.
All the CB750’s original bodywork’s now in the bin. There are fluid new shapes from front to back, with a new headlight bucket, tank and tail. Again, all were crafted from wooden bucks, which a metal-shaper then used to hand-form new parts from aluminum.
The seat hump is actually the oil tank, and if you look closely you’ll spot matching caps for it and the gas tank. The seat pan was cast using a mold based off a 3D printed model, then covered in faux leather. Embossed in the leather is the only MessnerMoto logo throughout the entire build.
The frame was trimmed at the back to match the new seat, then repainted in a semi-gloss black. Everything was else was left with a raw brushed finish, except for the 3D printed parts—which are clear-coated to protect them from UV rays.
There are fenders at both ends, 3D printed from reinforced ABS plastic. The front fender’s brace was 3D printed too, along with the headlight mounts, but both are supported by carbon and stainless steel bits.
There are yet more custom-designed parts rounding out the Honda, including the clip-ons, controls, switches, and throttle body. The rear-set foot controls are actually from Tarozzi, but they’re mounted on bespoke brackets.
It’s clear that a staggering amount of thought, hard work and love went into this CB-based café, making it one of the best examples of the genre that we’ve come across. Here’s hoping we won’t have to wait another three years for the next MessnerMoto project.
MessnerMoto | Instagram | Images by Boris Jovanovic
