Bike giveaways are nothing new, but we haven’t seen one quite like this before. This terrific Honda CB750 comes from Ironwood in The Netherlands, and if you hire it for a day, you’re in with a chance to win it.
The people behind this unusual competition are Motoshare, a local bike rental company (think AirBNB for motorcycles) and the huge European parts supplier CMS, who mostly specialize in components for Japanese machines.
Tickets to ride (and win) cost 99 EUR, which is about US$115. And if you live outside the Netherlands, you can also just buy the ticket for a chance to win. A maximum of 120 tickets will be sold.
We suspect this Honda is going to have a busy life, but it’s no rent-a-dent: Ironwood main man Arjan van den Boom has built it to the same high standards as the BMWs he’s best known for—although it’s a little easier to ride than the infamous Mutant BMW R80.
The base bike is a 1981 CB750F, meaning it’s the later DOHC version with four valves per cylinder and extra frame and swingarm bracing over the previous model year, for even sharper handling (at the slight expense of weight).
“It was in pretty good condition,” Arjan tells us. “The engine had already been opened and worked on. And due to the budget and short lead-time, we wanted a bike that had less work required on the engine.” But just to be on the safe side, Ironwood replaced all the seals and gaskets.
They also upgraded the Keihin carbs to CR spec, and topped them with DNA pod filters. There’s a free-flowing new exhaust system too, terminated with Spark mufflers.
The engine has been overhauled and fitted with new gaskets, and the covers powdercoated for that factory-fresh look. The Comstar wheels have been powdercoated too, and suit the 80s vibe of the build perfectly.
They’re shod with Shinko’s highly-rated 270 Super Classic tires, protected by small fenders front and rear. (Fenders on a custom? Yes, but they are still vestigal.)
The fork tubes have been powdered as well, lowered a little, and upgraded with Hyperpo progressive springs and new seals. A CNC-machined new top clamp keeps steering flex to a minimum, and there’s an LED headlight that throws out considerably more lumens than the stock 7” bucket.
The cockpit has been completely stripped and rebuilt, with new clip-ons, new controls, and a speedo, RFID ignition system and bar-end indicators from Motogadget.
There’s also a low-mounted auxiliary headlamp on the left side, a signature motif carried over from some of Ironwood’s BMW builds.
The later DOHC CB750s lack the soft, classic style of the early SOHC models, and most builders struggle to make the lines work.
But Arjan has embraced the lines of the stock tank, modifying the indents a little and then marrying it to a new subframe. A simple aluminum seat/tail unit, built by Marcel van der Stelt from The Custom Factory, sports an upkick that echoes the base line of the tank. It’s finished off with a pair of Highsider lights.
On top of the tank is a Monza-style filler cap, originally designed for the R-series BMWs that Arjan is so familiar with. And underneath is a concealed lithium ion battery.
The paint, beautifully shot by Mark van Wijk, is a slightly remixed version of an early Porsche Olive color, found on 911s from the 70s.
There are auto exotica details elsewhere, too: the stitching on the custom seat (by The Leather Factory) is based on a style found in the new Lamborghini Urus.
It’s a bit different to the usual BMW GS rental bikes that are popular in Europe. And a lot more Instagrammable. If you’re lucky enough to live in the Netherlands, here’s your chance to try out an Ironwood bike.
Ironwood Custom Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Photos by Paul van ML
