it roCkS! CB750 Gravedigger

Osvaldo Coutinho and Alexandre Santos are the guys behind it roCkS!bikes, based in Oporto in Portugal. They are both engineers and self-confessed motorcycle addicts.

This CB750 is a little different from the usual CeeBee customs out there as it’s based on a 1992 bike, rather than the usual 1970s donors that feature on most of our pages. Although more modern machines have more power, better chassis parts and are likely to be more reliable, they have a lot more ugliness to hide and take a lot more work to turn into something desirable, and something that captures the spirit of the seventies that most of us aspire to.

This bike was built as a showcase for it roCkS! – made to sell – but for now the guys want to get a chance to ride it themselves – which is pretty understandable. We’ll post up on our Facebook pages when she’s available to own.

The donor for “Gravedigger” was a lucky find, sitting in a local dealer in excellent condition. Osvaldo & Alexandre’s goal was to try an elevate the cafe racer scene to the next level with a modern machine; something provocative and without any previous influences.

The bike was completely disassembled and everything heavy was dumped or replaced to minimise weight. The rear end section of the frame was cut and shortened. The rear shocks and forks were lowered and stiffened for better handling.

The engine was in very good shape, but it was rebuilt anyway, and painted in matte black. Air intakes and filters were custom CNC’d especially for this project. The short, neat exhaust is hand made and wrapped… and is loud.

The tank, seat and rear section of the bike are one single metal piece that can be lifted for access to the gel battery, fuse box and other electricals. On the side of the tank, there are twin air intakes providing fresh air to the carburetors. The original airbox was removed and the carbs were re-jetted.

The digital dashboard is a Motogadget Motoscop Pro, which features all kinds of switable information like rev counter, gear, 0-100km/h acceleration, g-meter, etc. The clip-on handle bars, brake fluid reservoir and adjustable levers were are all high quality items from custom favourites LSL, while braided hoses and oil lines are Goodridge.

The tyres are Heidenau K73 wets, chosen for a combination of handling and looks. The seat is an exclusive handmade leather piece. The final touch is the engine side covers, which were replaced with CNC machined items bearing the Gravedigger logo.

The guys are already working on a Yamaha XJR 1200 which will be for sale when she’s finished, but they are also very happy to take commissions, so if you like hat you see, you know what to do.

Overall Osvaldo & Alexandre are really pleased with how the bike has turned out, but most importantly, how she rides and handles. We think she’s a stunner.

The guys want to thank Monstter’s Vitamina, Pedro Alves and Daniel Santos for the metal work, assembly and electrics, Tzi Design’s Tó Zé  for the paint, Headsmotorsport’s Ricardo Monteiro & Rui Monteiro for the parts and accessories and Imagem Marca’s Rui Bandeira  for the photos.

from thebikeshed