Panning for gold on auction sites and Craig’s ugly list is probably the single largest drain on the workday, after Facebook of course. How many emails are sent daily with the subject line; “Owww look what I day-dreamt about, have no realistic chance of buying, but am sharing anyway”? Unfortunately this gives sellers false hope through an artificially inflated level of interest, and the sale price often ends up higher than it perhaps should be. The real goldmines are those barns bursting with dusty classics or fields littered with oxidising treasure.
But these are often owned by grizzly old hoarders with gnarly dogs and a dislike for trendy dudes wanting a deal on some sick old ride. Luckily Mikael of Made Men Bikes has befriended a local Danish farmer with such a stash and occasionally relieves him of the odd donor bike. In this case, a very decent, and running, 1977 CB750 Super Sport.
Once the guys had stripped the bike to its component parts the real fun could begin. Being fans of slammed drag-style racers meant that more than a standard cut ‘n’ loop would be called for. The swingarm has been stretched four inches and the shocks replaced with Pingel drag struts, ensuring power laid down would be confirmed by thick black rubber lines. These struts are bolted items so can be easily switched to traditional shocks, should a more compliant ride be required. I’m sure there’ll be social media junkies all too ready to point out the spine shattering set-up but Mikael & Kris wanted the low and lean to suggest power and speed, rather than a token gesture drop in ride height.
The front end didn’t escape the chopping block either, another four inch slam with upgraded fork internals held by billet triple trees imported form the U.S.A. avoids the chopper look. Freshly overhauled brakes for and aft were an obvious necessity.
Yup, those of you who recognised the fairing, it is of course BMW R90S, modified to fit. Hunkered down under the bubble, gripping the in-house made clipons and it could be the mid-seventies at Santa Pod.
The original fuel tank was going to be far to capacious so bracketry was fashioned to accept one from a Yamaha XS360, thinner and more streamlined. To maintain proportions all the way to the rear a tyre hugging cowl was rolled out of sheet steel.
With all the chassis work going on there was time to give the motor a good overhaul, replacing internals where necessary. Refurbed carbs suck through foam filters and a Cyclex exhaust deals with the burnt stuff. A fresh wiring loom reduces chance of losses and ensures optimum reliability, all powered by an 8 cell Ballistic Li-Po battery which is housed in a leather pouch under the seat, leaving just enough room for the K1 oil tank. A hip flask on the left side collects any drips of oil blown out when things get hot and frothy. Machined covers on both the clutch and stator covers show another dimension to they guys’ workshop capabilities.
The seat pan and leather upholstery are also Mikael & Kris’ handiwork, with just enough of a hump at the rear to stop the rider sliding back once the Christmas tree goes green. Once the clutch has been dumped, Shinko E270s take over to lay the power down. A 16″ Harley rim out back and 19″ up front, both on fresh stainless spoked and powder coated rebuilt wheels.
As dashboards go, this one ticks the simple box. From here it looks to be just a choke knob and shift light. Proper.
On the left is the even dragger XVS650 Dragstar, complete with Goodyear Eagle race tyre. I’m getting flashbacks of ringing ears and nitro stinging my eyes. Thanks guys.
With the glut of bratted CB’s out there at the moment it’s refreshing to see a bunch of guys building what they like, and doing it well. Check out their website for more examples of their work and follow Facebook to see what’s on the block next.
via The Bike Shed
