The Honda CB750’s legacy isn’t just in its spec sheet, but in its staying power as a versatile custom motorcycle canvas. Here are seven of the best.
Few motorcycles carry the same weight as the Honda CB750. When it landed in 1969, its inline-four SOHC engine, electric start, and front disc brake didn’t just move the goalposts—it created a whole new stadium. The world’s first superbike was born, and the motorcycle landscape was changed forever.
Decades later, the CB750’s legacy isn’t just in its spec sheet, but in its staying power as a versatile custom motorcycle canvas. Its simple, robust architecture and classic lines make it a perfect starting point for almost any genre.
Want a stripped-down cafe racer? A gritty flat tracker? A long-and-low chopper? The CB750 has been all of them, and more.
Over the years, we’ve seen countless CB750s; here’s a look back at seven of our absolute favorites. After that, if you’re feeling inspired to start your own legacy, head over to Bike EXIF Auctions, where we have freshly launched CB750 items begging for attention.
The Flat Tracker: Limey Bikes
When a client asked Chris Kelland and Elijah Reese of Limey Bikes to turn his father’s 1974 Honda CB750 into a cafe racer, they politely declined. “Cafés are uncomfortable and annoying,” says Chris, arguing for something more fun and unique. Their counter-proposal? A lithe and potent street tracker, inspired by the legendary Honda RS750.
The build began with a comprehensive motor overhaul, increasing the displacement to 836 cc and featuring a row of Keihin CR29 carbs. To get the stance right, the Austin-based duo fitted a full set of fiberglass bodywork from Airtech Streamlining, including the tank, tail, and an integrated oil tank. The chassis was updated with a Carpy’s Café Racers swingarm, 19″ Sun rims, and ProTaper bars.
The result is a bike that perfectly captures the tracker aesthetic while being a serious performer. “This is hands-down the lightest, best-balanced CB750 I’ve ever thrown a leg over,” says Elijah. It’s a prime example of looking past the obvious trends to create something truly special. [MORE]
The Hot Rod: Rusty Wrench Motorcycles
There’s something in the water in Portugal, because the crew at Rusty Wrench Motorcycles keeps turning out impossibly cool, long-and-low machines. This 1979 CB750 hardtail is a masterclass in drag-style aesthetics, inspired by the builder’s son, Rafael, and his love for Sonic the Hedgehog.
Starting with a ratty barn find, Vera and Francisco Correia rebuilt the engine with high-compression pistons and a Dyna 2000 ignition. They then went to town on the details, sprinkling the bike with copper and bronze accents, from the turned exhaust cap to the perforated sprocket cover. The slammed stance comes from modified forks and a rigid rear end, with a slick Racemaster tire out back, hammering the drag bike look home.
The handmade tank and tail unit are finished in a gorgeous dark green livery with retro stripes and a ‘SpeedRaf’ logo. It’s an impractical, unapologetic hot rod for the street, and we absolutely love it for that. [MORE]
The Misfit: Mike LaFountain
What happens when a world-class builder known for his nut-and-bolt perfectionism decides to build a bike “just for fun” using leftover parts? You get ‘The Misfit’—a Honda CB750 born from the scraps of a build for the actor Ryan Reynolds. Mike LaFountain had so many R&D parts from that project that he realized he had enough to build a second motorcycle.
This 1974 CB750 is the bike the Reynolds machine could have been. It features a stunning a rare ARD magneto, a Suzuki GT750 four-leading-shoe front drum brake, and a set of high-shouldered Excel rims. The bodywork is Mike’s handiwork. A sleek aluminum fairing, oil tank, and tail unit flow beautifully into a modified Suzuki GS400S tank.
Though Mike admits there are “a few small angles and lines that I disagree with,” The Misfit is a testament to his incredible talent. It served as therapy for his OCD and resulted in one of the most elegant CB750s we’ve ever featured. [MORE]
The Galaxy: Kiyo’s Garage
Land speed racing inspires madness, and there is no finer example than ‘The Galaxy.’ Built by the mad genius Mitsuhiro “Kiyo” Kiyonaga. This machine is the culmination of a wild obsession: shoving three bored-out Honda CB750 motors into a single, elegant chassis. It’s a 12-cylinder, 2,508 cc land speed racer that doubles as a rolling work of art.
Commissioned by the Haas Moto Museum, The Galaxy follows two of Kiyo’s previous creations, a single-engine turbo bike and a twin-engine machine. The engineering challenge was immense, requiring Kiyo to link three 836 cc power plants, create a custom oil circulation system, and synchronize a bank of twelve Keihin FCR carbs.
The chassis and bodywork were all handmade by Kiyo, reflecting his philosophy of ‘Kacho Fugetsu’—the traditional beauty of nature. The result is a machine that is as beautiful as it is insane, a true monument to horsepower and imagination. [MORE]
The Super Sport: Campos Racing
When a top-tier auto racing team builds a motorcycle, you know the component list is going to be impressive. This 1984 CB750F comes from Bolt Motor Co., the custom workshop of the Spanish Campos Racing team. It was built to celebrate driver Leonardo Pulcini’s championship-winning seasons, and it’s dripping with top-shelf parts.
The build started with an immaculate, 400-mile DOHC CB750F. The team then utilized the entire front end from a Ducati 1098, including the 43mm Showa forks, Brembo brakes, and 17″ wheel. Out back, the 1098 also donated its aluminum single-sided swingarm in a stunning feat of fabrication.
The aggressive bodywork consists of a modified Laverda Mirage tank and a 3D-printed tail unit, designed in-house. It’s a perfect blend of cafe racer style and modern racing technology, creating a CB750 that would be right at home in a Grand Prix paddock. [MORE]
The Nighthawk: Colin Darling
The 1970s SOHC CB750 gets all the glory, but the later DOHC models from the 90s are diamonds in the rough. Colin Darling, a mechanical engineer from Oregon, saw the potential in a 1993 CB750 Nighthawk—a bike he describes as a “bitchin’ engine wrapped in tame geometry and mushy, uninspiring components.”
Colin’s goal was to give the Nighthawk the handling of a modern sportbike. He started by swapping in the complete front end from a Triumph Daytona 675. The real magic happened at the rear, where he engineered a full monoshock conversion, mating a Daytona swingarm and a Suzuki GSX-R750 shock to the Honda frame with custom-machined mounts.
Wrapped in minimalist black bodywork with a custom subframe and seat, this Nighthawk is a sleeper. It retains the simplicity of the reliable Honda engine but now has the chassis to back it up, transforming it from a tame commuter into a sharp-edged canyon carver. [MORE]
The Last One: Origin8or
Rob Chappell of Origin8or felt the old formula for building a Honda CB750 cafe racer was tired. So he decided to blow it up with his last CB750 build. This 1974 machine eschews clichés in favor of ’80s and ’90s muscle bike style, backed by modern performance upgrades.
The bike is a masterclass in chassis modification, featuring the front end of a Suzuki GSX-R1000 and the shortened swingarm from a Kawasaki Ninja 650, controlled by a Ducati 821 monoshock. The bodywork is handmade aluminum, and a stunning tank and oil reservoir lead into a Kawasaki KZ-inspired tail section.
The finishing touch is the breathtaking House of Kolors ‘pagan gold’ paint job. Rob built this bike with complete creative freedom, and the result is one of the freshest takes on the CB750 we’ve seen. It’s a shame it was his last, because he was really onto something here. [MORE]
Every time a custom builder fires up their grinder, the Honda CB750’s story continues to be written. Its versatility is unmatched—and, as these seven bikes prove, the only limit is your imagination.
