Tom Crane's Cafe 750

Custom DOHC CB750 from across the pond

Taurus CB750 by Shank ShedShank Shed

When it comes to building a cafe racer, the CB750 is almost as obvious a choice as a Triumph Bonneville. The lines naturally lend themselves to that cafe style, and the inline-four puts out incredible, smooth power. Also starting in the UK, the birthplace of cafe racer style, it seemed an appropriate direction for the build. But this wasn't to be an ordinary cafe racer, Tom set out to make a bike with more of a true race-driven style and feel. Removing many of the things that make the bike street legal, like a headlight, blinkers and turn signals. The bike was built to take on all manner of roads at all levels of speed, but let's be real, this is no long-distance cruiser.

Tom Crane's 1979 Honda CB750KZShank Shed

"To be honest this build came from years of dribbling over photos of both classic and modern café racers, brat style bikes, trackers and scramblers made by different builders from all over the world. I couldn’t pin point a direct influence! I just see things I like and store them in my biking brain bank to pull on when needed." Tom says. Going with the 1979, the first year of Honda's switch to double overhead cam design, and what many consider one of the first superbikes: the Honda CB750KZ.

Extreme rear sets on the Taurus CB750Tom Crane

The tail section for the bike is a handmade and one-off piece built to house the seat and mate smoothly to the gas tank. For his first time working with fiberglass, we think he did a pretty damn fine job. The rear set linkages and bell cranks were fabricated from the original break and gear levers. The subframe of the bike was shortened and new LED lights installed in the voids left by cutting the frame. He relocated the bike's ignition, and re-wired the electrical to suit the lack of headlights, switches and the new brake lights. A front numberplate was fabricated by hand and the decals for it were designed in-house as well. A front master cylinder was borrowed off of a ZX10R and the exhaust was shortened and a new baffle was created to suit the new personality of the exhaust and create some back pressure. Handlebar switches were removed and replaced with simple micro buttons for starter and horn, while all other instrumentation and buttons were removed.

Custom seat made by Viking SeatsShank Shed

Tom is on a mission to build one of each type of bike. That's one hell of a task to accomplish, but we can't wait to see what he comes out with. For more information on the Shank Shed, his garage, check out his Facebook page HERE

Taurus CB750KZ by Tom Crane of Shank ShedTom Crane