Honda CBX750 Dark Knight Is More Stock Than Custom, But Appearances Tell Otherwise

The project we’re about to look at was pieced together back in 2018, and the donor bike came with a pretty interesting backstory. It all started with an ex-police Honda CBX750 whose previous owner was a law enforcement officer. He scored the motorcycle at a workplace auction and held on to it for many years, before eventually passing it on to his son. As it turned out, the young lad knew that a custom makeover was the way to go.

He had full confidence in the duo over at Kerkus Motorworks, so the CBX750 was handed over to them without any specific instructions on how they should proceed. This meant Azahar and his teammate were free to go about the customization process however they saw fit. Surprisingly, the guys chose to retain some of the bike’s original spirit instead of modifying it beyond recognition.

What they came up with is a murdered-out stunner with retro looks and an imposing presence, somewhat leaning toward the restomod side of things. However, the old Honda wasn’t in the best condition when first inspected by Kerkus, so it had to be made road-worthy before the real fun could begin. Luckily, the owner knew the perfect guys for the job.

Off went the CBX750 to the official police maintenance division for an all-inclusive service, then it came time for Azahar and Raveen to work their magic. As their schedule was pretty packed, they called up Izwan of DI-Motorsport to assist with various aspects of the project. With the donor on the workbench and fully dismantled, it was decided that most of its factory bodywork ought to be kept but heavily trimmed.

A fair chunk of visual mass was carved off the front fairing, while retaining its original look to a large extent. The associated mounting hardware has also been tweaked to suit the new geometry, and a tiny pair of LED turn signals were attached to the fairing on the flanks. Everything is now positioned a lot lower than stock to bring about a tough appearance.

Kerkus opted to retain the OEM headlamp, as well, while raising the fuel tank ever so slightly to get it aligned with the fairing. The side covers down on the flanks look like custom parts, but they are in fact heavily modified versions of the stock units with mesh-covered cut-outs. One may find a gorgeous saddle with room for two up top, wrapped in black Nappa leather by Has Cushion.

A bit further back, we’re greeted by a downsized CBX750 tail section complete with the standard lighting equipment at the rear. LED blinkers are fitted in close proximity to the upper shock mounts, and all this paraphernalia sits on a shortened subframe. Up in the cockpit area, the boys installed a low-profile handlebar enveloped in snazzy Biltwell grips at each end.

Fresh switches also make an appearance, along with a modern digital dash that looks infinitely better than the stock instrumentation. The police-spec CBX came with some stylish wheels featuring five pairs of twin spokes, 18 inches in diameter at the front and 16 inches at the rear. Raveen and Azahar kept these, but cloaked their rims in vintage-looking rubber fore and aft.

Items such as the brakes, forks, and rear shock absorbers are all original and thoroughly refurbished, as are the carbs, engine internals, and exhaust system. The decision to keep so much of the motorcycle’s OEM equipment was very deliberate, mind you, not the product of budget constraints or a lack of inspiration. Kerkus wanted to see how far they could push the envelope cosmetically, while keeping the bike relatively close to stock.

Finally, the paint job saw most of the creature’s hardware cloaked in a stealthy, all-black colorway, done in a mixture of gloss and matte finishes for visual depth. Silver pinstripes adorn the upper bodywork from front to back, and there are Kerkus logos on each side of the fuel tank. The livery is subdued and monochromatic, but an excellent match for this rad CBX750.

Once the customization process was complete, the project’s authors dubbed it the Dark Knight and summoned the owner to their shop to see the final result. Now, Kerkus Motorworks are perfectly capable of modifying a motorcycle to a much greater extent than what we’ve just witnessed here. The less-is-more approach is sometimes the way to go, though, and we can’t deny that it worked wonders in this instance!