Modified Honda CB650 Shows What Can Be Done With Just Over $1,000 and Tons of Creativity

That’s impressive enough all on its own, becoming even more so when you consider the sorry state this 1980 CB650 was initially in. It got picked up in exchange for 300 bones by one Bob Ranew, who runs Redeemed Cycles over in Garner, North Carolina. Although he is a full-time creative director, Bob’s evenings are largely dedicated to his beloved side gig – motorcycle customization.

Redeemed was established back in 2012, with the founder’s ambition spurred on by a project he’d previously commissioned to Classified Moto. As a matter of fact, he was Classified’s very first paying customer, and it inspired him to kick off a bike-modding venture of his own. Employing the design know-how he’d acquired throughout his professional career, Sir Ranew made quite a splash on the scene in the years that followed.

He deliberately sought a challenge for the build we’ll be looking at today, which is why the classic Honda was modified on such a small budget. Bob aimed to give it a new chance at life while spending as little as possible, and he needed to get pretty creative in order to make everything work out. We’d say the guy knocked it out of the park in the end, proving that you don’t need heaps of cash to build a juicy one-off.

With the CB650 on his workbench and fully dismantled, a fuel tank conversion was deemed mandatory. Not only did the donor’s original module look unkept and neglected on the outside, but it was also filled with nasty sludge due to improper storage. On the bright side, there was a readily available replacement lying around the shop, originating from a CB750 and purchased off eBay a few months prior.

Being a great cosmetic fit for the smaller CB, it was stripped of its paint, given a handsome brushed alloy finish, and wrapped in a protective layer of clear powder coating. The new tank already worked wonders in changing the motorcycle’s appearance, yet Bob Ranew was just getting warmed up. As the next port of call, his attention turned to the CB650’s front and rear suspension.

The standard forks got swapped with the shorter alternatives of a different, 1981-model CB750, which were bought on Craigslist for a mere ten bucks. As they’d been rotting away in the previous owner’s backyard, a comprehensive rebuild had to be carried out prior to installation. The forks were also lowered by an inch (25 mm) in the process, so as to get the creature’s stance just right at twelve o’clock.

Out back, suspension-related affairs are handled by a longer pair of repurposed shocks, whose upper ends attach to a revised subframe. Bob had the CB650’s rear framework shortened, looped, and ultimately fitted with an LED lighting strip to act as the taillight. Atop the modded subframe tubing, you’ll spot a custom saddle upholstered in orange leather – the only bit of color on this otherwise monochromatic machine.

Cost-cutting measures had to be implemented to avoid blowing the budget on the seat, so Bob ordered some scrap leather from the web and used it for the upholstery. The stock side covers are still present lower down, but they now feature circular mesh-covered cut-outs and a muted color scheme to match the fuel tank. In addition, there are vinyl stickers depicting Redeemed Cycles’ logo.

This scrambled CB rolls on the factory Comstar hoops, both of which were sand-blasted and wrapped in dual-purpose 705 rubber from Shinko. Even though the front fender looks like a bespoke part at first glance, it is actually a heavily trimmed version of the OEM item that came with the bike. Up in the cockpit, things are a lot neater than they once were.

We see smaller aftermarket gauges instead of the clunky stock units, fronting a Renthal handlebar equipped with fresh grips, the standard controls, and a single rear-view mirror on the left. Interestingly enough, the powertrain hardware remained unchanged right down to the intake and exhaust, only getting refurbished where it was absolutely necessary.

The original exhaust pipework turned out to be a great fit for the CB650’s new aesthetic, so it made perfect sense to keep it along with the stock carbs. Once the build was completed, Bob Ranew of Redeemed Cycles summed up the total expenses at around $1,250 with the donor bike included. He really took the less-is-more philosophy to the extreme here, and the outcome is genuinely striking to say the least.