Photo: Adam Ewing
It’s a perfectly balanced mixture of elegance, ruggedness, and considerable performance enhancements.
In a world where most craftsmen aim to make their custom bikes as pristine as possible, it’s nice to see some diversity from time to time. That’s why we dig the work of John Ryland’s Classified Moto (CM), a shop whose rugged builds would look right at home in the Mad Max universe.
Pictured above is a specimen commissioned in 2015 by Bob Ranew, one of CM’s returning customers and a big fan of their post-apocalyptic styling approach. In fact, this mean machine (aka CB836-CM) draws inspiration from vintage spacecraft, according to its creators, but that doesn’t become apparent until you look up close. As for the project’s donor, John and his client eventually settled on a Honda CB750 from 1976.
The Richmond-based garage kicked off the transformation with a customary teardown, removing the motorcycle’s stock bodywork and running gear in the process. At the front end, you will now find the inverted forks, twin disc brakes, and five-spoke hoop of a 2009 Yamaha YZF-R6. The forks are held in place via new triple clamps, while Metzeler’s ME880 rubber hugs the front wheel.
Classified Moto’s custom wizardry is equally impressive out back, where they fitted a 2006 Triumph Sprint ST’s rear wheel and single-sided swingarm. The 17-inch rim wears a Shinko 009 Raven tire, and there’s an aftermarket taillight mounted low down on the swingarm.
Rear-end suspension duties are taken good care of by a premium 465 Series monoshock with remote preload adjustability, courtesy of Progressive Suspension. Up top, this module connects to a bespoke, loop-style subframe that’s been built in-house, with perforated side panels flanking it on each side.
Moreover, the brown leather seat placed above all this equipment was upholstered by Roy Baird, one of CM’s go-to leather experts. A little further ahead, the guys installed a Honda CB500’s fuel tank, which had previously been modified and outfitted with the repurposed filler cap of a Cessna aircraft.
The creature’s cockpit is home to a single Acewell dial and clip-on handlebars, sporting Oury grips, adjustable control levers, and a round rear-view mirror on the left. Then there’s that menacing dual-headlight assembly, a defining feature you’ll see on numerous Classified Moto projects. One of the headlamps comes with a yellow-tinted lens, further enhancing the CB836-CM's industrial aesthetic.
Oh, and if you’re wondering how that sobriquet came about, the answer lies on the list of powertrain mods. Namely, we’re referring to a Wiseco big bore kit that enlarges the inline-four's displacement to 836cc, but one may also find a reworked Vance & Hines exhaust and a tailor-made air intake setup.
Power gets sent to the rear wheel through a D.I.D X-ring drive chain, while a lithium-ion battery from Shorai supplies the electrical juice. Although it’s unclear how much Bob ended up paying for this build, CM will charge upwards of $34k for something similar, according to their website.
Pictured above is a specimen commissioned in 2015 by Bob Ranew, one of CM’s returning customers and a big fan of their post-apocalyptic styling approach. In fact, this mean machine (aka CB836-CM) draws inspiration from vintage spacecraft, according to its creators, but that doesn’t become apparent until you look up close. As for the project’s donor, John and his client eventually settled on a Honda CB750 from 1976.
The Richmond-based garage kicked off the transformation with a customary teardown, removing the motorcycle’s stock bodywork and running gear in the process. At the front end, you will now find the inverted forks, twin disc brakes, and five-spoke hoop of a 2009 Yamaha YZF-R6. The forks are held in place via new triple clamps, while Metzeler’s ME880 rubber hugs the front wheel.
Classified Moto’s custom wizardry is equally impressive out back, where they fitted a 2006 Triumph Sprint ST’s rear wheel and single-sided swingarm. The 17-inch rim wears a Shinko 009 Raven tire, and there’s an aftermarket taillight mounted low down on the swingarm.
Rear-end suspension duties are taken good care of by a premium 465 Series monoshock with remote preload adjustability, courtesy of Progressive Suspension. Up top, this module connects to a bespoke, loop-style subframe that’s been built in-house, with perforated side panels flanking it on each side.
Moreover, the brown leather seat placed above all this equipment was upholstered by Roy Baird, one of CM’s go-to leather experts. A little further ahead, the guys installed a Honda CB500’s fuel tank, which had previously been modified and outfitted with the repurposed filler cap of a Cessna aircraft.
The creature’s cockpit is home to a single Acewell dial and clip-on handlebars, sporting Oury grips, adjustable control levers, and a round rear-view mirror on the left. Then there’s that menacing dual-headlight assembly, a defining feature you’ll see on numerous Classified Moto projects. One of the headlamps comes with a yellow-tinted lens, further enhancing the CB836-CM's industrial aesthetic.
Oh, and if you’re wondering how that sobriquet came about, the answer lies on the list of powertrain mods. Namely, we’re referring to a Wiseco big bore kit that enlarges the inline-four's displacement to 836cc, but one may also find a reworked Vance & Hines exhaust and a tailor-made air intake setup.
Power gets sent to the rear wheel through a D.I.D X-ring drive chain, while a lithium-ion battery from Shorai supplies the electrical juice. Although it’s unclear how much Bob ended up paying for this build, CM will charge upwards of $34k for something similar, according to their website.
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