One-Off Honda CB900F Bol d’Or Has Custom Neo-Retro Charm in Spades

This isn’t the first time we've brought up his work on our website, and you might still remember our past coverage of what he refers to as the Hulk. Based on a BMW R 1250 R, the said machine left quite an impression with its aggressive looks and the sheer amount of customization that took place. Well, the mastermind at Tossa R was recently at it once again, this time using a Honda CB900F Bol d’Or as the project’s basis.

Being the successor of Honda’s revolutionary CB750, the Bol d’Or comes with heaps of classic Japanese flair and the all-important reliability you’d expect from the CB platform. Its 901cc inline-four powerplant is good for up to 95 ponies at 9,000 rpm and 57 pound-feet (77 Nm) of torque lower down the rev range. These performance figures are quite alluring even by today’s standards, but the CB900F could use a breath of fresh air in the chassis department.

With that in mind, Asen took the whole thing apart and proceeded to delete the factory suspension items on both ends. The heavy lifting took place at the back, where we now find the boxy swingarm of a CBR600 fitted in place via custom spacers and replacement bearings. An adjustable aftermarket shock absorber is now tasked with managing rear suspension duties, carrying a remote fluid reservoir.

The latter is attached to a handmade subframe that’s been fabricated in-house, and the CB900’s rear-end proportions are considerably tighter than stock. Up front, Asen swapped the OEM forks with the inverted units of a Kawasaki ZX-6R, securing them in place by way of bespoke triple clamps. Aside from these suspension goodies, the Kawi also donated its 17-inch wheels to Tossa R’s cause.

Both rims are enveloped in premium Metzeler Sportec M9 RR tires for plentiful grip during spirited rides. Improved stopping power is made possible thanks to modern wave rotors and four-piston calipers at the front, while the rear end features a drilled disc bitten by a Nissin caliper. There are top-shelf master cylinders installed at both ends, with the front one being a Brembo part.

Although the bike’s standard fuel tank has been retained, it did undergo some extensive modifications to suit the look that Asen was after. The only other piece of bodywork you’ll find here is a compact, custom-made tail section built from scratch. It’s fronted by a handsome solo saddle, but the license plate lives down low on a swingarm-mounted bracket.

Small multi-function LEDs flank the seat, neatly attached to the subframe tubing and hard to spot unless they’re turned on. Going back to the motorcycle’s front section, we come across a sizeable aftermarket headlight from Koso’s inventory, sitting close to the forks on bespoke mounting hardware. Besides the Thunderbolt headlamp, Koso supplied a fresh digital dash for the CB’s cockpit, as well.

It’s accompanied by clip-on handlebars equipped with Brembo control levers, underslung mirrors, and Motogadget bar-end turn signals. To bring the cafe racer ergonomic package full circle, Asen installed a pair of gold-anodized billet aluminum rearsets. An internal powertrain rebuild took the CB900’s inline-four engine back to its former glory, but then it was time for some fresh breathing equipment to come into the picture.

Air flows in through a quartet of top-grade pod filters, while aerosolized combustion by-products exit through a stainless-steel exhaust. The headers were manufactured as a four-into-two setup, which ends in shiny reverse megaphone mufflers. On the outside, the 901cc four-banger gained a stealthy layer of black paint, with pinches of bare metal still present on the cooling fins and lower covers. The wheels and frame have also been finished in black.

What really steals the show here is the specimen’s main color scheme, employing an Audi-inspired greyish blue base on the tank and tail. Then there are the striking gold highlights found all over this CB900F cafe racer, from the upper forks, shock spring, and brake calipers to the Honda tank logos and elegant pinstripes. We’re particularly keen on how the gold accents outline the gas tank’s lower edges.

In doing so, they make it stand in stark contrast to the blacked-out powerplant down below, while also highlighting the perfectly level bone line created by Asen Zahariev’s skillful hands. This is arguably one of the raddest CB-based cafe racers we’ve seen as of late, proving that a great builder will still find ways to make their project stand out from the crowd. With these sorts of machines in Tossa R’s build archive, the future seems rather bright for the man behind it all.