Sure, Germans and Italians know their bikes, but Spain’s aftermarket magicians aren’t playing around either.
Several years ago, David Gonzalez’s Ad Hoc Cafe Racers was born out of sheer passion. His firm is to be found in the Spanish city of Barcelona, where they go about their exceptional undertakings. The Ad Hoc crew specializes in extensive motorcycle customization that goes far beyond anyone’s expectations, including their own.
Believe me when I say: their phenomenal works of two-wheeled art guarantee to soothe the soul of any self-respecting moto enthusiast. To be frank, the sheer amount of meticulous craftmanship that’s gone into these sexy pieces of machinery is truly staggering!
For a perfect demonstration of this workshop’s remarkable abilities, we’ll be taking a minute to examine what they’ve managed to achieve with one such venture. The project in question is based on a vintage CB750 from Honda’s iconic lineup. While this bad boy was the real MVP back in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, even a revered machine like CB750 will begin to show its age after half a century of faithful service. As such, Ad Hoc’s tasty overhaul is a welcome feat.
Photo: Xavi Dynamische
On the other hand, this donor is no toy, even by today’s standards. It is put in motion by a ruthless four-stroke SOHC inline-four, with as many as four Keihin carbs and a total of eight valves. The air-cooled monstrosity has a compression ratio of 9.0:1 and a generous displacement of 736cc.
At around 8,000 rpm, this nasty beast is fully capable of generating up to 67 hp, accompanied by 44 pound-feet (60 Nm) of fiendish twisting force at 7,000 rpm. The engine’s feral power is channeled to a chain final drive by means of a five-speed transmission, resulting in a respectable top speed of 123 mph (198 kph). Additionally, Honda’s behemoth will run the quarter mile in no more than 13.5 seconds at 101 mph (162 kph).
A tubular steel cradle frame is tasked with holding everything in place. Up front, it is supported by a pair of telescopic forks, coupled with a double-sided swingarm and dual shock absorbers at the rear. Stopping power is taken care of by a 296 mm (11.65 inches) brake disc at the front and a drum unit on the opposite end.
All things considered, it’s quite safe to conclude that CB750 means business. As to Ad Hoc’s reborn entity, its makeover process kicked off with a front end transplant from a Suzuki GSXR1000, including the latter’s forks, Tokico brake modules and 320 mm (12.6 inches) rotors.
Photo: Xavi Dynamische
Next, the team went about fabricating a set of custom multi-spoked wheels, an alloy front fender and one-off brackets to give this untamed animal a personality of its own. Furthermore, these are complemented by a delicious selection of aftermarket items, such as a 7-inch (178 mm) retro-style headlight and an LED taillight kit, besides clip-on handlebars that wear a speedometer and bar-end turn signals from Motogadget’s catalogue.
You will also find a Suzuki GS850’s fuel tank, equipped with a Monza flip-up filler cap. A neat subframe hosts YSS shocks and an elegant black leather saddle that’s been upholstered in-house. Finally, CB750’s inline-four colossus received pod filters and an MIVV ceramic coated four-into-two exhaust system.
Right, now that we’ve wrapped this up, I’ll recommend that you pay Ad Hoc Cafe Racers a quick visit on their Facebook profile for some more moto goodness!
A bit of an artist himself, Silvian sees two- and four-wheeled machines as a form of art, especially restomods and custom rides. Oh, and if you come across a cafe racer article on our website, it’s most likely his doing. Full profile
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