Can you imagine that the Honda Cafe Racer built by Thirteen and Company is look stunning?
One of the things, I’ve always considered important in any custom motorcycle, is the color. I know that the fuel tank shape is also extremely important. Even a beautiful fuel tank, can only look good, with good and tasteful color.
But here s an interesting perspective. What if it was possible, to not have any color at all? And this is what this awesome machine, will show you today. The true absence, of color.
How often do we see, such marvelous custom motorcycles like this one? Yes, Very rarely indeed. I don’t remember, ever presenting any other project, with a chromed fuel tank. This Honda looks stunning.
And what amazes me the most, is that it shouldn’t have turned out so good. I know it sounds strange, but it is true. I’ve always believed, that too much chrome, kills the lines of any object. But somehow, this gorgeous Cafe Racer defies what I believed.
We will get to that in a minute. This project was built by Kyle Vara, owner of Thirteen and Company, from Los Angeles. His work on this Honda is immaculate. Especially in what concerns to build quality.
Interestingly, I found this project almost by accident. While I was surfing the Internet, I saw a photograph of this other beautiful Honda CB 750, which is also one of Kyle’s works. I liked the unusual approach with the rear cowl.
But when I found this CB 550 with the chromed fuel tank, my interest changed dramatically. If you are a regular follower of this Channel, I think I know exactly what you are thinking about.
This one. Isn’t it? The similarities between them, are undeniable. No wonder this Honda, was elected 2020’s best Cafe Racer. And this achievement, also demonstrates, why Kyle’s project looks so great, If not even better.
This is a very interesting question, which we can only answer, at the end of this year’s election. There is another pertinent question, you are probably wondering about. Which one of these projects, was first started? And here is the answer.
This could mean, Kyle’s Honda, was inspired by Sebastien’s project. Right? But no. It could be if the name of this Honda was different. As you can see, Amber 2 means by itself, that there is an Amber 1.
Other project : BMW K100 Cafe Racer, Formula 1 Inspired, Horizontal Suspension
And here it is. Believe it or not, it was built about 5 years ago. This means Kyle, is the original author, of this splendid and glorious CB 550 stance.
I am sure some will say, this is a very common approach, for the Honda CB series. It may look common, to an untrained eye. But if you pay attention to details, you will see that these 3 projects have something in common, which distinguishes them from others.
Look at the front forks, rear shocks, triple trees, brakes, rims, tires, and engine. Notice how all the chrome and polished surfaces, were maintained just like they came from the factory.
These are the kind of things, which give the authenticity, of a real vintage motorcycle. Kyle, only changed the essentials, like the cafe racer seat, a shortened rear frame structure, LED rear light, the 4 in 1 exhaust, and the clip-on.
These are the minimal and essential changes, to achieve a simple, clean, and very cool cafe racer. But these features alone, do not assure this Honda’s beauty.
As usual, the right proportions and finishes, are always very important. Speaking about proportions, it’s interesting to compare it again, with Sebastian’s project. Because there is a detail, you probably missed a moment ago.
As you see, the fuel tanks are different. To be honest, I don’t know which one is more beautiful. I think this one has better size. But this one looks more classic, including having a proper Fuel cap.
Although this Honda is from 1977, Kyle decided to choose a 1975 fuel tank, precisely because of this beautiful Fuel cap. So, why is it so rare to find a custom project, with a chromed fuel tank?
Because it is very hard to do, and relatively expensive. In addition to that, it can only be done, on a pristine metal surface. But the result is really impressive.
You can see clearly, that the reflection is far deeper than the one from polished aluminum. And this makes all the difference. Just like I said earlier, I’ve always believed that too many chromed surfaces, can spoil the shape of what we are looking at.
But, on this particular project, it worked beautifully. I like the way chromed surfaces, reflect the environment around them. This means it always has a different color, depending on the place where it is.
If we compare it with the Amber 1 Honda, it is easy to judge, which one looks more Premium. If you want to know everything about this project, and how it was built, I recommend you click this link. It will take you to a youtube video, in which Kyle explains the transformation process.
It looks clean, simple, very cool, and very well built. Kyle did a fantastic job. The kind of transformation, that proves the winning formula, which never fails. Less is more. Thank you.