Building a Cafe Racer for under $1,000 (Starting with a $400 Honda CB750)

Reggie and I build a Cafe Racer for under $1,000 using a non running $400 1981 Honda CB750 and some cheap parts from eBay and Amazon
If you want to check out Reggie's KZbin channel he can be found at:
/ @chokeroll
He is currently traveling with Megadeth on tour teaching BJJ and has some great content.

[@naplesnola]

Wasn't expecting the Brazilian flag, I'm glad to see hehe, as you know if you mention or show anything related to Brazil you summon Brazilians from all over the globe to show their appreciation, so here I am.

[@raulsoares8636]

Here we are

[@danielmartins7686]

Quem ousa intereomper o meu sono ancestral?

[@viniciusmartins7363]

I was watching this vídeo Just because yt recomended but when i saw The Brazilian flag i subscribed. Kkkkkkk

[@miguel956473]

K@@raulsoares8636

[@raulsoares8636]

@@miguel956473 eae mano

[@chokeroll]

Thanks a lot Austin, you made my dream come true, and this video will help me to keep this memory forever ! I’ll never forget !! Thank you my friend !!

[@shanejohnson800]

It amazes me how easy it is to build a cafe or a bobber just by changing a few things you guys did a beautiful job on this one I love it

[@chaysecushing9014]

Not easy whatsoever

[@h4mmy191]

simple* not easy

[@kanggoo57]

@@chaysecushing9014 Its easy to literally anyone whos held a spanner in their life.

[@grandmasternas2494]

The best part was your son , he out here looking out for his dad at such a young age ❤️

[@AustinCoulson]

He is the best. He looks out for me a little too much that I worry he may end up an OSHA inspector...

[@tyrssen1]

@@AustinCoulson LOL!

[@LFertitta]

Your kid is awesome

[@W1ldTangent]

A nice simple build, sometimes those are the best kind. No fancy moonshot gimmicks, it runs and looks the way the owner wanted it to so that's a job well done. The exhaust hack (literally) was a good money-saving trick, that and adapting the throttle ferrule to work with the carb rather than going out and finding another one.

[@bakters]

"adapting the throttle ferrule" Doing it "right" would cost even less work. You heat the end barrel up, and the cable will pull out. Push the next one in, fray the ends out so they would "hook" and solder it all shut. That's how we used to do it, and I was told that factories did it that way too. His hack might be fine for the throttle, or it might pull out, or the weakened barrel might break. The frayed ends soldered in was good for clutch cables. On soviet boxer bikes. Cables broke all the time, the barrels used to stay put.

[@tyrssen1]

M'self, I probably would have punked out and just bought a custom-length cable, maybe a couple other bits. Naturally there are details I'd have done differently, but hey, that's half the fun of watching build videos, now ain't it? ;)

[@ptabakis]

The smile on his face when he was actually riding his dream was priceless. Reggie for PReggiedent! Awesome work Austin!

[@BS32768]

When I saw the title I expected a simple clean and rebuild montage - instead it was a full-custom build. Great video! Also this might be $1000 to someone with the obvious skills and equipment like you (and maybe Reggie who has you as a friend ;) ) but for a noob like me with a basic toolkit for motorcycle maintenance, this might be thousands of dollars paid to a custom shop in parts and labor. But I understand the KZbin algorithm is tough to work with - appreciate the entertaining content!

[@frankrojas304]

I was thinking the same thing. Still awesome though.

[@qc7767]

Same thought...$1,000 in materials....$10,000 in labor/skill/experience (and that's the friends and family discount).

[@yung.houdini]

To be fair, it's not a tutorial on how to build it for under 1k. It's him explaining his actual situation/build/budget. The title is truthful and really nothing to do with the youtube algorithm. Now if he added "how to" then I'd agree it's a bit click baity haha.

[@57eleven1]

I’ve not seen a single good 1980ish Honda like that modified to a café racer yet until now. That’s by far the best one. I bought a 1980 Gold Wing that I’d planned to do the same. I realized I just didn’t have time and gave it to friend. It needed the engine rebuilt or replaced. Thx for sharing. Great job!

[@davidvaughn7778]

Check out Classic Octane here on KZbin. He makes some pretty good looking cafe style bikes.

[@stuartcarter7053]

When I saw the tank being resprayed I thought "what on earth are they doing"...but then end product looks amazing. Fair play. Loved this video

[@ianstradian]

I love seeing old bikes being ridden and maintained. Ran across a guy on a 1983 GP 1100 a few days ago, had a great conversation with the guy.

[@sukamedeiros3324]

A moto ficou incrível👏🏼👏🏼....e mais ainda com a bandeira do meu Brasil 🇧🇷. Congratulations 🇺🇲🤜🏻🤛🏻🇧🇷

[@tyrssen1]

Rustoleum primer and Krylon paint: good choice, my personal favorite as well. To those who have never tried painting but are tempted to, jump in and go for it. You can get surprisingly good paint jobs outta spray cans. If you, like me, were previously into building car models, you're well ahead of the game. ...Loved the exhaust solution with the fiberglass, sounds great. Hey, that's a good kid you have there. (And a right proper caff racer too! Kudos.)

[@redpilllense7125]

Bro, that is a beautiful bike, man!!!!! I have a 1978 CB750K that I've been trying to get road worthy. Problem is i can't find me a good vintage bike mechanic.

[@dedalus4153]

A great video! Thanks! My first bike was a '77 CB750 in 1983 and it was really interesting to see the transformation from stock to cafe racer. Thanks again.

[@kerryburns6041]

Café Racers have evolved, which threw me at first, but you are extending the tradition. Especially by re-using surplus parts, that´s what we did in the Seventies. Rock on !

[@lagooncustoms]

That was fun to watch, really like that you kept a tight budget and got the most out of it! ❤

[@valentinodominus7078]

Great ingenuity & a very cool looking bike! Love that your son was there for you! A well made video, felt like we were there watching the build. Best Wishes from TN!

[@supersonic4863]

personally never liked the rust aesthetic, but my god that tank was painted well. looks amazing all together. absolutely love how you made the muffler. almost like a homemade gun silencer in a way.

[@rileyjamesmusic9333]

I'm currently living about 45 minutes from Chattanooga, I'm buying a 81 cb4 650 to build into a cafe racer.. it'll be my 2nd cafe build 4th all in .. can't wait to start.. this video helped with a few pointers

[@Doug791]

Now THAT is a cafe racer , unlike so many "cafe racers" featured on youtube. I love this thing.

[@keithspencersr.6806]

Great video, that’s cafe style building, you should do more of these builds.

[@peterjohn3123]

I restored 4 cb 750s, I rode a 74 for over 10 years, never had a problem with that bike. Great bikes.

[@kevingrandke6075]

This makes me want to build another one! I did a CB750 for my buddy, a Virago for me, a Vision also for me and a moped for my neighbor 😀

[@EBthere]

It's never too late for a compliment. Great job on the bike and video!!

[@AaronSkone]

This was super sick! I’ve been wanting to get my motorcycle license for some time now and get started on a cafe racer project. I have a reliable daily driver so a project bike would be perfect for me.

[@DRS0395]

Dropped a like as soon as he explained the swapping of the fuel to the carb 01:55, just the way he explained it... I'm in for a good watch.

[@FosterKittenFarm]

Love what you did with the exhaust and the DB-killers!

[@marktolner2922]

Amazing video of an amazing build and bike. A sheet metal machine in your garage! Your garage is indeed a little piece of heaven on Earth.

[@GeorgeBuzzoianu]

Didn’t know how i got to this, but thank you very much for being a wonderful human being.

[@raphaellauf7786]

damn, as somebody who is about to turn his own honda CB750 into a cafe racer this is honestly helpfull.

[@marcelgerou]

I know little to nothing about motorbikes. However, I found this video very interesting, and that paint job is absolutely gorgeous!

[@BlazedGarage_Inc]

Love the build,,,, Back in the mid 90's I owned a CB400 done up as a cafe racer, I loved cruzing about on that bike

[@xtremluck6260]

This has to be one of the easiest cafe racer builds I've seen. Why it took Reggie 30 years to build is baffling. I'm thinking his next project he tackles 30 years from now, your son can help him out. LOL!

[@twinpotracer]

That bike is ugly, its beautiful. That bike is rough, it's smooth... That bike is perfectly imperfect. I love it and this build and watching it made me happy. I need happy at the moment, thank you ❤️

[@bakters]

"That bike is ugly, its beautiful." It needs rearsets. With the author on, it wasn't too bad. With the owner on it, it looked off. In general, I love it. In particulars, there is some room for improvement, but those bikes are never finished, are they? ;-)

[@kaisailor1]

I built a dozen of these things back in the day. Honda 350's, 450's 550's and 750's. I did one 84 Honda CB700SC Nighthawk that was really an amazing bike. I loved that thing, and I owned it for years. I'm thinking about doing another 550Four now. Just for something to do this winter. I also really like the old Airhead BMW's. They make really cool Cafe bikes.

[@terrywbreedlove]

I owned the CB750 F Super Sport. Man Loved that bike and sure wish I still had it to do this Cafe Race build.

[@TheMezzy712]

CB750 appreciate more now than ever before. Awesome transformation.

[@ruhtra-ey6vf]

damn thats a nice build, im from Brazil and that livery came out sick, i hope someday i might with around 900 bucks build somthing as cool as that

[@BuildSomethingAuto]

That amazon silencer fiberglass SS zip tie deal is EXACTLY what I did on my CB650 as well 🤣. I hope mine looks half as good as that one day well done!

[@AustinCoulson]

Obviously that means that we are both super geniuses

[@budddove6480]

Very cool man. I feel like everyone should have to ride and learn on one of these old bikes. They are so raw and there's no experience like riding an old bike. I started on a mini bike at 4 years old, then by 5 I was on a YZ80. Then I had a ton of dirt bikes. My first on road bike was a 1973 CB350, it was my baby and I did an old school UNI racing theme on it, fun bike. Then I started racing full fairing 250cc street bikes which was a blast. The rest is history. Ive owned a bit of everything, but I've always kept Hondas in the stable. Im actually waiting for powder coat on a project im finishing now. I built a chopper/bar hopper on air ride, out of a 2008 honda vt750 shadow. Sorry to ramble, very cool bike and I love what you've done with it.

[@AustinCoulson]

I started on a Honda 50 then a YZ80 as well. Both wonderful machines

[@Bigburt-]

I just got done building a cb750c 1980, first engine had 30 psi in cyl 1 so i swapped the engine, finally got riding. rode for 10 minutes then the piston rod shot out of the front of the engine

[@AustinCoulson]

Oh no

[@jeffrainey131]

Nice job. Much nicer than you’d expect from a budget build.

[@lukeclarke1068]

Love the rustic look. And the lines can’t be beaten.

[@gerardoosio]

Great bike project on a budget!! Congrats

[@Chris-lz9zf]

Hey Austin, I own this bike now. Thanks for putting this all together and for the video too. It was great watching where this all started.

[@AustinCoulson]

Crazy! Hope you are enjoying it. Is the tank black now?

[@chokeroll]

Whaaaat no way !! You better take care of my baby !!

[@Chris-lz9zf]

@@AustinCoulson Yes, black tank with the rust look to it. You can see a bit of the Brazilian flag through the black on the right side. Cool story to go along with the bike. I painted the silver bracket holding the speedo and the fuse cover black with a clear. Taking it to a shop for some carb work soon.

[@John-vi5vb]

@@Chris-lz9zf I'm so glad to hear this! Geez, hearing how poorly they were tuned in this vid was making me bonkers! Lol!

[@myturkishlife1777]

Great job guys, it is this type of video that encourages folk to have a go at there own project..or even give a few ideas for there own..

[@swordfish1120]

Nice job! I'm starting a similar project. I bought a Honda NT650 GT rolling chassis (no motor or wiring loom) on Craigslist for $100. I've always regretted selling my first one 15 years ago so I figured I had to buy it. I set a goal to get it back on the road for $1K. Sourcing the motor is going to be the challenge, but I'm really enjoying the process so far. Your video showed me it can be done.👍🏼

[@ritwizpandey]

hey can i also het one too ! if you have any idea about it kindly respond ?

[@c.j.crafts9421]

A lot of hard work. Great job on the video. Inspiration for young builders.

[@andrewvitale7128]

What you did I consider the perfect video and for a really nice build..can't wait for your future builds.

[@michaelcuff5780]

Mufflers are a go! AWESOME! My MBRP exhaust on my diesel truck is designed the same way without the fiberglass. Silent until. You turn loose the the kracken! Then its straight through loud as hell! Lol! Great video!

[@yummydragonyeet9590]

people love to see cheaper alternatives on KZbin that require diy building and drive well done

[@mrG11]

I think the CB is very accommodating for a cafe build, Gold Guy built a very similar one with his 750 and had a lot of fun with it too. :)

[@timjohnson9231]

Very sweet, lovely note, accolades from Australia 🇦🇺

[@tobystrickland5986]

A paint job like that is like getting two bikes at one time! Cool! Just subscribed!!

[@glassblastcollision]

Wicked job Austin and Reggie! ,one thing I notice is the threads in the seat need some Bic lightering! lol

[@AustinCoulson]

Good eye

[@BaileysDad369]

A really great video! Good editing and awesome content. Keep em coming!!!

[@fonhollohan2908]

sweet little build. Man you just can't beat a budget build of this Calibar.

[@nickwilliams1065]

Looks like what we in the UK called the CB750kz tank the same shape as the CBX 1000, ours had twin disk front end and some lovely 4-2-4 exhausts too. I wish we could find them here for the same price as you guys. I reckon a real rough one would be well over £1000.

[@gordy1961]

The only trouble with this video is: It has made me even more determined to go ahead with a build of my own - I already have the bike picked out but way too busy and too many cars & bikes as it is, the wife will kill me... wonder if I can hide it somewhere... thanks so much for sharing. Great ethos...

[@AustinCoulson]

That's what makes Reggie so smart, he kept the bike at my house during the build

[@gmclll5371]

great video, goes to show that you can build a great bike on a budget, love it

[@alejandroochoahernandez338]

that reggie guy is lucky to have you as a friend m8, nicely done!

[@87ricer]

Future reference when cutting around the tires always place a piece of sheet metal on the tire so you don't cut into the tire or drill into the tire by accident..... It'll hit the metal and prevent damage

[@HawkRidgeBurns]

I smiled when he said "wicked loud" nice to hear other New Englanders out there 😅

[@SgtBrewdawg]

Absolutely great build! You created a truly awesome and cool bike. Thanks for sharing and the inspiration.

[@lfsouto82]

Very cool I'm watching this video in São Paulo on the day that we Brazilians are celebrating 200 years of independence from Portugal

[@AustinCoulson]

Awesome!

[@razorback0z]

Had a CB750KZ back in the day. Fun bike. Nice work.

[@roachwerks3043]

These were really fun and comfy bikes. It was my first bike I ever owned when I was 20 ish

[@nealc.6927]

Well done! Really nice build, that. Much unappreciated style, the Café Racer, IMHO. On a personal aesthetic, I'd have tried to find a slightly shallower tank, myself, maybe 1"- 1.25" lower on the top . . . But that's me. 10/10.

[@erikredIV]

Finally someone who knows how to make a video about building an affordable motorcycle. Everyone else is only focused on being "cool"

[@AustinCoulson]

Thanks! These are my favorite builds. super simple, super cheap, doesn't matter if you ding it up, it's just all about getting it back on the road and having fun

[@evaldoeduardo9311]

Brazilian here... excellent job !!

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

Congratulations 🎉 got that old bike running again 😊

[@kanggoo57]

Very nice! Picked up a CB400N for 400 bucks also, theyre fun bikes. even though mine is just a twin.

[@dr2377]

I have a cb750k dual cam under $1000 build. Converted rear swing arm to zx6r, didnt get around to front swap yet. I have a super trap exhaust which sounds insane

[@ZachDxn]

Sounds soo much better with the fiberglass. What a difference that small change makes. I have an '82 CB750 under a tarp in the back. But it needs an entirely new wire harness and being a 25 year old still in school I have little time or money for it right now. My goal is to eventually get into a cafe racer style and buy all new instruments and make my own wire harness. I was able to get it running, but that was with no safety features (signals, break lights, head lights, etc.). Plus I need a license and insurance is brutally expensive. PS your kid calling Gatorade fuel is pretty funny.

[@AustinCoulson]

Luckily a lot of the factory wiring won't be necessary for what you want to do with it, and there are a lot of diagrams available online to simplify the process. Good luck on your build!

[@mattpence5655]

On the exhaust i had a 74 cb750 with 836 kit cams and a 4 to 1 kerker with no baffle what I did when I wanted to quite down I took a 2 inch self tapping screw on the backside so it wouldn’t be seen but I put a wad of steel wool in the pipe and you wouldn’t believe how well it works plus supe easy when ya want to be a rebel without a cause lol

[@RT-wl6tq]

Love the bike but it needs re-jetted and 4-1 headers without baffles to top it off...well done

[@cydery]

Love the project. Now all you need to do is move the foot pegs back a bit

[@lucasnairlanda]

Awesome bike man, loved the Brazilian flag 🇧🇷 !!!

[@shogginr557]

What a fun and inspiring build! Very enjoyable to watch. I'm heading to my garage right now:)

[@VanBourner]

My cousin used to call gatorade "fuel" as well when we were kids 20 years ago. How strange

[@secondchancegarage]

Awesome build man! Love the patina look.

[@rogerthat10-47]

Any project that gets finnished is a good project, & if it turns out as nice as this it's a bonus. I have just commited the "Cardinal Sin" I bought a job lot of unfinished projects form a friend(?) to help him out, & they are all pretty much shite, he "Chopped" the frame too much on one & tried to mountthe susspention using 2 M10 wood screws, not the best of ideas, they will be a lot of work but hopefully a lot of fun sorting them out. Excelent stuff, thank you.

[@Hunterslife315]

Lol That duhicky is called the u bar for cutting down the back to shorten the seat to make it more of a cafe fit.but I love what you did bro great job.

[@dewdrop3009]

This is sick. I'm currently trying to figure out wiring for my 78 cb750 cafe racer... Can't wait to get it running/rideable again...

[@abdnnorholmes918]

Fabulous! im actually in OakRidge, TN having a hard time finding my first bike at a low or decent price allot "doesnt run" out there or run but for some reason at brand new pricing lol

[@1pasota]

Lovely job with the bike, I will keep dreaming of owning a garage like yours one day

[@antonoat]

Sounds sublime, looks pretty cool too!

[@ultramaximusreviews]

Not a big cafe racer fan but that is nice and boxy looking. Well done and at the cost. Cheers

[@gregmcallister2821]

Great video! I have 77 cb750 in the before stage that I’m hoping to give to my grandson in 10-15 years. If I could get it going for $1000 bucks, I’d do it this winter but I’m nowhere near as talented as you seem to be.

[@bedantade664]

The nighthawk version of this bike was used to make the bikes used in The walking dead that daryl rode. Loved the video♥️

[@pepegya5168]

This has huge like budget high-schooler junkyard bike vibes but done really well

[@wadewilson297]

That thing is so pimp. Youse guys are Gods, man

[@OllieAlston]

Nice job done there ;) I used to have the cb 750 F1 super sport which i think was the engine model before what you have. The bike i really enjoyed untill i threw the chain off at over 100 mph around at left hand curve and wrapped the chain guard around my ankle. Luckily the chain never touched me on the way out the back. I walked back down the highway and picked up my chain. When i eventually stripped the motor down i found i had damaged the crank cases behind the drive sprocket and snapped the cam in half at the centre beside the drive sprocket. I eventually got her rebuilt and on the road again, i liked that bike so had to rebuild her :) So when i threw the chain off i guess i over reved the motor and snapped the cam.........ohh well, it could have been much worse if the rear wheel had locked up at the speed i was doing around a slight left bend. Lucky me ;). Austin, on my last build i done similar work as you on a FZ1000 When i got the the pipe i stuffed wire wool in it and held it in with a small roll of wire i beat down the pipe with a wooden hammer shaft LoL and it worked great for back pressure and sound deadening ;)

[@hjonkthemadsorcerer]

Every inch of that machine is a beauty

[@Midnight.in.broad.daylight]

Looks and sounds great 👍👍 well done.

[@davidvaughn7778]

I caught you using the ol "safety squints" while working. I do the same, but I really need to get used to wearing some safety glasses.

[@ManuAlvarezPe]

That's awesome. A really good job. I wish it could be done here in Spain, but it'd be much more expensive.

[@Yashhaa]

I want a bike so bad but my mom won’t let me buy one. I’d kill for this one. Some ones selling a cx500 for 500 dollars obo. A nice project bike would give me so much more will to actually live. A bike would change my life.

[@danieledwardfowler]

I can't help but prefer the paint matte patina style before the high gloss. The colors are already so vibrant, the matte dulled it just enough to match the theme of the bike.

[@leonardovaz8048]

🇧🇷 I loved working on the bike even before seeing my other passion that is BJJ Gracie Barra OSS.

[@AustinCoulson]

Awesome!