Steel Bent Customs Tux
By Ross Sharp - 15 Jun 14
Steel Bent Customs have been in The Shed so many times we should build them their very own micro-site. Sleek, minimal and slick could describe all of their builds and this Honda is no exception.
The donor was a 1979 CB 750 and the customer was one with some specific requirements. One of which being the ability to carry a pillion while still looking cool solo. A few weeks back we featured The Convertible from Michael Munday & crew, which solves the problem of deciding between a Cafe Racer and a Brat, and whether the rider wants to share the admiring glances with a pillion. Versatility and style, two things that are hard to combine but Steel Bent seem to have achieved it.
The customer in question is from Texas and wanted a black and white theme, we presume it's because white vehicles look so amazing against a blue sky and hot desert! No UK-based envy at all, not one damp grey bit. Porsche Oyster White wasn't cool enough for Janis Joplin, she ruined her 356 with an LSD-fuelled paint job, but anyone who's seen classic Porsches in this colour knows that the tone is very nice indeed. So, the tank, the removable tail section and headlight are white with everything else powder coated black. So in summary, it's black and white, like a Tuxedo, or dinner suit if you don't live in the desert.
The Manx style tank required a large amount of work to the frames backbone to ensure the visual lines are uninterrupted by vulgar angles. Front to back looks laser straight and level with just the smallest of upsweeps on the rear loop.
The engine was in good order so didn't need an overhaul, just a thorough service with new seals, bearings and fluids where necessary. Carbs were removed and completely stripped, cleaned and Dynojetted to stage 3 spec with cone filters offering a slight performance gain and a bit of shine for the engine.
Brat seat and Manx tank combo looks the business and requires the removal of just four fasteners to reveal, which could probably be done by the time whichever lucky lady has got her coat. OK, OK, so the customer could be a lady with a chap on the back, or various combinations thereafter. It's versatile, and stylish, thats the important part to remember.
The zorst was modified in-house, 4-into-1 headers coated black and a single, stubby reverse megaphone muffler. Nothing outlandish, no heat wrap, just functional simplicity.
Clubman bars offer a sporty position and a more comfortable ride than clipons with a good range of adjustment if needed. Mini gauges keep the cockpit tidy and don't detract from the neat (neat as in tidy, not as in cool for across-the-ponders) lines.
To be honest, never mind the Tux or dinner suit. If you turned up to the Hotel de Paris in Monaco in a pair of ripped jeans, flip flops and a vest, riding this handsome CB, you'd be let in. Have a look at the other builds in the Steel Bent Customs workshop, or here in The Shed.