In mid 2012 I contacted Triumph in UK, that left distribution in Brazil years ago, and they said they were going to distribute it in the late '12
While waiting I dig into Cafe Racer bikes at internet and felt in love with the trend, style, thoughts.
Once I was a off roader I was more toward a scrambler style (below, the model I still think as the most beautiful scrambler in the internet).
That's it ! I was going to build it but based upon which bike ? A brand new Bonnie ? No...
There weren't many old Bonnies around here, neither Ducatis nor the beautiful old BMW R75 or R100, all general base for Cafe Racers.
But there were many Hondas CB 550 and CB 750 Four '73 on.
Actually, I've learned that this model (Honda CB 750) was responsible for the declined of European bikes and the rise of the Japanese ones.
So I read a lot, many blogs, many discussion at TriumphRat and despite all recommendations I bought a CB 750 '74 that "needed some fix".
Boy... don't do it !
If you want to built a Cafe Racer, buy a motorcycle in good shape, at least the motor.
Ok, you may say (as I did) "I am smarter, I can buy a cheaper one and fix at a very good cost".
Actually there was another concern. My heart hurt just to think I would take a classic Honda 750 Four, in fantastic state of conservation and dismount it away from the originality just to make my desire to have a different bike.
It was like killing one of the last animals of it species, like accelerating extinction.
But... if I took and bike in bad shape, no problem.
DON'T DO IT, TRUST ME.
You should buy one with a great motor, because you'll find, as I did, that some aspects get beyond you and you riding the bike:
1. The parts are expensive (when you put all together).
2. It very hard to find a good mechanic that deal well with old machines (and want to)
3. They are expensive
4. They are few
5. They are full of work and will handle your bike for months.
So here is the bike I bought. Beautiful !
Next the oil it leaks (half liter every 20 kilometer).
Then I realize the forks was leaking too, letting the bike with no suspensions.
I thought in taking this one:
And transform into this one (a beautiful CRD Café Racer - http://www.crdmotorcycles.com):
I drove 700 km to pick the Honda CB 750 Four '74, three states away, and decided to return it to the seller two weeks later, after visiting many mechanics.
Once the seller didn't want it back, I lost a good amount of money to happily get rid of the bike.
I found a fantastic new bike, not as classic as the '74, not near as beautiful... but brand new.
An impeccable Honda CB 750 '81 ...green, well but it was better then when it left the dealer more than twenty years ago. The owner restore it fantastically, and it was sad to know I was going to remove the originality.
At the day I was going to buy it, a very close friend of mine, Kiko, who travelled with me many trips across south america, said he was selling his brand new, one month old 2013 Bonneville.
As a good friend and generous, he offered me a price I couldn't refuse, and he made me back to the original plan.
I end up back to the "original" Triumph Bonneville that started all.
So beautiful, so new that no one thought I would disassemble it entirely to build my version of a Café Racer/Mod motorcycle.
And so I did it :-)
