The art of making steel into beauty is a talent that I much admire. It’s like a sculptor who takes a block of marble and forms a statue, there’s a vision to the work that not everyone can comprehend. Junior Burell of Retro Moto is one such artist, and this is the type of work he does. Here’s how he describes the build…
The bike was originally an '81 Honda CM400. I purchased it the day after my previous build was stolen. At the time it was just frame, wheels, and a locked up engine. I was able to find an '82 450 engine with a six speed gearbox which I also purchased to go into this build.
Since I was building this bike for myself, I wanted to fabricate as many of the parts myself as possible. The Honda CM400 isn't a very popular bike because of the shape of the subframe. I cured that issue by chopping it off and building a new one with a much a more aggressive look. The tank was formed by hand from steel and was inspired by old Italian race bikes.
I built the tail to follow the lines of the tank and the seat is wood base with padded leather inserts. I freshened up the engine and had the head ported and polished. I joined the clipons to the tacho and headlight to make them a single piece reducing clutter on the fork tubes. A couple of buddies of mine talked me into building the under-tail exhaust, and I’m glad they did. The rear sets were constructed using parts from the original oil pump and a pocket bike transmission. The bike is a blast to ride and I do so every chance I get.
I chose to build motorcycles because the options and possibilities for creativity are endless. I build with an aim to transform raw steel into art.
There’s a definite sense of artistry to the bike, and it’s what differentiates Junior from many of his peers.
Source: Cafe Racer and Return Of The Cafe Racers
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