Bringing Chopsticks to a Knife Fight - The Deus BBO Bosozoku CM400

[Parkwood60]

Having been increasingly annoyed by cafe racers that are more fashion than function, I have threatened to build a Japanese style bosozoku custom for about 2 years now. When Deus ex Machina announced the Boundless Enthusiasm Bike Build-off again for 2015 I decided to go for it. Honda CB/CM400/450 bikes are still dirt cheap, even though they are in my opinion a better foundation for any project than the CX500 which has become near and dear, and I had free time and space in the shop.

So with 30 days and change before the show I picked up this bike, which had been sitting for 20+ years in the back of a shop.

 

[Parkwood60]

The good news is that this bike had just had a tune up before going into storage, and a new rear tire. It still took the usual deferred maintenance, carb cleaning, battery and new front tire before it could be run.

Another stroke of luck was that the shop also had a damaged unknown original 1970s fairing that I got with the bike, for a total of $600 all in.

Here's the fairing before I started working on it on my CB750 for reference.

 

[Parkwood60]

The first thing we did was take this thing down to its component parts, because the frame had to be painted, as did the wheels. Plus an obnoxious 2 into 1 into something stupid exhaust had to be fabbed up, as well as a seat with a tall sissy bar.

 

[Parkwood60]

I cut the ends off the crossover can that was stock on these bikes, and welded it to pieces of mandrel bent exhaust to make an S, and then found a scrap piece from some sport bike and banged up a 2-1 collector. After that its all Pep Boys and a MIG welder.

 

[Parkwood60]

Yada, yada, yada made a seat, mounted the fairing, wired up the lights and horns and there you go.

4th prize and minds boggled all over the country and the internet

 

[Parkwood60]

Here is the write up of the show on Ride Apart (also by me) - http://rideapart.com/articles/deus-ex-machina-bike-build-off-2015

 

[Tim]

That is awesome, and a worthy statement to have made.

 

[Maritime]

Ha Kool. you are a member here. I read the article this morning. There are at least 3 members bikes in your pics from the show.

Cheers

Maritime

 

[Parkwood60]

Yeah, I'm here, but not very often.

So this happened today, I have to assume because the bikes that finished 1st 2nd and 3rd said no

 

[Parkwood60]

Online voting is now opened for the worldwide peoples choice award. You don't have to vote for my bike, but remember every vote for bosozoku is a vote against a cafe racer with Firestones and no suspension travel that doesn't handle or go fast.

http://deuscustoms.com/bikebuildoff/

You need to click the red button under the bike, then click the red button that says "submit vote", then enter an email address, then click the link in your email - And if you live nearby I will totally buy you a beer some time

 

[Parkwood60]

Just a few more days left to vote for my Bosozoku bike at the Deus Ex Machina Bike Build Off 2015 Global People's Choice Awards. Or, more likely knowing this crowd, vote for any bike but mine.

http://deuscustoms.com/bikebuildoff/

 

[datadavid]

You got my vote, love that bosozoku crazy vibe