Honda CB750 Cafe Racer – Custom Engine Painting & Detailing

Honda CB750 cafe racer engine painting and custom motorcycle detailing on my 1979 Honda CB750 build, including low gloss black engine paint, front fender fitting and fuel tank preparation.

In this episode of the Honda CB750 cafe racer project, I'm working through several jobs that will help transform the appearance of this classic Japanese motorcycle. The biggest change is painting the engine in a low gloss black finish, but there are plenty of smaller jobs to tackle before reaching that stage.

Choosing a Custom Engine Paint Finish

One of the decisions when building a custom Honda CB750 cafe racer is how to finish the original four-cylinder engine. A polished alloy engine can look great on a classic motorcycle, but a darker finish can give the bike a more purposeful, understated appearance.

For this CB750 custom build, I'm going with a low gloss black engine paint rather than a highly polished or glossy finish. The aim is to create a clean, consistent appearance that complements the rest of the motorcycle.

Painting and Fitting the Front Fender

The front fender, or mudguard, is another detail that can make a surprising difference to the appearance of a cafe racer.

I start by painting the front fender before fitting it to the motorcycle. Getting the fender positioned properly is important, both for the overall appearance and for maintaining suitable clearance around the front tire.

Oil Breather Filters and Carburetor Boots

Custom motorcycle builds aren't all about paintwork and appearance. There are also several mechanical details to address.

In this episode, I work on the oil breather filters and the carburetor intake boots. These are useful areas to consider when modifying an older Honda CB750, particularly when making changes to the original motorcycle configuration.

Properly fitting intake components and dealing with engine breathing are important parts of building a reliable custom motorcycle, not just making it look good.

Removing the Honda CB750 Fuel Tank Badges

The original Honda CB750 fuel tank badges are another consideration when planning the finished appearance of the bike.

For this cafe racer project, I remove the original badges to achieve a cleaner tank profile and prepare for the eventual custom paint finish.

Debadging a motorcycle fuel tank is a relatively small job, but it can make a noticeable difference to the overall styling, particularly on a minimalist cafe racer build.

Preparing the Honda CB750 Engine for Painting

Preparation is one of the most important stages of painting a motorcycle engine.

Before applying the low gloss black finish, I spend time masking the engine and protecting areas that shouldn't receive paint. With the engine's many contours, covers and recessed areas, careful masking helps achieve a neater result.

The spark plug wells also need attention. These recessed areas can be awkward to reach, so I tackle them separately before moving on to the main engine painting.

Painting the CB750 Engine Low Gloss Black

With the preparation complete, it's finally time to apply the low gloss black engine paint.

The Honda CB750's classic inline-four engine is a major visual feature of the motorcycle, so changing its finish has a substantial impact on the overall look of the build.

The black finish gives the engine a more unified appearance and should work well with the custom cafe racer styling I'm aiming for.

Continuing the 1979 Honda CB750 Cafe Racer Build

This episode is another step in the transformation of my 1979 Honda CB750 into a custom cafe racer.

From the painted front fender and fuel tank preparation to the carburetor components and engine paint, it's a collection of jobs that move the project forward.

Follow the rest of the Honda CB750 cafe racer build series for more custom motorcycle fabrication, painting, mechanical work and workshop tips as the project continues.