The term “Café Racer” goes back to the 1950’s and 1960’s, where motorbike enthusiasts would strip back their bikes by removing unnecessary components, fit parts designed for track use and even go as far as swapping engines and frames, all for the sake of going fast.

Groups of Café Racers would gather outside transport cafés, which became the hub for socialising as well as the go-to place for arranging illegal street races. There is a rich history to these breeds of motorcycle, and they’re still very much appreciated today.

The current owner of the Honda has had ownership since April 2016, the donor bike was originally a 1993 Honda CB750 with 36,000km on the clock. 

This bike has had an extensive transformation into a Cafe Racer, but not just visually, it has been greatly enhanced in terms of performance, too. Each Rebellion is lighter than the stock bike and also has an array of upgrades such as larger brakes, stainless braided lines, upgraded wheels, rear mono-shock, upgraded exhaust etc.

Throughout the ownership of the bike, the current owner hasn’t used it very much, with 300km showing on the clock from initial test drives to MOT’s. This bike is still in pristine condition, and the pictures are a testament to that.

The bike is accompanied by a selection of paperwork. The donor bike’s bill of sale and the final bill of sale for the total price of the transformation are also present as well. 

The owner has all the recent MOT paperwork. The vehicle is registered in the current owners name and carries the correct paperwork to prove this. 

This bike is beautifully kept. During its transformation into a Cafe Racer, it was completely stripped down, cleaned, and painted as per the specification requested by the current owner. You’d never believe this bike was transformed from a 1993 donor, it looks like it’s just rolled off the production floor - only cooler! 

Well - it kind of has when you take into consideration the amount of work done by Vitesse Engineering!

The frames' paintwork is beautiful, as is the tank and tail unit. The red and blue accents on the bodywork really gives off a retro racer look, very suitable for this build. With how little miles the owner has put on this bike since it has been built, it’s difficult to pick out any flaws! Even the seat leather is pristine and the wheels are seemingly free of any stone chips. The polished cylinder head is also a beautiful touch!

The foot pegs look virtually untouched and rightly so, it’s not often the sole of a boot has seen those. The petrol tank cap is spotless, showcasing its bare metal shimmer in any light, the same can be said for all of the metal fasteners throughout the bike as well as the mirrors. The headlamp shows no signs of clouding and all the rubber lines are showing no signs of degradation. Even the kick stand is showing very little signs of any wear.

Now to the good bit… Let’s talk about the transformation this beautiful bike has undergone in its lifetime. Each Rebellion is made to order, meaning that no two are ever the same. The bike itself weighs 198kg with a full tank of fuel, that’s 25kg less than the stock bike, quite a substantial weight loss of close to 10%. The geometry of the bike stays the exact same as the donor bike, down to the last millimeter.

The front end is swapped with one from a Yamaha R6, the brakes are changed to larger Brembo units to help with the stopping power of that new and improved power/weight ratio. The fuel tank is replaced with a modified 1984 Honda CB tank, and the tail unit is from a Yamaha TZ which sits on a reworked subframe which hides the battery and much of the electronics from view. Vitesse also modifies the rear end to accomodate a mono-shock and a Yamaha R6 rear swing arm. This all sits on a beautiful set of Marchesini forged wheels to finish off the styling which are colour matched to the body.

All engine components remain stock, the only things that have changed is that the standard air filters were replaced with free-flowing K&N pod filters which help the carbouretters breathe properly, as these engines struggle with smaller filters, and a new Giannelli exhaust with heat wrapped headers. The engine output has not changed from the factory.

Vitesse has also added a very clever, hidden motogadget instrument to declutter the handlebars. A touch that we think really adds to the “racer” appeal to all of it, and gives it a subtle modern flair.

Cafe Racers have a rich and impressive history behind them, and this build really pays homage to that. A style so easily recognisable and so widely appreciated among enthusiasts alike, this bike would be something to be proud of.

There won’t be many out there that look quite like this, and it’s sure to get people talking. A beautifully sculpted piece of engineering which showcases Vitesse Engineering's ability to uphold OEM quality in everything they do.

Notice to bidders

Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.