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Louis conversion Honda CB Seven Fifty in the test

My dear swan!

From ugly duckling to proud swan. This is roughly how the metamorphosis of the everyday strong, but somewhat expressive all-rounder Honda CB Seven Fifty into a cafe racer went. Hatched by the Louis screwdriver crew.

Hondas VS.B Seven Fifty was a great success from 1992. Of course, a reliable, indestructible and comfortable naked bike could score massively. The 750 was just a little conservative, dispassionate. Not least in comparison to a Kawasaki Zephyr from that time. But what a small team in Hamburg’s Louis headquarters has conjured up from a 1994 copy of the Honda is worth all the respect. Four men, one vision: "Build a completely different, much nicer bike!"

Louis conversion Honda CB Seven Fifty in the test

My dear swan!

Buy a used Honda CB 750 Seven Fifty on markt.motorradonline.de

Double loop frame, wheel spokes, overmolded standard tank

The Honda CB Seven Fifty by Louis, in black and red, is a wicked lady. It has a lot of blush, the color of love, applied: double-loop frame, wheel spokes, seat, vertical stripes over humps and molded standard tank. Shiny: polished aluminum as a contrast to the red paint on the rims. And the chrome box swing arm. My dear swan! There was a lot to do for the in-house Flex. The rear frame? Way too long. Cut! Reduced to the essentials, it immediately looks much crisper. A slim, rounded one-man hump sits on it. Louis also offers it for sale for the Yamaha SR 500. In his part-time job, the rump houses a large part of the electrical system. And only enables the clean lines of a real cafe racer.

www.jkuenstle.de

Clear line (s): Slim, black Megacone exhaust, open rear frame, classic chromium lamp.

Stroll around the crouched, sinewy Honda a little more. The completely exposed frame triangle frankly reveals the view from left to right, or vice versa. In the middle of it sits a somewhat oversized battery on a holder from the Hamburg scrap metal container. Well, the Louis conversion of the Honda CB Seven Fifty is already a good two years old, today you would probably use a lithium-ion battery, lighter and more compact.

Main stand? Do we have a coffee burner? I where, it fell victim to the Hamburgers who were mad about renovation, together with its mounting on the frame. And so the 750 lolls boldly on its short side stand. The icing on the cake can be found on the front: sparkling polished fork tubes and the painted metal fender. Both are surmounted by the seven-inch round headlight with filigree holders and classic chrome-plated lamp dome. The entire vault of heaven is reflected in it, trees and branches curve to form mythical creatures.

The four-cylinder becomes a screeching under load

Take a seat on the consistent single-seater. The leather seat comes from the Hamburg saddler Kinzlin. Bend up to LSL handlebar stubs with elegant grips. And a completely new Seven Fifty experience. The feet are parked on rigid footrests. The Honda CB Seven Fifty is a real canyon racer. You don’t see the roofs of the houses around you. Just what’s right in front of you. The matte black four-in-one complete exhaust system from Megacone turns out to be a riot pipe. Polished stainless steel, evil matt black coated. This is how understatement works. But only visually. Acoustically there is no reluctance. It roars and rattles hoarsely to itself. Sonorous, full and dull, this sound.

www.jkuenstle.de

Open being. The so-called power air filter was easily accepted by an understanding TÜV engineer. Tricky: red carburetor cover.

Be careful when climbing curbs: the bends are low! The four-cylinder becomes a screeching under load. Ouch. Who just removed the dB eater? After all, the black painted engine looks well tuned. Its idle is nice and stable. The clutch engages in a finely adjustable manner, actuated via a finely milled, adjustable LSL lever. The torque curve is correct, the idling pleases evenly and cleanly, the increase in power with the speed is linear. The black lacquered four-cylinder precisely follows gas commands. Inside, everything remained original: camshafts, cylinder heads, gears, everything series, almost 20 years old.

Swans can get really angry. But this specimen just bites cautiously. The short-stroke engine has “only” 70.5 HP, 64 of which arrives at the 180 rear tire via the golden X-ring chain from DID. 20 years ago it was 79 horsepower when tested in series trim. The conversion wasn’t about maximum power. Louis screwdriver veteran Detlef Studemann, known as "Stude", adapted the carburetor settings to the exposed lungs: four individual power air filters. They give the engine a sexy aura and should breathe a little more air and life into it. And fell under the discretion of the TÜV inspector.

Most of the conversion parts used by Louis have an ABE or a TÜV certificate. On the attached rubbers, the aged Dunlop D 208 RR, little negative profile looks really sporty. Goal when it comes to grip, feedback and steering precision, there is much better these days. The chassis of the Honda CB Seven Fifty remained completely original.

Despite the feather-light 216 kilograms with a full tank, 17 less than before the conversion, you have to grab a little bit of the stub when turning. Fits the wiry concept. After all, the black swan sails low in neutral. On good asphalt. Because the stereo struts from Honda’s house-and-yard supplier Showa combines less than comfortable basic hardness with moderate damping. Let’s book mildly under the heading "old age".

Honda

The basis: A Seven Fifty is good-natured and strong every day, just not very sexy.

The sitting position is strenuous in the long run, especially when creeping when there is no wind pressure. Get off again and admire many small details: fine cellar men, mini turn signals with elegant metal housing, for example. Or the rudimentary rear light above the filigree license plate holder. Optically neat: the Louis side cover on the right crankshaft stub. Of practical use: An oil thermometer instead of the former filler neck provides information about the current oil temperature. Beautifully shaped: the LSL brake fluid reservoir at the rear.

The big series instruments hit the collar. Mini round clocks with a white background and holders were found in the Louis range. It was more difficult to convert the Honda CB Seven Fifty to the handlebars. Because the lower handlebar mounts and the standard fork bridge are cast in one piece. So a new upper triple clamp had to be found. It looks a bit clunky, with an analog clock and air thermometer a bit overloaded.

Criticisms? Well, the brake pads of the original brake calipers whine annoyingly when you bite the curved TRW Lucas discs. Louis has a remedy in store: copper paste for 4.99 euros or anti-squeak film (that’s really what it’s called!) For the back of the coverings. Cost: 6.99 euros. Even if this Honda CB Seven Fifty is absolutely unique: As a conversion treasure trove for backyard and garage tuners, the proud bird offers a lot of great suggestions. See what’s up. A lot if you want. You just have to consistently hatch your ideas. Just like the wild things of the Louis screwdriver crew.

Drag strip with the CB

At the Glemseck 101 motorcycle festival, editor Thomas Schmieder competed in the “International Sprint” over the eighth mile in early September 2013. 32 drivers in 16 pairs from half of Europe compete against each other in a knockout system on the former Solitude race track near Stuttgart. Thomas had to face TT star Conor Cummins on a Buell XB 12 of all people. A magical moment to stand in front of the start line for two: full concentration, flag down – and go! Thomas got off to a better start, got away faster than Conor Cummins, his shift points were correct. But the 70-horsepower four-cylinder was not able to cope with the wildly galloping 95 US Mustangs of the V-Twin for long. In the end, the racer pushed forward from the Isle of Man. Congratulations!

Info:
www.glemseck101.de

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All information about the renovation

TRILLION

The performance diagram of the Louis-Honda CB Seven Fifty.

Prices and parts
Order hotline and information:
Telephone 0 40/73 41 93 60 and www.louis.de

The most important parts of the conversion are:
GRP hump seat for Yamaha SR 500 with mounting kit: 189.90 euros; Seat cushions and seat covers from www.sattlerei-kinzlin.de (Hamburg); Complete exhaust system Megacone SpeedPro MotoGP: 779 euros; Delo Power air filter: 9.99 euros (each); British style chrome headlights: EUR 59.95; Lamp holder with clamps: 79.90 euros; LSL handlebar stub Sport-Match: 38.95 euros (set); LSL fork clamps Sport-Match: 119.95 euros; LSL handlebar grips: 34.95 euros (pair); Aluminum handlebar ends: 14.99 euros (pair); LSL clutch / brake lever: 199.90 euros (set); Speedometer Moto Detail: 69.95 euros; Tachometer Moto Detail: 99.95 euros; Kellermann indicator Micro 1000: 34.95 euros (each); LSL brake fluid reservoir: 79.95 euros; TRW-Lucas brake discs: 125.95 euros (each front) or 99.95 euros (rear); TRW Lucas steel braided brake lines: 139.95 euros (front) or 57.95 euros (rear); LSL mirror Clubman: 79.95 euros (each); Mini horn: 7.99 euros; Indicator lights: 1.99 euros (each); Moto Detail Thermometer: 9.99 euros; Moto detail analog watch: 14.99 euros.

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