Chris Tragert, owner of Venice Choppers has been building bikes since 1972, starting with a Honda S90, built from a basket case.
A few months ago we featured his classic creation ‘The Venice Cafe Racer‘. Today we are taking a look at his bare knuckle custom Honda CB75F aka ‘The Venice Bobber’, which is a product of its surroundings.
According to Chris “A light, compact weapon was needed to slice through the traffic-choked urban sprawl surrounding the sea-side oasis where it was conceived. Lightweight, quickness, agile handling, and good brakes were top priority. The resulting menacing appearance would give murderous cagers something to text about.”
To achieve the criteria above, Chris managed to obtain an early 70’s Amen rigid frame, complete with its unique oil tank and battery tray. The Venice Bobber features a stock length Honda CB750 front-end, united with a 21-inch rim and has the frame sitting low and level. The rear of ‘The Venice Bobber’ houses a 17-inch CB750 wheel, it’s drum brake activated by a 40′ Ford brake pedal.
The heart of this bare knuckle bobber is a 1978 Honda CB75F, which was stripped down and rebuilt with chrome covers and stainless hardware. This custom Honda CB75F breathes through early CB carbs and fitted with the vintage Dunstall exhaust. This rare 4-2 collector is tipped with 2-inch exhaust cutouts, 8-inch baffles attach to the end caps which provides a mellow exhaust note from discreetly drilled outlets.
A Hayabusa master cylinder feeds the venerable Honda disc some extra juice, in a world of ABS induced delayed reactions. Finishing touches included a West Eagle seat, sprung with 2” Bates springs. Last but not least the Alien gas tank which was powder-coated charcoal metallic, with a candy red top coat.
According to Chris “It’s 50+ mile range will see you clear to the edge of town. Spontaneous, nocturnal missions are illuminated by a Lucas driving lamp. Backup is provided by a VW turn signal, stuffed with red LEDs. Wired up, and fired up, this bike has proven to be an effective tool for traversing the urban landscape. It’s lean looks are a direct result of it’s dedication to function, proving less is more, and if you need more, here it is.”
