The outcomes are at all times particular when an expert {custom} builder units out to create a motorbike for themselves. With no shopper temporary on the desk, it’s all about their very own character and proclivities. Nevertheless it’s onerous to pin Christian Reier’s tastes down—his newest construct is a large departure from his final, although they have been each private tasks.
Nicknamed the ‘Metropolis Surfer,’ this explicit mission began out as a 1969 Honda CB250K. Working from the Reier Motors workshop within the picturesque outskirts of Lamprechtshausen, Austria, Christian remodeled the common-or-garden twin right into a day by day runner that’s half child bagger, and half rolling artwork canvas.
Christian began by fine-tuning the CB250K’s stance, by means of decreasing the suspension at each ends. There are nonetheless a couple of inches of journey, however not way more, which speaks volumes about Austria’s street upkeep regime.
Subsequent, the subframe was lower all the way down to make it as brief as potential. Christian hammered out a seat unit from 0.75 mm thick sheet metallic, and had the saddle trimmed in brown leather-based. Held in place by three press studs on the again, the saddle hinges ahead to disclose a stash spot beneath the rear hump.
To additional enhance the bike’s comfort issue, Christian welded up a {custom} rear rack to carry a pair of fiberglass panniers, scalped from an previous Harley. The rack was tailor-made to the circumstances, in order that they might be connected with none extra modifications.
They’re the right addition to a metropolis bike, particularly in the event you draw back from carrying a backpack whereas driving. And since each the bike and panniers are slung low, they undoubtedly gained’t be in the way in which if you sling your leg over the seat. To maintain issues road authorized, the pannier body additionally helps a Bates-style tail mild, flip indicators and a license plate bracket.
Peek beneath the seat, and also you’ll spot a custom-made stainless-steel field. That’s the place all of the electronics now reside, together with the battery, wiring and relays. Flanking it are two overly massive air filters from UNI, feeding air right into a pair of Mikuni carbs.
The engine itself was stripped, rebuilt from the bottom up and painted. The dual exhaust can also be {custom}; the headers make their manner down the size of the bike, and terminate in MASS mufflers beneath the panniers.
Up entrance you’ll discover the unique headlight and fork shrouds, with new flip indicators and a set of low-rise LSL bars. The cockpit is fantastically easy, complemented by an MMB speedo that sits in a color-matched housing.
Earlier than Christian turned to the Honda’s eclectic paint job, he had yet one more vital merchandise to tick off his record. The gasoline tank that got here with the donor bike was in far too good a situation to color over, so he swapped it out for the tank from a more recent Honda CB250. It has barely softer edges than the unique, making it a very good match for the seat and panniers.
The beautiful paint was laid down by an Austrian-French road artist couple, who go by Jana and JS. They like to make use of city-inspired motifs of their work, which Christian felt was good for the bike. That’s one benefit of fiberglass panniers—in relation to art work, there’s ample room.
The wheels and body have been painted black to make the art work pop much more. The remainder of the bike was handled to a full nut-and-bolt restoration, with intelligent little color-coded touches, like inexperienced gasoline hoses.
Christian has turned this staple Japanese commuter right into a fairly fashionable, and sensible, city runabout. It’s small, light-weight and economical to run, even with the Mikuni carbs.
“The bike has little or no suspension journey and is extraordinarily low to the bottom, which supplies a pure driving feeling,” explains Christian. “The design stands out and actually places the Honda within the highlight. The artwork of Jana and JS provides completely to its look.”
Despite the fact that this was a private mission for Christian, the Metropolis Surfer is now on the market. Simply don’t ship us out for groceries on it—we is likely to be out for some time.
Reier Motors | Fb | Instagram | Pictures by Jean-Sebastien Philippe
