On paper, the late-2000s Honda CB600F Hornet is a good bike; a vigorous four-cylinder middleweight, extensively praised for its rideability and reliability. However within the flesh, it’s arduous to get enthusiastic about. Like most of Honda’s bare bikes, the steadfast Hornet lacks panache—which makes it prime materials for personalization.
This Honda Hornet café racer comes from Sébastien Vernaison in France—a part-time {custom} builder that works as Seb Kustom Bike. He purchased the bike a number of years in the past, personalized it, after which determined to place it again below the knife so as to add much more swagger. And we’re glad he did, as a result of the result’s miles other than the bike’s vanilla origins.
Seb’s newest mods embody the Honda Hornet’s racy new bodywork. The fairing and tail bump are aftermarket fiberglass elements from the French equipment maker, Poly26—however each have been modified closely to go well with this construct. The Honda’s OEM gas tank sits tidily between them.
The general aesthetic is extremely well-judged, mixing sportbike and traditional endurance racer components to create a contemporary café racer vibe.
The fairing sits on a hand-crafted body and is simple to take away, whereas the tail part pops off to disclose a bench-style seat. The seat—and the subframe under it—are carried over from the Hornet’s earlier iteration. (Seb has the outdated LED headlight available as effectively in order that he can simply swap between the 2 types.)
A slim entrance fender and a pointy stomach pan add further pizzaz, and Seb will get bonus factors for the offset headlight design and the aggressively trimmed windscreen. The taillight and rear sign association, which makes use of a trio of Kellermann LEDs, is fairly neat too. Kellermann LEDs additionally deal with entrance flip sign duties, flanking the Honda’s radiator shrouds.
The cockpit sports activities a modified prime yoke, cleaned as much as accommodate clip-on bars. Additionally current are a steering damper, a quick-turn throttle, recent grips, and Nissin brake and clutch controls. A Koso speedo hides behind the tinted display screen.
Seb didn’t neglect the Hornet’s working gear both. The entrance forks have been upgraded with Hyperpro springs, and there’s an adjustable Hyperpro shock out again. Dunlop Sportmax tires wrap across the inventory wheels.
Seb additionally upgraded the brake hoses and entrance brake discs, and fitted a brand new filter from DNA Filters. Wagner Traditional Oil provided recent engine and fork oil, and a remedy for the within of the well-used gas tank.
An exhaust system could make or break a {custom} construct, however Seb has nailed the transient on this one. Stainless-steel four-into-one headers from Arrow are mated to a Danmoto carbon fiber silence, modified by West Welding 29. It’s a burly setup that completely enhances the Hornet’s neo-retro café racer fashion.
The bike’s completed off with a swingarm-mounted license plate mount, and a custom-built enlargement bottle, caught subsequent to the rear shock. Earlier than buttoning the construct up, Seb stripped it down, painted the body black, and despatched the bodywork off to a physique store to put down the gray base coat. Shade-matched engine case protectors add an additional pop of gray.
The blue pin-striping is Seb’s handiwork, and matches the blue wheels, shock spring, and preload adjuster.
It’s arduous to consider a greater livery for this plucky Honda Hornet café racer. Now if solely Honda would make ’em like this from the manufacturing unit.
Seb Kustom Bike | Pictures by Les Studio de Broceliande
