I Have Not Featured A Motorcycle,

for some time,

 so here is a really neat one, it is base on the gem of a motorcycle, a very old Honda 4 cylinder 400cc motorcycle, which this hill climb/cafe racer was the donor for, now here is the thing, you area student but you want to build a motorcycle, what do you do? you cleverly convince your professors that building a race bike would absolutely make sense as your Masters of Architecture thesis project, 

which is what Marc Vertesi joined by his brother Philip, a Physiotherapy student did, they run 2VMotos in Lausanne, building and repairing classic customs when their heads aren’t in the books, so, inspired by European designers of the early 20th century comes this peer-reviewed racer from the bones of a 1976 Honda CB400, aptly named ‘Schienenzeppelin’,

 but needing to write a 148-page thesis and finish the bike in the next two months the internet proved the best place for the other tins. “We sourced a half fairing in Thailand, hand-shaped by OmegaRacer out of aluminium and a Benelli Mojave replica tank also out of aluminium.”

 the complete overhaul includes a honed block accepting 0.5over pistons. The top end is ported and polished, with KPMI valve springs inside and a bank of Keihin CR26 carburetors on the outside. While the spark side is upgraded thanks to Dynatec coils and Pamco electronic ignition. Finally, a stunning set of Delkevic 4-1 pipes were bolted on,

 the forks were rebuilt with Wirth progressive springs and fitted with a lower aluminum triple tree from TTR400 and a billet top tree. For the period correct look replica Borrani rims were laced up to the hubs with stainless steel spokes, before being wrapped up in Avon Roadmaster rubber. With a special order sent to British shock specialists Hagon resulting in a custom pair of their pieces bolted up to the rear,

  a tray was built to hold and house a lithium-ion battery, regulator and starter relocation switch. The kick start was removed and replaced with a TTR400 plug, with the same company also supplying the rearsets. With the other half of the race controls, Fehling clip-ons, wearing a Nissin retro master cylinder and braided brake lines,

with time running down and Marc furiously writing up and photographing every detail of the build and its inspiration, some quick testing showed the need for a racing clutch and stiffer springs. Finally, the build was completed with minimal graphics and the seat upholstery done in vintage RC181 style using Alcantara by Lugon Garnisseur,

with Europe in the middle of summer the Honda has been competing flawlessly in the Swiss Hill Climb Championship and when it’s not racing the renaissance CB400 sits in the 2VMotos shop next to a copy of Marc’s brilliant thesis, which you can read here, and follow the shop in Instagram, photography by Rob Hamilton, what a really nice café racer and what a great thesis!