1-17-18 Update: 6 months later, Tim H notes that this bike has moved to Orlando and it’s been discounted to $12,900. You can find it here on Cafe Racer For Sale.
Richmond, VA-based Classified Moto began its journey back in 2011 when cofounder John Ryland was laid off from his advertising gig he’d been working for more than a decade. John and his wife Betsy would grow the company and in 2013 they would move out of their residential garage into an industrial shop as several other members would join their ranks. They describe their bikes as “a Frankenstein combo of old and modern components that hopefully add up to something fun and unique,” and I’d have to say that’s a pretty accurate self-assessment, especially when talking about the example of theirs that’s currently for sale.
As I’ve previously stated; the sea of cafe racers built in recent years has made seeing a truly noteworthy cafe racer an increasingly seldom feat, (no more true then when talking about the Honda CB) but this bike from Classified Moto entitled the “Superstrada” is a top shelf example of what the majority of cafe builds strive to be. It’s clean and minimalistic while still boasting high-quality craftsmanship and an overall readily-noticeable professionally-built appearance. This build was only possible because a “spare no expense” approach was taken but it appears to have paid off as this one-off CB is genuinely something special. The fellas over at BikeEXIF seemed to agree as they crowned the Superstrada their 2013 Bike of the Year.
The 1980 CB750F Superstrada project took over two-years to complete and gets its name from the fact it boasts a single sided swingarm off a (Ducati) Multistrada, fitted with a rear wheel from a (Ducati) Hypermotard. Obviously the single sided swing arm necessitates a monoshock which on its own is noticeably superior to the stock rear suspension on the ’80 CB, but the Superstrada also sports a front end (fork, front wheel and brake) from a (Yamaha) R6 which seriously improves the machine’s handling and performance capabilities. Interestingly the folks at CM opted to wrap the wheels in two different tires, with a Metzeler ME880 in front and a Dunlop D616 in back. (Hopefully they warm up at the same rate and have similar traction!)
The tank on the Superstrada is stock (from the 1980 CB750F) but it has been nickel-plated along with the tail section before receiving its custom tank-badges and then being painted with a black racing stripe. A handmade one-off metal meshed sidecover in lieu of the stock sidecover is an awesome touch that helps to distinguish its build-quality and meticulous attention to detail. The Strada also has a 4-into-1 Vance & Hines exhaust that features a custom one-off silencer. Custom mounts were made to accommodate R6 rearsets, a premium Acewell digital display handles instrumentation duties and the custom upholstered leather seat was done by Roy Baird of Richmond, VA.
The difference between pro and amateur photos…
Classified Moto has different tiers to differentiate their levels of build with level 1 being their most basic and level 5 being their best (and most expensive). Before the Superstrada was built level 4 was the pinnacle of their offerings but this example introduced CM’s money-is-no-concern, level 5 which starts at $40,000 and up, making the Superstrada a steal relative to Classified Moto’s prices and other offerings. With that said, no one would be unjustified in thinking a level 5 build would at least lose the plastic reservoirs but alas they did not.
For more info on the Superstrada you can check out its page here on CM’s website. You can find this beautiful professionally-built one-off 1980 CB750F cafe racer with modern suspension from Classified Moto for sale here on Craigslist in Miami, Florida with a price of $18,999.