dB Customs

As if 2020 couldn’t be any worse, an icon in the industry, a friend, has left this world. Denis Curtis, the architect, founder, and heart of CMR Racing, has lost his battle with cancer. On Christmas Day, I called Denis in the hospital to say goodbye to my friend, and simply tell him that he was adored and admired by all who knew him, and that somehow and someway his legacy will live on. Rest In Peace mate, see you on the other side. #fuckcancer

If anyone would like some cool photos for their wallpaper, here is a link to some CBX RestoMod images in high resolution. Feel free to download and use! Simply open the image, click on the three "dots" in the top right corner, and select download from the menu. https://photos.app.goo.gl/v4inShUj5pkWpA2s7

Something is lurking in the shadows ......

The CBX Restomod build featured on Bike EXIF .... check it out.

Going at it 350% to get some bikes done before the winter madness and freeze begins ..... it's getting real. Reveals coming soon ....... #CBX #GPZ #XR69 #NoSleep

GPZ1100 parts all vapor blasted in prep for Cerakote treatment. New GPZ emblems coming for LH and RH covers. Bodywork is coming to completion, and looks AMAZING. All required parts are powder coated. Have some custom work to do on the YZF750R swingarm conversion as the last real major modification item. Once engine pieces come back from painter, it will be assembly time! Glad to see this one coming to an end, customer is stoked!!

Here it is, after a year long build, the 1979 Honda CBX Restomod. To see the before pics and some of the build process, see the other album. The engine is a 67.5mm JE piston 1146cc with Ray Mancini (Xtreme Motorsports) worked head, Carrillo rods, Webcams camshafts, and Vince & Hyde Racing cam chains, guide, and manual rear tensioner. The crabs are Keihin FCR flatslides from JB Power, as well as the incredible 6-1 titanium exhaust and the billet rearsets. Ignition is an Ignit...ech V96 box with Dyna 2.2 ohm grey coils. The suspension is OHLINS all around with Brembo billet calipers, and RCS levers. Wheels are Dymag CA5 carbon fiber with Avon Spirit ST tires, and the swinger is from OVER Racing. The gauge and all signals lights are from KOSO and we updated the switch gear to modern units. The paint is all original, however the side panels were updated with hydrograhic carbon fiber (by Sketchs Ink) to match the front fender. When we received the bike, it weighed 275.5lbs in the front and 272.5lbs in the rear for a comboned weight of 548lbs. NOW the bike weighs 238.5lbs front and 226lbs rear for a total weight of 464.5lbs (a loss of over 80lbs compared to when we received it). This is one killer CBX! Since this was our first CBX build, a special thanks goes out to Roland Skate and Brent Hyde (Vince & Hyde Racing) for their valuable insight. The motorcycling community is far better when we share our experiences and knowledge with others and support each other as we grow. Cheers!

There are a few things I find therapeutic in my life ...... riding my bikes, fishing for big walleye, a good gin and tonic, and assembling a Honda CBX engine with some cool hot rod parts. What does it for you?

Who would have known that this big inline-six 1979 Honda CBX would look so killer ..... wait until you see the transformation! Think hair band 80's rock modded CBX (with Calfab swinger, PM wheels, Kerker pipe, AP calipers, and a ton of red highlights) transformed into a modern tasteful high tech restomod with carbon fiber wheels, billet swinger, brembo brakes, OHLINS suspension, hand bent titanium exhaust ..... Any bets what the final weight will be? Post up some guesses!

This build is for a customer in NY state. He has owned this bike since new, and it has a bit of an identity crisis which you will see eventually with the BEFORE images. The customer LOVED the CB985F EVO that we built him a couple years ago, and so he wanted his beloved CBX to get the same dB Customs treatment including a full rebuilt engine (bored, balanced crank, cams, porting, Carrillo rods, etc), OHLINS all around, Dymag carbon fiber wheels, Brembo brakes, OVER Racing swingarm, JB -Power (FCR's, titanium 6-1 pipe, cooler kit), gauges, and so much more. The paint will be left alone as it is already almost perfect. Follow along and share at will, as this thing is going to look and sound incredible when done.

Some fork tubes and brake drum pieces in for vapor blasting, before and after shots in the album ...... not in the best condition but 100% better than what we started with.

It's officially fall .... so let's bring out some fall colors

Some Honda CB450 fork tubes and brake drum pieces in for vapor blasting, before and after shots in the album ...... not in the best condition but 100% better than what we started with.

GPZ1100 parts all vapor blasted in prep for Cerakote treatment. New GPZ emblems coming for LH and RH covers. Bodywork is coming to completion, and looks AMAZING. All required parts are powder coated. Have some custom work to do on the YZF750R swingarm conversion as the last real major modification item. Once engine pieces come back from painter, it will be assembly time! Glad to see this one coming to an end, customer is stoked!!

So excited and honored to be receiving the very first set of Dymag Performance Wheels re-issued CH3 classic 3 spoke wheels off their production in FORGED ALUMINUM! These are in sizes 5" x 17" and 3.5" x 17", to be used on the dB Customs's Honda CB750-F Superbike tribute race bike for our customer in New Zealand! #dymag #superbike #honda #cb750F #racing #bikeporn #forged #black

Customer dropped off some rare Lotus differential and brake parts for vapor blasting. From this album you can see the before and after results. I never get tired of seeing all these customer's parts come out so pristine.

I'm looking for a Euro / Canadian VF1000R fuel tank (it has the flatter top compared to USA model). Please PM me if you have one (or know of one) for sale. Cheers!

This is an incredible rendering of the Honda CBX to pay tribute to the 1982 Honda CB750-F factory superbikes of the day. What a great job by @Shigetaka Kawai! Love it! What do you all think?!

Looking for a back up painter specializing in motorcycle work located somewhere between Kingston and Montreal. I’m getting too busy to rely on one painter and need a backup in the event my current source can’t give me the turnaround I need. Any recommendations?

The GOOSE has landed .... seat is taller than I thought it would be

RANT ... sometimes my heart gets the best of me. Try to give someone an opportunity to take on a project and build a Canadian consortium, only to get burned. Endless excuses, empty promises, timelines promised never ever met, narcissistic and aggressive behaviour, never willing to take responsibility for their own actions (always someone else’s fault), and so on and so on. Then, in the end their fabrication tolerances are just pathetic, and I mean things that should be within... 2-3mm are 6-30mm off. Just brutal. Show the work to others in the business and they just laughed. So end up spending more time and $ to make things right and up to the quality I demand. I should had went with my gut and not with my heart .... never again. With a new acquisition in the talks, this outfit could had been fed a considerable amount of work by me .... but you have burned too many bridges. See more

Customer brought in some transmission and manifold parts from an RX3 rotary. These cars are SUPER coo! Parts needed some love from the vapor blaster and they cleaned up decent. Years of oxidation and corrosion take a toll on these castings and so the finish isn't pristine, but certainly 1000% better than what he started with. Here are the before and afters >>>>

The CB750F Superbike tribute race bike will be far from a replica but to me it’s still important to include the little things and details that represent the original as much as possible, such as these 45 degree forged brake fittings from Aeroquip (expensive little buggers!).

A repeat customer of mine was ready to send me a VF1000R to create a VF750-F race bike. But then, I was speaking with my good mate Angus Green from the UK regarding his built VF750-F race bike replica that was based off a VF1000R. I sold a set of FCR's to Angus to help with this creation, and so I was very familiar with the build and the amount of time and effort he spent to get it to where it was today. He was contemplating selling it, and so instead of starting something fr...om scratch, I told Angus I'd help him move it and use it as a donor for my customers build, and now it's on its way to Canada from the UK. We will strip it down and use quite a few of the components, and add some of my touches and make it street worthy. This is an overview of what we will start with: Frame -VF1000R frame with modified and braced shock mount to accept a full race WILBERS rear shock (shock length designed for ZX7RR); -Rear light weight sub-frame from a Ducati and modified to fit; Swingarm -CB900 Hornet sinwgarm modified and braced with bespoke billet axle block and chain adjusters; Front Forks -RC51 (SP2) with anodized fork tubes Bespoke internals by BRS Suspension with cartridges; Billet fork lowers (only 3 made in the world) to accept radial mount calipers; Brakes -Brembo M4 (Panigale) -Rear AP Moto GP caliper -Accasato front brake master and lever (as well as clutch) Wheels Marchesini from a Ducati 999R Exhaust -Thin tube stainless bespoke by Henry Newman (only two in the world). Ignition -Stock VF1000R with ACCEL coils and bespoke wiring loom Engine -Head and cases were line bored for cams and crank. - It is a misconception that these engines ruined cams due to insufficient oiling (hence the oil feed mod that was marketed), but it was in fact that the line boring of the cam bearing journals was horrible from the factory and the real fix was to have them properly line bored. This is a big PLUS that this is done. Also has the oil feed mod. -All rotating components balanced and blueprinted -Liners were removed to have taper boring for large displacement (1050cc) -Head was ported and flowed, stock cams, stock sized valves -Custom made forged pistons from Germany -FCR carbs with custom bracket and linkages to fit VF1000R engine Bodywork -VF1000R with bottom cut out and repositioned for FCR carbs (straight outlets) -VF750F side covers and rear seat cowl

More little details for the CB750F superbike tribute! Thanks to my buddy @Jim Culora for again working his magic and creating these vintage AMA Tech Insp decals. Thanks also to my mate John Froude for providing a sample to scan. We went with the white background to be more consistent with the ones used in the 80-82ish seasons ....

UPDATE! Received some parts from a customer who wanted some parts from his Honda RC30 vapour blasted and restored. The various steel bits of hardware and fasteners were zinc plated and all aluminum coated in clear Cerakote. Turned out great!

You are looking at the very first dB Customs bike built 5 years ago for my first customer (and now really good friend). When the bike left my hands, it had 33mm CR-S carbs and ran pretty decent out of the box, but I instructed the new owner to bring it to a Dyno tuner upon receiving it to have it properly tuned for his region as it was already running slightly on the rich side. This is what he did, as instructed, but after me viewing the Dyno video he showed me and the sheet ...Continue reading

Nology Profire high output coils to be used in combination with Ignitech ignition and a TPS on CR-S carbs for the CB-F Superbike build. Also using these on the CBX restomod build ...

My Vince and Hyde lightened (8kg) and Superfinished crank all ready to be shipped from New Zealand for the CB1100R build. A very tasteful addition for my logo to be added.

Here are some before and afters of a customers Honda CB550 head and cylinder just completed. What an awesome transformation don't you agree?

These "180 " MPH speedo's as seen on Freddies 1982 Honda CB750F Superbike never really existed. They were 80 MPH units and it was an inside joke to put a "1" in-front of each digit, and then pin the speedo maxed out. My buddy Jim Culora worked his magic and re-created these for me as a gauge overlay, which I'll use on the CB-F race bike I'm building for my customer in New Zealand. A nice touch to add the dB Customs logo! Jim is a very talented painter and creates some amazing helmet liveries for many riders. Be sure to check out his work here >>> http://graphixbyjim.com/

We are certainly in interesting times. I truly hope you and your families and friends are all staying safe and healthy. What are you all doing to get through this pandemic? Around here, spring is in the air, and we should be getting ready to ride, but for now we can only just sit back and polish our bikes and dream of the open roads. It's the responsible thing to do. Some of our customers bikes have been delayed in progress, as supply chains limit operations and temporarily c...lose down to practice social distancing. So, plenty of time is spent dreaming of what the finished bikes will look like. Our customers await patiently. I can't thank them enough for being understanding, I really do have the best customers in the world! So as we try to keep production going, I'll leave you with this image, and just imagine what this bike will sound like ....... #staysafe #socialdistancing #honda #ahm #superbike #dreaming #bikeporn #rsc

Deposit received for another Katana restomod build, this will be our third in as little as 3 years. Customer comes from NY state, has a riding and racing background spanning 40 yrs, and has a nice bike collection too. We have quite the backlog of builds, so this will be a summer of 2021 delivery. Hope all of you are safe and healthy and surviving out there!

Before and after vapor blasting of CBX head .... enroute to Xtreme Motorsports in TN so Ray can work his magic (porting, SS valves, springs, etc) as well as bore cylinders for 67.5mm JE pistons (1146cc).

Working with a graphics specialist to get the size, vintage, and colors correct on some logos for a dB Customs customer build. They are coming along nicely! Updates to follow! #cb750F #superbike #freddiespencer #RSC #Honda

The beginning of something ...... can anyone guess what it is?

Have a customer looking for a donor Katana (prefer 1000/1100) for a build. He's located in NY State but willing to travel for the right donor. Needs to be a titled frame, and has no need for engine, or front and rear ends, as it will be a full dB Custom build. Let me know via PM what you might have or if you know of any for sale. Cheers!

A friend of mine has an F for sale, he’s a standup guy and you won’t be disappointed with this bike. Located in NY state.

Some sweet bike porn arrived for the dB Customs #CBX from Dymag Performance Wheels. These #carbonfiber wheels are so sexy, don’t you agree? Our customer is drooling! Contact us if you want a set of wheels for your ride, available for 1000s of makes and models.

Sometimes you don't start with much ..... but it's where you finish at that really matters.

One of my customers has had a long lived dream to ride at the famed Laguna Seca in the USA. With the upswing in events recently announced by MotoAmerica for the Heritage racing series, he feels it's time to finally make the trip, all the way from NZ, and ride the circuits that many of his heroes have ridden. He doesn't care if he finishes on the podium, just wants a reliable bike with enough power to be competitive and have a good time! This album will provide updates as we build him a bike and follow his journey to the cork screw!

Some new bling arrived for the #CBX ....

The carbon fiber bodywork for the XR69 tributes has finally been mounted, corrected, and is in for paint to lay down the base color. After the base color is finished, the guys at Sketchs Ink will return so we can mount it back onto the bikes and then layout the final lines to where they look best. I've been playing around with some renderings of what the final livery might look like. THIS is pretty close to what these could look like, and the customers are giving their thumbs up. One might have said he pee'd a little ..... what do ya'll think? The front fender will be some combination of blue white and red as well, but was too lazy to render :D

This album will be placeholder for the dB Customs build of a customers 1983 GPZ1100, which we are calling the Green Monster. Plenty going on her with OHLINS suspension, Brembo brakes, Yoshimura TMR-MJN's, a massaged engine with hot cams and RACEFIT custom Ti exhaust system, OZ Racing Gass Racing wheels, to name a few .... Stay tuned over the coming months on progress pics with a Spring 2020 delivery.

Everyone loves a good rainbow .... how about 6? #titanium #handbent #honda #CBX #JBPower #BITORD #bikeporn #dBcustoms #bling #restomod

Like DJ Khaled says, another one! Look for another large multi-page feature, on dB Customs GS1100ES build, in the Feb 2020 issue of Practical Sportbikes Magazine!

Wow when did this happen?! Three years in and we’ve already surpassed 10,000! Thanks to every single one of you for the support!

442,000 views, oh my! I just LOVE this #katana! Just wait until you see the one we are working on now #restomod #hotrod #suzuki #xtreme #ohlins #brembo #ozracingwheels

Some new engine porn for the #CB1100R thanks to #Carrillo CP-Carrillo #Honda #bikeporn #restomod

Here's wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year! Cheers to you all! - dB

My friend John lost his long battle with cancer last year in the fall of 2017. He was a very active and die hard member of the cb1100f.net forum, and very passionate about everything that was CB-F/R. John had entrusted me with his beloved CB1100RC, knowing that I would bring it back to life in the only way I know how. This album will serve to document the build. I hope he is watching from above, and will bring a smile to his face, a smile we were all so familiar with. This on...Continue reading

Made up some front wheel spacers for the OHLINS forks and rear shock mounts for the GSXR 600 swingarm

First round of custom titanium pieces coming in from our friend Cary Shufelt for the CB1100R ..... next week much more significant goodies to arrive. #titanium #cb1100R #dBCustoms #Honda #restomod

A signature bike deserves a signature exhaust ..... with hand bent titanium awesomeness from our friends over at BITO R&D. This was custom bent for our own CB1100R using Nitro Racing rearsets. Our friend Shun Bito purchased the rearsets in Japan so that they could get the bends JUST RIGHT. Love how tight it fits to the underside. Anyone notice anything particular about this exhaust (a certain feature)? #titanium #BITO #CB1100R #Honda #Restomod #dBCustoms #cb1100fer #bigJohn #RIP

Tear down of the CB1100RC engine complete. Next will do a degrease and run the parts through the vapour blaster in prep for further processing.

Did some vapor blasting for a local customer's C2 custom corvette. This is half of the pieces, the other half are identical but for the right side of the car. As usual, before and after pics are provided. #corvette #ottawa #vaporblasting #restomod

A little something I'm considering for the CB1100R. I will be setting the bike up with Yoshimura TMR-MJN carbs and a TPS. The titanium exhaust will have a port for an oxygen sensor. Looking at this high contrast TFT display unit from AIM that will utilize GPS for my speed, and fully customizable display that will also allow me to see real-time A/F ratio with using the wide band lambda controller and a Bosch LSU 4.9 probe. Have the ability to also attach their data logger to record a slew of info (lap times, position on the track, top-speed and average, acceleration, braking, ECU data and all the ones coming from the sensors ..... all the things I really don't need :D).

and today's bikeporn of the day (maybe even the year) goes to MJK Performance ..... #OMG #CNC #billet #canadianmade #ohcanada @the_dr.phil_experience

I just love what I do! In this business, you get to meet some pretty awesome / talented builders. I firmly believe there is a strong motorcycle builder community, maybe the greatest there has ever been. I like to if I can, whenever I get a chance, to promote others, and strengthen ties between businesses. It is healthy for the community! One builder I have turned to now and again for advice, is James over at James Compton Customs. He builds the sickest ZRX's on the planet, and has a lot of great parts to support that platform. Be sure to go check him out and like his page! You won't regret it! dB

Titanium fasteners surely reduce weight ..... however certainly adds up in cost! lol #CB1100R #weightloss #slimshady #titanium #probolt #bling

Trusted by Dean Harrison, Michael Dunlop, and Isle of Man TT riders worldwide. Our award-winning UP7X aluminum and CA5 carbon wheels!! For more information on prices, sizes, colour options, and availability, visit our website: http://bit.ly/Promo-UP7X

A one-off steering stem made on the manual lathe from high strength aluminum alloy 7075. Next to cut the threads for the bearing preload and top clamp retaining nuts.

THREE sets of 1983 Honda #CB1100RD custom carbon fiber bodywork ordered Aug 18th from a contact in Japan. They asked if I was in a hurry, I said no not overly, and so they promised completion of mid October from constructor. #HUH? Was a bit skeptical with 9 week delivery on these ..... but I said lets do it. I asked if they wanted deposit, or full payment upfront. They said no, you can pay when they are finished. #What?! October 7th, they contact me saying the bodywork is a...lmost done. #ExcuseMe? They send pics of progress. #OMG! October 18th, bodywork is complete and they show pics of completed product. #DROOL! They OFFER to ship in 3 different boxes in 3 different shipments to make sure shipping cost and import tax into Canada is low for me (value added service). #triplethumbsup . Payment is transferred to them immediately. October 25th, pics sent to me showing product carefully wrapped, protected, and boxed and ready to ship. Tracking numbers also sent. First box arrives Nov 4th (yesterday), next two boxes arriving today and tomorrow according to tracking. Product is incredible. #WOW! I send extra $ (JPY) for their incredible service and extra effort. They are very grateful for the #TIP! We will do business again, and again ..... and again on many products. #grateful #teamwork #gettingitdone #professional #meetingdeadlines

You know you have some awesome customers when they are drunk messaging you from the other side of the world saying how much they love their bikes and wished I was there to be riding with them (sober, obviously ....) I have often said that I create bikes, but build life long friendships. The motorcycling community is a family, we praise each other for their accomplishments and raise them up when they fail. It’s when I get messages like this that I know I’m headed in the right direction ....

#CBX1000 #FTW #CBX6 #Honda This bike will be killer ....

Some witch on her broom (my UPS delivery lady) dropped of the CB1100R wheels today for Halloween, courtesy of OZ Racing! These OZ Gass wheels are insanely light and the gold color will be a great match to the original comstars fitted to the bike.