SteelBent's 1980 CeeBee
By Anthony van Someren - 11 Jun 12
"We build Riders"... Music to my ears, from Michael Mundy of Steel Bent Customs in Florida. You may have seen their recent "Brat" bike on Pipeburn; another object lesson in simple, useable, stylish custom building, but I think this 1980 CB750 is my favourite, with it's super-slimline brat style seat, up-swept zorst and apologetically-tiny rear light. You just know this is a bike you can use all day and all night as a daily ride, but still spend ten minutes looking at her after you've parked it up.
Michael is keen to credit the help and support he gets from Jason & Herm at Dime City Cycles, and Robert Armstrong who sources the majority of their donor bikes. Donors are posted up on their facebook page until a customer crops up, and then the build begins, with most bikes being completed within a realistic $5000-$6000 price range, which to me is exactly where bikes likes this should be, affordable, accessible, useable.
When the guys have a bike which hasn't been commissioned yet, they like to let their creative ideas for the build come from the bike itself, letting her sit in the shop brooding until ideas start to evolve naturally. I think it's a great way to visualise a build, where you need to feel the bike presence and three dimensions and cold hard metal before getting the cutters out. It's exactly how we put the ZedOne together.
The best way to close this little story is with another quote from Michael, which to us, says it all:
"We love the build. We love the design. We love all things 2 wheeled & carbon fed. From Hondas to Harley's, we just love motorcycles. And we love that people seem to like how we do it. This is why we do what we do."
Check out more on Steel Bent Custom's own site here.
Michael is keen to credit the help and support he gets from Jason & Herm at Dime City Cycles, and Robert Armstrong who sources the majority of their donor bikes. Donors are posted up on their facebook page until a customer crops up, and then the build begins, with most bikes being completed within a realistic $5000-$6000 price range, which to me is exactly where bikes likes this should be, affordable, accessible, useable.
When the guys have a bike which hasn't been commissioned yet, they like to let their creative ideas for the build come from the bike itself, letting her sit in the shop brooding until ideas start to evolve naturally. I think it's a great way to visualise a build, where you need to feel the bike presence and three dimensions and cold hard metal before getting the cutters out. It's exactly how we put the ZedOne together.
The best way to close this little story is with another quote from Michael, which to us, says it all:
"We love the build. We love the design. We love all things 2 wheeled & carbon fed. From Hondas to Harley's, we just love motorcycles. And we love that people seem to like how we do it. This is why we do what we do."
Check out more on Steel Bent Custom's own site here.