This insectoid-looking CB750F Turbo is easily one of the most unusual Honda cafe racers featured here. It’s the work of Kaichiroh Kurosu of Japan’s Cherry’s Company and was built as a prop for the new Kamen Rider Black Sun series on Amazon Prime Video. Rest assured though this turbo-charged Honda isn’t just a fanciful onscreen ornament; it’s a fully functional, street-capable ride.
Kaichiroh-san was approached by the Kamen Rider Black Sun producers who, upon the director’s direction, were looking for a custom motorcycle builder rather than just a prop company to build the bike. As luck would have it Cherry’s Company was located near the studios where shooting was taking place and he was given the opportunity to be involved.
After accepting the project Kaichiroh-san was presented with the concept for the motorcycle by the art department. Together they refined the design to make sure everything could be fully functional including the elaborate lighting and steampunk-esque accessories.
In keeping with the age of the motorcycle in the series, Kaichiroh-san selected the CB750F Turbo as the donor. The motorcycle in the story has been ridden by the character Black Sun since 1971 so he wanted it to look the part from both an engineering and aesthetic point of view. Along with creating all of the Battle Hopper’s elaborate bodywork from scratch Kaichiroh-san aged everything by hand to give it a realistic patina. Taking into consideration the fact that this bike had to actually be ridden during shooting, the Honda’s turbo-charged engine has also been carefully retuned to suit.
Photo Source: S.I.C. Masked Rider Thailand
