Ten tasty specials from Honda Europe, based on the XLV750 Transalp and CB750 Hornet base bikes, with some incredible engineering, on show at Biarritz surf/bike event.
The Wheels and Waves festival in Biarritz has become a regular spot on the custom bike calendar – and rightly so. Biarritz itself is a lovely place (you must visit if you’ve not been), and the festival has some solid backing from big bike firms – it also attracts loads of sweet one-off builds.
And Honda has gone large this year, with no less than ten custom bikes from ten countries, all based on the firm’s current 750 twin platform. The bikes use either the CB750 Hornet, or the XLV750 Transalp as a start point, and the builders have gone to town, with some extremely serious mods.
The theme is ‘On Road vs Off Road’, with five Hornet and five Transalp builds, and is the latest in a series of such competitions under the Hondacustoms.com banner. 2020 saw the Honda CB10 00R as the first bike offered up for voting, followed in 2021 by the CB650R and the CMX500 Rebel in 2022.
For 2023 the Dax, Grom and Monkey minibikes took centre stage, 2024 saw the CL500 (and one CL250) transformed into a wide range of spectacular creations, whilst last year the all-new GB350S took centre stage.
Here’s the ten special bikes, with spec and details from Honda Europe, and you can vote for your favourite at www.hondacustoms.com. The show runs from June 10-14th, so get voting now!
The bikes are also being judged in Biarritz by the designers behind the standard Transalp and Hornet 750 models: Valerio Aieillo (Transalp) and Giovanni Dovis (Hornet) from Honda’s R&D centre in Rome – a neat touch.
1. 40th Anniversary ‘86 Dakar Tribute – Honda UK x CJ Ball
The first bike a special Transalp from UK Honda dealer CJ Ball in Norwich. It pays homage to Cyril Neveu’s Dakar Rally win aboard the 1986 NXR750 – Honda’s hardcore rally bike which was the ancestor of the original Africa Twin 750.
CJ Ball’s rebuild of the current XL750 Transalp channels pure Dakar vibes through a highly-detailed desert paint scheme that puts the race’s brutal backdrop front and centre, a high-exit blacked out twin exhaust system and upgraded long-travel suspension‚Äù.
The front fender has been raised to amplify the off-road intentions, whilst upgraded off-road tyres and race number boards complete the racing look. Also integrated into the new livery is a tribute to Dakar founder, Thierry Sabine, with his famous quote ‘A challenge for those who go, a dream for those who stay behind’ painted on the bike.
2 White Venom – Honda Germany x Motocrew
‘White Venom’ is a rather wild-looking ‘urban street tracker’ from German builder Motocrew, which ramps up the sporty personality of the CB750 Hornet.
The white paintwork is balanced by the matt black frame and Rotobox Bullet carbon rims, which are wrapped in slick Dunlop tyres. Custom Wilbers suspension transforms the Hornet’s stance, whilst the one-off X-shaped, heat-wrapped exhaust delivers an aggressive sound from the parallel twin.
Visually, the White Venom packs a multitude of bespoke parts to complete the build, such as the aggressively chopped down tail, custom swingarm, metal crafted fairing, blade-shaped brake discs, 3D printed rear lighting, as well as CNC-machined triple clamp and handlebars.
3 Honda ATC750 – Honda Benelux x Dealer Anquety Motor Sport
A completely nuts entry: the Belgian entry uses the Transalp as the base for a wild trike, aping the Honda ATC250 of the 1970s. It’s apparently Honda Benelux and Dealer Anquety Motor Sport’s vision of a modern-day off-road trike.
Amplifying the go anywhere intent of the Transalp, the main focal point of the ATC750’s build is the all-new custom swingarm, rear-axle, and axle retention system, all to accommodate the heavily revised bespoke drivetrain.
Custom bodywork keeps those huge rear tyres in check, and reprofiles the front end to house a custom stubby windscreen and revised auxiliary lighting system. The ATC750 packs an imposing stance and is a truly unique take on the Transalp.
4 Sting Honey – Honda Poland x Honda Sokół x Steel Choppers
Hornet – black/yellow paint – like the insect – geddit? Rather obvious cues aside, ‘Sting Honey’ from Polish dealer Honda Sokół, in partnership with builder Steel Choppers, is a handsome little beastie.
Its paintwork, themed on a honeycomb structure (Hornets don’t make honey, but their nests use honeycomb-shaped construction methods to hold larvae), whilst the rear of the bike has been redesigned to exaggerate the Hornet’s sting with a sharper, more aggressive and dynamic rear tail.
These pair with handcrafted fairings, fuel tank, seat and handlebar mounts, alongside items from the wider Honda range – including the headlight from a CB125R wrapped in a café-racer style front fairing and spoked wheels from the X-ADV scooter for a familiar yet all-new take on the CB750.
5 Last Lap – Honda Spain x Stilmoto
This is a belter – an RC30-themed rebuild of the Hornet, complete with single-sided VFR swingarm and full-fairing. ‘Last Lap’ is an homage to the halcyon days of motorcycle racing in the 1980s, built in-house by Spanish dealer Stilmoto, and virtually every part has been rebuilt to deliver an imposing track orientated build.
The full, frontal, race fairing is freshly pressed from a NOS 40-year-old mould <spanclass3DSpellE>Stilmoto had in the workshop, whilst the flat-top tank and boxy rear section exude 80’s chic, all wrapped in a unique riff on the iconic HRC Tricolour.
That single sided swingarm and full custom exhaust remove mass from the lower and rear sections of the bike, emphasising its sporty intent.
6 Mugen – Honda Portugal x Mototrofa
‘Form should follow function, not the other way round‘ was the guiding build principle of ‘Mugen‘ from Honda Portugal’s build dealership Mototrofa.
The eye-catching streetfighter packs a visual punch thanks to a bespoke deep green paint job that has been laid down over all the bodywork sections and complements the gold detailing found on the rear wheel, custom stubby exhaust and front forks.
Elevating the base character of the CB750 Hornet are subtle yet impactful additions such as the custom swingarm, bespoke carbon MotoGP-inspired front winglets, the custom underpan, and the aggressively chopped down tail section.
Clip-ons handlebars, a custom seat, extensive carbon detailing and lowered front suspension give Mugen an unmistakable stance.
7 Concept 2077 – Honda Switzerland x Stark Industries
The ‘Concept 2077’ is a futuristic statement of style. It showcases a bold and forward-looking design thanks to bespoke 3D printed bodywork, comprising a new lower fairing and underpan as well as a new front end and partially faired wheels to transform the visuals of the CB750 Hornet.
Paired with a striking paintwork combination of deep candy red enhanced by subtle gold accents, the result is a truly distinctive character.
At the front, the striking design and signature lighting create an unmistakable identity, making the Concept 2077 an instantly recognizable uncompromising fusion of technology, creativity, and forward-thinking design.
8 Ruth – Honda Austria x Reier Motors
Channelling the world-famous Baja off-road race, ‘Ruth’ is a joint love letter to competition machines from Honda Austria and build partner Reier Motors. Built to a clear brief that required high performance, long range and distinctive style, the resulting bike is a unique take on an enduro adventure bike.
Rebuilt from the ground up, the bike carries a very different appearance to a Transalp thanks to all-new fairings finished in a violet and opaque neon-red hue, complemented by custom headlights and additional lighting.
Liberating the parallel twin’s voice is a full custom high-exit exhaust that hints at the sporty performance characteristics within.
9 Ocean Nomad – Honda France x CB77 by Gauvin
A vision of beach side living, ‘Ocean Nomad’ mixes together an adventurous spirit with old-school surf culture in a nostalgic, soft-edged look.
A simplified silhouette comes courtesy of the removal of frontal fairings, an old-school round headlight which houses modern-day LED internals, and an all-new brown leather seat. This is matched to an aged ocean blue, ivory and burnt orange paint finish over the tank and remaining Transalp panels.
Ocean Nomad is finished off with a stubby exhaust, custom US-style licence plates, side surfboard rack complete with matching skate and surfboards, giving the impression the bike has lived a life with many stories to tell.
10 Saharja – Honda Italy x DRS Custom
The rally concept ‘Saharja‘ is ‘inspired by the desert, built for the journey’ and blends a deeper Dakar soul into the Transalp base.
Boasting a handcrafted navigation tower (DRS) with digital road book and TFT speedometer, the bike also sports the iconic HRC Tricolour livery over a redesigned front end with integrated high-output LED lights.
Gold wheels and handlebars provide exquisite detailing. A raised, long one-piece seat is paired with CNC-machined aluminium race footpegs for improved grip, whilst handguards, steel side protection bars (with eight-litre dry bags) and an aluminium skid plate provide added protection. Extra handcrafted aluminium side fuel tanks, knobby tires and a high-mounted exhaust complete the transformation.