Held on the first weekend of December last year, the Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show had been the talk of the scene ever since. Unsurprisingly, Motor Force’s incredible BMW R100 took out Best Café Racer, with the same bike stealing the limelight at the 2025 edition of the Bike Shed Show in London. But having conquered the world’s show circuit, head builder Mikio Yamada was keen to get back to his bread and butter, which is churning out super-clean customs that are regulars out on the Japanese roads. His latest is this stunning 1980 Honda CB750 known as Four Dignity, a hot rod tribute in café racer form, and a nod to the best of Honda from that heyday period.
Back at his Hashima City–based workshop, trophies on the shelf, Yamada-san always has a backlog of orders for classic machines, built to the highest standard for those who want their road warrior to truly stand out from the pack. “Rather than a full-scratch customisation, we aimed to create a design that would immediately be recognisable as a Honda vehicle of that time. This is something that we have always considered important. Therefore, we used a tank from another genuine Honda vehicle of a different model year, and combined it with the smart rear end, we achieved a style that beautifully shows off the four-cylinder engine,” he told us.
But before the stunning silhouette could take shape, a flawless foundation had to be laid, and it all starts with the classic steel of the 1980 Honda frame. All of the welds are checked, any imperfections removed, and then a few crucial areas are strengthened with cleverly placed gussets that help to reduce unwanted flex. To slim the profile down and further accentuate the big four-cylinder engine, the subframe is comprehensively modified, narrowed and shortened, before a neat loop is added that finishes exactly halfway over the rear tyre.
To get things rolling, the front forks were the first component to come in for customisation, with the lower legs brilliantly polished and an internal spring change bringing the ride height down nearly three full inches. To connect them to the frame, a new upper triple clamp is machined from a chunk of billet aluminium, while the lower remains factory to retain the original style. To improve braking, the wheels are swapped out at each end for later-model CBX1000 units, bringing with them the benefit of larger vented discs up front and a full disc conversion at the rear, complete with a custom caliper mounted on a fabricated tab on the swingarm.
Helping to complete the conversion, a Brembo master cylinder is added to the rear, with a set of custom rearsets fitted to take control. The final step in setting up the chassis was ordering in a fully adjustable set of rear shocks that got the bike sitting level, while modern road tyres drastically improve the handling. Back to fabrication and keeping the bike super clean, Yamada-san built a super-neat electronics tray to fit under the seat, allowing easy access for fault checking, while a battery box keeps the cranking power hidden beneath the swingarm.
Then time came for the centrepiece, and every effort is taken to ensure the classic twin-cam, four-cylinder 750cc engine is in picture-perfect condition. Internally, new gaskets and seals throughout keep the oil where it belongs, while all of the covers are mirror-polished and the barrels and cases painted. To fuel the fire, a set of four Keihin CR carburettors by Bito R&D was selected for their excellent throttle response and power improvement. But to really let the world hear the legendary Japanese engine sing, the right exhaust setup was needed, and four individual headers flow rearward, each sporting its own muffler and offset to complete the visual spectacle.
All of which brought things to the bodywork. The stock tank came from the love-it-or-hate-it square styling period, and to create more universally loved lines, Yamada-san sourced a tank from a 1978 CB750 Super Sport. A handcrafted rear cowl beautifully picks up its lines, with a curved leather seat and matching grips providing the rider with a taste of luxury. A heavily cut-down front fender completes the look, before the spray gun was brought out to lay down a deep forest green finish, accented with gold pinstriping and badge surrounds for a premium result.
To finish out the build, only the very best components are selected. A custom loom handles the electronics, with a Motogadget Motoscope speedo helping to retain the classic vibe. Tiny bullet LED indicators ae used throughout on custom mounts, with the 3-in-1 units at the rear taking care of taillight duties. Motogadget switchgear looks as classy as ever, while small mirrors with billet fittings paired with a classic headlight complete the front-end feel. The result is Four Dignity, a masterclass in restraint and respect, where every polished surface and considered modification pays homage to Honda’s golden era while proving that true craftsmanship is timeless, whether parked under show lights or hammering down a back road.
[ Motor Force ]