From Roadster to Street Tracker…
The Honda CB300R is a lightweight, single-cylinder roadster from the company’s “Neo Sports Café” range, which includes the mighty CB1000R. Weighing in at just 313 pounds wet (317 with ABS), the 286cc machine shares its engine with the highly-rated CBR300R, which comes in at 50 pounds heavier!
The bike makes 31 horsepower, tops out at 95 mph, and costs less than $5000 new. MCN calls the handling “remarkably assured,” and they were happily surprised at the engine, which seems to punch well above its displacement:
“The 286cc single is surprisingly punchy. Its performance is certainly helped by the bike’s light 143kg weight, but it still has an impressive turn of pace…. The fuel injection system is spot on and despite a day of constant thrashing, it still averaged economy figures of over 60mpg.” —MCN
Enter our friend Yann from Breizh Coast Kustoms, better known as BCKustoms. Yann has a deep history in two-wheeled motorsports, including stints as a race mechanic for Ducati France, a team coordinator in World Superbike, and a MotoGP journalist before he caught the flat track bug on a trip to the USA.
“After building quite a few trackers since 2014, some of them well-known on the web, I aimed to collaborate with a manufacturer to start a small series.”
Through the help of his local Honda dealer, Moto Selection Honda Quimper, he contacted the marketing manager of Honda France and proposed a project to them:
“The purpose of the build was to suggest what a stock Honda roadster could look like turned into a street tracker. The choice of the CB300R was easy, because this was the only road bike with a single cylinder engine and a tubular frame.”
Yann envisioned the project as a moto kit, which would be fully reversible, allowing the owner to return their CB300R to original OEM spec. The bodykit includes a fiberglass Knight-style tail with number plate and matching saddle, built with the help of Composite Sellerie, while the front number plate utilizes a “magic material” that’s tinted black, but allows the LED lighting to shine through without issue!
Of course, 19-inch wheels are de rigueur for a street tracker. Yann opted for a set of Kawasaki alloy mags, same as he used on his “Bone Destroyer” build, in order to keep costs down, designing the caliper brackets and indexed discs necessary to keep the bike braking like the stock CB300R. A set of LSL flat track bars with bar-end indicators and short track-style exhaust round the build.
Not only does this CB300R street tracker look great, but Yann says it handles better, too:
“Compared to the original 17” version, the bike’s a bit higher and, with the help of the wide FT bars, handles much better.”
Below, we get the full story on the build!
Honda CB300 Street Tracker Kit: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
BCKustoms has now turned 12 — founded in 2010, official since 2019. Inspired by past experience, most of my productions are race-inspired or for competition purpose.
After building quite a few trackers since 2014, some of them well-known on the web, I aimed to collaborate with a manufacturer to start a small series.
In 2019, with the help of my local Honda dealer, I contacted the Honda France marketing manager to submit a project, with drawings and explanations. A few weeks later, the press bike was delivered and the story started then.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
The bike is a 2018 Honda CB300R.
• Why was this bike built?
As I spend a lot of time at the local Honda dealer, I had time to think about and check out the new models. This idea wasn’t new, but the key thing was to wait for the right bike without trying to build a new tracker on an MX/Enduro base.
The purpose of the build was to suggest what a stock Honda roadster could look like turned into a street tracker. The choice of the CB300R was easy, because this was the only road bike with a single cylinder engine and a tubular frame.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
As I had to suggest changes to an OEM bike, the design had to remain similar to the stock one, with corporate colors and slick details like the use of the handlebar switches, original screws, and bolts.
The design came from the sport’s history (flat track), and my knowledge of tracker builds for the parts selection. Also this build is supposed to be a kit, meaning the bike could be returned to original stock condition. So the modifications could not include frame modification, and we needed to keep as many original parts as possible, and ensure the modifications could be carried out with the minimum tools and detailed assembly instructions.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
The parts were carefully selected for the kit to remain cost effective. My friend Jo Da Silva at Composite Sellerie provided me the rear section with a fiberglass Knight-style tail with number plate. This one had to be widened a bit to fit the frame tail section. Then Jo received a foam I shaped to provide me with a specific saddle.
At my Bihr Racing local retailer, I grabbed an LSL flat track bar and clamps to fit the original controls and a set of 360° LED turn signals for the bar ends.
As on previous builds, I decided not to go for Excel rim wheels, which are quiet expensive, but also because I had no OEM hubs on that bike to start from. So I went with some old Kawasaki alloy cast wheels as on my “Bone Destroyer” XLR. A set of FT tires and a home-designed rear caliper bracket, and I managed to get this bike on wheels. One detail: I had some specific indexed discs laser-cut to keep the ABS operating, as on the stock CB300R.
To give the final touch to the project, and keeping in mind that everything should be reversible to stock, the bike has been wrapped in red rather than painted. Huge thanks to my buddy Bernard who helped me so much for this part of the work and the new lighting system.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
I didn’t consider a nickname. The bike was supposed to be kind of an official Honda street tracker, so the name would have been CB300 FT or something like that. We’ll maybe have to think about that one day.
As Covid smashed all hopes to see this bike appear somewhere, this project didn’t appear in any motor shows since it was built. It has now been returned to my workshop as per contract.
I just had time to refresh some details and apply a @noline treatment, then the bike was gone for its second public appearance, promoting the upcoming Makadam Kulture event coming in September.
This bike now has a new story. Let’s see what happens.
• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride this bike?
I’ve only had one opportunity to ride it at the 2019 Wheels and Waves, where I delivered the bike. Compared to the original 17” version, the bike’s a bit higher and, with the help of the wide FT bars, handles much better.
Most of the engine sensations remain stock except for the sound, which now has a stronger racing voice. As nothing’s been modified in the original electronics, dashboard, or tank, we stayed as close as possible to a Honda street bike, which was in the requested specs for the project.
Next step could be to test this bike on a dirt oval track. We’ll let you know!
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
The overall bike look matches, once again, the original design I made.
The big bonus was the lighting system, all designed at BCKustoms and completely hidden on the bike, so it looks like a race bike when stopped. The big thing was to find a material, tinted black, which would still allow the light to get through. It was a friend of mine, working with shop logos and illuminated signs, who made me notice that one of our famous French supermarket brands has black/orange signs which turn white/orange when illuminated. So the next step was to have a front number plate, half an inch thick, machined with a full LED Honda initial, and covered with that magical material. Tested and approved, this has been applied to the tail light also.
Follow the Builder
Website: www.bckustoms.com
Facebook: facebook.com/breizhcoastkustoms/
Instagram: @bckustoms
Special thanks to my sponsors:
Daytona 73: @daytona73
Motul France: #motul
Noline France, cleaning wipes: @noline.france
Moto Selection Honda Quimper
Makadam Kulture, Bike & Breizh event September 16th-18th 2022
Cap Enseignes – Stickers and advertising support – Chateaulin (Fr)
Closer to an actual race-ready flat-tracker build than most “street trackers” that I see being built these days. From the point of view of my 1970s flat-track sensibilities I would like to see 19″/18″ wheels and a lower overall stance, especially the ground clearance – and also a slimmer gas tank (and conventional front forks instead of the upside-down tubes) – but overall, not bad.