Augment Motorworks builds one sleek Super Sport…
Since 2020, we’ve featured a couple of builds from Nick Acosta of Canada’s Augment Motorworks, who began working on bikes alongside his father and several talented craftsman friends. We love to see small builders grow, so we were thrilled to learn that Nick has opened a full workshop in his hometown of Toronto:
“We work on all makes and models; however, we specialize in vintage motorcycles, and have built up a reputation here in the Toronto area for that, leading to us having a shop full of rare and cool vintage machines that we get to work on everyday.”
Nick’s first-ever custom build was a CB750K café racer, but he’s learned a lot since then, and there were several things he wanted to try on the next SOHC CB that came his way. It arrived in the form of this ’76 CB750F Super Sport, nicknamed “El Chero.” Nick’s aesthetic vision for the build was clear:
“I always prefer classic lines and styling on a classic motorcycle, since they tend to be timeless and not so trendy.”
From a technical point of view, he took the step of converting the four-cylinder engine into a wet-sump setup, utilizing a larger, lower oil pan that holds the oil instead of a separate oil bag — a setup tested by several members of the SOHC/4 forum in racing applications.
Another interesting feature of this build is the exhaust. So often, we see 4-into-1 exhausts on these machines, but Nick opted for a more classic 4-into-4 with classic-style mufflers.
The engine was fully rebuilt with a new performance cam, higher compression, re-jetted carbs with modified slides, and more. The suspension was also upgraded at both ends, with RaceTech internals for the forks, and the front is now running a dual-disc braking setup.
As you can imagine, you can feel the changes in the seat of your pants.
“The bike has quite a bit more thrust than it did before due to three things: weight reduction, powertrain upgrades, and suspension/braking.”
As for the nickname, “El Chero,” it’s a Spanish slang term that’s perfect for this build:
“Chero is a slang word in El Salvador (where my father is from) that basically means close friend, an appropriate name for the owner’s newest best friend.”
Below, Nick gives us the full story on the build.
Honda CB750 Café Racer: In the Builder’s Words…
Hi there, my name is Nick Acosta and I own a small motorcycle shop in Toronto called Augment Motorworks. I’ve been working on bikes for quite a few years now and was extremely happy to be able to finally open up a proper shop in my hometown of Toronto. We work on all makes and models; however, we specialize in vintage motorcycles, and have built up a reputation here in the Toronto area for that, leading to us having a shop full of rare and cool vintage machines that we get to work on everyday.
The first custom build I ever did was a 1974 Honda CB750K café racer, and although I still love that bike today, there were a few things I wanted to try differently on the next SOHC CB Honda when I had a chance, which eventually led to this bike, a 1976 Honda CB750F Super Sport. I always prefer classic lines and styling on a classic motorcycle, since they tend to be timeless and not so trendy.
One of the biggest aspects of this build was the conversion of the motor to a wet sump system, as I’ve never seen it done before on a custom CB750 motorcycle. If you look back to the SOHC/4 forum years ago I stumbled across someone’s idea of a kit that basically lowers the oil pan assembly and internals to basically convert it to a wet sump system (the oil is stored in the larger pan instead of an oil tank).
Thankfully all the other amazing members also showed interest and soon enough we had a few members actually testing them out in racing applications to see if they were reliable and thankfully they were. So after a full rebuild of this engine (with a performance drop-in cam added as well), I made sure to include the new deeper oil pan kit to successfully convert the bike to a wet sump system.
Another unique aspect of the build that needed to be fabricated from scratch was the 4-4 exhaust system. It’s very popular these days to do a 4-1 exhaust system, and although I am very aware of their advantages in the performance side of things, I always loved the classic look of a 4-4 system, and also was unable to use a conventional 4-1 system that runs underneath the engine due to the extended oil pan assembly.
The pipes are handmade stainless assemblies that have been polished after, along with the classic style mufflers. The bike has quite a bit more thrust than it did before due to three things: weight reduction, powertrain upgrades, and suspension/braking.
As you can clearly see, the bike has been stripped down to its bare essentials, and with the addition of a deeper oil pan the center of gravity has gone even lower on the bike, a positive for its handling to get rid of some of its top end weight.
For the engine, it was completely rebuilt with a stock bore; however, the compression has been increased, valve assembly has been upgraded, and finally an aftermarket drop-in cam has been installed as well. The carburetors have also been re-jetted and tuned to accept pod filters, allowing for a larger fuel mixture to come in, and the carb slides have also been modified to get rid of certain headaches that come along with the use of pod filters on these motorcycles.
Finally, the rear suspension has been replaced with upgraded shocks, front forks have been completely rebuilt with upgraded RaceTech internals including gold valve cartridges, and a classic Tarozzi fork brace has been added to keep everything stiff.
To keep everything stopping as best as possible (while still keeping it vintage), the front master cylinder was replaced, all brake lines have been switched out with stainless braided lines, and the front brake has been converted to a dual disc system — a popular modification from back in the day. I made sure to include both early and later model front brake calipers, as though there are not any major differences — it’s a cool thing that the CB750 nerds like myself can appreciate.
Other than that the rest of the build list is quite extensive, but I’ll let the photos do the rest of that work!
Finally, for all those wondering, Chero is a slang word in El Salvador (where my father is from) that basically means close friend, an appropriate name for the owner’s newest best friend.
Follow the Builder
- Web: www.augmentmotorworks.com
- Instagram: @augmentmotorworks
- Facebook: Augment Motorworks
I have a 1971 Honda CB 750 I Would like to sale 301-789-8409
Very tasteful build with all the right changes to improve the bike without sacrificing the functionality. I look forward to seeing your future builds!