Photography and Story by Jim Gianatsis • Model Riley Anne Michael La Fountain has been building vintage motorcycles since he was 17 years old. With an over obsessive desire to create and a understated passion for motorcycles Raccia Motorcycles was born. In 2006 Raccia was formed to create one of a kind vintage race inspired motorcycles. Three years ago we featured Mike's Kawasaki W1 Cafe Racer which won its class at our LA Calendar Motorcycle Show, and set the benchmark for modified cafe racers using period correct parts to make the bike the best it could be without an infusion of parts that were too contemporary -though that's not a bad thing if done right. But in Mike's quest to build his classic cafe racers, he wants to source all the non stock parts from other model motorcycles from the same manufacturer and time period Mike's latest Raccia cafe racer is a 1969-78s era Honda SOHC CB750 4-cylinder, arguably the most significant motorcycle in history, modified with period correct parts like the big Honda double leading shoe front brake assembly, laced to beautiful Akront style spoked aluminum wheels. One of the most eye catching modifications on the bike is the ARD Magneto System running off the engine's right crankshaft with a toothed rubber belt. The ARD Magneto was designed to provide hotter ignition spark for transplanted Honda CB750 engines used in a special class of motorcycle engined powered of sprint cars back in the 1970s, and you might remember it also being used on legendary Russ Collins' Honda 750 drag bike of that time as well. The ARD Magneto has long been out of production, but rare examples are still showing up one in a while on motorcycle parts websites. LaFountian found this one on Ebay and despite being quite pricey, it really completes the bike's look as a "serious cafe racer."
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Special fabrication parts are limited to the front bikini fairing with headlight, the riders's racing seat with tail piece cowling, and the hand made oil tank rescinding under the saddle for the Honda 4-cylinder's dry sump oil system. And of course, the stainless steel 4-into-1 header pipes and exhaust system. Race Tech provides the aluminum bodied gas charged rear coil-over shocks.
Riley Anne likes this beautiful piece of internal combustion jewelry that will end up in some lucky guy's prized collection. Return to Calendar Bike Garage Index |
