It?s quite rare for a CB cafe racer to land in the Bike EXIF inbox these days. And we politely turn down most that do.
But this CB350 from New Jersey went straight to the top of the pile: it?s an absolutely state of the art restomod, and so beautifully finished we?d almost be scared to ride it.

It comes from Merlin Cycleworks, which is run by 56-year-old Mark Kouri. Mark?s been an aircraft mechanic for over 30 years?repairing jets for United Airlines?and you can see his attention to detail in this amazing build.
When he?s not repairing or replacing jet engines or fixing autopilots, he builds customs in his two-car garage at home. ?I?m a one-man shop,? he tells us. ?I started the business a few years ago, after finding a 1974 CB450 parked in my neighbor?s back yard.?
?He parked it in 1983, and it sat there until I purchased it for $100 and brought it back to life as a brat style/café-type bike. The bike took first place in five out of the six shows I entered it in.? Not surprisingly, word got around and business boomed.
Mark happened across this 1972 CB350 in a Texas barn last year, bought it for $600, and promptly broke it down to the frame. ?I like to think of it as a more modern, upgraded version of a 1970s factory racing bike,? he says.

?The goal was increased power, better handling, and more reliability. I think we checked every box.?
There?s something reassuring about knowing an aircraft mechanic built a bike, and Mark has done an extremely thorough job. He?s ...