Are we seeing a bobber resurgence" A certain manufacturer caused a stir last week with the launch of a factory bobber, and we?re also noticing more hardtails popping up in the EXIF inbox.
This Honda CMX450 Rebel quickly caught our attention?partly because we didn?t think a CMX450 could ever look cool, and partly because it?s a rescue job of the highest order.

The Rebel belongs to Steven, who owns a carpentry company in The Netherlands. Four years ago, he took the bike to a frame-building specialist and asked for a hardtail bobber. The frame was made, but then the builder disappeared.
Steven was left with a half-finished bike that started rusting away in his garage. So he took it to the village of Bilthoven, home to Bram, Joost and Guido of the Wrench Kings.
Although the lines of the bike were already defined, there was plenty of work left to do. ?The CMX450 is a moderate-sized bike with a relatively small engine,? Bram tells us. ?So we decided to focus on simplicity for this build.?
A Yamaha XS650 was raided for its tank and wheels, and a complete rewire hides all the electrical cables. The CDI, a Landport lithium ion battery and the starter relay are now in the box underneath the seat?which also houses the ignition key system, a start/stop switch and a low/high beam switch.

And that?s it on the electrical front. ?It requires an ?old school? style of riding,? says Bram. ?Yes, you have to use your hands to indicate directions!?
The handlebars are equally clean: ...