Written by Marlon Slack
LA’s Kott Motorcycles are the clinicians of the bike-building word. They produce hospital-grade builds so clean you could eat off them. Each one of their cafe-inspired builds is a masterclass of balance, proportion and build quality. And while they specialize in big old Honda CB?s this time around they’ve tackled a smaller offering – a 1969 Honda S90 racer. And it’s one with quite a story behind it.

The founder of Kott Motorcycles, Dustin Kott, has a long history with this bike. ?I found it in the backyard of my grandparent’s house as a teenager,? he recalls. ?It had spent most of its life on the front of the family motorhome travelling across the US as a campground grocery-getter. I pleaded with my dad to collectively restore the bike as best we could. Thankfully he agreed and we were able to get it running just before granddad passed away?.
Dustin scooted around on the faithful old Honda for a few years. He was forced to – his father wouldn’t allow him to get a bigger bike while he lived under his roof. But one day Dustin cracked and bought a CB750. ?My dad walked into the house and remarked at how beautiful the 750 was, before asking who it belonged to,? Dustin says. ?My response was something like ‘Well gee Dad it’s mine??. Then Dustin was invited to leave the family home.

For the next 23 years the S90 went with him from house to house and garage to garage. But in recent times the ol’...