Custom builders often cringe at the sight of their first project. But not Craig Marleau of California’s Kick Start Garage. He still has a soft spot for the CB750 he built over ten years ago, and decided to update it for the future.
“My first custom bike was that Honda. I built it for myself and other people liked it. Ratrod culture was on the rise, and I’d always liked that look, so my build was very ratrod-like. It was pretty rude.”

With more than a decade of distance between now and his first build, Craig was itching to create a new version of his genesis?one that incorporated all of the knowledge and technical evolution he’s gained over the years, but still maintained a connection to the hotrod past.

Hot Rod Alice, a lean, tight, heavily modded 1973 CB750K is just the answer. “I was ready to move from Rat Rod to Hot Rod. The metal flake paint and double pin whitewall just reminds me of the Hot Rods I’ve loved for the better part of my life”. Paint and pinstripe aren’t all this Hot Rod CB has going for it. There are loads of tech advancements and performance upgrades that make Alice a lean slingshot on two wheels.

“I almost always start with a set of tires when I’m going to build a custom. I saw the double pin Shinko tire and knew I wanted to build a Hot Rod.”
Subtle yet time consuming mods are conservatively placed around the CB750K’s black heart. Front forks have been shod with KSG me...