The Kawasaki Zephyr 750 is one of those under-the-radar bikes that deserves a higher profile. It played a big part in kickstarting the retro boom in Europe in the 90s, but mysteriously fell flat in the USA?despite outclassing the Honda CB750 Nighthawk on almost every front.
?The stable, no-surprises Zephyr works like a standard is supposed to,? said Cycle World at the time. ?We can?t imagine why this bike isn?t selling.?

The Zephyr 750 has plenty of fans amongst riders in the UK, and two of those fans are Linda and Paul of November Customs. They?re based in a small town in the northeast of England, and run the business out of a tiny wooden shed in their back yard. It’s slightly smaller than a shipping container.
?We’ve got a Bridgeport miller in there, a hydraulic bike bench, a small lathe, MIG and TIG welders, and tools for sheet metal work,? says Paul. ?The bed of the miller also acts as a work bench for pipe benders, sheet rollers and such like!?
Despite the cramped surroundings, business is thriving. Linda runs the company, while Paul chips in after-hours. This 1991 Zephyr cafe racer is Linda?s personal ride?designed and built to suit her excellent taste.
Like most November builds, the Kawasaki arrived as a partly finished project bike with low mileage. And the first change, surprisingly, was to a tubular Honda CB900 swingarm, to suit the frame better. The shocks are YSS: ?We went for the ones without the piggy back reservoir, for a more simple look,?...