Photo credits: Benn Quinn
You knew this was coming, didn’t you? The Honda Rebel, revealed to the world a year ago was always destined to end up in the hands of various individuals from custom shops around the world. In this particular instance, the folks at Origin8or Custom Cycles from Canada recently got to work with one of the most popular cruisers of the past year.
With a marketing campaign that clearly encourages owners to make it their own, Rob Chappell and his crew at Origin8or wasted no time in bringing out the toolbox when Honda Canada came knocking on the door. “This bike was commissioned by Honda Canada,” commented Rob. “It’s going to be shown off at ‘The Motorcycle Shows’ 2018 events beginning in Calgary this weekend. I had done a fair bit of research into the bike’s specs as well as creating a Photoshop mock-up for Honda’s approval before it arrived.”
According to Rob, the fact that the motorcycle came on 16-inch wheels meant that it was bound for the bobber look. Beginning with the front end, he called in TC Bros to assist with the setup of the springer front end along with other bits and bobs.
Photo credits: Benn Quinn
Next up, Hindle Exhaust was enlisted to help with the design of the motorcycle as well as helping to squeeze out a total of 38 hp from the engine with their own products. A high-mount style that echoes the frame of the motorcycle was decided upon eventually. “I knew I wasn’t building it with a passenger in mind and this by far is the best look for the bike in my opinion,” said Rob.
Aside from that, several other parts of the build were actually sourced off the shelf as opposed to being custom made. The short time span for the project probably had a hand in that decision. “A quick eBay search yielded a large variety of bolt-ons, but the two that caught my eye were the short rear fender with integrated tail light and a chin scoop which helps bulk up the bike’s look significantly,” Rob said.
Photo credits: Benn Quinn
Elsewhere, the retro-esque theme was continued with Rob fitting on a set of white-walled Avon Cobra AV 72/150 tyres at the rear and an Avon AV 71/90 up front. The paintwork encompasses House of Kolors silver flake touches with a smattering of candy blue to break up the monotony.
A Dynojet Power Commander fuel tuning setup allowed for a beefier mid-range. “In the end the bike gained about 10% in the mid-range. Where the stock bike fell kind of flat, it now pulls steady up to the redline. It’s not a super fast ride but the gains in midrange make it much more street-able around town and a more enjoyable ride overall.”