A Legendary Honda Moto Looks Even Better as a Souped-up Café Racer

A 30-something descendant of the original Japanese superbike is unrecognizable thanks to a one-of-a-kind Italian makeover.

Close-up of a black motorcycle engine with visible carburetor, exhaust pipe, and blue and yellow body panels.

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By Steve Mazzucchi

Published March 2, 2026

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Updated March 2, 2026

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Taking a break from test-riding Zero’s game-changing XB and XE at TouraTexas last fall, I happened across the vintage motorcycle mecca that is Hill Country Motorheads.

There, I got to ogle an early Honda CB750, the first moto ever dubbed a superbike and the template for the Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM) that helped Japan’s Big Four begin to dominate the two-wheeled space in the 1970s.

As jaw-dropping as the Carriero Corse MC-04 looks are, there’s even more going on under the hood.

Carriero Corse

Developed in the late 1960s, the nameplate proved so popular that it remained in production in some form or another for nearly 40 years and has recently returned as a rider-friendly Hornet.

But as beautiful and beloved as this bike is, I dare say it would look even better transformed into a café racer — and now, thanks to Carriero Corse, I have proof.

Honda, Italian style

Led by Massimo Carriero, the Italian shop’s chops are endurance and rally racing (per Bike Exif), giving them the bona fides to turn what has become a popular donor motorcycle into a retro-styled performance machine they’re calling MC-04.

While we have no image of the bike they started with, a 1991 Honda CB750, it undoubtedly looked a lot more like the early editions than the end result, which represents a pretty stunning transformation.

Red 1970 Honda CB750 Four motorcycle with chrome details on display in a museum. — This 1970 Honda CB750 Four is one of well over a hundred vintage bikes on display at Hill Country Motorheads.

Most obvious is the bodywork, which began in collaboration with Colombi Design on the layout before each part was crafted out of carbon fiber, with even the bespoke aluminum fuel tank shielded by carbon fiber panels.

Derived from Yamaha R1 units and LED daytime running light strips, the twin headlights sit in a 3D-printed housing above a front fender nicked from a Ducati Panigale.

Because it takes a village to build a bike this epic, the eye-popping paint scheme, with abstract checkered flag racing vibes, comes courtesy of Jackem Design.

Blue, black, white, and yellow sport motorcycle with "Carriero" branding on a rear stand. — The layout emerged from a collaboration with Colombi Design, while the bespoke livery is by Jackem Design.

As dramatically different as the MC-04 looks, the bulk of the upgrades takes place under the hood, so to speak.

Let’s start with the engine, which gets a total rebuild that bumps the displacement up to 866cc while adding bespoke pistons, bored and honed cylinders and a higher compression ratio.

The gearbox jumps from a five-speed to a six-speed pulled from a Honda CBX750, complete with a new hydraulic clutch.

Blue, black, white, and yellow sport motorcycle with gold front forks on a rear stand. — Despite its bigger engine, the MC-04 is actually more compact than the donor bike and remarkably streamlined.

Funneling away those potent combustion gases is a shockingly small four-into-one titanium exhaust system flowing out to a tucked-under stainless steel muffler, while a Dynojet stage one kit refines the rumble.

The clip-on bars feature Domino grips, complemented by a Domino throttle, Brembo levers and racing-style switches.

Electronic highlights include an antigravity Lithium-ion battery, Dynatek coils, keyless ignition and a custom ECUmaster dash.

Motorcycle cockpit view showing black and yellow fuel tank, digital dashboard with "CARRIERO" label, and black handlebars with controls. — The custom ECUmaster dash, small flyscreen and Domino grip clip-on bars invite you to send it in the twisties.

Classic twin rear shocks give way to a mono-shock setup including a bespoke swingarm made of machined parts, sheet metal and carbon fiber, plus an Öhlins shock and a custom-made rocker linkage.

The swingarm is shorter, too, helping reduce the bike’s wheelbase by 5.35 inches.

Meanwhile, the front-end gets fully adjustable Öhlins forks with custom-machined yokes and an adjustable Öhlins steering damper.

Rear view of a black and blue sport motorcycle with yellow accents on a rear stand against a white background. — This view, more than others, makes you appreciate how lean and mean this build is.

Marchesini lightweight forged aluminum wheels get dressed in Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tires and braked by billet aluminum Brembo calipers.

You’ve got to be able to reliably stop for people to fully admire a bike like this one, after all, before you click into gear, twist the throttle and disappear over the horizon.

Availability and pricing

It should come as no surprise that this is a one-of-one project, though a new 2025 CB750 Hornet or 2026 CB750 Hornet E-Clutch can be yours for a starting price of $7,999.

Blue, white, and yellow sport motorcycle with black engine and gold front forks on a rear stand.

Carriero Corse MC-04 Honda CB750

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About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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