When Dan Mantyla came into possession of a 1974 Honda CL 200, it was a relic of the past, untouched but barely operational. A pivotal decision loomed before him: should he embark on a restoration journey or venture into the realm of customization?

Dan is a man who grasps the intricate dance between art and engineering. By day, he's a web developer, but by night, he transforms into a shed-builder. He confides, "My vision was to create a motorcycle that, to the untrained eye, appeared stock. However, the innovative designs emerging from Japan's Bratstyle bike culture and Europe's scrambler scene were simply too inspiring to ignore. When you have the opportunity to craft your own cockpit, you seize it."

Customizing a rare gem like the Honda CL demanded a deft touch. After all, this bike had withstood four decades without a welder's spark touching its frame or a hammer bruising its gas tank. It was a venture that required thoughtful consideration rather than reckless ambition, and Dan was acutely aware of that.

Some of the modifications were straightforward choices: the replacement of the dated taillight and oversized blinkers with sleeker counterparts, the lowering of the handlebars, the installation of more aggressive tires, and the removal of the mirrors.

Yet, other modifications posed greater challenges. Dan chose to retain the side covers but had to address extensive cracking. With the aid of bondo and fiberglass, he incorporated small mesh grills, an elegant custom touch. Additionally, the muffler, corroded and pocked with holes, was excised to make room for exquisitely chromed, glass-packed exhaust pipes.

However, decisions had to be made about where to draw the line. For Dan, that line was drawn at the bobbed rear fender, allowing the stock seatpan and sub-frame to remain intact. The Interior Shop, a renowned hot rod upholstery establishment in Kansas City, was enlisted to create a sumptuously upholstered seat.

While these transformations unfolded, Dan painstakingly rebuilt the ailing motor. He fitted oversized pistons, meticulously resurfaced the head, and restored the cases. The endeavor incurred a considerable investment, but it ultimately brought the petite CL back to life.

The end result: a modest, unpretentious resto-mod with stylistic influences borrowed from trackers and Bratstyle bikes alike. Dan sums it up, saying, "This bike is a scrambler, equally at home on and off the road, and that's the message I wanted to convey. This Honda CL is my ideal ride—it's vintage, it's beautiful, and it wouldn't be out of place tearing through the post-apocalyptic landscapes of the first Mad Max movie."

#HondaCL #CL200 #Classic