The Valentino: Dustin Kott's Honda CB750 DOHC

Dustin Kott is what you might call a builder’s builder. From his base in California he specializes in Honda CBs, turning out low-key but beautifully finished machines. Like this 1979 Honda CB750 DOHC, called ‘The Valentino.’ Kott enjoys working on vintage Hondas: The engineering tolerances are good, and they’re able to survive more neglect than most bikes. But he admits that the DOHC presented a challenge. “I had some reservations,” he says. “What could be done to balance out this machine, and create more fluid lines?” It was impossible to avoid comparisons with the iconic SOHC CB750 series, and not...