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The Honda CX500, commonly called the Plastic Maggot (or “Clitoris” because every C%$T has one) was a favourite of couriers in Australia and the UK. Reliable it was, good looking it certainly wasn’t.
They have always had a bit of a cult following and people have chopped them up and cafe’d them for years, mostly with disastrous results. It is probably one of the hardest bikes to customise into something that actually looks sexy. A few have managed to do it in my opinion, so here they are in my order of preference.
With clips ons and minimal padding, this budget CX looks the goods. Not hard to throw a few extra pesos at it and hide the battery and take it up a notch if thats what you like. Me? I’ll take it as it is.
Nice lines on this one and a great balance of black and silver. The drilled wheels make this bike.
This CX hit the blogs big time last year and for good reason. If you want a CX to look good you have to get the seat right. Moto Mucci transformed the ugly duckling with a new take on the seat. This bike would be my #2 if he ditched the sidecovers.
This CX just screams quality. It’s not a mega budget build but it sure isn’t a cheap transformation. A classic Cafe Racer seat can be made to work on a CX, this bike is the proof.
With a gold engine and knobby tires, this bike is “out there” and won’t appeal to everyone which is just fine as I’m sure the owner is having a ball ripping up the streets of Paris.
The oversized Firestones, the very clever angle of the exhaust, the lowered suspension, the bikini fairing and the sexiest seat this side of Chesterfield make this easily my number one CX500 custom. Congrats to the boys from Denmark.
Some honourable mentions that are under construction that will soon make this list a top 10
Make the jump and check out this brilliant Cafe Racer being built by Larry for “Eagle Driver” in the USA.
“Brock32” of Perth Street Bikes has finished his CX for now. Should be riding with us soon.
Richard Baybutt of Corpses of Hell is nearly finished his CX, here is a sneak peek. Might not look like much now but I’ve been sworn to secrecy on the more recent pics. Watch it light up the interweb soon.
So that makes 9, whose is the 10th?
Well, we’re about to start a CX for a customer in Adelaide. Never been afraid to talk ourselves up, we reckon when we’re done, it’ll make the list :)
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Not my cup of tea usually….but when a good one comes along I’ve got to share it.
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Did a photo shoot with a few of the Ducati owners from Perth Cafe Racers. Might post some more pics if there is any interest.
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One bike I have always thought was aesthetically perfect was the Ducati 900ss (and it’s smaller siblings). If I ever have the fortune to own one, I don’t think I’d want to fiddle with the Italian plastic.
That was until I saw this insanely brilliant mild cafe conversion by the Spirit of the Seventies on the Bike Shed Blog.
I hope they’re going to sell this as a kit.
A bunch more pics on both of their blogs. Definitely worth checking out.
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Source: thebikeshed.cc
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Was hanging around the project thread on PSB when I saw a new build thread from a new member - Chris, about his Z650. Never been interested in Z650’s before but thought I’d click and have a look. Wow, nice build thread and nice pics!. I sent Chris a message and asked him a few questions.
Here you go, enjoy. (I’ve edited some of Chris’ answers to improve the english)
Where are you from?
Austria, that small country in Europe :)
What is the story behind the bike before you bought it?
I dont know much about the bikes history. When I bought it I didn’t know if the engine was running at all, all I knew was the bike hadn’t been used for 12 years and was leaning against a wall in a garage waiting for me to come along :)
Where you looking for a project bike?
At the end of 2011 I saw the Movie: ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (in german: ‘Verblendung’) from Stieg Larsson with Rooney Mara as ‘Lisbeth Salander’. In this movie, Lisbeth was riding a nice cafe racer. When I saw the bike, my heart began beating faster and I said to myself: yes - make it! Thats the reason why i was looking for a stock bike…
How much did you buy it for?
EUR 800,-
Did you start the build with a plan in mind?
I had a picture in my mind how the bike was going to look but I didnt have a strict plan or a ‘To Do’ - list as such.
Did it come out the same as the plan or did it change along the way?
If you build a bike there are always problems along the way. But it came out better than I saw it in my mind!
Why did you choose those colours?
I like colours that belong to our earth, like brown, green, sand etc, so when I first saw the awesome Marakesh-Brown on a BMW X1, I thought that I would someday make something using this colour. And this ‘someday’ came with the Z650
What parts of the build did you have other people do?
I nearly did all of the work, except painting the colour with the air brush, and doing the leather on the seat.
How much did you spend on the build?
Parts i needed were EUR 600,- so in total the whole bike cost just EUR 1400,-
How long did it take?
About 150 hours. From the first february week till the end of march - so we can say 2 Months.
Which part of the build was the most enjoyable?
Putting the painted parts on the bike. This was the last big step before getting ready.
Which was the most satisfying part of the build?
When I started the engine for the first time and it was running fine and smooth.
Will you keep the bike?
For sure :)
Are you thinking about building your next bike?
hmmm… not concrete but I want to have a scrambler too - But I think not this year, and dont tell it my wife!!
Do you want to see what the bike looked like before Chris worked his magic? Make the jump for all the pics.
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JimmyR’s GS1100G unfinished Cafe Racer. Can’t wait to have this awesome looking bike along for a ride with Perth Cafe Racers.
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Luke Inazuma wants to turn his newly purchased CB550 into a Cafe Racer. What do you think of his concept drawings?
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Source: inazumacafe.blogspot.it
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A nice pic of a mates CB400f. Oly put a MotoLanna seat on it and it’s transformed the look of the bike.
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Was chatting to Luke Inazuma the other night and I told him we’re about to start on a custom CX500 cafe racer. He suggested I check out his blog.
Damn! I love the Japanese custom style.
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What do you reckon champions, how could we improve it?
Source: inazumacafe.blogspot.it
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Recently had a look at a R100 for a customer. He decided to go with a Z650 instead.
So now I’m going to tease him with some pics of what could have been. :)
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Source: metagarage
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