Mr Swallow’s CX500

Usually when a first time build story is submitted to the Bike Shed it comes baited with the promise of future projects now that the first born has flown the nest. But for Sebastien from Normandy, news of his freshly completed Honda CX was swiftly followed by the sentence,  “Since her I’ve made a 400 cx, a 1976 Honda GL 1000 Goldwing and a 125 Suzuki Gn, I’m just an amateur but would like to make a shed in the next year…” Four builds down and you have only just got around to telling us about the first of them? His passion and dedication to shed building bikes is truly infectious. Hats off to you sir.

Sebastien was given this 1981 Honda CX500 by a friend, but before we all get too carried away praying for mates like Seb has, he points out that it came to him in a terrible state of repair, good for little but the rubbish bin. Despite the condition Sebastien gleefully accepted the project and promised his generous friend that he would reinvent the trusty CX as a cafe racer. Taking inspiration from the many fine CX customs to be found on the internet Seb started the process of stripping and rebuilding.

“I’ve tried to make something really homogeneous regarding the frame curves.” With a CX the main area in need of modification is the rear section of the frame. The twin shocks mount high on protrusions creating an obvious dip in the frame line, Seb has built his seat to reflect this curve accentuating its presence as oppose to trying to mask it. Beyond the shock mounts the remaining frame has been cut away, seamlessly blending into the classic cafe seat hump.

Sebastien was a little light on information in his email, he was probably too busy building more motorcycles, but he did mention a full rewire and that he had to source the tank from the USA after France came up short in his search for a suitable receptacle. His build choices include clip ons with bar end indicators, crash-bar mounted spotlights, pipe wrap, shortened forks, original clocks, and a vintage tail light above the side mounted numberplate. All his hard work is crowned with that lustrous retro black and orange paint job, executed to perfection.

Sebastien goes by the curious nickname Mr Swallow which he intends to expand to Mr Swallow Customs as customer’s start to come his way. He does not elaborate as to the reason he was bestowed this particular nickname but from certain angles it appears as if his lovely CX has in fact swallowed Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with its yellowed spotlights sitting astride the radiator just like the old car’s headlights.
“This bike isn’t a thunder but the twin is really nice to ride, flexible and player… I really take pleasure to ride with it even if the position is like riding a horse for your legs…”

We already know what bikes Mr Swallow transformed for build numbers 2, 3 and 4 so what lies next in his busy production line?
“My next projects are so multiple, I really want to make a GS 750 from Suzuki, maybe a CB550 four for a customer and probably a Ducati 750 SS in a few months.” 
This CX was but the first of many. Keep feeding the addiction Mr Swallow.
 First read on http://thebikeshed.cc 

Tentacle Paradox CB450 Cafe Racer

We've all seen the listings on eBay. "Perfect project bike", "Needs some attention", "It's all there, just requires reassembling!". The unfinished or forgotten dreams of budding backyard builders up for grabs at bargain prices. Many of us toy with the notion of getting our hands dirty and starting where the previous owner left off but when it comes to placing a bid we get cold feet. There are people out there though that take the chance. They've know they've got their work cut out for them but they jump in head first. Daniel Pon was skeptical when he first saw the advert for 3 rusty, seventies Honda CB450's but 3 years after making the purchase he ended up with one of the coolest looking CB's I've seen...

Much like myself Daniel can't leave anything he own in stock form. From his SKS Soviet made rifle to his BMW R/75, but the CB was his most ambitious project to date. "I spent 3 years building this bike from 3 incomplete junkers. This one was the only engine that I could get to turn over, so it was chosen as the base for the bike. All 3 bikes were taken entirely apart. Each part was sand blasted and polished, or powder coated. All in my garage on a shoestring budget."

"I wanted the bike to have all natural tones of metal and leather."

To work with his "shoestring budget" Daniel opted to complete most of the work himself by building his own equipment. This included a complete sandblasting booth with gun and compressor and a homemade powder coating oven large enough to bake a motorcycle frame in.
"I found a lot of joy in taking something old and rusty and making it look as new. Its very convenient to be setup to do both of these processes in your own home. You can then powder coat any piece you want any color you want. This can allow for an OCD level of color control and coordination, down to every bolt, washer, or nut. I wanted a darker color scheme but wanted to stay with natural tones. The frame was powder coated a dark bronze while the rest of the bike was either flat black or polished aluminum."

The tail was mounted onto a chopped rear subframe, sitting perfectly in line with the base of the fuel tank. Inside the tail is a full size battery and the relocated electrics. A distressed dark brown leather was chosen for covering the seat to compliment the bronze frame and details. The matching tank straps were re-purposed from a 1940s WWII era German messenger bag.
"Performance wise, this thing is a beast. I can see how this bike dominated the circuits when it first came out. It has some great pull and handles very nice. I consider the bike finished as it looks clean and runs, but projects like this never fully end. I will be upgrading to an electrical ignition and upgrade its charging system. I have a few aesthetic details I still want to add, but for now this bike will be out on the road more than on the bench it lived on for the last few years!"

ParadoX Designs     |     Photos by Gene Lee

Want to grab some cool custom motorcycle gear and accessories?
Head over to  100mph.com.au 

Turn your CBR1000rr into a “cafe fighter”

How much power is too much power? In the motorcycle world, it’s a question that will never be answered. But if you love customs and don’t mind changing your underwear after every ride, Bill Webb has the solution for you.
His latest creation is the Stoc RR: a 178 hp Honda CBR1000rr turned into a “café fighter.” It’s a stripped-back sportbike with a retro-futuristic vibe, and because Bill is an industrial designer, the mods are easily installed and don’t require welding skills.


“I wanted to embrace modern technology and create a refined streetbike with a minimalist, cafe racer philosophy,” Bill says. “So I looked for a popular modern sportbike with proven performance and a beautiful frame hiding under the plastic.” The 2009 CBR1000rr Repsol Edition was the answer. It’s capable of breaking the ten-second mark in the quarter mile, is easy to ride by sportbike standards, and includes modern essentials like anti-lock braking. It also has a beautifully engineered main frame.


Bill’s created a single seat tail assembly and a minimal front fairing that can be precisely machined, easily reproduced and bolted up for a perfect fit to any 2009-2015 CBR1000rr. He’s also included mounts for critical sensors and gauges, using CAD design to keep the packaging sleek—and reducing as much weight and visual bulk as possible.
There are some very clever solutions here: the seat is from a Ducati Panigale and slots into a red ABS polymer tail unit, which in turn fits onto an aluminum subframe.


The fit and finish is factory-level, creating a custom bike that looks and feels like a production Honda. Right now, Bill is fabricating a second set of parts. He’s building a black version of the CBR1000rr, with subtle design improvements and even more weight reduction.


“If people are really digging the design, I can produce kits that will bolt right on to your 2009-2015 CBR1000rr,” he says. “And possibly the 600rr too, with some minor mods.” Any takers?
Via Huge Design | Check out Bill Webb’s equally cool Kawasaki Ninja 750

The post Turn your CBR1000rr into a “cafe fighter” appeared first on Bike EXIF.

CB750 Copper

CB750 SOHC Copper Tank

built by Robinson Speed Shop - Southend, UK

Top photos by Aaron Jones (slightly Inazumized)

79 Honda CX500 – 502 Moto

It’s a truism to say that most builders have a kind of love/hate relationship with their project bikes. From the elation experienced when a seat comes together perfectly with a frame to the utter torment of broken bolts, mysterious misfires and parts that magic themselves into other dimensions after they hit the floor, it’s more than common for builds to drag their makers through a gamut of emotions. But I think it’s fair to say that Brad White from Louisville, Kentucky’s 502 Moto has a painful build story that beats most. And when I say painful, I mean just that.

The Little Stranger build literally started as an accident. After the 450 lb. 1979 CX500 purchased by sculptor and fabricator Brad White ended up on top of him, fracturing his collarbone but only slightly injuring his ego, he knew things had to change. Even prior to the accident the vintage Honda was in need of everything; brakes, tires, fluids, and just about anything else you could imagine. Following the accident, Brad made his way down the I-71 South, from Columbus to Louisville, Kentucky; a town which is becoming widely recognized for its ever-growing vintage bike scene.

Brad, who is known both regionally and nationally for other vintage bike builds, recently teamed up with mechanic and partner Michael Van Benten, to form 502 Moto. Little Stranger is the bike that has launched the look of their fledgling company; a look that was described by one recent observer as “metal as fuck.” The long, low stance is a result of the guys stretching the swing arm four inches back and raking the steering neck to create a more menacing look. By lowering the narrow forks internally, placing a pentagram wheel upfront and inserting bronze Paiste cymbals in the rear. Yes, you read that right. Paiste – as in drums. Little Stranger is equal parts Slayer and Salt Flats record setter.

Paiste cymbals never looks so good. Drum roll, anyone?

At first look, what most people notice is the custom deluxe tank, which Brad gently manipulated with a ball pen hammer to create a tasty pair of knee pockets and a trick, recessed fuel filler. To visually balance out the fatty 4.5 gallon tank, the rearmost section of the frame was removed, altered with a hoop, and then new shock mounts and tail section were crafted to create a more aesthetically pleasing look. Digging into their previous chopper builds for some inspiration, the front fairing got some vintage stacked rectangle lights that have been frenched into a manipulated KZ400 fender found lying on a shelf.
Brad’s trademark black and white paint scheme wasn’t left behind, as the front forks got striped “hooker stockings” to match up with the race inspired side covers, painted to mimic last-minute electrical tape number changes seen by Brad and Michael over the years at the local races. The rest of the bike was shot in-house with Audi Nimbus Gray pearl with a “vintage Moto Guzzi” stripe on the tank and cleared in satin to keep it as punk rock as possible.

Flames and smoke are kick ass during a rock show, but Michael wanted to make sure that never occurred while on the road with Little Stranger. To achieve this he rewired the entire bike, placing any of the previously visible electronics under a soft-leather seat with the irregular stripe in the stitch, crafted in-house by the boys at 502 Moto. The exhaust system was chopped up and rerouted as a two into one. Bespoke heat shields continue the stripe pattern and it’s finished off with an upswept Triumph muffler, which lines up nicely with all the angles and is quiet like a Honda should be.

All up, 502 have created a good-looking, comfortable ride from a barn find that responds well in the corners and goes like hell on the straightaways. And Little Stranger doesn’t look out-of-place in the twisties with clean vintage restos or stretched out along side a chopper or five. Next time you find yourself south of the Mason Dixon line, why not stop by?

[Photos by Nicholas Karem]
first appeared in http://www.pipeburn.com

Fate Customs Honda CB550

I think that custom bike builds generally come in two forms. There are those built to adhere to a particular style or genre such as Cafe Racers or Choppers that feature all the "required" modifications and design elements to be considered a correct representation of that style. Then there's the builds that are created purely as a form self expression. Both of these approaches share similarities, but the big difference is that a bike built as an expression of personal style gives its builder the freedom to do what ever they want. Which way is better? Neither, but if I've learnt anything from building bikes it's that personal touches are what really connect you to your bike. People will always have opinions, good and bad, but at the end of the day it's your bike, not theirs, so have some fun with it...

"My name is Nils J. Ksienzyk and I'm a 28 year old bike builder from Germany. From the age of 15 up to 24 I've owned several bikes from 50cc to 1050cc. I've always changed parts to give them my own style, but began feeling like bolting on parts was boring and fake. I decided to sell my bike and go for something older. Then I bought a busted up Honda CB550. It was in bad condition. I wanted to see if I was able to repair the Honda and make it my own."

"The CB had a dirty red frame and a white tank that were in very bad condition when I bought it. The engine wasn't running, it came with no documents, no keys, lots of missing parts and I didn't even know if it would ever run again. I wanted an original fuel tank with a patina that showed it had history. My plan was to build a bike that appeared flat and low and had a seat that was as slim as possible. That was my vision for the perfect bike to match my style and attitude! No fancy leather boots, no white scarfs. I didn't want that classic cafe style. I wanted something new school were I could wear my everyday clothes and just be myself, nothing over the top."

"I disassembled the bike and bought all the necessary parts on the internet and at a local shop to get it running again. I then swapped out the old and broken parts with new ones. The rebuild began with powdercoating the frame in black, relacing the wheels, painting the forks, coating the rims and putting on new vintage style Avon rubber. Then I polished all the alloy parts such as the brake callipers, brake arms, engine side covers and so on. I also drilled holes into the side covers and the rear brake plate to give it an unique look and repeat the pattern of the front brake discs. I had to over haul the engine, carburettors and the entire wiring system because it was a real mess, one of the wires changed colour 5 times from its starting point to end!"

"I added pod filters, adjusted the carbs, cleaned the frame, added clip on's and a different headlight. Small bar end blinkers replaced the bulky original ones and I mounted new switches. I fit the brake system from a CBR 600 to get the right pressure on the double discs and mounted a different triple tree to clean up the top of the forks. I found the right tank and a beautiful tail end. I then lowered the suspension from 350mm to 260mm, lowered the front forks about 40mm and shortened the frame so the new tail end would fit. I mounted a handmade leather seat pad, Side numberplate with mini custom brake and tail light and changed the exhaust using a customised muffler from a Harley.

When I was finished it started first kick and I then knew that my dream bike had become a reality.“

 

First appeared in http://www.returnofthecaferacers.com/

Fate Customs     |     Photos by Christopher Rausch

CB350F by Speed Deluxe

1973 Honda CB350F cafe racer
by Speed Deluxe - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Main specs. Shaved top tree, clip-on handlebars, custom mounted mini gauges, new fork brace, mini bullet LED turn signals front and rear, handmade stainless steel exhausts, relocated footpeg mounts, Dime City Cycles pegs, under the seat area was stripped, the parts were relocated under the seat, frame detabbed and smoothed, center stand removed, rear frame chopped, bent tube for the rear welded to the frame, handmade steel racer pod, handmade steel seat pan, which houses the electrics and gel battery, rewired with new hand controls, engine covers polished, wheels stripped, rims powder coated, hubs polished, wheels relaced with stainless spokes, painted with House of Kolor black, and leather seat pad custom made. 

first published on http://inazumacafe.blogspot.co.uk/  r