::: PROJECT : Honda CX650 Café Racer - Made in Vietnam

[Sonreir]

I keep coming back to this bike. I don't mean to insult anybody, but I am not a fan of the CX models, but since I've come to this site, you guys have showed me they have a ton of potential. Especially this bike, love the tank and pretty much everything about the bike. If I was limited to one bike the rest of my life, this bike would be at the top of the list, oh... I dig the color. This is a stellar bike and you sir have talent I'm very jealous of...

Yup. I had a CX500 for almost two years. Totally reliable and was adequate in all areas (except maybe looks?).

 

[Steve F]

Really loving the bike and the work that has gone into it but I just cant get past the big front wheel and little back wheel. Dont get me wrong, it's a minor thing, but for me it it just seems to date the bike, I reckon it would handle better with a smaller front as well. Any thoughts on running a smaller front or an 18" rear?

Cheers
Steve

 

[VietHorse]

Really loving the bike and the work that has gone into it but I just cant get past the big front wheel and little back wheel. Dont get me wrong, it's a minor thing, but for me it it just seems to date the bike, I reckon it would handle better with a smaller front as well. Any thoughts on running a smaller front or an 18" rear?

Steve

Thanks Steve.
I also like to have smaller front wheel. Such big front wheel makes the bike looks more like a bobber or chopper, than a cafe racer.
However, if you see the bike in real, I meant closer view, you may realize that this front wheel are with the spokes which matching with the spokes on rear wheel. That's good thing of the original front wheel.
Another reason is cost - I don't dare to incur more Vietnam Dong on the bike. The wife would more unhappy for that.

 

[VietHorse]

I am thinking of an improvement area for my bike is the clocks, headlight and the handle bar.
As you can see those things look quite high in comparison with the bike level.
I'd like to lower all of them for around 15-20cm.
Any thought?
What if I make two handle bars which could connect to the same level of clamps but to the lower level?

 

[VietHorse]

What if I make two handle bars which could connect to the same level of clamps but to the lower level?

Well, just like this (The clamps are fixed at that position and could not be lowered):

 

[spenser]

Looks awesome!

I currently live in HCMC and want to build another cafe racer (I have one, but it's not nearly as nice as yours), can you recommend a shop/mechanic to build it?

Also, what was the cost to ship your bike from the US to Vietnam?

Thanks!

 

[VietHorse]

Looks awesome!

I currently live in HCMC and want to build another cafe racer (I have one, but it's not nearly as nice as yours), can you recommend a shop/mechanic to build it?

Also, what was the cost to ship your bike from the US to Vietnam?

Thanks!

Hi there, sorry for late response.
There are not many shops in HCMC can do this thing good, IMO. I made this bike at TTK Custom Motorcycle workshop. Sorry they have no website or FB.
PM me for any details you need.

 

[VietHorse]

In a normal working day:

Little touch up has been done:

And we went for a ride:

With friend and his CB1000 cafe:

 

[50gary]

Nice bike, and your friend's too. His front wheel looks very close to the radiator with the bike that low? I too would have an 18" rear wheel, I have 18" x 2.15" Comstar wheels front and rear on my CX500.
Cheers, 50gary

 

[VietHorse]

Nice bike, and your friend's too. His front wheel looks very close to the radiator with the bike that low? I too would have an 18" rear wheel, I have 18" x 2.15" Comstar wheels front and rear on my CX500.
Cheers, 50gary

Thanks for going along with my thread.
His bike looks great. He uses Ducati front-end. Looks expensive and really made the bike looks more muscle.

Yeah, the radiator is pretty near the front wheel:

He's original CB1000:

He said the most difficult part is the air intake.
Unlike the CB750, the air intake of the CB1000 has the suction tubes point directly to the gas tank. So he need to make a spool, to connect the intake tubes with the air filters.

 

[Wangofree]

That is wicked!

 

[50gary]

Thanks for the reply, two great looking bikes. You must attract attention in Vietnam when you ride. Is the Cafe style of bikes popular in your country?
Cheers, 50gary

 

[VietHorse]

Thanks for the reply, two great looking bikes. You must attract attention in Vietnam when you ride. Is the Cafe style of bikes popular in your country?
Cheers, 50gary

The sound of the bike also awesome. It also attracts people a lot.
Before my bike, I don't really see any cafe racer on Vietnam newspaper, however, here and there I can see some small cc cafe racer on the street - but very rare.
Some shops they still making cafe racer but very limited demand. That's because of the limitation of the law. It is not allowed to modify the bike too much from its original.
I think after they putting my bike on newspaper, the movement of cafe racer in Vietnam seems hotter. People start to look for some old bikes to transform.

 

[rundown]

Congratulations on a great build, I'm hoping that you are a trend setter and that we will soon be seeing a flood of Vietnamese Cafe Recers.

 

[VietHorse]

You are right.
In Vietnam, the modified bikes are not allow to be on road. The re-certification process after modification is complicated like hellz, and none can effort to pay for it.
That why it limited the cafe racer - in short, or custom motorcycle - in general in Vietnam.
I was so called playing gamble with the life. I posted my build thread on local forums, and then some local newspapers they wrote about my bike... I can say before my bike no custom motorcycle has been publicized like that. Because people don't want to be caught, none want to be fined...
Not too long after some articles about my bike on the news, the evolution of cafe racer/custom motorcycle in Vietnam really began.
There are very few mechanical shops available in Hochiminh City suddenly being busy like hellz... with several orders...
Yes, the flood of cafe racer here really begins.

 

[VietHorse]

Just got modification of rear shock and the air filters.
Pics will come soon.