1978 Honda CX500 Cafe Build

[downtown809]

Well I went to mount the fender and there isn't enough room for the tire to travel so the bracket will need some modification.

 

[downtown809]

oh, it runs, still need to get it to idle though "https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=10200310542558647"

 

[downtown809]

Battery and box parts:

Box as ready to install, should it be black, black or raw aluminum?

 

[downtown809]

Tail light and license plate bracket, I hope it is the correct angle once I get it on the fender..

 

[kraptastic k]

Good luck with the angle of the light. Unfortunately (expectedly) the universal light I purchased was probably naive investment as it will need to be ground down or something to fit the fender without gaps in the seal. Interested to see how you make it work

1981 CB750K (a bunch of parts in boxes)

 

[downtown809]

I bought the light and made the bracket out of some aluminum bar stock. It might be pointing down a bit so some reshaping might be in order, time will tell..

 

[downtown809]

Well back to work on the CX. Working on the battery box and a location to hang the rear brake switch..

 

[downtown809]

Brake light switch. I went aftermarket as the oem was attached to the battery box. There is a threaded hole in the frame where it will bolt to. Painted now waiting for the paint to dry..

 

[downtown809]

Got the rear brake light switch mounted. In case you are wondering how the bike got dirty I needed to get the seat bracket welded on so I trailered it and it decided to snow that day..

 

[shafted]

this is looking great, especially that tank mate! Love it.

I've done the triple bi-pass on my CX and it isn't all that bad to do. Plenty of reading material and support online for these

 

[downtown809]

Thanks Shafted, I saw this while I was at the auto parts store today, looks like a rebuild for sure..

 

[Hilt]

I like the design idea of this bike. Looking forward to the next update

Are you satisfied with the quality of the seat from Hondaclassics31?
I would like to do similar build and am considering one of these seats but its pricey with delivery to Europe - $290.
Was it easy to fit? I dont have any welding experience.
Cheers

 

[downtown809]

I like the design idea of this bike. Looking forward to the next update

Are you satisfied with the quality of the seat from Hondaclassics31?
I would like to do similar build and am considering one of these seats but its pricey with delivery to Europe - $290.
Was it easy to fit? I dont have any welding experience.
Cheers

The jury is still out as far as the seat is concerned. It came with a bracket, such as it was that should have attached to the original seat hardware. I had removed some of the frame and this bracket before the seat arrived. I have brackets that I have made up that hold the rear fender and seat but I need to get them welded on as I am not setup to do this either.
It is a runner as of last night. I had the carbs gone through, he had to repair the overflow tubes as they were both cracked and we couldn't find replacements. I filled the carbs and rode it around without seat or tank. The thing is a beast, it feels and sounds so much different than the cb550. More like a loud car than a motorcycle. Back at it again..

 

[downtown809]

Well a minor setback today with an anti freeze leak. It was leaking out a bled hole below the water pump so I took the water pump off. At some point prior to me getting this the nut that secures the impeller to the camshaft came loose. As luck would have it the thing jammed itself between the impeller and the case and sheared the end of the cam off. So now it is either time for a new cam or try my luck with another engine.

 

[AlphaDogChoppers]

Sux.
That nut needs to be secured with Loctite.

 

[cxman]

where are you located i have a few spares either motors or cams

 

[downtown809]

Sux.
That nut needs to be secured with Loctite.

Agreed, both threads were buggered up, must have got them cross threaded and hoped they would hold, not..

 

[AlphaDogChoppers]

I just did a bunch of engine work on a CX500, and powdercoated the cases. CXMAN gave generously of his time to make sure I didn't screw up the mechanical seal the second time. First one I put in ended up with a cracked graphite ring, and leaked horribly. He explained his well practiced procedure for replacing the seal without having to split the case.

 

[Rich Ard]

Nice work AD, that's the nicest looking CX lump I've seen.

 

[AlphaDogChoppers]

Thanks. I'm quite proud of it. I really don't show my work off on the forum much. Maybe I am not narcissistic enough.

The tank badges came out really well, too. All powdercoat. Candy red powder first, then masked off the letters and applied the same silver vein as on the engine, then clear over the whole thing after removing the masking. The color is a lot more consistent than the photo shows. Hard to capture with a camera.