From These Humble Origins…
Comes This Built for Speed Beauty
Regular CRM readers will be familiar with our 1972 Honda Cb500 project bike, a machine that, under the series title “Middleweight Mash-Up” has stretched over nine issues. The Honda was purchased at the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days swap meet back in 2012 and sat in a dark corner of our garage until we found room on the lift-stand for her. In the ensuing months, the CB500 four was stripped down and rebuilt with the assistance of our usual cast of techs – and some guest wrenches including So Cal custom builder Duatin Kott- resulting in one of the more handsome, purposeful custom builds we’ve yet undertaken. Help from our magazine’s many advertisers also make the project possible, such as engine seals from Gasket King, exhaust wrap from Design Engineering, Inc. stunning red and white paint from Muzzy’s Graffix and Cognito Moto resrsets. We’re rather impressed by the beautiful bodywork supplied by Benjie’s Cafe Racer, who sculpted the voluptuous steel fuel tank and seat unit to fit together with a precision that could rival Honda’s original designs. Come the April/May issue, the old girl is finally fired up and ridden, a moment we’ve been anticipating more than the arrival of a new riding season. Many long hours in the garage by Editor at large Blake Kelly this winter have brought the Honda to the brink of streetworthiness and to hear the exhaust barking its high-velocity howl again after five years is a treat indeed. It’s a testament to the build quality and robustness of Honda motorcycles that this long-dormant bike would fire up so easily, requiring just a carb cleaning (thanks West Hills Honda!)a new Charlie’s Place electronic ignition and fresh petrol and plugs. Roll on, warm weather!
