Bill started looking at CX500s a half-decade ago after seeing a cafe racer conversion, and found one the following year. The bike he chose was a 1980 CX500 Deluxe, and his initial idea was to cafe it – until he saw a GL1000 with a Darkwing street tracker seat pan. Several purchases from Hotwing Glass later, his bike was now headed in a different direction…
As you can see, plenty of work has gone into this build. The front end has been upgraded with new progressive front springs (eBay
– check fitment), and the 16″ rear wheel was replaced with an 18″ from a 1978 CX500. The kickstand had to be extended 3/4″ to compensate for the additional height from the taller wheel. The handlebars are Bikemaster European (eBay
Turning signals were upgraded to modern LED indicators – Speedmetal Micro Arrow:
The fan was changed from the stock mechanical fan to a Ducati electric radiator fan, and a temperature switch for the fan was attached to a new drain plug fashioned from a magnetic sump plug (eBay
All new cables were fitted, along with K&N pod filters for the stock carbs – which got a rebuild and good cleaning thanks to Larry Cargill:
The airbox space is now occupied by battery, voltage regulator and starter solenoid, mounted on new custom tray:
The stock 2-2 exhaust was replaced with a ceramic coated Mac 2-1 exhaust (eBay
A voltage monitor was installed next to the choke cable:
Lots of little details, which come together into one nice ride:
The side panels are custom done, and have Honda Nightwing badges:
The paintwork looks superb, and the red pinstriping is a nice touch. All up a very nice build that seems to be getting regular time on the road, which is just as it should be!