autoevolution
 

Custom Rusty Honda CX500 by Robinsons Speed Shop

One can stumble upon lots of customized old Honda CX500s these days, as the donor machines have been fairly popular around the world and can be had for very affordable prices. However, only few of these builds can really stand from the crowd and be remembered months and even years after you’ve seen them, and Luke Robinson’s CU29 is such a bike.
Honda CX500 by Robinsons Speed Shop 8 photos
Photo: Robinsons Speed Shop
Honda CX500 by Robinsons Speed ShopHonda CX500 by Robinsons Speed ShopHonda CX500 by Robinsons Speed ShopHonda CX500 by Robinsons Speed ShopHonda CX500 by Robinsons Speed ShopHonda CX500 by Robinsons Speed ShopHonda CX500 by Robinsons Speed Shop
If you missed the chemistry classes, CU stands for copper and is the 29th element in the periodic table. And of course, the name of the bike has been chosen for a good reason… The creation brief which came with the old CX500 was… brief: the customer only wanted the bike to look as clean and tidy as possible, with no wiring clutter on display and the iconic Moto Guzzi-esque engine as the center of interest.

Luke only knew very good how to maintain the frame of a bike as clean as possible and decided to eliminate pretty much everything which was not needed from the future bike. The battery was tucked away under the swingarm pivot point, while all the electrics, together with the lights, starter and ignition switches hidden under the seat, with the new wiring harness carefully hidden from plain sight. Taking clean looks to the extreme, the clocks and gauges have been tossed, too, for a front end as free as possible, and the only bar-mounted controls being the kill switch and the horn.

The frame was stripped and repainted in black to match the all-black engine, whose only brushed metal accents were the header screws and the carburetors. The CU29 now breathes in through a pair of RamAir foam filters, while exhaust gases come out via black-wrapped headers and 2 into 2 megaphone silencers.

Luke changed the rear section of the CU29, using a bespoke loop with a slightly raised profile to add better balance, especially since taller Firestone Deluxe old-school were to be installed. The pegs remained in the same position as stock, so together with the raised bars they offer a better, more comfortable, upright riding stance.

Since the best is almost always saved for last, it’s time to speak about the spectacular tank. The initial idea involved polishing and copper coating, followed by a layer of matte varnish, but it turned out that the result was rather dull and inexpressive. So Luke chose to have it sandblasted and then dipped, allowing the copper to develop its own nuances and color palette, for a truly unique and mesmerizing final look. Retro, vibrant, and steampunk the CU29 shows that there is still plenty to do with the old CX500. Via thebikeshed.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories