Officine Uragani’s Sfida Is the Most Rugged 1980 Honda CX500 You’ve Seen

Before there was Sfida, there was a regular 1980 Honda CX500 C. This beloved classic was considered to be way ahead of its time back in the ‘80s and is still seen as a timeless display of exceptional engineering today.

CX500 C was powered by a four-stroke V-twin engine with a five-speed transmission and a displacement of 497cc. This ferocious liquid-cooled mill delivered up to 50 hp at 9,000 rpm and a torque output of 34 pound-feet (46 Nm) of torque at 7,000 rpm, making Honda’s little devil perfectly capable of reaching a top speed of 112 mph (180 kph).

While that may not sound as impressive in our day and age, we’ll have to keep in mind that, after all, we are talking about a bike that’s just over 40 years old. This bad boy was roaming the streets before many of us even knew how to tie our shoelaces.

Its brakes were provided with two 275 mm (10.83 inches) discs at the front and a 160 mm (6.3 inches) drum at the rear, while the front suspension received 33 mm Showa telescopic forks, accompanied by adjustable shock absorbers and a single-sided swingarm at the back.

Raffaele Gallo of Officine Uragani is no stranger to surprising us with some stunning customs and beautifully restored two-wheelers. Some of his incredible projects can be found on the workshop’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, including a splendid transformation of a Buell M2 Cyclone, appropriately named Avanzata.

Gallo also managed to get his hands on a retro 1980 Honda CX500 C and decided that he’ll take an unconventional approach, letting his imagination go absolutely wild. The project was named Sfida (Italian for ‘challenge’) and took as many as seven long months to complete.

CX500’s original frame was left untouched, as Gallo intended to work around it instead of having to chop it up and weld it back together. He equipped the front suspension with a new set of 50 mm (1.97 inches) Showa forks, while a ‘70s motocross bike’s shocks were adapted to CX500’s rear, along with a Honda GL650’s double-sided swingarm.

Its Comstar wheels were replaced with splendid Excel rims, enveloped in multi-purpose Continental Twinduro TKC80 that make Sfida look that much more terrifying. On the new wheels, we also notice a Honda CRF450’s brakes that reshape the standard CX500 C into a machine that’ll happily take things off-road.

As to its bodywork, the levels of refined details and authenticity are astonishing! Gallo designed it using aluminum, along with carbon fiber to form a unique mixture of classic and futuristic elements. You will find carbon fiber air intakes on the fuel tank, a finned tail and even a custom-built canard below the taillight. For a neater overall look, Sfida’s gauges and electric starter button are nested inside the tank, where we will also discover a new filler cap.

Furthermore, it received modern LED head and taillights, besides clip-on handlebars with Rizoma and LSR components. You may notice a custom two-into-two exhaust attached to the V-twin mill, which has been completely refurbished and repainted to match the bike’s appearance.

And there we have it, folks. We highly appreciate creativity, and Officine Uragani’s reimagined 1980 Honda CX500 C definitely packs a very healthy dose of it!