One-Off Honda CX500 Valkyrie Has More Class Than Its Stock Self Could’ve Dreamed Of

Here we are today, though: the bespoke machines put together by David and his team have caught the attention of custom bike aficionados across Europe and beyond. These Austrians developed a signature style centered around elegance, clean lines, and a snazzy neo-retro aesthetic we can’t seem to get enough of. NCT Motorcycles won’t shy away from any genre, but the cafe style is without a doubt what they do best.

To see why we say this, one must look no further than the tasty one-off they nicknamed Valkyrie. Commissioned in 2020 by a client from Dubai, this project started with a 1982 Honda CX500 that’s been rescued from a barn in France. It took a couple of years for it to go from a neglected CX500 to the Valkyrie, and it should go without saying that NCT didn’t have an easy time making it all come together.

As it turned out, their efforts were totally worth it. First, the parties involved threw some ideas back and forth to form a common vision, then Widmann’s specialists translated these into sketches. The customer liked what he was seeing, so the makeover got underway as soon as the classic Honda was delivered from France. NCT promptly took it apart upon arrival at the shop, ditching a considerable chunk of its OEM hardware in the process.

The stock bodywork got deleted in its entirety, along with things like the suspension, subframe, and front brake. With the donor dismantled, the Austrians wrapped its Comstar wheels in a layer of black powder coating, subsequently cloaking their rims in fresh Avon rubber. The new rubber measures 100/90 at the front and 130/90 at the opposite end. Those replacement forks are Showa items borrowed from a Ducati.

Plentiful stopping power up north comes from a drilled aftermarket brake rotor and a premium Brembo caliper, which is secured in place via a custom bracket. This setup is a lot more solid than the factory components, despite the fact that it employs a single disc instead of two. Moving on to the bike’s rear section, we find a tailor-made subframe bringing about a perfectly level bone line.

NCT really went to town in this area, getting rid of the standard suspension layout to make room for a monoshock arrangement. The swingarm was modified to suit the updated anatomy, and it now carries a skeletal license plate bracket with integrated LED turn signals. Atop the CX500’s bespoke subframe lies a pointy 3D-printed tail unit complete with a vertical LED lighting strip.

Then there’s that stylish solo saddle, featuring brown leather upholstery, a diamond pattern for the stitching, and just enough padding to keep the rider comfy. Right ahead of the Valkyrie’s seat, we notice a new fuel tank that’s been manufactured from scratch using aluminum. It bears a flip-up filler cap up top, and the rear portion flows seamlessly into the seat after forming a pair of knee indentations.

The NCT squad also fitted handmade fenders on both ends, while the original radiator cover has been replaced with a fresh aluminum substitute built in-house. Up in the cockpit area, they installed a Brembo brake master cylinder, clip-on handlebars with Domino grips, and more Motogadget goodies than you can shake a stick at. These include bar-end blinkers, compact switches, and a digital Motoscope Pro speedometer, among others.

Front-end lighting is finished off with a bright LED headlamp, and all the electronics are wired through Motogadget’s mo.unit control module. As for the battery, it now lives inside a custom box beneath the motorcycle’s transmission. David and his crew performed a comprehensive overhaul in the powertrain sector, too, taking the longitudinal 497cc V-twin apart and rebuilding from head to toe. They kept the stock Keihin carbs and topped them with K&N pod filters.

A bit of extra grunt was made possible by the addition of an electric radiator fan, which replaces the standard crank-driven unit. Exhaust gases are channeled out through dual stainless-steel headers and SC-Project mufflers, terminating nice and high close to the rear fender. The engine’s exterior got painted black following the makeover, and that brings us to the final stage of this project.

From afar, the base color on the Valkyrie’s bodywork may appear to be black, as well, but it’s actually a very dark shade of green taken from Aston Martin’s palette. The English automaker was also the source of inspiration behind the machine’s name, and NCT’s work was concluded by gold highlights on the fuel tank and tail. As we can probably all agree, this CX500 really got the overhaul it deserved thanks to David Widmann and his skilled accomplices.