This is the bike build that cemented my love affair with the CX500! Watching you build this beast gave me the confidence to start my own CX500 build. I lost my job in 2020 due to the pandemic but I still have the project and a burning passion to get it finished. If it's just half as good as this one I'll be a happy man!
Nice work. Looks like your CX will be a hoot around town. Respect your quality fabrication / home built components - that's what custom bikes are about to me. I built a compact air cleaner / stack and 2 stage micro-mesh filter assembly for a friend's custom build a while ago that has 11 components made of machined billet 6061, 7075, and 304 stainless parts that all goes together and mounts on the FCR 41 mm carb without one clamp, screw, bolt, or thread. Uses slight press fits, machined rectangular section snap rings, slotted collets, and self locking tapers. Dozens have tried to figure out what holds it all together without correctly guessing how all of it works. It can go together on the bike without any tools, although getting it off the carb takes a few gentle taps from a plastic face or rubber mallet. So much fact in your comments about swapping parts. It is quite amazing how many different spec / geometry components went into Suzuki's sport bike front ends in the 97-21 models. Most people don't expect that kind of thing and find out the hard way the parts aren't as interchangeable as they thought. I just ran into a situation like that and "bought the billet" - I have to machine a new set of triples to get TL1000R forks into my buddy's old Katana without resorting to cutting or altering the OG fairing and fairing bracket. I thought I could use narrower GSXR600 triples, but no such fit. Upside is that I can re-use the OG stem shaft, bearings, shims, nuts, and seals. I also have a situation with different brake rotor and mud guard mounts and axle diameters (three axle diameters!) from 05 to13 GSXR wheels and forks to work out on my own street beater KZ1000. The big "if" on that one is getting a temp. Yamaha FJ1100 engine shoe-horned into it next year - if I can make it work - while the KZ engine is scattered on the bench. I do like that you don't take easy short cuts. Elegant and sophisticated functional metal art and mechanisms that work and won't break on the first 15 minutes ride. Neat and tidy wiring. No janky / crude / ugly shit. Gotta say I'm happy to see you didn't use the typical hipster go-to cafe / scrambler "unique" 🤣 brown cross pleated semi-circle tail seat, and you added a tail section! I still don't understand the cross pleated brown seat (or the silly weird or multi colored cross pleated seats like the "piano keys"), or with the round ass end and no tail section. Truly the ugliest seats imaginable IMO. If I do a custom seat, I usually do a minimal plain black cut down foam on a new fab. glass or plastic seat base or at least pick cover colors and patterns that work with the bodywork and paint. I also like color schemes paying homage to famous racing team colors (yellow and black, blue and white, orange and black, red - white and green, etc.). I'm still a firm believer in not modifying good factory OG components though. I'd leave those parts be and modify parts that are badly damaged or broken instead. But this sounds like you got the bike with many mods already started. It's your bike anyway, and I can't argue with the finished product. Just please don't cafe your CBX. Trust me on this. The CBX is a blast stock (you won't believe how it sounds pulling through 7000-9000 RPM IRL - recordings just don't do it justice), and yours is in excellent condition for an easy restoration.
Thank you Scott. This is a customer comissioned build along with most of the bikes on the channel. Check out the seat video for this bike a few back in the playlist as I show multiple past custom seats for my bikes. If you go to my Facebook page you can find the album this bike is in and see what kind of poor condition this bike was in when it came to me. I very much ask you check it out to see what I do. Again, the cbx is a restoration but that aside I shall do what I want with it or the next cbx....
@@BrickHouseBuilds Yep, I respect that. Your bike. As you want it. And I'm sure it will be awesome. Just feel it's a shame to cut up a CBX that is almost complete and in much better OG shape than most left out there. I'm not at all against a modified CBX that isn't irreversibly cut, however. I'd hold on to those stock parts, too. I'm doing one myself now (my current no.3 CBX), hopefully ready by late next summer. The reason my no. 3 CBX isn't getting restored to OEM is because I just can't spend the mega bucks on acquiring all the ultra rare and ultra expensive missing parts needed for a 100% restore. I did a nearly perfect restore with my no. 1 because it's numbers matching, is an early serial no. (the 17th red 78/79 cbx made, blt. early May '78), I have managed to re-acquire almost all the OG chassis parts I had sold off or traded, and have acquired a perfect extra set of NOS red bodywork including a never used seat, tail, fenders, and tank (in OG boxes, still has the aluminum foil sealing the filler hole), and it was the first "big" bike I ever owned (since 1983, second owner - first owner died on it in a wreck in 79). I even spent $2k on a complete NOS set of turn signals for it 5 years ago because my originals were slightly cracked. Current CBX No. 3 is a different story. It started out as a local scrap yard slightly twisted early frame and a later 79 spare engine (just like yours) I bought from Florida. Even then, I won't cut anything off the frame or weld anything on. Not really needed to build a fun custom CBX anyway IMO, as I'm keeping to the OG body and paint style. I've already straightened, media blasted, and epoxy primed it. I'm using a 92 ZX11 eccentric axle swing arm machined to fit the 79 cbx frame, with twin Hagons (later I'll buy $$$$ twin Ohlins for it). It is getting mods and updates just about everywhere else too. R1 front end and wheels. Billet everything I can. It might even get a copy of my buddy's home-brewed fuel injection system on his big block 83 GPz1100/1395, just with another two cylinders added. But nothing that can't be put back to OEM someday. I even found a nice set of OEM forks, wheels, and some other chassis parts for it just in case. I'm waiting on delivery of a new Delkevic stainless 6-1 today, otherwise I'd be in my shop playing right now. (I have a 99.99% OEM restore of a friend's matching #'s 73 Norton Commando Roadster to finish before the spring shows start up, and today its 30 below zero here, so bodywork / paint isn't happening). Back in the late 80's I semi-restored my no. 2 CBX (a severely neglected and beaten / abused 81 that was $500 in a farm pasture with a big dog chewing holes in the front fender, engine dead as a hammer) but I do now regret that I added custom paint (cost me $4K back then - custom color shift metallic blue / purple / black paint, artist airbrushed murals, two miles of clear coat, etc.) and chromed many of the OG parts (another $4k). Recently I've been buying up a second set of stock OE paint bodywork for it and replacing the chromed parts (in hindsight, the chrome was a huge mistake - especially the parts that flex - like rear suspension linkage - and the aluminum engine parts - both are now showing nickel shadows and even peeling in a few spots). I am keeping my 80's period Supertrapp Super Lite SS 6-2 on that one, though, because they aren't too far off the stock pipes in appearance and sound. The 81 CBX is still my favorite bike of all time to ride, BTW, especially out on open highways. Next is my OG 79 CBX, even though it rarely gets out anymore. My usual daily rides / beaters now are an 83 Nighthawk 650 which I love, and an 85 GS1150E which I hate. It hates me, too, but it's pretty quick for an old bike). My son is also resto-mod building a seized up and rotted 83 Katana with a spare engine from a 95 GXSR1100-W, or a Bandit 1200, or the engine from my 1150E (I hate the 1150E chassis that much).
Tidy, tasteful, and elegant build. If this CX650 were to come into my possession, I’d go all in with the MotoGadget M-Unit (w/ bluetooth, MotoScope, and LED lights,etc) and truly bring it to the 21st century.
Thank ya but the Morty system is in fact more modern than the M-unit, the bike is full LED already, and the digital dash has every bit as much capability as the motoscope.
It's interesting to see how metric measurements (like the reference to 2mm for example) are becoming increasingly familiar among enthusiasts in the American motoring community. Nice to see.
I wish it was more common. 99% of what I work on are Japanese bikes so metric is more common for me to use. Much easier but of course here in Murica everyone seems to want to stick with 64ths of an inch and yards and stuff lol
Thanks for the update on this build. It has been awhile and you have to watch the entire build videos to capture all the work and details that you put into this bike build. Ready for your next video 😃
Thanks for the great series of videos I watched them all, Very useful for people with limited tools for fabrication for example. I look forward to the next one! Best wishes from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire England.
You have ticked all of the boxes on this one. This is a custom bike built for someone that wants to ride the hell out of it. I watched you build this but forgot half of the really cool trick stuff that you added until this recap. Very tastefully and meticulously done BJ.
I really am becoming your fan now. You really did a great job. I tottaly love the standard CX500 (one that I've had my whole life actually...) with only some mods done to it to make it cope with today's traffic better (handling, brakes, ignitech) and I never really understood why people always try to make each and every CX they find into it a cafe racer but got to say yours is different and speaks to me. CXs are becoming sort of a rarity these days but I guess with this level of work and by that I mean above all the master level of engineering you've put into it, and also, well, I'm sure, the budget - you actually gave that old lady a new life it deserves. CXs were mass produced, working mule, megacity courrier kind of vehicles and probably were never meant to be at THIS level (the T version, maybe...) but still, I can sense the specimen you now show to the world still has that CX vibe to it no matter it's the best CX ever seen by anyone anywhere ! Priceless and truly remarkable. Well, if the weather allows, please take it for a spin and show us how it rides (fast, no music, good audio mandatory !) I'm tottaly loving your channel, expecting more content to come, best wishes and a Happy New Year !
Wow that was a big compliment so thank you very much! I will absolutely get some riding footage and per your request, no music. Thank you for the input
@@BrickHouseBuilds I've said it once, I may say it again. You are the best on the Internet. I love the technical, down to detail side of your channel and you as a person being so kind and humble doing what you do. I salute you !
Great job! I watched all the videos in the play list and boy what a transformation. It’s almost unrecognisable as a CX500 but you have showcased the V twin very nicely. Well done!....but I want one now.
Love all your Honda CX contents. Got my CX500 in August this year and already put 3500 miles on it. Going to start the scrambler build as soon as it's too cold to ride for the winter.
Very unique build. I hope it rides as good as it looks! Very sorted. I rebuilt my wife's 2012 VStrom 650 last year after she got hit by a car. It looks more like your bike now than it did before, rides excellent too. Very stable and quicker than ever. Needs a pipe!
Hi BJ, the bike is looking great and having followed the build I remember the amount of detail that has gone into it. It is a testament to your skills 😎. Just one comment and I know the bike was started from cold but the 650 engine does not like a low idle. The 500 is not a problem. Its something to do with the momentum on the crank and the bore/stroke ratio. The 650 should idle about 1000 to 1100rpm when warmed up. I know my 650's do not like a low idle at all and feel lumpy.
@@BrickHouseBuilds Something else I thought of BJ. It was mentioned to me some years ago (by a Guru) as I was building a 650 with an Ignitech ignition system. The 500 engine being easier to spin will try to start straight away. Said Guru advised me to reprogram the ignitech to spin the engine twice before sending signal to the coils. This gives the engine a chance to develop its own momentum and prevent the crank stalling. Again something on the 650 not the 500.
BJ … this is such a great build, and i think it is the one where i started following you installing a smart system to a bike. But.. wauw… this thing is why i have a cx500 waiting in the shed waiting to be revived. Mine will never, ever be as good as this but hell… you got me inspired to at least try!
Not a huge fan of cafe racers and I still really like this 500/650 mash up. And thank you for recording the progress, its gonna be my bible when I will get my hand on CX650, preferably Euro version since it has monoshock from factory. Cant wait for test drive :)
Note I never called this a cafe. I prefer upright bars and try not to get caught up on the labels. Id absolutely love. Eurosport but we just don't get them over here. The GL and turbo are the closest we got
@@BrickHouseBuilds I guess you didn't :D my apologies ;) and of course you right it is missing clip on bars, you even said that in the video. And I think its because its not fully Cafe racer I like it so much.
@@BrickHouseBuilds You have a talent in this area :-). It's a pleasure to see you put this to use. I can tell that it's not always simple solutions to difficult problems, but you always seem to figure something out that works well. It's not just entertainment, but an education. May this new year bring you joy, peace and happiness for you and your family. :-)
That’s an incredible build. I’m hoping to close the deal on a stock GL650i next week. I’ll focus on the mechanical stuff and enjoy the bike as it is for awhile. Eventually I’d like to do a custom build but take it in the opposite direction of every custom CX500/650 I’ve seen thus far-that is, keep it a touring bike, maybe even using the stock saddlebags but otherwise going totally retro. Unfortunately I lack the skills for the level of fabrication necessary for a project like that so at some point I’ll be handing the bike over to someone else. At this point I’m thinking Revival Cycles in Austin or Baak in Los Angeles. I know you’re not accepting any new projects for at least a year and I’m not sure retro is your thing anyway. It’s obvious you’ve got the skills.
Thank you! Yea, not taking on any right now with all the things going on behind the scenes. I love retro style for sure as the current CX500 scrambler build and my soon upcoming GS550 build are going in that direction. I wish I could take everything on but my limited space and being a solo operation make that impractical.
Great video. Did Honda fix the cam chain tensioner problem? I was one of the first purchasers of the original CX500 and as a despatch rider I quickly got through 100,000 miles and 3 cam chain tensions flapping around. Felt like I was a Honda development engineer - unpaid!
Great looking bike. I also made a cafe bike out of a 1980 CX500. Looks great but disappointed how slow these are....granted it is only a 500. I have the mikuni carbs etc.
Great project, super informative. I am certainly stealing a few ideas from your various projects! I think I've watched all the videos on this build, but I still have a couple of questions. 1. how did you mount the fibreglass hump to the frame? 2. how does the seat mount to the seat pan - did you use the seat pan as the base for the seat - if so, is the seat fabric just glued under the seat pan?
Thank ya Gary! The cowl uses 3 small screws on dedicated brackets. For my seats the material is wrapped and glued. With how I fit me pans the frame I've never had an issue.
@@BrickHouseBuilds thanks. I appreciate the reply. I'm hoping to finish my GL650 this year. Your builds made me reevaluate and I've had to up my game, meaning more cost, more work and more learning. Very much appreciate your detailed videos and quality work.
@@BrickHouseBuilds Yeah, I wasn't thinking about multiple sets. Obviously something custom like that demands a high price due to the hours that go into it. But at least outside of America people will pay for stuff like that.
Agreed no pressure at all! 😅 This particular bike I was very fortunate as the budget allowed for a nicer finish overall. The next couple bikes won't be this shiny so to speak but they will all have their own cool traits as far as fabrication and function go.
Along with the CBX 1000cc engine, the CX650 was one of two jewell engines Honda made at the time. It's a shame Honda didn't take the CX650 all the way to say 900cc.
Well there are the ST1100 and 1300 bikes which Id assume were the next chapter on these. Honda also had the VF series of course but yea a pushrod 4 valve v twin with twisted heads and shaft drive was a weird but advanced engine for the day
@@BrickHouseBuilds Thank you for the speedy reply. I very much value your experience. I am only just starting out on bikes restore, repair and modifications. God bless.
Great bike but the color scheme is kinda off. I’d make the front headlight fairing white instead of black, make the wheels gold with black spokes to match the front forks, then make any bare metal parts either black or gold. I think that’d look awesome.
I see the look you are after but that has been done many times. This bike is not intended to look like others. It won't be for everyone but it is perfect for me and the customer who spent many hours talking about color direction on every component.
This is a customer commissioned build. I currently have a GL650 for sale you can see a few videos down. That will be the only build available likely ever.
Im 5'8" and the customer is slightly taller so the bike is meant to fit him. The cx500 scrambler I'm currently building is for a customer who is 6'2" and ill soon be making changes to fit him. This bike you would feel fine on id think though
Everything about that bike looks great, except for the seat. It looks, Well.. Not comfortable. And a bike like that I would be putting the miles on if the seat will allow it.
Its actually very comfortable for intended use. I've spent a couple hours on it with no trouble. It's not a road king by any means but still very supportive with quality foam of multiple densities
Thank you much! I would argue that, it is no louder than the most common harley with aftermarket mufflers. Being in the small shop it will sound louder as well. Beyond that it's also not built as an everyday bike but rather a toy to enjoy on occasion
This is the bike build that cemented my love affair with the CX500! Watching you build this beast gave me the confidence to start my own CX500 build. I lost my job in 2020 due to the pandemic but I still have the project and a burning passion to get it finished. If it's just half as good as this one I'll be a happy man!
Thank you Tony and I'm happy this bike gave the confidence to just try to so many
Nice work. Looks like your CX will be a hoot around town.
Respect your quality fabrication / home built components - that's what custom bikes are about to me. I built a compact air cleaner / stack and 2 stage micro-mesh filter assembly for a friend's custom build a while ago that has 11 components made of machined billet 6061, 7075, and 304 stainless parts that all goes together and mounts on the FCR 41 mm carb without one clamp, screw, bolt, or thread. Uses slight press fits, machined rectangular section snap rings, slotted collets, and self locking tapers. Dozens have tried to figure out what holds it all together without correctly guessing how all of it works. It can go together on the bike without any tools, although getting it off the carb takes a few gentle taps from a plastic face or rubber mallet.
So much fact in your comments about swapping parts. It is quite amazing how many different spec / geometry components went into Suzuki's sport bike front ends in the 97-21 models. Most people don't expect that kind of thing and find out the hard way the parts aren't as interchangeable as they thought. I just ran into a situation like that and "bought the billet" - I have to machine a new set of triples to get TL1000R forks into my buddy's old Katana without resorting to cutting or altering the OG fairing and fairing bracket. I thought I could use narrower GSXR600 triples, but no such fit. Upside is that I can re-use the OG stem shaft, bearings, shims, nuts, and seals. I also have a situation with different brake rotor and mud guard mounts and axle diameters (three axle diameters!) from 05 to13 GSXR wheels and forks to work out on my own street beater KZ1000. The big "if" on that one is getting a temp. Yamaha FJ1100 engine shoe-horned into it next year - if I can make it work - while the KZ engine is scattered on the bench.
I do like that you don't take easy short cuts. Elegant and sophisticated functional metal art and mechanisms that work and won't break on the first 15 minutes ride. Neat and tidy wiring. No janky / crude / ugly shit. Gotta say I'm happy to see you didn't use the typical hipster go-to cafe / scrambler "unique" 🤣 brown cross pleated semi-circle tail seat, and you added a tail section! I still don't understand the cross pleated brown seat (or the silly weird or multi colored cross pleated seats like the "piano keys"), or with the round ass end and no tail section. Truly the ugliest seats imaginable IMO. If I do a custom seat, I usually do a minimal plain black cut down foam on a new fab. glass or plastic seat base or at least pick cover colors and patterns that work with the bodywork and paint. I also like color schemes paying homage to famous racing team colors (yellow and black, blue and white, orange and black, red - white and green, etc.).
I'm still a firm believer in not modifying good factory OG components though. I'd leave those parts be and modify parts that are badly damaged or broken instead. But this sounds like you got the bike with many mods already started. It's your bike anyway, and I can't argue with the finished product. Just please don't cafe your CBX. Trust me on this. The CBX is a blast stock (you won't believe how it sounds pulling through 7000-9000 RPM IRL - recordings just don't do it justice), and yours is in excellent condition for an easy restoration.
Thank you Scott. This is a customer comissioned build along with most of the bikes on the channel. Check out the seat video for this bike a few back in the playlist as I show multiple past custom seats for my bikes. If you go to my Facebook page you can find the album this bike is in and see what kind of poor condition this bike was in when it came to me. I very much ask you check it out to see what I do.
Again, the cbx is a restoration but that aside I shall do what I want with it or the next cbx....
@@BrickHouseBuilds Yep, I respect that. Your bike. As you want it. And I'm sure it will be awesome. Just feel it's a shame to cut up a CBX that is almost complete and in much better OG shape than most left out there. I'm not at all against a modified CBX that isn't irreversibly cut, however. I'd hold on to those stock parts, too. I'm doing one myself now (my current no.3 CBX), hopefully ready by late next summer. The reason my no. 3 CBX isn't getting restored to OEM is because I just can't spend the mega bucks on acquiring all the ultra rare and ultra expensive missing parts needed for a 100% restore. I did a nearly perfect restore with my no. 1 because it's numbers matching, is an early serial no. (the 17th red 78/79 cbx made, blt. early May '78), I have managed to re-acquire almost all the OG chassis parts I had sold off or traded, and have acquired a perfect extra set of NOS red bodywork including a never used seat, tail, fenders, and tank (in OG boxes, still has the aluminum foil sealing the filler hole), and it was the first "big" bike I ever owned (since 1983, second owner - first owner died on it in a wreck in 79). I even spent $2k on a complete NOS set of turn signals for it 5 years ago because my originals were slightly cracked. Current CBX No. 3 is a different story. It started out as a local scrap yard slightly twisted early frame and a later 79 spare engine (just like yours) I bought from Florida. Even then, I won't cut anything off the frame or weld anything on. Not really needed to build a fun custom CBX anyway IMO, as I'm keeping to the OG body and paint style. I've already straightened, media blasted, and epoxy primed it. I'm using a 92 ZX11 eccentric axle swing arm machined to fit the 79 cbx frame, with twin Hagons (later I'll buy $$$$ twin Ohlins for it). It is getting mods and updates just about everywhere else too. R1 front end and wheels. Billet everything I can. It might even get a copy of my buddy's home-brewed fuel injection system on his big block 83 GPz1100/1395, just with another two cylinders added. But nothing that can't be put back to OEM someday. I even found a nice set of OEM forks, wheels, and some other chassis parts for it just in case. I'm waiting on delivery of a new Delkevic stainless 6-1 today, otherwise I'd be in my shop playing right now. (I have a 99.99% OEM restore of a friend's matching #'s 73 Norton Commando Roadster to finish before the spring shows start up, and today its 30 below zero here, so bodywork / paint isn't happening). Back in the late 80's I semi-restored my no. 2 CBX (a severely neglected and beaten / abused 81 that was $500 in a farm pasture with a big dog chewing holes in the front fender, engine dead as a hammer) but I do now regret that I added custom paint (cost me $4K back then - custom color shift metallic blue / purple / black paint, artist airbrushed murals, two miles of clear coat, etc.) and chromed many of the OG parts (another $4k). Recently I've been buying up a second set of stock OE paint bodywork for it and replacing the chromed parts (in hindsight, the chrome was a huge mistake - especially the parts that flex - like rear suspension linkage - and the aluminum engine parts - both are now showing nickel shadows and even peeling in a few spots). I am keeping my 80's period Supertrapp Super Lite SS 6-2 on that one, though, because they aren't too far off the stock pipes in appearance and sound. The 81 CBX is still my favorite bike of all time to ride, BTW, especially out on open highways. Next is my OG 79 CBX, even though it rarely gets out anymore. My usual daily rides / beaters now are an 83 Nighthawk 650 which I love, and an 85 GS1150E which I hate. It hates me, too, but it's pretty quick for an old bike). My son is also resto-mod building a seized up and rotted 83 Katana with a spare engine from a 95 GXSR1100-W, or a Bandit 1200, or the engine from my 1150E (I hate the 1150E chassis that much).
I'm so glad I bought an 82 CX500 last spring. It was that or a 79 XS650. But now my little cl350 has a younger brother!
Stellar. Incomprehensible amount of detailing labor went into the build. Customization x10.
Thank you so much Cody! I absolutely have a ton of time in this. It's actually going on the dyno today which will be some great content!
Tidy, tasteful, and elegant build. If this CX650 were to come into my possession, I’d go all in with the MotoGadget M-Unit (w/ bluetooth, MotoScope, and LED lights,etc) and truly bring it to the 21st century.
Thank ya but the Morty system is in fact more modern than the M-unit, the bike is full LED already, and the digital dash has every bit as much capability as the motoscope.
Just like many others this bike made the CX500 a need in my life. Beautiful bike BJ.
Well thank you very much!
Great build. Lots of attention to detail. Thanks for sharing.
I appreciate it Tyler 🙏
This must be one of the most beautiful builds I’ve seen. And it makes me want to spend the winter building my own project bike✌️
Well thank you so much!
You inspire many and that should be appreciated! @@BrickHouseBuilds
1 of the very best bikes to convert to a cafe ! Done properly, incredible !
Thank you! The CX platform is definitely popular
Very, very nice. One if the best CX builds I've ever seen. Congratulations.
Very much appreciate it!!
It's interesting to see how metric measurements (like the reference to 2mm for example) are becoming increasingly familiar among enthusiasts in the American motoring community. Nice to see.
I wish it was more common. 99% of what I work on are Japanese bikes so metric is more common for me to use. Much easier but of course here in Murica everyone seems to want to stick with 64ths of an inch and yards and stuff lol
Such a rad bike. Nice to see it on the channel again!
Thank you! Its cool to have it looking fresh in the newly refinished shop as well
A lot of thinking gone into this bike, Love it BJ, good job! Sounds amazing 👏
Many thanks Mike!
Thanks for the update on this build. It has been awhile and you have to watch the entire build videos to capture all the work and details that you put into this bike build. Ready for your next video 😃
Yea the bike is packed to the brim with small details it will just be impossible to capture it all in a single video!
Thanks for the great series of videos I watched them all, Very useful for people with limited tools for fabrication for example. I look forward to the next one! Best wishes from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire England.
I appreciate you watching them Bruce!
That’s the best cx 500 I have see very very nice work love it
I really appreciate that Graham 🙏
This would be a great daily driver or second bike. You've covered all the bases. Makes me want to build a CX!
Thank you! Yea the goal is to make it remain user friendly as well as comfortable to ride.
Very thoughtful, incredibly well executed build, thanks for the video
Thanks so much! Definitely check out my timelapse on the bike to see it built.
You have ticked all of the boxes on this one. This is a custom bike built for someone that wants to ride the hell out of it. I watched you build this but forgot half of the really cool trick stuff that you added until this recap. Very tastefully and meticulously done BJ.
Thank you 🙏 I hope he does ride the hell out of it as it tempts you at every moment lol
Spectacular build! Thanks for sharing
Thanks Cameron! Definitely check out the full time lapse of this build if you haven't seen it yet
Nice wrap up, and I will be checking out some of the episodes I missed. Great work once again!
I know you watched at least the majority of them so you are doing good! Thank you though
Wow that's a great build you've done. Looks like a factory model. Awesome.
Many thanks Phil!
I really am becoming your fan now. You really did a great job. I tottaly love the standard CX500 (one that I've had my whole life actually...) with only some mods done to it to make it cope with today's traffic better (handling, brakes, ignitech) and I never really understood why people always try to make each and every CX they find into it a cafe racer but got to say yours is different and speaks to me. CXs are becoming sort of a rarity these days but I guess with this level of work and by that I mean above all the master level of engineering you've put into it, and also, well, I'm sure, the budget - you actually gave that old lady a new life it deserves. CXs were mass produced, working mule, megacity courrier kind of vehicles and probably were never meant to be at THIS level (the T version, maybe...) but still, I can sense the specimen you now show to the world still has that CX vibe to it no matter it's the best CX ever seen by anyone anywhere ! Priceless and truly remarkable. Well, if the weather allows, please take it for a spin and show us how it rides (fast, no music, good audio mandatory !) I'm tottaly loving your channel, expecting more content to come, best wishes and a Happy New Year !
Wow that was a big compliment so thank you very much! I will absolutely get some riding footage and per your request, no music. Thank you for the input
@@BrickHouseBuilds I've said it once, I may say it again. You are the best on the Internet. I love the technical, down to detail side of your channel and you as a person being so kind and humble doing what you do. I salute you !
100% next-level! 🔥🔥🔥
🙏🙏🙏 thank ya Paul
Beautiful little big with a gorgeous induction and exhaust note.
Great job well done.
Nick Australia
I appreciate that and yes it does have a nice induction note as well! My SV650 had the best induction note per any bike ive ridden to date.
Gorgeous bike! love the detail and ingenuity shown in this build....
Thank you very much!
G’day that’s bloody nice you’ve done a beautiful job of that CX 500. regards John
Thank ya John!
Great job! I watched all the videos in the play list and boy what a transformation. It’s almost unrecognisable as a CX500 but you have showcased the V twin very nicely. Well done!....but I want one now.
Thank you much K!
Wow looks and sounds amazing a lot of thought gone into the bike for sure.
Thanks Roger. It has indeed taken a ton of time
What a sick bike! 🤘💪
Thanks!
Love all your Honda CX contents. Got my CX500 in August this year and already put 3500 miles on it. Going to start the scrambler build as soon as it's too cold to ride for the winter.
Thank you! Im excited to see how the current cx scrambler performs when done!
Very unique build. I hope it rides as good as it looks! Very sorted. I rebuilt my wife's 2012 VStrom 650 last year after she got hit by a car. It looks more like your bike now than it did before, rides excellent too. Very stable and quicker than ever. Needs a pipe!
Thank ya! It rides pretty good from the minimal miles I've got on it so far. I have some tuning to do but of course its now 20 degrees outside.
Its so beautiful. This build beats any brand new retro classic bikes imo.
Well thank you Carlo, that's a high compliment 🙏
That bike is epic! 👏👏👏
Thank you much John!
Hi BJ, the bike is looking great and having followed the build I remember the amount of detail that has gone into it. It is a testament to your skills 😎. Just one comment and I know the bike was started from cold but the 650 engine does not like a low idle. The 500 is not a problem. Its something to do with the momentum on the crank and the bore/stroke ratio. The 650 should idle about 1000 to 1100rpm when warmed up. I know my 650's do not like a low idle at all and feel lumpy.
Thank ya Mike! Yea I'm still working on that sweet spot for idle and response so I agree there.
@@BrickHouseBuilds Something else I thought of BJ. It was mentioned to me some years ago (by a Guru) as I was building a 650 with an Ignitech ignition system. The 500 engine being easier to spin will try to start straight away. Said Guru advised me to reprogram the ignitech to spin the engine twice before sending signal to the coils. This gives the engine a chance to develop its own momentum and prevent the crank stalling. Again something on the 650 not the 500.
@@mikeohonda486 This is a Rae San system and has that feature built in. It will go at least 3 revolutions before it fires
Always enjoy seeing that build
Thanks Chris
BJ … this is such a great build, and i think it is the one where i started following you installing a smart system to a bike. But.. wauw… this thing is why i have a cx500 waiting in the shed waiting to be revived. Mine will never, ever be as good as this but hell… you got me inspired to at least try!
I think those wiring videos have proved to be very key in where I'm headed and impacted the relationships I've been building. Thank ya!
That sounds sick! Wow!
Thank ya Dave!
Not a huge fan of cafe racers and I still really like this 500/650 mash up. And thank you for recording the progress, its gonna be my bible when I will get my hand on CX650, preferably Euro version since it has monoshock from factory. Cant wait for test drive :)
Note I never called this a cafe. I prefer upright bars and try not to get caught up on the labels. Id absolutely love. Eurosport but we just don't get them over here. The GL and turbo are the closest we got
@@BrickHouseBuilds I guess you didn't :D my apologies ;) and of course you right it is missing clip on bars, you even said that in the video. And I think its because its not fully Cafe racer I like it so much.
Very Nice build. I have always thought the CX500 & 650 series were a really nice mid-size cycle. Looks & sounds great.
Thanks Doug! They do fit the mid size segment well. Not very big bikes in the cx line but slightly larger overall with the GL line.
Beautiful build. Please open the door, so you don't drop dead. That little exhaust fan may just barely be keeping you alive!
Thank ya! Just imagine before the fan
Inspiring build, looks even better in that newly painted shop! Happy New Year!
Editing this was sooo much easier with the cleaner colors. I'm very happy with it. Thanks Doc!
Lovely bike. 👍🇬🇧
Thank you Alan!
Soy de México y la verdad siempre he soñado por lo menos tener una moto así 😞. Buen video y soy nuevo suscriptor
Thank you!
Wow, you've done so much work on this! Nice, very cool. :-)
Many thanks! Definitely have a lot of hours in this bike!
@@BrickHouseBuilds You have a talent in this area :-). It's a pleasure to see you put this to use. I can tell that it's not always simple solutions to difficult problems, but you always seem to figure something out that works well. It's not just entertainment, but an education. May this new year bring you joy, peace and happiness for you and your family. :-)
Looks cool and sounds sweet 👍
Thank you!
We'd call it Triggers Broom in the UK. Looks awesome
Thank ya Stephen!
That’s an incredible build. I’m hoping to close the deal on a stock GL650i next week. I’ll focus on the mechanical stuff and enjoy the bike as it is for awhile. Eventually I’d like to do a custom build but take it in the opposite direction of every custom CX500/650 I’ve seen thus far-that is, keep it a touring bike, maybe even using the stock saddlebags but otherwise going totally retro. Unfortunately I lack the skills for the level of fabrication necessary for a project like that so at some point I’ll be handing the bike over to someone else. At this point I’m thinking Revival Cycles in Austin or Baak in Los Angeles. I know you’re not accepting any new projects for at least a year and I’m not sure retro is your thing anyway. It’s obvious you’ve got the skills.
Thank you! Yea, not taking on any right now with all the things going on behind the scenes. I love retro style for sure as the current CX500 scrambler build and my soon upcoming GS550 build are going in that direction. I wish I could take everything on but my limited space and being a solo operation make that impractical.
Great video. Did Honda fix the cam chain tensioner problem? I was one of the first purchasers of the original CX500 and as a despatch rider I quickly got through 100,000 miles and 3 cam chain tensions flapping around. Felt like I was a Honda development engineer - unpaid!
Yea in 1979 they had a recall after the first year. After 1982 they had a different cam chain design all together
Great looking bike. I also made a cafe bike out of a 1980 CX500. Looks great but disappointed how slow these are....granted it is only a 500. I have the mikuni carbs etc.
Yea these aren't race bikes by any means. The mechanical look they have combined with being able to radically modify them is the biggest draw
@Brick House Builds yep, that is why I picked up one as well. Fun around town but still expected it have a bit more.
Beautiful build
I appreciate it Victor!
Beautiful.
Many thanks 🙏🙏
Very cool bike 😎
I appreciate it 🙏
Fantastic..
Thank ya Tommy!
Love it!
Thanks Joe!
Love the idle real lowww sounds sexy af beautiful bike man also loved the cx500s motor looks badass
Thanks Nick! I think the biggest appeal for these CX/Gl bikes is how "mechanical" the engines look. Thats my favorite aspect of them
Great project, super informative. I am certainly stealing a few ideas from your various projects! I think I've watched all the videos on this build, but I still have a couple of questions. 1. how did you mount the fibreglass hump to the frame? 2. how does the seat mount to the seat pan - did you use the seat pan as the base for the seat - if so, is the seat fabric just glued under the seat pan?
Thank ya Gary! The cowl uses 3 small screws on dedicated brackets. For my seats the material is wrapped and glued. With how I fit me pans the frame I've never had an issue.
@@BrickHouseBuilds thanks. I appreciate the reply. I'm hoping to finish my GL650 this year. Your builds made me reevaluate and I've had to up my game, meaning more cost, more work and more learning. Very much appreciate your detailed videos and quality work.
Nice bike it’s a credit to you.
Thanks Richie!
great bike
I appreciate it Jeremy!
Super travail réalisé continu comme sa
Thank you so much!
Really nice and neat. Only the muffler is a bit too loud for me
It was specifically requested by the customer. Tad too loud for me too
Work of Art.
Any chance you would build the shifter setup to sell?
Thank you! For the shifter, no. Making one-off parts is too labor intensive to be marketable for me
@@BrickHouseBuilds Yeah, I wasn't thinking about multiple sets. Obviously something custom like that demands a high price due to the hours that go into it. But at least outside of America people will pay for stuff like that.
absolut super dieses motorrad 👍
Thank you Heinz 🙏
You are the best
Many thanks!
The bar on this one is set really high for THE next build!
Agreed no pressure at all! 😅 This particular bike I was very fortunate as the budget allowed for a nicer finish overall. The next couple bikes won't be this shiny so to speak but they will all have their own cool traits as far as fabrication and function go.
What's the budget if you don't mind me asking?
@@chrisjet10001 being a customer bike I simply won't disclose that.
We had some amazing content from you this year, can't wait what's in store for next year!
@@righthoekstra I appreciate that! Next year brings so much more!
Along with the CBX 1000cc engine, the CX650 was one of two jewell engines Honda made at the time. It's a shame Honda didn't take the CX650 all the way to say 900cc.
Well there are the ST1100 and 1300 bikes which Id assume were the next chapter on these. Honda also had the VF series of course but yea a pushrod 4 valve v twin with twisted heads and shaft drive was a weird but advanced engine for the day
Nice build man, looks great! How much did you have in it by the time you were done?
Hey Frank thank you. As this is a customer build I can't disclose that. Everything is top tier in quality so the price would reflect that.
Great build*
Much appreciated!
Hi,
is it possible to fit the XC650 engine in a DR650 frame?
Im not sure what an xc650 engine is actually
@@BrickHouseBuilds Sorry, I meant Honda CX650. Sorry for the typo. My bad.
@@GR31M4NN That would not be a swap I would consider. The gl650 engine is shaft drive while the dr650 dual sport is chain drive.
@@BrickHouseBuilds Thank you for the speedy reply. I very much value your experience. I am only just starting out on bikes restore, repair and modifications. God bless.
If you ever come to Kenya, allow me to host you.
Great bike but the color scheme is kinda off. I’d make the front headlight fairing white instead of black, make the wheels gold with black spokes to match the front forks, then make any bare metal parts either black or gold. I think that’d look awesome.
I see the look you are after but that has been done many times. This bike is not intended to look like others. It won't be for everyone but it is perfect for me and the customer who spent many hours talking about color direction on every component.
Ever gonna sell?
This is a customer commissioned build. I currently have a GL650 for sale you can see a few videos down. That will be the only build available likely ever.
How tall are you? Im 6"2, would I be too tall for this bike?
Im 5'8" and the customer is slightly taller so the bike is meant to fit him. The cx500 scrambler I'm currently building is for a customer who is 6'2" and ill soon be making changes to fit him.
This bike you would feel fine on id think though
Want one
I have my GL650 build currently for sale actually
how much does a motorcycle like this cost?
Im sorry I dont divulge prices for my bikes
@@BrickHouseBuilds Okay I respect that, I asked, because I'm interested in buying a custom motorcycle, and I like your work.
Everything about that bike looks great, except for the seat. It looks, Well.. Not comfortable. And a bike like that I would be putting the miles on if the seat will allow it.
Its actually very comfortable for intended use. I've spent a couple hours on it with no trouble. It's not a road king by any means but still very supportive with quality foam of multiple densities
Fantastic work but this bike is really too noisy to use for real
Thank you much! I would argue that, it is no louder than the most common harley with aftermarket mufflers. Being in the small shop it will sound louder as well. Beyond that it's also not built as an everyday bike but rather a toy to enjoy on occasion