Round Two – Jackson Racing Honda CX500/R Cafe Racer

[weeksy]

https://www.returnofthecaferacers.com/h ... nda-cx500/

[Supermofo]

That's horrendous, just so much wrong in one bike

[cheb]

It's not got a brown seat...

The most obvious problem with a lot of CX500 customs for me is the mismatched wheels, that grates more than the knobblies on a cafe racer or the scrapbin exhaust pipes.

[Count Steer]

Nope. Just trying way too hard and overdoing it.

[KungFooBob]

Will they never learn, you CAN NOT make a CX look good.

[DefTrap]

Too high, the wheels are too chunky, exhaust needs thought, don't like the paint job.

I -DO- believe you can make a decent custom out of a CX, you just need to throw sufficient of the OE away and I fear the motor doesn't quite deserve all that effort.

[Count Steer]

Will they never learn, you CAN NOT make a CX look good.

That's worth a thread. Find a good CX custom.



(Or find the worst one!)

[Mr. Dazzle]

I like the CX.

Not this one though.

[KungFooBob]

I like the CX.

Not this one though.

Not even the exhaust welds

[Count Steer]

I like the CX.

Not this one though.

I never really understood all the flak they got. I guess a) they weren't sports bikes b) they were 'different' but in terms of function and form they were what they were - a nominally low maintenance, reasonably comfortable middle distance commuter/tourer. Not powerful, handling was adequate. Water cooled, shaft, easy access for tappet checking, tubeless. Good workhorse bike.

[Supermofo]

I like the CX.

Not this one though.

I never really understood all the flak they got. I guess a) they weren't sports bikes b) they were 'different' but in terms of function and form they were what they were - a nominally low maintenance, reasonably comfortable middle distance commuter/tourer. Not powerful, handling was adequate. Water cooled, shaft, easy access for tappet checking, tubeless. Good workhorse bike.

TBF I wouldn't give them flak for what they were but for what they've become which is some kind of hipster icon. I suspect initially this was due to them being dirt cheap but I doubt they are now due to the Hipster market.

[DefTrap]

That's worth a thread. Find a good CX custom.



(Or find the worst one!)

Customs are -always- going to be marmite - especially ones with no 'guards, shortened rear-ends etc - the CX base just doubles down on it.

I quite like this one for example - but plenty, plenty won't. I think binning the stock tank helps - stock it sits at a weird angle and makes the bike look like it's going uphill - but it's still fugly and even levelling up doesn't really help. And, like I say, why would you go to that much effort for a cx motor?

[Mr Moofo]

will look good outside the Bike Shed, with a ginger bearded, tweed jacketed, rolled up trouser rider ....

[cheb]

I like the CX.

Not this one though.

I never really understood all the flak they got. I guess a) they weren't sports bikes b) they were 'different' but in terms of function and form they were what they were - a nominally low maintenance, reasonably comfortable middle distance commuter/tourer. Not powerful, handling was adequate. Water cooled, shaft, easy access for tappet checking, tubeless. Good workhorse bike.

I remember it being said [By whom, citation needed] that they had one of the most comfortable seats ever fitted to a bike.

[darthpunk]

Sweet jesus, the more custom bikes I see the more I crave for a standard bike. The brown one and that last one are fine, at least they've had an overall vision. The first post bike though is just a case of "let's throw everything that's kinda fashionable at the moment and see what sticks.....did I mention I just bought a welder too?"

[Count Steer]

I like the CX.

Not this one though.

I never really understood all the flak they got. I guess a) they weren't sports bikes b) they were 'different' but in terms of function and form they were what they were - a nominally low maintenance, reasonably comfortable middle distance commuter/tourer. Not powerful, handling was adequate. Water cooled, shaft, easy access for tappet checking, tubeless. Good workhorse bike.

I remember it being said [By whom, citation needed] that they had one of the most comfortable seats ever fitted to a bike.

It was positively palatial! Certainly more comfy than anything I've had since.

[Hairybiker84]

I was supplied one as a company bike when I was dispatch riding, absolutely superb for the job. Narrow enough for traffic, fast enough for the motorway, reasonably economical, no chain to worry about and most of them did about 48k before suffering something terminal, what's not to like?

[Mr. Dazzle]

will look good outside the Bike Shed, with a ginger bearded, tweed jacketed, rolled up trouser rider ....

My beard is black actually.

[DefTrap]

I never really understood all the flak they got. I guess a) they weren't sports bikes b) they were 'different' but in terms of function and form they were what they were - a nominally low maintenance, reasonably comfortable middle distance commuter/tourer. Not powerful, handling was adequate. Water cooled, shaft, easy access for tappet checking, tubeless. Good workhorse bike.

Yep, all those reasons. Similar to all the other popular DR bikes - Bros, GT550 etc. All ok bikes in their own rights, certainly reliable enough, but not glamorous, and most folk were used to seeing them in tatters on London street corners, thrashed about by tabarded oafs.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I've just spotted the headlight brackets. It looks like it's got K&N filters on the side of the lights at first glance. Weird.