Bike 2 - The Honda CX500C

I had heard a bit about Honda's interesting "flying V" shaft driven motorcycle on various blogs and sites.  It seemed like a fun bike to work on.

So, when one popped up on craigslist, I kept my eye on it and ended up swooping in and buying it.

It wasn't without its issues from the beginning.

There was more rust than I expected and the brakes were pretty sketchy.

I couldn't rev past 1/4 throttle and anything over 5000 RPM was out of the question.

My buddy followed me home and asked if it was supposed to shoot fireballs.

So I had some work to do.








I liked several CXs I had seen in the forums and did a quick photoshop of what was roughly in my head:

Of course, plans are bound to change once I get really tearing into the bike and working on it, but the idea should pretty much remain.  White with brown and black touches.

Today, I got a bunch of fluids and cleaning supplies.

 I took the tank and seat off and wrestled an epic match with her until the carbs came out.

It wasn't easy, but I'm already feeling better about how it will run.

 The tank was also a major issue.

There was rust inside, so I did a seafoam rinse, then tossed some ball bearings in there and did the shake.

I'm sure the neighbors (and my eardrums) weren't happy, but it was worth it to get rid of the surface rust.

 Next, I filled the tank with vinegar to eat away at any of the remaining rust.

I'm pretty sure after all of this, I can sleep easy about the fuel being clean enough to run.

 I got the carbs taken apart and in the bath.  They weren't as dirty as I thought they would be, but the gaskets were toast and I think the main jets were backwards on one side (would explain the backfiring, etc...)

I did find this bent up diaphragm spring.  Can't wait for my carb rebuild kit to get here.  I'll be jetting for pod filters and a nice exhaust.

More to come once the parts I ordered get here!




















2/20/13

I rinsed out the tank.  Looks pretty good inside.  Got my first toys in the mail yesterday: bar-end mirrors!

Last night I got everything I needed to recover the seat.  After a few hours yelling at my sewing machine at home, I enlisted the help of some friends and after a few hours of trial and error, we got a pretty dang good looking seat.  Not bad for $40!!

It's hard to tell from the pics, but it's a natural tan/brown.  It's going to look great with the grips I got and the black and white paint scheme I'm coming up with.

2/22/13

I finally got all the parts I needed to finish the carb rebuild.  It's dark and rainy outside, so I'll wait to install until the morning but I couldn't resist taking the filters out and seeing how they looked attached.

Pretty good, I think!

2/23/13

BIG day.  Changed the oil, filter, spark plugs, brake fluid, cut up the airbox and installed the carbs with the pods.  Took a lot of fiddling, but I finally got the bike running and idling.  After 6 hours, I was finally able to take it for a ride.  It still doesn't run very well with this exhaust set-up, but once I get the exhaust on Tuesday, I'll install the new bars, grips, and pipes and I hope she'll be running great!

BLACK oil.  It thanked me after.

Fits perfect.  Almost looks stock.

All that's left is paint, exhaust, bars and grips!

3/1/13

Bike is running pretty well.  Got the carbs tuned pretty good and the new exhaust on.  I will actually be changing to the MAC 2-1 exhaust, but for now, I'm happy with the look.  I only had the chance to put 1 coat of paint on before I had to start commuting with it, so the rest of the paint will have to wait until the weekend.

3/1/13

Minor setback.  Pulled the radiator out to see if it needed fluid.  It was full, but behind it were a bunch of plastic pieces.

I guess it's time for a new radiator fan! No worries.  I was able to find a lightly used one on ebay as well as a shorter clutch cable to cut down on the massive loop from the longer bars.

3/8/13

Shop installed brand new tires and brake pads.

Got the new carb insulators installed last night and wow, what a huge difference.  No more lagging and sluggish performance.  It pulls all the way through the revs.  I also finished the paint.  Now, all that's left is the shorter clutch cable and 2-1 exhaust (arriving today).

3/15/13
Bike is done and sold.

I got the 2-1 exhaust installed.  Here's what it sounds like now:

It was a fun project to work on.  It's running like a boss now.  Waaaay more power than when I got it.  I learned a lot and I'm excited for the next one!

Stock headers and H box removed.

2-1 Exhaust installed.