1978 Honda 500 Cafe Racer

Registration No: EDM 892S
Frame No: 1041579
MOT: None

• Bespoke sixties style Honda GP Cafe Racer
• 500cc tuned CB450K2 Black Bomber engine
• Featured in Classic Bike magazine, supplied with V5C

Since the early days of motorcycling, there has been a fine tradition of enthusiasts wanting to build a bike to their own personal taste. These bespoke specials often have imaginative combinations of engines and frames, and sometimes even more imaginative names! Obvious examples are the multitude of specials built around the Norton Featherbed frame, such as the Triton or the Norvin. Sometimes the challenge is to release the full potential of engines that have been strangled, with manufacturers having to abide by emission and noise regulations.

This Honda 500cc Cafe Racer started life as a 1978 CB500T, a good all-rounder designed more for commuting than performance. The vendor wanted to improve its performance and realised the DOHC CB450 Black Bomber engine would be a far better starting point. A technically advanced bike launched in 1966, the ACU wouldn't let it compete in the Thruxton 500 Mile race against the British twins saying 'it could not be classified as a production machine as it had two overhead camshafts'! Buying a CB450K2 engine at Stafford, the vendor then discovered lots of tuning parts and advice from companies who had raced the model, especially in the USA and Ireland. This inspired him into turning the basic CB500T into a sixties style GP Replica. The bike now sports a heavily modified Black Bomber engine bored out to 500cc, a gas-flowed head, CR carbs and a bespoke 2 into 1 exhaust that revs to 'about 13,000rpm'. The chassis has been modified with an alloy tank and race seat, alloy rims, twin disc front brakes and an alloy box section swinging arm. The bike has been featured in Classic Bike magazine in the past, a copy of which will be included in the sale, together with a current V5C, some receipts and a paddock stand.

For more information, please contact:
Ian Cunningham
ian.cunningham@handh.co.uk
07415 871189