1972 Honda CB

CB500-2034595

Clear

The very first Honda CB500 rolled off the production line in Japan in 1971 to great acclaim. Physically smaller and lighter than its 750cc big brother, the bike did everything well and in 1973, in the hands of ace racer Bill Smith, took first place in the grueling 500cc TT Production Race. Needless to say, with a production run of only 3 years, the CB500 has now become somewhat of a collector’s item, but thankfully, a decent number of the bikes have escaped the confines of air conditioned garages and a life of nut and bolt restored perfection and have been transformed into great looking Café Racers full of character and still capable of taking a good thrashing. This bike is one of them. A local rider and vintage racer had Paul Brodie do some fabrication and lightening of the frame. He did some vintage racing with the bike but ended up having to sell the it. Since then the bike has been completely gone over. The engine was removed and completely gone through by a local ex-Honda mechanic that specializes in vintage bikes. The cylinders and heads have been done in a black wrinkle finish, bottom end is done in silver engine enamel, all aluminum parts are brushed for a clean look and easy maintenance. The four carbs have been rebuilt and have UNI foam filter pods. Custom rear controls with MotoGP shifting. Battery and electrics are in a custom made box under the seat the, wiring harness has been modified for the bike as well as a custom LED tail light. Excel aluminum rims are laced up to the original hubs with stainless spokes. The tires still show signs of the vintage racing and could be replaced as they are getting old. Front fender has been removed and a tarozzi fork brace installed, front suspension has been set up and fork oil changed. The original forks are still on the bike and have some “patina” near the triple crowns. If the buyer wants for a small additional cost I can include some inverted fork legs from a GSXR, a common mod to these bikes. Clip ons are added with controls from a Honda CBR1000. Tank is from a CB750 Supersport, it has a custom built fibreglass seat. The pin striping was hand painted before the clearcoat was applied. Stainless fasteners have been used where possible. The bike has a few imperfections as it is not a concourse restoration or full show bike, you will see them in the pictures. The bike has been used at several trade shows as a prop but has really only been ridden a handful of times since completed. I am wanting to clear up some space and the bike doesn’t get ridden as much as it deserves. The bike is for sale locally so I reserve the right to end auction early. NO RESERVE BID TO OWNOn Aug-10-18 at 19:50:36 PDT, seller added the following information: Mileage since build was finished under 500. I am more than happy to assist with shipping and have all paperwork needed to ship internationally if required.