Honda CX500 This week’s title, brilliant in the classic colors of John Player Special. We also cover the 1957 Indian Trailblazer, the Magni MV Agusta, the Super73 electric bike for Burning Man and look back at this year’s Auerberg Klassik event.
Charlie’s Atelier Honda CX500 For all its shortcomings, Honda CX500 is a very versatile motorcycle. It could make a great cafe racer, scrambler or tracker — and I should know, since my first bike was the CX500.
This shortened CX500 cafe racer from Francis Gomez of Charlie’s Atelier in the Dominican Republic. Inspired by the great matches of Formula 1’s John Player Special, this is a great example of CX’s potential.
Francis fitted the front end of the Suzuki GSX-R into the Honda frame, complete with forks, wheels and disc brakes. It comes complete with an LED headlight, with Motogadget rear light. The cockpit has a new design with Rizoma grips, CNC Racing gear lever, turn signals and Motogadget mirrors.
The engine and frame receive a strong black paint job, and the original carbs have been stripped out for a pair of Mikuni VM34s, complete with velocity stacks. Overcoming the new radiator shield is a beautifully crafted stainless steel exhaust system.
Above the engine you’ll find a carbon fiber fuel tank, modeled after the original. The rear also gets a lot of custom work, including a short rear subframe and a single shock switch. YSS shock absorbers, finished in black and gold, keep the ride smooth.
The rear wheel cover is made of carbon, and the floating saddle is a custom part. Hidden somewhere on the bike is a Lithium-ion Antigravity battery. Michelin Pilot Power 3 tires complete the build, with gold lettering to boot.
In stock form, the CX500 is a bit heavy and underpowered. Francis did a great job of lightening it up, and the new Mikuni carbs definitely work great for the engine. As the host of the city’s Gentleman of the Year race, I’m sure he can’t wait to lead next year’s charge on this exquisite machine. [Charlie’s Atelier | Images by Ivan Mendez]
1957 Indian Trailblazer If it weren’t for the big red tank with the Indian logo emblazoned on it, I would have thought this was a Royal Enfield. Turns out, I didn’t go far.
This is the 1957 Indian Trailblazer, which is basically a re-badged Royal Enfield Super Meteor. The 100 mph, 700 cc tandem engine is a far cry from the usual Indian V-Twin fare, but it’s nice to wear red with Indian trims.
In 1953, Indian was in serious trouble and was acquired by Brockhouse Engineering, a UK-based company. Brockhouse took the Super Meteor and sent it to the United States to be rehabilitated as an Indian. The original 45hp parallel engine was taken from the Royal Enfield Meteor, fitted with an accessory.
The Trailblazer has a red paint job, taller handlebars and a single-seat setup with a luggage rack. The front and rear guards also get an Indian treatment and an anti-collision bar is fitted to the front of the frame.
The powerful engine, comfortable seating position, and luggage options would make this a pretty touring bike for its time. One benefit of the Indian-Enfield partnership is that parts are easier to find. Unfortunately, this isn’t much, as there aren’t many Trailblazer survivors around these days.
If you are interested in a piece of American and British history, this bike is for sale. RM Sotheby’s anoraks suggest it will sell for between $5,000 and $10,000, which is pretty reasonable for a bike like this. [Source]
1978 Magni MV Agusta A full set of cranks, gold wheels, curved exhausts and lots of Italian pizzaz. As far as I know, it’s the physical embodiment of motorcycle perfection.
Originally delivered to its first owner in Germany as the MV Agusta 750S America, this beautiful classic was sent to the Magni workshop in the late ’80s for a number of performance upgrade options. It was then sent back in 2008, to be completely converted by Giovanni Magni himself.
In stock form, the 750S America is a beautiful car, with no bodywork to hide its gorgeous four-cylinder engine. Sitting underneath a tube-shaped tank and pushing its power through a bearing, you’ll be happy to leave it as it is. But with Magni boosters, extra power, and a chain drive converter, it goes from pretty to gorgeous.
The owner of this particular bike bought the bike in 2017 and is now offering it for sale through Moto Borgotaro. The current owner is a longtime Ducati and MV Agusta fan and so the engine was checked by a Magni expert.
Having only traveled 3,000 miles since being rebuilt, the video above proves it has the right walk (and soundtrack) for the show. All I need to find is which body part should I sell to buy this. I’m not a big drinker, so maybe a kidney… [More]
‘Mad Max’ Super73 RX Mojave As the annual Burning Man festival rolls around, social media explodes with all sorts of wild and quirky content. It was a huge array of motor vehicles of all shapes and sizes, spinning flames, headlights and red dust. Lots of red dust.
What better way to explore a campsite in the desert than on an electric bike? They’re small, easily load (or into) a vehicle, and you can glide away without disturbing any of your friends.
The Super73 RX Mojave ticks all these boxes and more. It has four-piston brakes, fully adjustable suspension, and tough tires that will get you out of (or in) as much trouble as you want.
This particular RX is geared towards Burning Man, so a YouTube star can explore the delights of the desert at his leisure. But one didn’t simply bring an unmodified car to Burning Man, so Super73’s in-house customization team took charge, outfitting it in a Mad Max scrapyard-inspired way.
Like any real Mad Max bike, this e-bike features a mix of handcrafted and salvaged parts. There’s a custom lighting setup on the front fork, which is wrapped in para-paddle in case of an emergency. Just above it is a front sunshade that looks like it’s made from a car’s exhaust heat shield.
Handmade fork guards are also bolted, while an old Nebraska license plate protects the frame from rock debris. The saddle is wrapped in brown vinyl and a small bar is bent up and bolted in.
Storage space on e-bikes is often a bit limited, so the team installed a set of weatherproof Super73 racks. A replaceable airbox (complete with air filter) acts as a saddlebag. There’s an additional storage basket in the center of the frame, with a fake exhaust sticking out from the side.
It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but what happens in the desert, stays in the desert. At least, that’s how it happened before the age of social media. [Super73]
Carbon neutral fuel at Auerberg Klassik Every two years, the town of Bernbeuren, in the foothills of the Alps in southern Germany, booms in population. With the sound and smell of vintage machinery in the air, the town hosts Auerberg Klassik – an event in honor of the Auerberg race that was held annually from 1967 to 1987.
Klassik was started by a bunch of local motorcycle enthusiasts in 2017, 30 years after the last race. This event has content for the whole family, combining motorsport historical sensibilities with classic racing style.
What attracts people the most is the historic hill climb. The 3.2 km track climbs the Auerberg Mountain and hosts 215 motorcycles and sidecars, along with 15 historic racers, this year. This includes an original 1962 Brabham BT3 Formula 1 car and an actual 1990 Reynard Opel – Michael Schumacher Formula 3 car.
Hill climbing is a regular race over time with Josef Traubinger being crowned “King of the Mountain” on his 1932 Standard. Queen of the Mountain has arrived with Maria Köpf and her Moto Guzzi V7 Sport. The oldest participant was 88 years old and the youngest 23. There were many awards given out, including best dressed and to the person who walked the furthest to attend the event.
But one point worth mentioning over the weekend is that more than a third of climbers are refueling their bikes with carbon-neutral e-fuel. No, they’re not running a battery-powered car — they’re using synthetic gasoline.
Fuel was provided by P1 Performance Fuels in Berlin, who were brought on board to highlight how vintage cars and bikes can last longer. Interestingly, it is the same fuel that Sebastian Vettel used to power a 100-year-old Aston Martin a few months ago.
By all accounts, the 3rd Auerberg Klassik was a great success, attracting 4,500 guests and running a great race. It is also announced that the event will be active again in two years’ time. So it looks like I’ll be booking flights to Germany in September 2024. [Images by Sven Wedemeyer]
