[geoffb]

Ever since I've gotten my '78 CX500, I've known I want to do something cool with it. I thought about restoring and making it look like it just rolled off the showroom floor, but I've decided I want to do something like a cross between a cafe racer and a modern street fighter. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not wanting to just go and dog this thing out, I just like the style. I think this (http://www.hotwingglass.com/seats/dark-wing.shtml) is the rear fender I want to use (thank you exploring carolina, I love the way this seat looks), and I want to do either sport bike bars or clip-ons. The two things that I'm having trouble figuring out are the headlight, and the instrument cluster. I like the bare headlight (chrome of course) while losing the "plastic maggot" fairing. And in that same process, I would really like to dumb down the cluster to just a speedo and a neutral light. I can see my blinkers, so I know when they are on, and I've come from a motocross background, so I never use the tach. My big problem will be that all the wiring seems to be cramed in there behind the factory headlight, so I'm not real sure what to do about that...



Here is what I would like to shoot for with the front end.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/photogallerys/RSD_-Cafe-GaugeClip-Ons.jpg

 

[Trickster]

Ever since I've gotten my '78 CX500, I've known I want to do something cool with it. I thought about restoring and making it look like it just rolled off the showroom floor, but I've decided I want to do something like a cross between a cafe racer and a modern street fighter. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not wanting to just go and dog this thing out, I just like the style. I think this (http://www.hotwingglass.com/seats/dark-wing.shtml) is the rear fender I want to use (thank you exploring carolina, I love the way this seat looks), and I want to do either sport bike bars or clip-ons. The two things that I'm having trouble figuring out are the headlight, and the instrument cluster. I like the bare headlight (chrome of course) while losing the "plastic maggot" fairing. And in that same process, I would really like to dumb down the cluster to just a speedo and a neutral light. I can see my blinkers, so I know when they are on, and I've come from a motocross background, so I never use the tach. My big problem will be that all the wiring seems to be cramed in there behind the factory headlight, so I'm not real sure what to do about that...



Here is what I would like to shoot for with the front end.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/photogallerys/RSD_-Cafe-GaugeClip-Ons.jpg

Good looking ideas so far. As much as I like the look of the cafe style, its just not me for the ergonomics when actually



riding it.



Good luck with your project.

 

[cdyoung1985]

They have headlights that mount to your forks, I have them on my CX, so no fairing, you can kind of see it

Also, I'd get rid of the neutral light so you don't have anything up there, I haven't had the light work in quite a while, it's annoying sometimes, but you get used to letting off the clutch slowly when parking to make sure it's in neutral... With mine all the wires are in the chrome piece behind the headlight itself... One thing that looks sweet are the Euro rims, but they won't fit stock I don't think, I believe they have an 18" rear rim, ours are 16", but if you could make it work they look slick. You also should upgrade the forks to something from a rocket, in case you haven't thought about it.

 

[Blindstitch]

If you really want you can probably dumb down the electrics a lot. Since you're going to remove the turn signals I would eliminate all the wires going to the left control except for maybe the horn. If you really want a lot of wires could be removed.

 

[cdyoung1985]

I think he's keeping the signals, just not the center part of the gauges saying the turn signals are on from my understanding at least, could be wrong, wouldn't be the 1st or last time....

 

[Blindstitch]

Nevermind I was thinking of something else. Must be my own wild dreams of cutting down a wiring harness.



Some how I overlooked this.

I can see my blinkers,





I think what I might have been thinking of was since he has a 78 that he also has a nacelle on the front so he will need different turn signals.

 

[geoffb]

Good looking ideas so far. As much as I like the look of the cafe style, its just not me for the ergonomics when actually



riding it.



Good luck with your project.

Thanks. The ergonomics may not be the best, but I'm young and all about style.

 

[geoffb]

CD- Thats perfect for what I want. And I have thought about using forks from a sportbike, but that will probably come later. You also nailed it with the blinkers.



Blind- I've got to do something about all those goofy wires. And I do plan on using a lot lower profile turn signal. Thank you friend.

 

[marshallf3]

Don't forget to surf back through all the pages in the Customization forum, lots of ideas in there.