“Nothing is plug and play once you put down the grinder…”
These are the words of Ezio Covelli, the man behind Magnum Opus Custom Bikes, describing the transformation of this Honda CX500 and any custom bike. Hailing from Italy, Covelli now lives on the North Carolina coast, where he builds bikes for clients across the nation. This CX500 was built for a customer in Louisiana, who wanted a combination of the bobber and cafe racer aesthetic. That meant a streamlined, minimalist build with an aggressive stance.
Covelli touched every part of the bike, from major enhancements like the inverted forks and monoshock conversion to the smaller details like the 3D-printed tail light and modified radiator, intended to minimalize the bulkier aspects of the platform. In the end, Covelli most enjoys the relationship he builds with his clients:
“At the end of the day what really makes you happy is feeling the excitement from your clients about the daily/weekly updates on their builds. It feels like Christmas, for both of us.”
Below, we get the full story on this build, which will make a damn good Christmas present for his customer.
Honda CX500 Sport / Bobber: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
My name is Ezio Covelli and I’m the owner at Magnum Opus Custom Bikes.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
1980 Honda CX500.
• Why was this bike built?
This was a commissioned build for an out of state client.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
Initially my client contacted me about my other CX500 Bobber Style build. We slowly began adding details and upgrades and completely modified the bobber platform into the one you see right now.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
From the inverted front end conversion to the custom subframe and monoshock conversion in the back, paired to a fully adjustable Ohlins shock absorber. Hand shaped seat foam, wrapped up and stitched together with perforated vinyl.
GPS speedometer, a custom 3D printed tail light and a new smaller and modified radiator helped keep the look of the bike very minimalistic compared to what we started with.
The reduced wiring, a new electronic ignition and pick ups as well as a modern and more efficient fuel delivery thanks to the Mikuni carburetors, boost up performance and reliability of this platform.
After such a radical transformation every component on the bike needs to be worked on. Nothing is plug and play once you put down the grinder.
• How would you classify this bike?
It’s hard to squeeze this bike into a specific category as it takes on two very different worlds:
Cafe Racer and Bobber style. If somebody would point a gun at me, I’d probably call it a Cafe/Bobber or a Sport/Bobber.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
You know… some bikes are harder to customize than others, some are more pleasant as well.
At the end of the day what really makes you happy is feeling the excitement from your clients about the daily/weekly updates on their builds. It feels like Christmas, for both of us.
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