Project CX500 Cafe Racer

A ROUGH START

  Early October 2012 I was shown a picture of a really cool cafe racer built from an old Honda CX500 and it sparked my interest. I started searching the web for more examples and came across this one...

  I knew right then that I wanted to do a very similar build to this. Well.. pretty much the exact same thing but maybe a different color scheme so that it isn't an exact duplicate, because that would just be lame of me. This particular bike is by Moto-Mucci and it resides in Chicago land. www.motomucci.com    

  I immediately started scouring Craigslist for a cheap CX that wouldn't mind meeting it's second maker. I found a couple complete bikes but one was already severly chopped and cafe'd out and the other was a very pristine example. Both were WAY out of my price range. I didn't have a couple grand laying around... Just a couple hundred. This project will definitely be done on a budget. A couple weeks later I found a 1978 model for $200! Went to look at it and, well, it was a $200 bike. Ugly and ratty as all hell, but complete. It hadn't been registered since 1987 and it had Arizona plates. The guy couldn't find the title and he had never registered it in his name. He was the second owner, soft of. I agreed to take it anyways and he assured me that it wouldn't be a problem to register since the DMV would have no record of it. I have done this before with old cars way back and had no problem either. 

  So, of course, it became a huge problem. I even tried three different DMV offices in case I just had a crabby DMV employee. Basically I needed the title or proof from AZ DMV that it's free and clear. Also needed CHP serial number verification. Spent over $50 in fees just to find this out and start the paper work but it would take forever to mess around sending documents via snail mail back and for from AZ DMV and more fees, and then some more fees, and then taking out a bond for the title, and then... Ahhhh screw it. 

  I called the guy back that I bought it from and asked him if he could search for the title. He knows he has it somewhere in his garage. A month goes by. I haven't touched the bike and no word about the title. Called again and he made me a deal... Give him another week to find it and if no success then he would give me $125 back and I get to keep the CX as a parts bike. Deal.