How Much Did the Build Cost? | CX500 Cafe Racer Build Project

[@curtmacneill8703]

Inja can't count kicks. Proof he's a real thug because they don't count past 3 in the hood.

[@TheInja]

Hahaha but true

[@mdh1048]

@@TheInja What is it like on the highway? what's the top speed and horse power? Also, are you 6 foot? I'm trying to gauge how'd I'd fit on a bike like this

[@Logan_valdez11]

That's a dope ass $1700 bike man. But money aside, having a bike you basically made yourself is priceless

[@TheInja]

Perfectly said man, it's amazing to ride something you at one time only could see in your head. 🙌🏼

[@datgio4951]

The Inja what kind of bike do you recommend me to buy off line and customize it?

[@MrSillypoptart]

Can you make money doing this??

[@DAVIDTORRESANI]

@rollin_hot69 That's a 10-4

[@Jodyrides]

The CX 500 engine was originally designed from the beginning to be turbo charged. That’s why the cylinders are cast into the block,. The clutch spins in the opposite direction of the crankshaft, illuminating torque reaction. The cylinders are twisted 23° bringing the carburetors closer together so you can use a bell crank instead of two separate cables, and the exhaust ports Will allow the exhaust pipes to miss the frame down tubes and make room for the radiator. One of the magazines did a story I think it was motorcyclist about a guy and his girlfriend that went around the world on a CX 500 on the cheap. Camping, cutting their own hair, cooking on a small stove. it is my favorite Japanese engine. The CX 650 was better. The first CX 510 week ignition systems causing them to have starting problems. They would crank and crank and crank, but when you would let off the starter button is when they would start. when they switched to transistor ignition systems I think at 1981, they started much easier.I had a CX 500 deluxe that I put a Canadian CX 500 turtle backseat on much like a BMW R 100 RS seat, I put on CB 400 F bars, koni shocks, and a tank bag. I loved the way that motor made power.. very smooth, Torquey,. I had about $1000 into it. Some older guy in his 60s saw it and asked if I would sell it. I told him to make me an offer everything‘s for sale. He offered me $1600 for it. I sold it and I have regretted it ever since.. he loaded that bike into a moving van with his daughters furniture, and moved her from Pennsylvania to Seattle Washington, and he dropped off the moving van and rode the bike back the long way, down to San Diego, across the southern route from California to Florida, and up route 19 from Florida to Pennsylvania without a single problem... The only reason I parted with that machine at that time which was the late 90s, was, I figured there were hundreds of these bikes sitting in garages forgotten, that will be coming up for sale. They’ll always be another one I thought. There never was a clean CX 500 deluxe with the original exhaust intact again..

[@SheekAlibaba]

Wow u seem to have a vast knowledge of these bikes are u still active?

[@FinnJohnson]

If I had the mechanic know-how, this is what I’d be saving up to do right now. Relatively cheap and being able to build exactly what you want? Sounds like a no brainer.

[@TheInja]

For sure.

[@crocholiday]

I have this bike in my garage. My son got it for free and said I could have it if I wanted. Was debating on whether to sell it or do a cafe racer build. Well, debate over. Time to get parts and get on it. Even if I have to pay for work outside my skills it'd still be worth doing. Thanks for the inspiration and well done on your build!

[@DAVIDTORRESANI]

I'm a buyer if you still have it?

[@bobbychicano]

Wow! Honestly dude i thought this bike was gonna cost upwards of 5k. I can't believe you built such a sweet bike for that price

[@nathanhelms1674]

I have a 81 gl500 basically same bike bought it running and riding for $150 with a clean title, needs mostly cosmetic work but watching this you listed out almost everything I need to get it in great shape! Can’t wait to get mine done now lol

[@daevster6663]

Hey man I just came here to apologise. In your initial "reveal" video you had a ruff photo shop version of this bike. And I couldn't see your vision. And I left a rather nasty comment that went something along the lines of "instead of ruining a classic and chopping it, why don't you restore it?" I shouldn't have judged your dream so abruptly, and for that I am truly sorry my guy. You've created one bad ass beast that looks and sounds like a million bucks. Congrats man.

[@TheInja]

Dang, never expected that. I appreciate that! I had thought about that comment for a bit, because I, too, don't like carelessly destroying classics that can't be remade. Thanks for coming along with me on the process and seeing the vision I had from that first video.

[@daevster6663]

@@TheInja ya man again 1,000 apologies, I've been secretly watching your vids for a while and vid after vid I was slowly blown away by your progress as well as your passion. You wouldn't happen to have a patron would you? Because I sure as hell would love to see more eye candy like this cx500.

[@TheInja]

But no hard feelings at all. I'm grateful you followed along my friend.

[@TheInja]

@@daevster6663 Nope! Don't want to come off as in it for the money (at least not yet ;) But if you're ever buying on Amazon, if you use the links I provide in the description I get like 5% of the purchase so feel free to do that! Lots of cool things coming on this channel. :)

[@daevster6663]

@@TheInja awesome, will do cheers m8

[@NajarOffroad]

Came out great! I used the same headlight on my Ninja 250 cafe build but i got it for $13 steal! It's fun building a bike especially when its your first time!

[@aGentleUser]

In germany most of the parts need homologation licenses which you also have to pay. Buying shocks, exhaust, lights very likely would already costs that much like all parts you mentioned ... but the result looks nice!

[@jacobk.6948]

Ja, leider kostet so ein Projekt in Deutschland doppelt soviel, wenn es überhaupt möglich ist... Armes Deutschland

[@RohnB]

Just checked out your website, I am working on doing something similar. I can only imagine the amount work you've already put it, I look forward to seeing your business grow.

[@TheInja]

Just trying to help out my fellow builderz 🙏🏽

[@DB-so8zc]

Very nice budget build cafe bike. Your vision, your bike. Don't sweat what other people say your bike should look like. SUBSCRIBED!

[@ransomalexander6579]

“YOU CANT PUT A PRICE ON HAPPINESS” Nice build!

[@TheInja]

Haha true that!

[@MemoryUtilizer]

Parts came out way less than I guessed. Definitely gonna do the same to a Yamaha. Subscribed 👌

[@robertgrant008]

Fantastic, not much more to say .👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 1.700 wow for anyone who wants a bike that looks that good it's a steal

[@DownSouthable]

Man this is a beautiful bike but that gap between the seat and the tank looks kinda bad...

[@GoForGold256]

Tam Mays yeah I agree. That’s literally the only thing that frustrates me. A custom rear hump and seat that hugs the tank would make it sick.

[@donovanswift5010]

Yup, I hand stitched one that fits perfectly. It’s not hard anyone can do it and it’s nice knowing you put hard work into it.

[@GucciBodyBags]

Not good when its on its stand, but when riding on it, his legs will likely keep it covered lol.

[@livedeliciously]

$1700 for a custom bike you built yourself is such a steal. I love the way it came out. I'm going to build one of these one day using my OCD skills.

[@TheInja]

When you do, I'd love to see it. 👏🏼 Thanks for watching!

[@waynemartinez8620]

Dude, that's nothing! Bought my bike for like $150 bucks and spending a ton load on it! Nice work, be proud! Enjoy your it best you can!!!

[@TheInja]

Thanks, Wayne - Yeah, no complaints!

[@chineseboxer108]

Its cheaper than a lot of bicycles and nicer than brand new models. Nice job!

[@TheInja]

Appreciate it! 👊🏽

[@williamschwan207]

I’m just starting to get into bikes and this thing is awesome. Sounds amazing, looks super cool, and it didn’t cost a ton. Gives me some vision for what I want.

[@TheInja]

Glad I could help out!

[@tbroschat81]

$1,700 for that bike really is a steal... That doesn't account for the hours you spent on it, but there's nothing like the feeling of riding something you built.

[@supporten]

Sound is BEAST!!

[@TheInja]

Sounds amazing in person

[@Alex-dr6or]

Honestly, for something like that the price is 3 times what you invested. It's amazing what you did. I think it looks stunning and sounds amazing! I don't know how long it took you to build it but you could even make a living building those.

[@TheInja]

I appreciate that! Probably will build another in the future! Thanks for watching. :)

[@cobyhunsaker2384]

How did you wire your new brake levers and clutch to fit the old system?

[@gearzdesign]

I have an old '82 honda 400 just sitting and rotting in my garage, seeing this makes me kind of want to actually fix it up similar to this.

[@pacman17]

Nice build man! I finished 90% of my 78' cx500 standard last summer and my total came to about $1400 including bike cost but I just need to finish my exhaust setup on it. When I get around to it this winter.

[@TheInja]

Very cool! I'd love to see what you did to it if you want to message me on facebook! facebook.com/injamotorcycles/

[@adnanalam2006]

In love with vintage bikes.

[@colintanner6996]

That brake light hoop is one of the most creative solutions I’ve seen without welding on the frame. What went in to building/mounting that?

[@oddis188]

Good work. There's just one thing. Buying all those Chinese parts. You'll probably get much of rusted parts afrer one year's riding. They are decent quality but all the screws and metal parts usually needs just a few rains to show the first rust. So i suggest you check the connections inside the headlight often so they don't corrode and same with the turnlights and rearlight. I have had many problems with them. Especially that same headlight. I made a silicone gasket for it to keep the most of the moist outside it

[@TheInja]

Yep, I'll keep an eye on it. I don't ride this bike in the rain, so it should be okay for a while

[@lcrgarage3245]

Now I am afraid to total my build cost list. Great job on the cx.

[@TheInja]

Thanks, Brice! I know, as I was adding the cost I was like PLEASE STOP

[@rcsv54]

that is preaty good man, a great deal a cool bike for less than 2,000? is great

[@Phantomdirt]

What an achievement, really surprised on the budget, looks like a hell of a lot more has gone into it! Mind you I bet when you take into account hours worked those costs skyrocket 😂 I've tried to set quite a restricted budget for my cb750 build, but it's going to have a mono shock conversion if I can get over a design issue I'm having, as well as r6 front forks... So I'm having to extend the budget a bit, managing the project and design myself so shouldn't be too bad. Definitely inspired me to have a look at some more cost effective options on some things though, especially if it can still look like that afterwards!

[@TheInja]

Awesome, man! Sounds like an awesome build. Send me some photos of it on Facebook or Instagram! I'd love to see your progress!

[@Phantomdirt]

@@TheInja At the moment there's a stripped donor bike and many tears, but I'll be sure to soon!

[@Renraw9002]

As comfortable as I am turning wrenches I doubt I could do something like this and not fuck it up. Great bike and way cheaper than I expected.

[@TheInja]

It takes a lot of work, and a lot of trial-and-error. Don't fear it. 👌🏿

[@tktoddrandom]

Nice buddy! It came out real nice!

[@iconboy1]

That total in the end was way lower than I was expecting!

[@josuesongo]

It is a beauty!! Enjoy mate!

[@SUPERCIVILIAN44]

That is a wicked bike nice job man!!

[@stoss-11]

LOOKS SO GOOD DUDE, THIS VIDEO HELPS ALOT AS WELL

[@Fredrickhair]

Beautiful bike btw! Sounds awesome!

[@kirkroofs]

What a sick build bro you did fantastic job

[@jeremylaskowski4663]

Do you have a vid on installing that custom seat? I just bought one and would like to see what all goes into it for modifications.

[@mirzasinggih]

How does it run ? Im curious , is it as fast as 2000s bike or slower

[@TheInja]

Runs great! Decent power

[@thejohnnyro7007]

Dude, awesome video and awesome build. You found some great deals on some really killer parts. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheInja]

My pleasure, thanks for watching!

[@DanDanmarie]

This is a great build. AWESOME JOB!

[@Crazy-Constructions]

Awesome bike, I built a Cafe Racer from a CX500 Turbo.😁

[@dyolinlinlin]

Looks great. Only thing is the seat gap drives absolutely nuts. Engine could be painted, but I like the vintage look.

[@Yellowfootprints2011]

Did you modify the left side handlebar control or buy a new one - I noticed you have a separate clutch handle setup.

[@ratherbewargaming3753]

Don’t know if it was mentioned but what kind of handle bars did you use? We’re they just flipped over?

[@Hackzyyz]

for the headlight?? did you just plug it in and it worked fine or did you have to modify something??? to make it work on the bike i want to replace my headlight since its not very good for night time riding

[@irishquad]

Where is the license plate mounted on your sweet custom $1700 bike? Also, are you going to do anything with that open space under your seat?

[@repsilia]

Very nice work! getting me pumped to work on mine

[@TheInja]

Good luck!

[@alexclose11]

Didn’t think I would hear a snippet of Fragile. Tremendous

[@cotteeskid]

you wanna come to Australia and work on my CX Custom. It has been sitting in the shed for 15 or so years. Would love to do what you have done, but one thing for sure, the prices here are no way near as cheap as what you quoted. I replaced the stator about 20 years ago and that was expensive then and a nuisance to get to behind the water pump.

[@TheInja]

Yeah the stator replacement sucked. That was the project that slowed everything down for me. And I'd love to but....different continent haha

[@cotteeskid]

Your video was inspiring enough to get me started on it though.

[@Fredrickhair]

What size in mm did you get for your brake line? 900mm or 1200 mm? Also could you give me the dimensions of the battery if its not too much trouble?

[@BRISTOLFILMERS]

Damn thats a great sounding bike

[@ratherbewargaming3753]

Yo your bike looks amazing! What bars did you end up going with?

[@tannerjabezgarrett545]

Love your videos man, great work, this one is super helpful. I'm considering taking off my H-Box (ugly rusty exhaust box on the bottom) as well, but I've been worried about having to tune everything after. You said you stuck with the stock jets, did you change anything else but the mufflers?

[@michelrodriguez5332]

Hello bike looks good .. Nice work . where did you hide the battery , did you replace it for a smaller battery ?

[@TheInja]

Yes, put a lithium ion battery under the seat.

[@EDFARE475]

Love the bike build!

[@michaelmerrill2109]

hi i am new to your page i just Recently got a CX 500 myself and yours looks great man I am watch the video of all the parts that you got but I can’t seem to find the rear seat hoop that you got that you mounted your brake light on from what I can tell it looks like a bolt on And that would be ideal for me if you could help me in the right direction it be greatly appreciated thank you

[@TheInja]

I fabbed it using sheet metal, cut the shape, shaped it, painted, and bolted on 👌🏽

[@hershfam]

Some nice builds around 3k around my area contemplating building or just buying one

[@Jack_Mehoff_]

Bike looks awesome nice job

[@Motor-City_Ben-Diesel]

You have to fix the line that runs between the tank and seat and lower that seat height. Totally ruins the flow on the bike.

[@TheInja]

sorry about dat

[@afb911]

Nice ! Great exhaust sound

[@TheInja]

It sounds so good 👌🏼

[@andylaye6216]

Hi. Did you do anything to the engine? Relay the valves? De-coke it? Also, they are the newer Honda wings, that you have put on the tank. Nice bike, though. I just finished a Honda CX500 eurosport. All in all, including buying the bike, it cost around £1,500. Ride Free.

[@TheInja]

Nope, the engine is how it was stock and runs great!

[@leetucker5788]

1700 is coming off pretty cheap for a bike build. i'm well over 3k into my sx650

[@aflykidfrombrooklyn]

Dope bike. Appreciate the break down. Any chance of building one for me? I'm interested!

[@matthewsmith5909]

What’s the value of it finished? I just picked up the exact same bike and wondering if it’s worth making it a cafe, so I can sell it for a bigger profit...

[@briannielsen7176]

Looks sharp!

[@it_is_what_it_is_brotha]

Sweet build bud!

[@sashikantupadhyay678]

Bike looks so dope

[@hku99]

Sweet ride. Great job

[@AlphaMachina]

That bike is fantastic. Your feet don't get hot right next to the mufflers, though?

[@TheInja]

Nope! Got a few inches between, and with the airflow you don't even feel them.

[@AlphaMachina]

Awesome. It's such a stout looking little beastie of a bike.

[@oz8402]

$1700 is not bad for a custom bike. If I would critique anything it would be the fork maybe something beefier 🥩. Otherwise great build man!

[@TheInja]

Appreciate it!

[@ironcast]

It sounds like you got some excellent prices on the items that you bought for the bike. Nice work. Are your tires Kenda Challengers?

[@adnanmahmud491]

Where did you put your battery and other electronics?

[@justin6604]

Thats a sick build! Looks like a $10k bike to me haha

[@victormoscoso3123]

Great job dude!!

[@TheInja]

Thanks bro!

[@joanabotelho98]

I would literally buy this for 3’000 easy 😍😍😍

[@Tempcitz]

That's real nice dude

[@tylerriffle1822]

Just got a 1980 cx500 custom I think I’m gonna somewhat copy your build if you don’t mind. Lol. I may have missed it in the video but what kinda bars are those

[@TheInja]

Good luck. Clubman handlebars, link in description ☕

[@tylerriffle1822]

Thanks!

[@2026820]

Did you do all the labor yourself? I'd expect a engine rebuild to be hard with the seals and stuff that you mentioned?

[@TheInja]

Yep!

[@Tyler.O]

Wow... I just wanna get my cb500 up and running :( Awesome stuff bro

[@TheInja]

Nothing to it but to do it!

[@zulu59blue27]

Great bike !!!☺ ride safe! ! ! ! ☺☺👍👍👍

[@amheck]

Wish i could do something like that. Money not a problem but to instal all those parts....way over my head. Just curious, if you were to put that up for sale, what would you list it for?

[@TheInja]

Probably around $3K ish. You could figure it out! Just get the base bike and get what you need to install. 👌🏽

[@bloneyo1]

Nice Bike, Great Work.

[@axsalt]

Do you still own it? Still love it?

[@anthonyvickman7959]

Is there a different link for the mufflers? The one you have isn’t working.

[@TheInja]

Let's see how long this one is up for! It seems Emgo comes and goes on various platforms. amzn.to/2Isbzhi

[@donnellhutton2018]

Hi sorry bout the street bike! So you think Alibaba is a wrong place to buy bikes, I thought it is a good place lot of brands ,iam thinking to buy one .

[@IversonGR]

when choosing a donor bike? do kilometers ran matter?or the condition of the bike? what im asking is....you only keep the skeleton right?the base of the bike,the other things go to the trash can....right? sorry if its a stupid question

[@TheInja]

I guess it depends on what you're doing the the bike. But I try to get running and driving, good condition bikes so I'm not paying for expensive parts like a new engine, etc.

[@rxx4775]

Looks clean

[@technomans011]

You got a new sub buddy awesome job!

[@jokkeboy98]

Wow thats cheap... just my rear fender was 500€ and 800€ for the paint job(tank and fenders) when I did my Vstar 1100 bobber... sucks to live in finland :P Cool vid man and amazing looking bike

[@CaptainJake615]

What do you think it would cost to have someone else restore a bike like this for you? Like a mechanic shop or something. I am by no means a mechanic but this is one of my dream bikes and you did an amazing job with the restore!

[@TheInja]

I appreciate that! Probably a few thousand dollars labor plus $1000 in parts (in my case) :)

[@CaptainJake615]

@@TheInja okay cool, thanks for the quick response :)

[@ssswrv1090]

Looks amazing

[@niklasfilmt9573]

That’s a really nice bike

[@zachpalmer3123]

How did you mount your ignition switch? I have a 550 with the same gigantic ignition switch and cannot for the life of me find a way to mount it. I appreciate it!

[@TheInja]

Bought a new stock ignition switch, bolted to the factor mount and wired right up

[@angelacosta9512]

Beautiful !

[@destinlee7535]

Currently rebuilding a cx500... it’s a lot of work

[@eucsweets]

Im currently rebuilding a 1980 cx500 deluxe. I have a few questions about parts and such. If youd be able to help me that would be awesome 🤙👍

[@TheInja]

Check the video description for parts