If you happen to’ve ever regarded on the Honda CL500 and thought it resembled a small cruiser that’s been crudely massaged into the form of a scrambler, you’d be proper. Honda’s middleweight soft-roader borrows its predominant body (and a few of its model) from the Japanese agency’s awkward-looking Insurgent 500 cruiser. Nevertheless it’s a cute whip nonetheless—and its 471 cc parallel-twin mill is straightforward to get together with.
This Honda CL500 scrambler from MOTOISM proves that the plucky 500 enjoys a bit tweaking, too. The Munich-based workshop collaborated with Honda Germany on the challenge, utilizing the chance to create a small plug-and-play equipment for the CL500 within the course of.
Bolt-on mods are nothing new for MOTOISM. The crew made their bones with full-on customized builds however quickly realized that there’s a marketplace for components that create most visible impression with minimal effort. It’s an strategy that fits their modern modular aesthetic properly.
The equipment for this specific Honda CL500 scrambler includes simply 5 items, all of which connect on to the bottom bike without having to interrupt out an angle grinder. It’s your typical nip-and-tuck affair; a fast technique to ditch the cumbersome OEM accoutrements to create one thing slicker and extra cohesive. Accompanying the equipment components is a smorgasbord of well-judged upgrades—plus a radical livery.
The modifications begin up entrance, the place a sculpted headlight nacelle wraps across the Honda’s inventory LED headlight. MOTOISM’s mods retain the unique speedo, however the brand new shroud’s been designed to enhance quite than conceal it.
Flanking the headlight is a pair of fork sleeves with built-in LED flip indicators. Every sleeve makes use of a two-piece design that clamps across the fork leg—so there’s no have to drop the forks to put in them. A stubby entrance fender sits decrease down, mounted on laser-cut brackets.
Out again, the Honda CL500’s chunky taillight cluster is changed by a collection of tidy MOTOISM components. A small taillight and switch sign meeting sits atop the rear fender, sporting a molded model that echoes that of the headlight nacelle. It’s the one half within the equipment that requires an influence device, since it’s worthwhile to drill two small holes to put in it.
You don’t have to fiddle with wiring although, for the reason that workforce has designed the unit to plug straight into the Honda’s wiring harness. A laser-cut and CNC-folded license plate holder finishes off the tail, full with a blank-off plate that covers the holes left by the unique taillight.
That the components mix to create such a cohesive look isn’t any accident. MOTOISM’s founder, Ben Ott, explains that every merchandise was designed utilizing 3D software program, primarily based on a 3D scan of the donor bike. The ultimate components have been then 3D-printed utilizing production-ready supplies.
The metal bits that accompany the 3D-printed bits have been all laser-cut after which powder-coated black. MOTOISM took it a step additional on this prototype construct, by breaking down a number of smaller components and Cerakoting them black to match.
The Honda CL500 scrambler wears extra than simply MOTOISM’s equipment although. The workforce additionally put in a set of TRW Lucas enduro handlebars, fitted with a vintage-style Tecnosel Honda crossbar pad and LSL bar-end mirrors. And sure, that could be a cup holder mounted to the handlebars.
“I’ve by no means seen one on a motorcycle, and it might be one of many options one would miss in a automobile if it wasn’t there,” explains Ben. “However why have it? Perhaps just because we will, and I like giving bikes some creative touches. It’s the cherry on high of the cake, the enjoyable, the ‘take it simple’ strategy.”
The cup holder carries a bottle of Ramune—a extremely standard Japanese tender drink, and a nod to the bike’s Japan-inspired graphics. MOTOISM enlisted the assistance of graphic designer Andy Werner, adorning the bike in purple, white, and black, and dubbing it ‘The Nightcrawler.’
Ending touches on this Honda scrambler embrace a bespoke seat cowl, and a black-Cerakoted Arrow exhaust with a carbon fiber warmth defend. Grime-ready Metzeler Karoo 4 tires add to the enjoyable.
The Honda CL500’s goofy stance isn’t about to win it any magnificence contests, however MOTOISM’s refined mods are sufficient to show that there’s potential there. Extra CL500 customs, anybody?
