That Honda is a popular pick for custom bike projects is not new. But normally we see a lot of CB’s and CX’s. This bike by Strange Coast Moto is something else. First of all: it’s a Honda VT500, we don’t see them often. Second: it looks awesome, detailed, fast and mean. Third: it’s turbocharged! 

Honda VT500 Cafe Racer

UPDATE: VIDEO OF THE BIKE

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It all started with a customer of Ben and Dragos from Strange Coast Moto. He had an old Honda VT500 with some emotional value, but a standard VT500 is not a bike you want to ride these days. So the assignment was clear: turn this ride into something else!

Honda VT500 Cafe Racer 2

That was not very easy and a lot of hours were spent to achieve this awesome result. Here’s a list of the most notable mods:

  • Front end of a Honda 954RR
  • Honda CX500 gas tank
  • Avon Desansias tires
  • Custom exhaust system
  • Custom built seat with matching grips
  • Custom sub frame
  • Custom swing arm

Honda VT500 Cafe Racer 3

And last but not least: they put a VW Golf 1544 Turbocharger on it, to give the bike some extra air and a lot of extra power:

Honda VT500 Cafe Racer 4

A lot of custom framework and welding was done on this bike.

Honda VT500 Cafe Racer 5

Honda VT500 Cafe Racer 6

Honda VT500 Cafe Racer 7

Honda VT500 Cafe Racer 8

Honda VT500 Cafe Racer 9

For those who totally don’t know the original model:

Honda VT500 Cafe Racer 10

By Published On: October 1, 2015Categories: Cafe Racer4 Comments on Honda VT500 Cafe Racer by Strange Coast MotoTags: 1.6 min readViews: 1735

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About the Author: Ron Betist

Ron Betist grew up with motorcycles with a father heading the Amsterdam motorcycle police force. He has been riding (legally) for over 40 years and motorcycles are his true passion. With a life-long career in marketing and sales he has a huge international network. He joined as a contributor at BikeBrewers in 2017 to spread his word about bikes with the rest of the world.

4 Comments

  1. JBL March 17, 2016 at 1:34 am - Reply

    Guys, that bike there is a work of art.

    I rode the VT500 in London for Pony Express in the 1980s.
    The bike was amazingly slim and nimble.
    Throbbing V goodness, 60mpg.
    Bulletproof.

  2. Kyle September 2, 2016 at 11:47 pm - Reply

    Purchased this bike from strange coast. BUYER BEWARE of these guys. Bike didn’t run when purchased and was told it just needed a new tune…NOPE…this bike has never run well with the turbo setup. After 3 tuning shops and tons of research the outcome is clear the fuel management system was done incorrectly and will need to be rebuilt from scratch.

    The geometrics of the bike were also not taken into consideration and there is not enough clearance between the front wheel and the intercooler, if you decel quickly and or use the front brakes as shown in the video the wheel tears and the shroud and intercooler.

    Upon further investigation when attempting to “fix” the issues, this thing was put together with match sticks and bubble gum. I have a pile of zip ties that I removed as well as bolts that were cross threaded and/or too long or too short.

    I will say that the welding and metal fab work seems to be done well.

    DO NOT purchase a bike from Strange Coast.

  3. Kris June 4, 2017 at 2:09 pm - Reply

    That suck Kyle because it sure is beautiful. I hope you got some of your money back. And if you had to bit the bullet and keep it…it would look totally awesome in the ManCave.

    • Kyle Sidor October 6, 2017 at 7:09 pm - Reply

      Didn’t get any money back. But, I have rebuilt the bike without the turbo and ride it at least once a week. Found sooooo many other issues that Strange Coast and Dragos Toma cut corners on, but have them all resolved now and she is beautiful AND rides well!

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