# Honda CX500 Blubber by Ton-Up Garage

- Link: https://custommotorcycles.info/honda-cx500-blubber-by-ton-up-garage/
- Published: 2015-07-22T02:07:39-04:00
- Author: Manny Costa

[View Honda CX500 Blubber by Ton-Up Garage Photo Gallery](https://custommotorcycles.info/honda-cx500-blubber-by-ton-up-garage/#photogallery)

Ton-Up Garage’s Honda CX500 Blubber takes a compact, mechanically exposed donor 
and gives it a sharply defined custom identity. The Portuguese workshop keeps the
CX500’s distinctive engine architecture on display, then frames it with a low solo
seat, broad treaded tyres and a blue-and-silver bodywork package that looks more
considered than ornamental.

## A CX500 with a strong visual centre

The motorcycle’s proportions are set by the fuel tank and the pair of chunky wheels.
The tank uses a satin grey centre with vivid blue panels, thin white borders and
a small Ton-Up Garage emblem. That combination carries forward onto the headlight
cowl, creating a continuous graphic line from the cockpit to the front of the bike.

At the rear, the short seat follows the line of the frame before ending above a 
compact tail section. Its visible stitching adds texture without competing with 
the paintwork. The stripped-back rear also leaves the twin shock absorbers, frame
rails and rear wheel unusually prominent, making the chassis part of the design 
rather than something hidden beneath bodywork.

## Mechanical detail left in view

Blubber does not disguise the Honda engine. The black-finished cases contrast with
light-coloured cylinder-head covers and pale exhaust wrap, while a small exposed
filter is visible beneath the tank. The wrap gives the lower half of the motorcycle
a handmade, heat-resistant visual texture, and the light engine details echo the
white grips, tank pinstriping and exhaust shield.

The front end uses conventional telescopic forks and a single visible disc, while
the rear keeps a shaft-drive housing in the composition. Black wheels with solid,
elongated spokes suit the bike’s muscular stance, and the tread pattern gives the
otherwise polished build a hint of scrambler influence. There is no attempt to turn
the CX500 into a fully enclosed café racer; its utility-shaped components remain
part of the appeal.

## Why it is called Blubber

[Ton-Up Garage](http://tonupgarage.com/) describes the name as a reference to the
insulating fat layer found on marine mammals. In the workshop’s explanation, that
layer represents stored energy, while the motorcycle represents the extra inspiration
needed to pursue freedom. The idea is reflected less literally in the styling than
in the bike’s compact, purposeful appearance: every major visual element appears
to serve the overall shape.

Blubber’s success is therefore less about adding visual noise and more about editing
the CX500’s identity. Blue graphics, pale contrasting parts, a shortened tail and
exposed mechanical surfaces turn the donor into a coherent custom without erasing
the character of the original motorcycle.

## Photo Gallery

[⌊Honda CX500 by Ton-up Garage 7⌉⌊Honda CX500 by Ton-up Garage 7⌉[[⌊Honda CX500 by Ton-up Garage 4⌉⌊Honda CX500 by Ton-up Garage 4⌉[[⌊Honda CX500 by Ton-up Garage 6⌉⌊Honda CX500 by Ton-up Garage 6⌉[[⌊Honda CX500 by Ton-up Garage 8⌉⌊Honda CX500 by Ton-up Garage 8⌉[[⌊Honda CX500 by Ton-up Garage 1⌉⌊Honda CX500 by Ton-up Garage 1⌉[[⌊Honda CX500 by Ton-up Garage 3⌉⌊Honda CX500 by Ton-up Garage 3⌉[[⌊Honda CX500 by Ton-up Garage 2⌉⌊Honda CX500 by Ton-up Garage 2⌉[[⌊Honda CX500 by Ton-up Garage 5⌉⌊Honda CX500 by Ton-up Garage 5⌉[The bike you see here is the work of [Ton-up Garage](http://silodrome.com/bmw-r75-5/) – a Portuguese custom workshop with an established name as one
of the best in the business. Their attention to detail is second to none and the
amount of time invested in getting this CX500 into better-than-factory condition
is clearly apparent.