Downshift Studio Honda CX500 Build

Jeremy Lacy is an Industrial Designer out of Denver who, as he describes it, “eats, sleeps and breathes anything and everything Moto related.” The accomplished designer and illustrator who runs Downshift Studio recently teamed up with Joel Fitzgerald for their first build—a 1981 Honda CX500 dubbed “The Grinder.” The build started by stripping the bike down to parts in order to rebuild it as a minimalist street scrambler that would be ideal for both trails and streets in Colorado. The original subframe was removed. The bike was converted to a mono shock. A new seat was fabricated, and an 18” wheel was fitted to the rear. New front and rear lights, indicators and Rental handlebars with Motogadget two button controls were also added to the impressive bike. In case the pictures aren’t indication enough, this is one hell of a first bike build for Downshift Studio. We can’t wait to see what rolls out of the shop in the future.