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Honoring The Icon: Ton-up Garage’s Honda CB500 Four

Tribute to an Icon: Ton-up Garage's Honda CB500 Four restomod
Honda CB Fours have become so popular in the modern custom scene, we’ve almost forgotten what a big deal they were back in the day. Which is a shame; the CB750 is widely considered to be the first UJM and the first ‘superbike,’ and even has a place in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

This heritage is not lost on the crew at Portugal’s Ton-up Garage—so they set out to build a tribute to the legendary CB Four family. “The 750 is the big model from the Four family, and the most iconic,” the guys tell us, “but in our basement we had the little sister, the Honda CB500 Four, needing to be restored.”

Tribute to an Icon: Ton-up Garage's Honda CB500 Four restomod
A straight-up resto wouldn’t do though. Ton-up wanted to give the early 70s CB500 up-to-date handling and performance, without losing the original CB aesthetic and nostalgia. So it became a restomod with a few non-negotiables: it needed a four-into-four exhaust system and spoked wheels, and the original tank and side panels had to stay.

To upgrade the handling, the team grafted on the upside-down forks and brakes from a 2002 Yamaha R1. They only needed one disc, so the other was retrofitted to the rear wheel for better braking all round.

Tribute to an Icon: Ton-up Garage's Honda CB500 Four restomod
The wheels are new too, with 17” aluminum rims laced to Talon hubs with stainless steel spokes. (They’re wrapped in Heidenau K73 Super-Rain rubber.) Finishing off the front end is a neat custom fender, held in place by a set of classy hand-made brackets.

The rear of the bodywork was fair game, so Ton-up have tweaked the frame to take a new seat and tail section. The rear hump was custom-shaped for the bike, and includes two recessed LEDs doing double duty as taillights and turn signals.

Tribute to an Icon: Ton-up Garage's Honda CB500 Four restomod
The rear frame work was much more than a cut-n-shut job though. Ton-up ditched the original twin-shock setup, and modded the frame to accept the rear mono shock and aluminum swing arm from a 1990s Yamaha FZR 400R sportbike.

Ton-up also tore into the CB500’s motor, but opted to keep everything OEM spec. So they’ve rebuilt it from the ground up, using only original Honda parts. The carbs were refurbed too, and treated to foam pod filters.

Tribute to an Icon: Ton-up Garage's Honda CB500 Four restomod
Then there’s that custom-built exhaust system, terminating in four cocktail-style mufflers. It had to sound throaty—like the stock bike—but without being too loud. “We recreated the lines of the original, but with a cleaner look,” Ton-up report. “It sounds quiet at low RPMs, and sounds like a loud Formula 1 car at high RPMs!”

The old wiring was ripped out and replaced with a brand new loom, with upgraded coils and relays along the way. There’s now a 7” headlight up front, and Motogadget bar-end turn signals to complement the LEDs in the rear. Even the new license plate mount out back has an LED built in.

Tribute to an Icon: Ton-up Garage's Honda CB500 Four restomod
The speedo’s a Motogadget Chronoclassic, slotted into a custom-made casing that attaches to the headlight ears via clever hand-shaped braces. The rest of the cockpit is neatly packaged, with new clip-ons, grips and controls, mini-switches and a Motogadget RFID keyless ignition. (Moving the start button to on top of the triple clamp was a nice touch too.)

Rear set foot controls round out the package, with smaller touches like upgraded brake fluid reservoirs not going unnoticed.

Tribute to an Icon: Ton-up Garage's Honda CB500 Four restomod
With so much invested in creating the perfect homage, Ton-up knew they had to get the paint just right. Again, rather than going for a straight replica job, they took inspiration from the classic CB graphics and added their own palette.

And they nailed it—the CB500’s new livery looks period correct, distracting you from the contemporary performance upgrades lurking below.

Tribute to an Icon: Ton-up Garage's Honda CB500 Four restomod
Once the Honda was all buttoned up, Ton-up took it to the streets for a proper shakedown. They’re pleased to report that it not only rides and handles great—but draws compliments wherever it goes.

It’s also for sale, but you’d better jump quick. A bike that looks this good is going to get snapped up rápido.

Ton-Up Garage website | Facebook | Instagram

Tribute to an Icon: Ton-up Garage's Honda CB500 Four restomod

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BikeExif Custom Motorcycles Other Motorcycle Blogs Ton-up Garage Triumph Bonneville Triumph motorcycles

Ton-Up’s ‘HotRod’: A Bonneville for nostalgia freaks

Ton-Up Garage gives a 2006 Triumph Bonneville a vintage hot rod vibe
Even though we’re total moto-nuts, we appreciate fine automobiles too. The lads from Portugal’s Ton-Up Garage are kindred spirits: self-confessed petrol heads who love anything with an engine.

That love shows through with their newest release, a low and lean Triumph Bonneville called ‘HotRod.’ “It’s our interpretation of the crazy years between the 30s and the 50s,” the guys tell us. “The golden era of hot-rodding.”

Ton-Up Garage gives a 2006 Triumph Bonneville a vintage hot rod vibe
“The fluent lines are inspired by the hotrods used on the dry lakes in California, where people gathered to race. We’d have raced back then too, if we could!”

That scalloped paint job hits the right vintage note—but there’s a lot more at play here than a swish livery. To get the right lines, builders Pedro and Daniel ditched all of the 2006-model Bonnie’s bodywork—and started from scratch.

Ton-Up Garage gives a 2006 Triumph Bonneville a vintage hot rod vibe
The tank and tailpiece are hand-shaped units, and the rear of the frame has been shortened and kicked up for a tighter effect. There’s a small tail light embedded in the rear, and a ribbed leather seat up top, finished off with contrasting grey trim.

Ton-Up took great care to empty out the bike’s midsection too, to create a more lithe-looking machine—“proper for a race bike,” they say. All the wiring—along with a Lithium-ion battery—is now crammed into a discreet, hand-made box under the seat.

Ton-Up Garage gives a 2006 Triumph Bonneville a vintage hot rod vibe
The cockpit’s been put on a diet too. The bar-end turn signals and tiny speedo are from Motogadget, and the headlight has been swapped for a classic 5¾” unit.

Look closely, and you’ll notice minimal switches distributed between the bars, headlight and steering stem nut. There’s also nowhere to put a key—Ton-Up have fitted a RFID ignition system instead.

Ton-Up Garage gives a 2006 Triumph Bonneville a vintage hot rod vibe
As for those peculiar handlebars, they’re off-the-shelf units, but still took a little hunting to track down. “We didn’t want to use the common styles we’re all used to seeing.”

The bars are capped off with CNC-machined grips, and clean, vintage-style levers. You’ll notice that the front brake master cylinder’s been hidden too. There’s also some visual trickery going on with the rear brake: the brake line now runs through the swing arm.

Ton-Up Garage gives a 2006 Triumph Bonneville a vintage hot rod vibe
“We’ve tried to make a lot of the technical details different to previous bikes we’ve built,” the guys tell us, “and also make the bike as clean as possible. These are new challenges we give to ourselves to go further on the builds we do.”

Moving to the running gear, Ton-Up treated the Bonnie to new rear shocks and fork springs from Öhlins. They also traded the stock 19” front, 17” rear combo for matching 18” wheels. And yes, they’re shod in Firestone Deluxe Champion tires (a period-perfect choice, if you ask us).

Ton-Up Garage gives a 2006 Triumph Bonneville a vintage hot rod vibe
There are custom-made fenders at both ends too, with the rear doubling up as a plate holder. The velocity stacks and the stretched-out stainless steel exhaust system are one-offs too.

Rear-sets with serrated pegs round things out, along with a hand-made sprocket cover with a cut-out silhouette of Ton-Up’s logo. And we give the boys top marks for resisting the urge to slather everything in black—opting for a silver finish on the frame instead.

Ton-Up Garage gives a 2006 Triumph Bonneville a vintage hot rod vibe
The only thing we can’t figure out is where we’d like to ride this lovely Bonneville. Around Porto’s tight and twisty old town streets? Or with the throttle cracked wide open, under big skies on a hot desert road? That’s the delightful dilemma the lucky new owner needs to face.

Ton-Up Garage website | Facebook | Instagram

Ton-Up Garage gives a 2006 Triumph Bonneville a vintage hot rod vibe

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BikeExif Custom Motorcycles Moto Guzzi Moto Guzzi Le Mans Other Motorcycle Blogs Ton-up Garage

Bug-Eyed: Ton-Up’s Quirky Le Mans 1000 Oozes Style

Enduring Style: A classic Le Mans 1000 from Ton-Up
On the list of Italian classics we’d love to own, the Moto Guzzi Le Mans ranks high. We’ll even forgive the questionable mid-80s plastics of the Le Mans 1000 model, just for the chance to hear its exhaust howling along a mountain road.

The boys at Ton-Up Garage feel the same way, and have delivered a real treat for Guzzisti—a long, low LM 1000 that would look right at home in a 1970s pit lane.

Enduring Style: A classic Le Mans 1000 from Ton-Up
Pedro and Daniel like to spend their weekends exploring Portugal’s beautiful mountain and country roads. And they reckon a Guzzi Le Mans is the perfect steed.

“It’s one of those bikes that awakens your emotions, and continually pushes you to go faster and faster.”

Enduring Style: A classic Le Mans 1000 from Ton-Up
So they decided give their Le Mans a classic endurance racer vibe—evoking Moto Guzzi’s racing pedigree. It’s a tad quirky, but in a charming way.

Looks aren’t everything, so the guys have ensured that it packs a punch too. “The first time we tested it, it seemed the engine just kept revving with really strong torque,” they say. “We knew right there and then that this one was on its way to becoming what we were aiming for: a fast, classic bike.”

Enduring Style: A classic Le Mans 1000 from Ton-Up
The engine has been punched out from 949cc to a full 1000cc. Ton-Up then added an electronic ignition, race carbs and a pair of velocity stacks.

Enduring Style: A classic Le Mans 1000 from Ton-Up
The exhaust system is completely bespoke, creating a soundtrack worthy of the V-twin’s extra grunt.

Enduring Style: A classic Le Mans 1000 from Ton-Up
The bike should handle better now too, thanks to new Öhlins shocks at the rear. The wheels are matching 18-inch Borrani rims, laced with stainless spokes, and wrapped in Avon Roadriders.

Ton-Up also redid all the wiring and upgraded the electrics, adding a Lithium-ion battery and a sprinkling of Motogadget componentry.

Enduring Style: A classic Le Mans 1000 from Ton-Up
Then it was time to redesign the bodywork. “Guzzis were originally quite ‘long’ bikes,” the guys explain. “So we’ve redesigned this one to be more like its ancestors, fluid and long.”

The stretched-out fuel tank and tail unit are hand-made. The tank hides the new battery and electrics, while the seat itself has a cutout to access the key (tucked away underneath).

Enduring Style: A classic Le Mans 1000 from Ton-Up
There’s a new fairing out front, with a set of Marshall spots hanging in the breeze, true to Ton-Up’s vision.

The cockpit’s kept clean with minimal switches, integrated LED warning lights, Ariette grips and clip-ons from Tarozzi (who supplied the rear-sets too).

Enduring Style: A classic Le Mans 1000 from Ton-Up
The finishes are subtler than your typical classic racebike, with a green and gold scheme and asymmetrical pin stripes. We like the small touches too, like the leather tank attachments, and the fairing fasteners near the tops of the cylinder heads.

You could pore over the details for hours, but the real question is: How does it ride?

Enduring Style: A classic Le Mans 1000 from Ton-Up
“To get a feeling of what it could do, we entered some illegal street races,” Pedro and Daniel report. “The bike smashed some newer model bikes—showing that age doesn’t mean a thing.”

Sadly, this Le Mans 1000 has now gone off to its new owner.

But it’s not all bad: “He’s a thrill seeking rider who loves strong emotions and riding fast.”

“Just as much as we do.”

Ton-Up Garage website | Facebook | Instagram

Enduring Style: A classic Le Mans 1000 from Ton-Up

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BikeExif Custom Motorcycles Other Motorcycle Blogs Ton-up Garage Triumph Bonneville Triumph motorcycles

MX EVO Bonneville: The Triumph desert sled, revisited.

Modern day desert sleds: Ton Up Garage recreates the original Bonneville scrambler vibe.
A ‘scrambler’ used to be a motorcycle purposed for off-roading. But these days, people use the word to describe anything with knobby tires, a bench seat and wide bars.

Ton Up Garage can throw the term around with confidence. These ‘MX EVO’ Bonnevilles are a breath of fresh air—proper throwbacks to the days when McQueen and co. were thrashing Triumphs out in the desert.

Modern day desert sleds: Ton Up Garage recreates the original Bonneville scrambler vibe.
“We’ve always been enduro and motocross enthusiasts,” say the Portuguese crew, “So we have this huge personal connection to off-road riding and racing. This bike was a massive ‘must build’ for us.”

Modern day desert sleds: Ton Up Garage recreates the original Bonneville scrambler vibe.
EVO #0—the first in a limited series—was actually built two years ago. Since then, Ton Up’s Jose and Pedro have put it through its paces. “We rode it, raced with it, broke it, and after all that time we’ve made a few corrections that have improved it.”

Modern day desert sleds: Ton Up Garage recreates the original Bonneville scrambler vibe.
The starting point was a 2005-spec, 790cc, carbureted Triumph Bonneville. “Technically, we wanted to spice up the engine,” says Ton Up. “We wanted more power and definitely more torque, but above everything, acceleration!”

In went a 904cc Wiseco big-bore kit, helped along by a pair of Keihin FCR39 flatslide carbs. The engine breathes through K&N filters, and exhales through a high-level, two-into-one exhaust from Zard. The ECU was modded to raise the rev limit, a racing clutch installed and the gearing changed. The bike now tops out at 180km/h.

Modern day desert sleds: Ton Up Garage recreates the original Bonneville scrambler vibe.
Ton Up opted to keep the Bonnie’s 19” front and 17” rear wheels, but wrapped them in appropriate rubber: Continental TKC80s. And they left the braking system mostly stock, fitting a braided brake line up front along with a Magura master cylinder and lever. The suspension’s been upgraded though, with Öhlins components at both ends.

Modern day desert sleds: Ton Up Garage recreates the original Bonneville scrambler vibe.
The rest of the build’s laden with mods that tick both styling and functionality boxes. The high alloy fenders, chunky seat and rear frame loop are all reminiscent of classic desert sleds.

MX bars from Fehling are matched to MX grips and wide, serrated foot pegs. And Ton Up have designed a sump guard and sprocket cover specifically for the EVO series.

Modern day desert sleds: Ton Up Garage recreates the original Bonneville scrambler vibe.
Lighting’s kept to a bare minimum, with a PIAA light up front and a Lucas-style tail light at the rear. The electrical system’s been reworked around various Motogadget components, running off an Anti-Gravity Lithium-ion battery. EVO #0’s equipped with a TrailTech Voyager GPS-enabled speedo—useful for weekend adventures.

Ton Up built EVO #0 as their prototype—it’s a shop bike and a test rider for potential customers. So the classic paint scheme is a reflection of Jose and Pedro’s own tastes and references.

Modern day desert sleds: Ton Up Garage recreates the original Bonneville scrambler vibe.
And they’ve tested it well. “We’ve used it several times on trails and in Raids, and it handles very well, keeping up with classic Africa Twins and Super Teneres. Of course it is still a heavy bike, even though it’s lighter than a stock Bonneville.

“You feel the weight on more technical dirt roads, but it’s still a great bike with enough agility.”

Modern day desert sleds: Ton Up Garage recreates the original Bonneville scrambler vibe.
With their prototype sorted, the guys have already completed their first commission—EVO #1—for client NOBRAND shoes. While it shares much of EVO #0’s DNA and parts, there are a few notable differences.

For starters, EVO #1 is built on a 2011-model, EFI-equipped Bonneville T100. The fuel injection’s been tuned, but the engine capacity’s been left stock.

Modern day desert sleds: Ton Up Garage recreates the original Bonneville scrambler vibe.
The overall vibe is a little more refined, with Motogadget bar-end turn signals, a more traditional Motogadget speedo, and a different taillight. And there’s that coffee-tinged paint scheme, complemented by a two-tone leather seat and matching grips.

Ton Up say the more refined approach was deliberate, to illustrate that the MX EVO series could lean more towards a more aggressive, or a classier, vibe.

Modern day desert sleds: Ton Up Garage recreates the original Bonneville scrambler vibe.
If you want your own MX EVO Triumph, there’s even more options available. Ton Up can kit each bike with Pretech brake calipers and floating discs, suspension from both Öhlins and WP, and lighter alloy wheels. And the final trim and finishes are, naturally, customizable as well.

Sounds good to us. If you agree, you’d better get in touch quick: they’re only building nine.

Ton-Up Garage website | Facebook | Instagram

Modern day desert sleds: Ton Up Garage recreates the original Bonneville scrambler vibe.