Custom CX500 returns to the stone age, literally

Is it a motorcycle or a pretty boulder?

You could accuse this Honda CX500 of being a stone-age machine – but that is what makes this bike so unique. Built by German stonemason and artist Chris Zernia, its bodywork has been fashioned completely from rock!

Taking the Christmas binge-eating sessions a little too seriously, the CX weighs in at a hefty 355 kilos. This is down to the dense volcanic basalt, mined from the Eifel mountain range that sits on Zernia’s doorstep, which is the stone that makes up the tank, seat unit, number board, headlight assembly and foot controls.

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Zernia comments “Basalt is my favorite stone, I love it. The problem was the weight in respect to the capability of the bike’s frame. Due to the stone it had to carry an extra weight of about 130 kg.”

The frame has been strengthened to take the extra heft and the suspension has also been upgraded to allow for the extra bulk in that heavy arse too. 

The shocks from a Harley Dyna prop up the rear while the forks from a Honda VT600 Shadow keep the bike from collapsing and mean that it rides pretty similarly to a normal motorcycle.

You’d have to be brave to swing a leg over it though, with its lack of front brake making stopping sketchy at the very best of times, let alone when you’re trying to bring what’s effectively a beautifully crafted boulder to a halt.

The CX was built for the “Build da Fukker” competition, which aims to crown the Fukker of the year by German mag Custom Bike. It outlines a strict budget that competitors must not exceed of €5000. Thankfully, the basalt is cheaper than its metal counterparts and also has the added benefit of not suffering from corrosion in the same way either.

There’s even a matching basalt helmet, though you’ll want to have a strong neck to wear it for any extended period of time.

Zernia isn’t hanging about either, with the CX500 finished, he’s already onto his next stone bike: “This time it will be an old 1100 Sportster and will be called the Rolling Stone” an apt title if there ever was one.

Photos: Chris Rausch

 

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