DAB Design LM#5 CR500
By Ross Sharp - 22 Nov 17
Young French designer and builder Simon Dabadie of Dab Design is gathering momentum with his range of supermoto inspired street trackers and scramblers. He uses the latest 3D scanning and printing tech to bring classic Hondas (other marques to follow) ..... See a previous article featuring Simon's innovative flax composite bodywork process - click here
For the fifth build in the LM series, Simon wanted to breathe life into an old 'stroker. Between 1994 & 1998 French dealer Diapason homologated 360 CR500s for road use, in a supermoto set-up. Simon stumbled across one gathering dust in the back of a customer's garage and his eyes lit up - the perfect base for wheelie machine.
The half litre monster of a two-stroke motor has been completely rebuilt using top-notch components and a few mods too. Italian exhaust specialists Scalvini supplied the handmade expansion chamber which mates to an FMF Powercore 2 silencer. Along with the re-jetted carb running a K&N filter and 3D printed intake pipe there's north of 65hp on tap, in a bike barely tipping the scales over 100 kgs.
Simon worked closely with Öhlins distributor and suspension gurus Bud Racing for the chassis set-up. Hubs are CNC machined units from Bud, laced to Excel rims, 3.5 x 17" from & 5 x 17" with Michelin Powersport race rubber. Up front an Öhlins MX 48 RXF fork has been valved to suit the CR's tiny weight and a requirement for road biased stiffness. The triple clamps are Simons own design, mocked up in Solidworks and machined off-site. The rear shock is also Öhlins, modified to suit the aggressive characteristics of the LM#5.
Arguably the most handsome brake discs on the market today are from French manufacturer Beringer, but that's not the only reason Simon fitted them. Beringer are the go-to for large numbers of racers in Supermoto paddocks, the cast iron discs and beautifully machined calipers offer tremendous initial bite.
The rear subframe is all-new, incorporating a Frenched-in (pun intended) taillight, which is welded in place rather than bolted like the original. For the saddle Simon added an extra layer of decadence, upholstering the high-density foam with buffalo leather destined for a Bugatti Veyron.
Originally the Cr500 would have been cooled by twin rads either side of the fuel tank but that wasn't an option as the composite vessel used across the Dab LM series is slightly wider so a single heat exchanger was specced to ensure adequate efficiency.
The wiring harness is new and thanks to the existing stator being installed back when Diapason made the conversion, the system is lighting compatible. The laser-cut number board is slightly different from the translucent flax composite used on the previous LM builds. Behind which an ultra bright LED array pierces the holes. A Motogadget Motoscope Mini set into the top triple clamp is the only concession towards boring legality.
To finish Simon chose the darkest black he could find, Vivid Black from Harley-Davidson's range and matched it with powder-coated swingarm, frame and engine side cases.
Anyone who's ridden a road going crosser, especially a stroker, will attest to their sheer bonkers character - Simon's LM#5 has done this old CR proud. It's just a shame he lives so far away as I'd love to smell and hear the thing run... from the saddle of course.
For images of the build process and to discuss ordering one of the other nine LM series head to
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Photos Bastien Errecart