You know you’re getting older when you start to say, “When I was a boy.” Back then, when I was in uniform and eating dried-out sandwiches in the playground, the cool older kids would be pulling wheelies down the back street behind the school on their Honda XLs and XRs. The nostalgia for those days just doesn’t die, and here in Australia, no custom workshop has put those epic machines of the ’80s back on the map like Purpose Built Moto. Led by Tom Gilroy, the Gold Coast-based team has even come up with a new name for this style of bike: the ‘RetroCross’ – clean, classic looks packed with modern performance. And it doesn’t get any better than this 1981 Honda XL500 Scrambler. Kick it in the guts, it’s perfection, soup to nuts.
One of the great strengths of PBM is their ability to build any kind of bike in any kind of style, and as a result, they have an enormous and very satisfied customer base. But over recent years, we’ve seen them refine this type of build, taking old dirt/dual sport machines and bringing them into the modern age. “RetroCross is a term we use to describe the strand of design DNA we’ve developed across builds like our DT400, XT500, and now the XL500 featured here. The design direction aims to light a fire in the belly of that teenage boy in all of us. Taking the prolific bikes we grew up around, heard our dads talking about, or learnt to ride on, and re-imagining them with a sharp eye on clean aesthetics and modern performance upgrades,” Tom explains.
And you can’t argue with the results. Each of these builds has exploded across social media, and the owner of this very XL already owns one killer Yamaha XT500 PBM build. So, with his old Honda wheeled into their workshop, the goal was simple: “Take the classic XL, keep its soul intact, and elevate it to the next level of performance and style.” And it all starts in the engine room, where the classic Honda single is given a serious upgrade. The stock 89mm bore is punched out and accepts a 95mm piston, increasing the capacity to 570cc and raising the compression to a thumping 10.5:1. The head is stepped up, and to handle the extra power an upgraded clutch has been added, while fuelling the beast is well taken care of by the TM40 pumper carb from Mikuni Oz.
The exhausts always stand out in any PBM build, and their fabrication skills are well demonstrated with the gorgeous custom header pipes that merge and flow through an FMF Power Bomb. From here, the system snakes neatly to the rear before blasting out of a shortened Staintune muffler for a killer look and one hell of a booming sound. The extra capacity and compression give your leg a workout kicking the big girl over, but by all reports, the XL now pulls like a freight train. But one thing about these bikes is their lazy 6-volt systems, and with no easy solution, the guys have rewound the charging coil, added a special reg/rec, and then wired it all through their own PBM black box.
Another area that can be radically changed without dramatically altering the classic good looks is the suspension and braking package. At the front end, Costanzo Racing put together a late-model motocross setup, completely rebuilt for a plush ride on any surface. The rear benefits from a custom set of longer YSS shocks, and a DR650 hub is used as well. This gives both ends modern disc brakes, with a custom mount for the rear Brembo caliper, a PBM fluid reservoir, and then lightweight Excel rims are used at each end. “The wheels run Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres, 19″ front and 17″ rear, perfect for a scrambler that sees more street than dirt but still wants the option to roam off the beaten path.”
Turning to the aesthetics, it’s very deliberately restrained, and hitting all the right notes has this XL looking a million dollars. “The star of the show is that iconic XL500 steel tank. With its unique shape, it didn’t need over-the-top bodywork stealing the spotlight. Instead, we kept the fenders simple, hand-shaped metal that fits tight and neat. Fork shrouds were custom-made from aluminium to deliver a classy finish.” Even the minimalist side covers are as much about form as function, helping to hide the battery, some of the wiring, and the air filter. “Every piece of bodywork was done with that RetroCross ‘less is more’ approach: simple lines, no unnecessary flash.”
And that’s what you get with the front-end look, with a custom housing in the race plate holding a PBM Moto Flashpoint 4.5” headlight, giving a classic racer vibe. As always, the rest of the electrical package is simply flawless, made easy thanks to the PBM black box, which allows for neat wiring to the hollow-tip LED indicators at the front and PBM Omni LED units at the rear, along with a tidy license plate setup. On the purposeful Renthal fat bars, it’s all business too, with PBM three-button switches, a set of underslung mirrors, and a Daytona digital dash. “The ignition system is upgraded with our soon-to-be-released mini key and relay setup. Combined with Domino grips and rebuilt brake components, everything you touch feels top-notch and ready to roll.”
Now, with a rampaging roller, the final styling could be considered and returning to beloved colour combinations is always a wise idea. “That classic XL500 tank guided us: bright red, bold black, and a subtle silver pinstripe to elevate the finish. Pop Bang Classics laid on the paint and details, including a modified XL500R decal and our Purpose Built Moto signature, marking this as a top-tier build. With subtle branding and tasteful sponsor logos, we’ve created a balanced blend of heritage and modern capability, a Purpose Built Moto Signature Series build. When you see that signature on the tank, you know you’re looking at the best of what we do.” And Tom and the team haven’t just defined the ‘RetroCross’ style; they’ve set the benchmark, and this Honda XL500 sits proudly at the top of the tree.
