Why do you own a CBX

[Syscrush]

This is an old thread but this is my first foray into "No Redeeming Value" so I never saw it before. I really like some of the stories posted here, I hope someone likes mine.


I was not old enough to be paying attention to details on motorcycles when the bike came out, but by 1985 or so when I was reading bike mags a bit obsessively I read a one-sentence mention of the CBX as the pinnacle of Honda's engineering excesses. I mentioned it to my uncle, who had a GL1000 who just kind of shook his head talking about how crazy and pointless the CBX was.

Fast forward to 2012. I didn't get into riding as early as I planned, but by this point I was on my 4th bike - a KTM Duke 690. I loved it, but felt like it was time for a change. One June night during NXNE, I was out seeing some bands and I got really drunk. I mean like proper drunk. And in the midst of that weakening grasp on reality I thought "Maybe I should get a CBX".

Hemingway famously advised "Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." I do not subscribe to either part of this advice, but I admit that when the fog on my brain lifted the next morning, two things were true: One, that Dan Deacon show at the Horseshoe was like nothing I had ever seen before. And two, I was really intrigued by this idea of getting a CBX. I started hunting around and going hot and cold on the idea, not finding any bikes that made sense for my plans or budget at the time.

I joined this site in Sep of that year, and started looking in earnest. I found, thought I missed, and then finally bought my favorite CBX in Jan 2013.

It has needed an awful lot of work to become a bike that I really trust and am happy to ride - with at least one more major round of work to be done before I feel like I'm in the clear. And between mods, repairs, and non-motorcycle life issues I haven't had the chance to put nearly as many miles on that bike as I want. But the plan is to hold on to it until it's given me back all of the riding pleasure required to offset the financial and emotional pain it's inflicted on me.

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Phil, you are going to have to live to be 100 for that offset to kick in. lol.

[scottish CBX]

My CBX journey started in the USA in the year 2000.

How I got there is like this...

Back in 1979 I was 16 and became the proud owner of a used DT50, a great little off road Yamaha and quite cool looking at the time, it was bought from a very small bike shop in Edinburgh called Pit Stop. Desperate to move up to a then legal 250, I swapped that for a Honda XL250s from Chathams Honda, the desired red colour was not available but they did have a purple version which I guess nobody wanted, I imagine that is why they gace me such a good deal. I used that bike for 2 - 3 years going to and from Uni. But, when the Yamaha LC came out WOW, everybody wanted one including me. XL sold and a new 350LC sourced from Chester-le-street (it was much cheaper than the dealers in Edinburgh - Ernie Page). What a bike, so nimble so fast and just brilliant all round. Except of course for tottering around the city because the pipes coke up with 2-stroke but on the open roads after the clouds of smoke cleared, the bike was a delight.

But, even a water cooled motor with rubber mounts was no match for a super smooth CB900FZ. I heard one in 1981 outside the house where we lived and the sound was magnificent. I loved the look of the design and the shine from those spinning Comstar wheels, those shiny chrome exhausts looked amazing and as soon as I could afford one, I bought it. The LC was very very good, the 900 was much better.

My first view of a CBX was around that same time when a silver bike drove past me on the Queensferry road, all I could see was the engine and I was mesmerised by it, what on earth was that I thought, it was a while later that I found out exactly what it was...

Fast forward to the year 2000 and a move to Dallas and with some free time on my hands an a little more money in the bank, I embarked upon a search for a CB900, little did I know how hard those were to locate, what I did find were quite a few of the CBXs and I thought well, everything is bigger in Texas and so why the hell not!

I was very fortunate to locate two very nice Zs thankfully these came from dry states which meant they were still in great condition despite being over 20 years old. The six is even better than I had imagined. At first I was worried that the weight and size might be too much but no, not at all, it was a delight to ride. The rest is history...

[bobcat]

Hey Chris (scottishCBX), good to see you here ! Afterall these years of CBX
ownership it's about time ! (folks, I believe he was a member quite some
time ago and just came back).

Why I own a CBX ? When I got my first glimpse of the CB750 Four I was dazzled
by the sound and how quick it appeared to be. I was riding a CL350 at the time
and the very idea of four cylinders was "Honda's really done it now" and could
only imagine the feeling of acceleration it must produce. I later graduated to a
CB500 Four that to me was such a refined "sewing machine" like piece of art but
I eventually wound up with a 76 CB750F with a 900 kit installed and I really loved
the power and handling. It was during that time (1978) I picked up a magazine with this
engine on the cover that took up the whole cover. "Six pipes ! What the hell is this ?"
Six cylinders !? How is this possible ? Honda's new CBX. OMG they've really gone to
engineering excess I thought. It seemed absurd, ridiculous, "we will do this because
we can" but stunningly beautiful. I wondered where it would fit in the various categories
of bikes. Surely it can't possibly be used for racing. It looked like a real handful to ride.

Later that year in late November I saw one for the first time, of all places at the racetrack !
I was the second rider on a Z1R Kawasaki entered in a 4 hour endurance race and only
after the red CBX blew past me on the straight that I realized what it was. We finished
2nd place on the Z1R but the CBX by far ran away with 1st place. I then came to the
conclusion that they can be raced.
Later I got the chance to ride one and I was amazed at how nimble and responsive it was.
It didn't feel like the monster it looked like. I still had that magazine and I kept looking
at it thinking I want one but I wanted to change some of the shortcomings I saw, first replace
the bicycle wheels. However I wound up with a CB900F in a deal I couldn't pass up and
I built it the way I had intended to build a CBX.
About 25 years later I decided it was time to spring for a CBX or I might never get my hands
on one.

to be continued....

[bobcat]

....I knew a fiend who I had done work on his other bikes, had an 81 CBX that
he rode and then just parked it where it sat for years. I asked if he would sell
it and how much he wanted. He told me a price and I held out for a while hoping
I could get him to come down some but he wouldn't budge so I handed over the
money and finally became an owner.
Less than a year later another friend who had an 82 that I had done all the maintenance
on for nearly 30 years, said he was going to sell it, did I know anyone that might be
interested. Since I already owned one I wasn't looking for another one, really couldn't
afford it nor did I have room but there was NO way I was letting this one get away.
After almost 30 years of working on it including installing and degreeing 79 cams and
knowing how it was ridden and cared for and having ridden it quite a bit myself, I had
to have it. So now I have two (after promising my wife I would not buy any more bikes).

Why the CBX ? After installing D&D 6-1s on several for customers, the sound of these
these sixes did something to my mechanical soul, sound that I could feel and that evoked
a passionate lust that I can't quite put a finger on. Even at idle it does something to me.

After all these years of riding them and working on them it was time to finally have one,
now two of my own.

Sad irony, hopefully temporary, I'm stuck in a wheelchair. ....but I'm
an owner ! ....and the dream of finishing my project is what keeps me going.

[Larry Zimmer]

Good note, Bob. I sure hope your dream can happen. Dreams -- those are what keep us going. God bless.

[bobcat]

Thanks Larry.

I almost forgot to include that I've got that feeling again that I had when I was
15 years old and wanted a Honda 50 Super Sport (C110) so badly. My Dad finally
agreed and helped buy my first bike. I coveted that possession so much I would
get out of bed in the middle of the night and go look in the garage to see if it
was real and still there. I put 700(edit) miles on it that summer. My Dad and I were
at the local Honda shop for something I needed and I looked in the showcase and
saw gold ! A "high dome" piston for the 50SS ! I got my first exercise at modifying
a motorcycle engine*. After two attempts to start it and crushing the plug gap,
I finally figured out what the notch in one side of the piston dome was for. When I
turned the piston around it fired right up. Now I look out in the shop at the 81 CBX
and I can hardly wait to get started on it.

* My Dad and I used to build and fly competition model airplanes and we were always
"hopping up" the engines so modifying the bike was a natural graduation and it became
a life long passion.
(edit) it was 7000 miles. I practically lived on it.

[scottish CBX]

CB900FZ on the lower pic and the 900 I eventually found in the USA - note reverse Comstars

[FalldownPhil]

Thanks Larry.

I almost forgot to include that I've got that feeling again that I had when I was
15 years old and wanted a Honda 50 Super Sport (C110) so badly. My Dad finally
agreed and helped buy my first bike. I coveted that possession so much I would
get out of bed in the middle of the night and go look in the garage to see if it
was real and still there. I put 700 miles on it that summer. My Dad and I were
at the local Honda shop for something I needed and I looked in the showcase and
saw gold ! A "high dome" piston for the 50SS ! I got my first exercise at modifying
a motorcycle engine*. After two attempts to start it and crushing the plug gap,
I finally figured out what the notch in one side of the piston dome was for. When I
turned the piston around it fired right up. Now I look out in the shop at the 81 CBX
and I can hardly wait to get started on it.

* My Dad and I used to build and fly competition model airplanes and we were always
"hopping up" the engines so modifying the bike was a natural graduation and it became
a life long passion.

WOW Bob,
That C110 sure brings back some memories for me. About 1964 I think
Best,
Phil

[bobcat]

Yeah Phil ! For me it was 1965 (i bought the bike used). That was one
of the best, most fun summers of my life. I want to do it again, this time
on CBX !
A commercial I recently on TV : "Honda, the power of dreams" I have to believe.

[bobcat]

Thanks Larry.

I almost forgot to include that I've got that feeling again that I had when I was
15 years old and wanted a Honda 50 Super Sport (C110) so badly. My Dad finally
agreed and helped buy my first bike. I coveted that possession so much I would
get out of bed in the middle of the night and go look in the garage to see if it
was real and still there. I put 700(edit) miles on it that summer. My Dad and I were
at the local Honda shop for something I needed and I looked in the showcase and
saw gold ! A "high dome" piston for the 50SS ! I got my first exercise at modifying
a motorcycle engine*. After two attempts to start it and crushing the plug gap,
I finally figured out what the notch in one side of the piston dome was for. When I
turned the piston around it fired right up. Now I look out in the shop at the 81 CBX
and I can hardly wait to get started on it.

* My Dad and I used to build and fly competition model airplanes and we were always
"hopping up" the engines so modifying the bike was a natural graduation and it became
a life long passion.
(edit) it was 7000 miles. I practically lived on it.

During that time "hopping up" the pushrod C110 (50SS) I could not have fathomed that there
existed a mind blowing DOHC 24 valve six, the RC166 ! It's still staggering to think that Honda
had that kind of technology that long ago.

[Wheels24]

In 1983 I was road racing an '81 CB900F...pretending to be Freddie Spencer...though Freddie was a bit faster...no, a LOT faster. A good friend had a '79 CBX that I used to lust after every time we went street riding. In about 1987 I bought a used '81 CBX from a college kid who needed money, but I never really warmed up to the sport touring style, so I kept it a few years and sold it. Fast forward about 30 years to August 2019...a Sunday night perusing Craigslist...and there's a clean, red, 1980 CBX for sale at a reasonable price...and only a couple hours from my house. I called the seller immediately, told him I wanted it, and showed up at his house the following morning with cash from a recently sold Norton Commando. He rolled up the garage door...I saw the bike...and damn near laughed out loud...mistakenly making it clear that he didn't need to negotiate on the price (and he wouldn't)...I was in lust. We talked a while about the history of the bike (it was in his family from new), did the usual paperwork, and I was on my way home with my 1980 CBX on the trailer. I couldn't stop looking in the rear view mirror.

Why? As a racer and amateur mechanic, I was always fascinated by the CBX. It wasn't a particularly great race bike, though some people raced them. It didn't handle particularly well, but some minor mod's can make them decent. It wasn't the capabilities, though the engine was an engineering marvel. No, it was more the overall visceral look and feel of the bike...it just makes me grin. It's unique...completely different from any other bike I've ever had. That rheostatic power and associated howl...combined with great lines. It's more a matter of visceral fascination for me. And these days, it's just fun to ride it and watch people literally run up to me in a parking lot and be thrilled that they "finally saw one in the wild". I love it...

[daves79x]

Thanks for that Gary! The '80 is the best overall CBX. You should bring it to the Classic Motorcycle Day at the Mt Airy fairgrounds on May 21. Used to be just British and European, but now Japanese and pretty much anything. Love to see you there.

Dave

[Jeff Bennetts]

What Dave said.

[EMS]

! It's still staggering to think that Honda
had that kind of technology that long ago.

The Japanese were always good in copying others. MV Agusta had a 6-cylinder 350cc racer with a DOHC engine in 1957.