Greetings from Roswell!

[portalespeanut]

Hey everybody - been a forum member for some time, but have never posted. After 40 years of wanting a CBX, I finally brought mine home yesterday, a beautiful '81 with 10,000 miles, so I wanted to 'make it official' and say 'Hi!'
I'm 61, and started 48 years ago on a Honda S90. Life on a farm meant dirt bikes, and I had a bunch through the years, but landed a sweet '74 CB750 that I made many memories with. Many bikes come and go, but the CBX has had a place in my heart since it's introduction. I was raising a family at that time and kept thinking..."Some day I'll have one." It's become a 'Bucket List' bike for me, and while circumstances have conspired against me for years, this beautiful '81 was offered to me this week. I'm looking forward to making memories on this thing and will continue to be gleaning insight from you guys here. (Not sure how to post pics here, but will share some if I can)

[portalespeanut]

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Welcome to the site.
Great looking '81. Low mileage?

[Z Grand]

Congrats and welcome! She appears to be in excellent shape.

[daves79x]

Excellent! Let us know your impressions as you put some miles on it.

Dave

[Rick Pope]

Very nice! You have some nice roads to your west too. The CBX will do well there.

[Gearheadgregg]

Holy cow ! that is really nice

[portalespeanut]

Thanks, guys. At 10,000 miles I'd say it's low miles...but where I live, it's a 100 miles to 'anywhere' so we rack up a miles in a hurry.

A few initial observations - after getting the bike home, I did a brief inspection, tire/suspension pressures, etc, and then gassed up and rode it 350 miles Sunday to go see my Dad on Father's day. The chain was really greasy and I'm sure it's leaking oil out of the seal behind the countershaft sprocket. As confirmation, small 'puddle of oil' greeted me when I mounted to go home. Also, it does have some rattles and clicks that I'm hoping will diminish if I re-sync the carbs. They sounded a little disconcerting when the bike was hot after 100 miles on the road in June heat.
I'm very excited about the bike. Previous owner had put on new tires (Duro?), had the carbs rebuilt, replaced the fork seals, serviced the brakes, added a manual fuel shutoff, and was methodically maintaining the bike as a barn rescue. It starts and runs good. The exhaust is near perfect, as are the bags...it's just a beautiful bike. I've got a countershaft seal coming, and am about to change the oil...then out to ride asap. We have some great roads to ride here, and I hope to enjoy them on this bike. I bought this to ride, and give lots of TLC to.

First riding impressions - 'Welcome back to 1981!" Compared to the modern bikes we ride, everything feels 'heavy' on the CBX...the clutch, the steering, the throttle, the brakes, etc. The bike asks for substantial inputs, that's not bad at all...but rather, a reminder of how different today's motorcycles are. I recently owned a Concours C14 and a Triumph Tiger 800XC...everything on them felt power assisted by contrast. Also of note...the CBX consumes fossil fuels at an alarming rate. I know, we don't buy them because they're frugal. Still, I'm a cautious rider and was sure I could get 40+ mpg from this bike, but that remains to be seen. (Honestly, who's concerned about fuel mileage on this bike, except that we do want to make it to the next gas station. ) Within 30 miles, I was very much at home on the CBX though and was loving it. It has a presence about it, it's unique, it has tons of character, and it drew a crowd every time I stopped. Speaking of stopping, I do want to recheck the front brakes...it takes a serious handful to get any response, and I was expecting more from them, even by 1981 standards.
Also, it's interesting that the sweet engine sounds disappear before you get into 2nd gear, buried by the wind noise...this bike is quiet. What I could hear while droning down the road at 70, will take some getting used to. The 6 shrieks compared to anything else I've ridden...my ears kept saying, "Back off" as I listened for the sounds below. As I mentioned in my first post, I've owned many bikes over a period of many years...and this one is everything I'd hoped for...and more! Will update again later. Thanks for the encouragement!

[daves79x]

A few things: I doubt your leak is the counter shaft seal, it is more likely a leaking oil cooler hose that's about to fail completely. The left side one fails commonly, right at the bend around the alternator, or just above the crimp at the bottom connection. Check that all carefully and see what you find.

IF it is the countershaft seal - it is not a simple replacement. By the book, you must split the cases. The seal has a lip midway that locks it in place. That said, guys have hogged out he old seal in place, ground off the lip, applied case sealant and tapped the new seal in. This has worked for many, but I won't do it that way.

Do not use synthetic oil in your bike - in many CBXs, the starter clutch starts slipping upon being exposed to synthetic oil. Some don't but many do. A shame because the CBX could really benefit from synthetic.

You could be hearing a number of things, but most notable is likely the alternator clutch (there are lots of clutches on this bike!). You really do need to completely service the alternator to get a baseline on what's going on in there. There are a million threads here on what to do and look for there.

These bikes can be run in extreme heat, IF you do not sit in traffic. The oil temp will quickly skyrocket and this heat quickly damages lots of things. And yes, the bike starts making weird noises.

You should indeed be getting over 40 mpg on your stock Pro-Link, even fast cruising. Unless someone has done something with the carbs.

The brakes should be quite acceptable - lots of things to look for. Obviously, the master cylinder and calipers need to be clean and working properly. Very common, however, is fork oil contamination on the brake pads. This is oft overlooked upon replacing leaking fork seals. Test them by putting the pads in a metal pan and heating them with a propane torch. You'll quickly see if they are full of fork oil.

Just some comments based on your observations.

Dave

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Even if the previous owner had recently serviced the brakes and master cylinder you might want to look into getting some new stainless lines.

[EMS]

I am one of the "few" - not the "many" - who does not have any problem with synthetic oil in my CBX (or any other bike). I am using Mobil1 20W40, which has enough zinc to make it safe for flat tappets. I have always been wondering - and still do - who started the story about synthetic oil being "more slippery" than conventional oil. Granted, there are friction reducers in modern automotive spec oil, but I could never find any scientific evidence that synthetics are more slippery than dino oils. Just the shade tree mechanics experiences.

[portalespeanut]

Thanks, fellas for the help...You're a wealth of info.

Dave - Thanks for the education, I do need it. I have not searched closely for the source of the leak but what You're saying makes sense. The chain is a mess, and the rear suspension links on the left side are covered with grime, and I assumed it was the countershaft seal. I will inspect the cooler hose closely, and assume they're available from some source. This leak is troubling to me. If splitting the cases is required to replace the countershaft seal, then I hope that's not the problem for sure. I have a shop manual but have not looked into the procedure for addressing a leaking seal there.
Oil type is a question I had too, thanks for Your perspective. The previous owner used Castrol GTX thinking it was close to the original spec oil. In the coming days, I intend to go over the bike carefully and will check the Alternator Drive among other things.
Fuel mileage is something I'll watch. The bike did have a fuel hose leaking at the petcock which I replaced. I averaged 37 mpg on my Sunday trip with it dripping, so that may be the culprit. It does carburate well and I think carbs are as they should be. Full choke to start when cold, with a 2-3 minute warmup with decreasing choke. No choke when warm...no black smoke at the exhaust...although the bottoms of the bags were a little smoked up. Brakes...I intend to inspect the pads as a starting point...they do act like they're glazed, and the previous owner did have the fork seals changed. Again, I really appreciate Your insight and help. I wish You were here to take a peek at the bike.

Steve - once I sort out the suspect pads, I think stainless lines would be a nice upgrade. Thanks!

EMS - Thanks for Your perspective on synthetic oil, I understand the zinc issue. While oil type is a hotbed issue for many, it seems to me that keeping service intervals down with quality oil, and give a bike regular care is a good way to extend the life. Some say I've wasted money by doing that. I'd like to run synthetic do to the heat here, but haven't decided what I'll do.

I intend to search the forum on these issues and really appreciate You guys taking the time to share Your thoughts!

[EMS]

Another oil leak could be coming from the alternator. I just experienced this on my 81. Bike kept leaving a small pool of oil on the left side. First thought it was the countershaft seal, then looked at the oil lines and found that the oil came from the bottom of the alternator. Bad O-ring. Replaced it and used some Hondabond. All good now.

[portalespeanut]

EMS - Thanks for the heads up. I did look at the hoses this weekend, no leaks there. I probably with pull them at the end of the riding season and send them to Terry. I did not pull the countershaft sprocket and physically inspect the seal...yet, but it's wet there. It hasn't leaked any oil on the ground since my first ride when I parked it on the sidestand after 180 non-stop miles...came back out and found the small puddle. I usually leave the bike on the centerstand, but it takes some effort with this bike. No more puddles in the short time I've had it...but am going to look closely at the Alternator drive. That would be a much easier fix!

BTW, I did log some more miles this weekend, and am just loving this bike. Some of my first impressions mentioned above are giving way to the reality that this bike has soul, and is a treasure! Lovin' it!

[EMS]

Make sure your rear shock is at the right pressure. If not, it sags and putting the bike on the centerstand is sooooo much harder.