New to the Forum but "old" to the CBX
Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2023 10:42 pm
Thanks for the kind welcomes! Like the title says, I'm new to the forum but the CBX has been a legend in my life for as long as I can remember and I have the pics to prove it.
I was born just a few months before my dad bought his '79 CBX. I have faint memories of riding it in the early '80s, hugging the tank while my older brother sat against the aftermarket "sissy bar", with my dad sandwiched between us. None of us wore helmets, and I'm sure many traffic laws were broken. These were different times.
For the remainder of my childhood, the CBX was some mythical beast, preserved carefully under cover in a shed. I learned about its 6 cylinders and matching 6 carbs, along with the 6-into-2 exhaust probably around the same time I was learning the alphabet. "Candy Apple Red" is a color I will always associate with a dusty cover and a broad gas tank with a wide black racing stripe.
Life as a father of 3 was no doubt busy, and through the late 80s and early 90s, the CBX continued to sit, collecting dust and "gumming up".
When I was in my late teens or early 20s, my dad dusted the CBX off, had the carbs rebuilt, fussed with the brake calipers, and replaced the other necessities. I can recall the first time I heard it start after its years of sitting idle. A bit Formula 1, a bit European exotic, a bit "Honda". I was enthralled. Around the same time, I got a motorcycle of my own. Another red Honda, a mere 600cc (2001 CBR 600F4i), but similar horsepower and straight line performance equal to the beast I'd grown up hearing about. I'd moved far away from home at this point, and on many of my visits, I'd threaten to steal the CBX away when my dad wasn't looking, at least for a joyride.
Years passed, as they do. By this time my dad was in his 60s and had already made it clear that as the only motorcycle-riding son of the three of his sons, I'd one day inherit the CBX. I was in no rush.
Then in the fall of 2016, my parents drove their RV to come visit me and my girlfriend (girlfriend at the time...we're now married). As they drove down our dusty gravel alley, I spotted a trailer behind the RV. As they got closer, I saw the CBX was perched on the trailer. I was touched (we're a pretty stoic family) that my dad had hauled the CBX over 1000 miles to go for a ride with me. He got out of the RV to greet me and with a grin that spanned ear to ear, extended his hand with a key I didn't recognize, but immediately understood.
I don't recall our exact words, but I am pretty sure it was a simple, "no" from me, followed by an even more simple, "yes" from him, and from that point forward, I've been the steward of this '79 CBX, in its *mostly* original, unrestored glory. It's only ever been in the family and it'll stay in my hands, ridden regularly and entered in the occasional motorcycle show when convenient, until I'm unable to ride it and find the next family member to hand it down to.
I feel fortunate to have some vintage photos of me as a little boy with the CBX, one of which is attached. I'm the tiny guy on the far right, straddling my own "bike" for the shot. My older brother is in the center, and the CBX, of course, is on the left.
Thanks for reading this far. Life is short and our time is limited, so I appreciate it. My dad, no doubt, does too.
I was born just a few months before my dad bought his '79 CBX. I have faint memories of riding it in the early '80s, hugging the tank while my older brother sat against the aftermarket "sissy bar", with my dad sandwiched between us. None of us wore helmets, and I'm sure many traffic laws were broken. These were different times.
For the remainder of my childhood, the CBX was some mythical beast, preserved carefully under cover in a shed. I learned about its 6 cylinders and matching 6 carbs, along with the 6-into-2 exhaust probably around the same time I was learning the alphabet. "Candy Apple Red" is a color I will always associate with a dusty cover and a broad gas tank with a wide black racing stripe.
Life as a father of 3 was no doubt busy, and through the late 80s and early 90s, the CBX continued to sit, collecting dust and "gumming up".
When I was in my late teens or early 20s, my dad dusted the CBX off, had the carbs rebuilt, fussed with the brake calipers, and replaced the other necessities. I can recall the first time I heard it start after its years of sitting idle. A bit Formula 1, a bit European exotic, a bit "Honda". I was enthralled. Around the same time, I got a motorcycle of my own. Another red Honda, a mere 600cc (2001 CBR 600F4i), but similar horsepower and straight line performance equal to the beast I'd grown up hearing about. I'd moved far away from home at this point, and on many of my visits, I'd threaten to steal the CBX away when my dad wasn't looking, at least for a joyride.
Years passed, as they do. By this time my dad was in his 60s and had already made it clear that as the only motorcycle-riding son of the three of his sons, I'd one day inherit the CBX. I was in no rush.
Then in the fall of 2016, my parents drove their RV to come visit me and my girlfriend (girlfriend at the time...we're now married). As they drove down our dusty gravel alley, I spotted a trailer behind the RV. As they got closer, I saw the CBX was perched on the trailer. I was touched (we're a pretty stoic family) that my dad had hauled the CBX over 1000 miles to go for a ride with me. He got out of the RV to greet me and with a grin that spanned ear to ear, extended his hand with a key I didn't recognize, but immediately understood.
I don't recall our exact words, but I am pretty sure it was a simple, "no" from me, followed by an even more simple, "yes" from him, and from that point forward, I've been the steward of this '79 CBX, in its *mostly* original, unrestored glory. It's only ever been in the family and it'll stay in my hands, ridden regularly and entered in the occasional motorcycle show when convenient, until I'm unable to ride it and find the next family member to hand it down to.
I feel fortunate to have some vintage photos of me as a little boy with the CBX, one of which is attached. I'm the tiny guy on the far right, straddling my own "bike" for the shot. My older brother is in the center, and the CBX, of course, is on the left.
Thanks for reading this far. Life is short and our time is limited, so I appreciate it. My dad, no doubt, does too.
I'll be riding the CBX to work and back tomorrow. The weather is too good not to!