How did I miss this in life?
I dunno, they seem both pretty cool and (for a Japanese bike) somewhat maitenance intensive. Six carbs and a I imagine an ignition system that at this point needs a little attention all the time. They do sound pretty amazing.
They were called either CBX 1000, CBX 11100 or simply CBX here. I always liked the Sport Touring version that came out later.
They are all stoopid-expensive now.
My uncle had one when I was a kid in the early 80s. I remember:
- my dad bitching at how heavy it was
- how bad it handled at speed.
- the amazing noises that engine made.
I know a fellow with one in a Ducati frame.
It's a bit nutty.
Cooter said;They are all stoopid-expensive now.
Watch the Jay Leno Garage when he says the price was $4000 and the dealers were dumping them and he paid $2100 for his 1981 version.
Oh, I know. I lived it.
They couldn't give motorcycles away in the early-mid '90s.
I had one. Awkward weight displacement. Pretty scary in the fast corners. The second best thing about it was you could look at it forever. The best was Angie hanging on tight.
Datsun310Guy said:How did I miss this in life?
Were you around in 1979, and/or not into motorcycles then? They were pretty big news at the time for bikers.
I'd rather have the Benelli...
The Benelli Sei was a sexy bike, but it's hard to beat the reliability of a Honda.
Kawasaki also had a six cylinder bike, the KZ1300. They were a good motorcycle but they didn't have the looks of the CBX or the Sei (or the sound, either.)
The Benelli sounds Italian.
The Honda sounds like something from the Jetsons (so did my Goldwing).
Benelli copied the engine design from the Honda 500 fours but added two cylinders to make the 750 Sei. The 900 Sei came later.
Strangely enough, the engines were built by Moto Guzzi in Mandello because 'Guzzi and Benelli were both owned by DeTomaso at the time and the Sei was originally intended to be a Moto Guzzi.
They're more 'Guzzi than Benelli really.
Very similar bikes in many ways, designed for sport-touring, same hard bags, same Comstar wheels, dual disks up front. The GL500 featured Honda's most advanced engine of the day, while the CBX featured an older 4-cyl design with two extra cylinders grafted on. Today, the Silverwing goes for $500 - $1000, the CBX Super Sport...well a lot more. :)
Funny you should mention this right now. My local custom bike builder just left this morning for the Handbuilt Bike Show in Austin, TX with his latest creation...
In reply to pinchvalve :
The CBX was originally designed as a SuperBike, and the update with the bags and fairing was as a Sport Touring.
The CX was designed as a cheap, commuter bike... and later updated to a minor touring bike without the sport (hence the reason it it called the GL500i. "GL" in reference to the Goldwing (GL1000, GL1100, etc), anf the "I" for interstate. The GL500 and later GL650 were called the Silverwing. Goldwings aren't worth anything, either, and at least they were originally conceived as an upgrade to the CB750, which was a SuperBike.
If you wanted to compare to a SportTouring based on a CX, and available in the US you would need to pick the CX500T/CX650T turbo models. These do go for a good amount of coin.
The CX500/650E Sport model is also a handsome bike that is desirable, but wasn't available here, AFAIK.
Lastly, the bags on the GL500/650 and the CBX aren't the same, and really aren't even very close, as I have both sets for retrofitting onto my V65 Sabre. The Sabre uses the same bags and Hondaline fairing as the CBX.
I had a GL1100 Aspencade, CX500s and a CX650E before I switched to Italian bikes.
My CX650E was a nice bike but it handles like a pig compared to my 'Guzzi.
stroker said:Funny you should mention this right now. My local custom bike builder just left this morning for the Handbuilt Bike Show in Austin, TX with his latest creation...
Bet those FCR's make a nice rattle on a 6!
My (2 x cylinder deficient) CB900F has a set and they have a very distinctive sound;
Back in the day, the CBX's were considered the worst of both worlds: An unreliable Honda.
Dr. Hess said:Back in the day, the CBX's were considered the worst of both worlds: An unreliable Honda that didn't handle.
Fixed that for you. 
Handling was never brought up in my circles, back in the day. It was also generally accepted that the CBX was stoopid fast. For an unreliable Honduh.
In '93, I looked at a house for sale north of Galveston. As we walked through, I noticed a sawed off shotgun hanging on the wall, motorcycle parts scattered all over the house and two CBX's in the garage. Kinda felt like home.
In reply to Dr. Hess :
The opinion in the Central Roadracing Association at Brainerd International was the CBX had a "built in wiggle". Turn 1 was definitely a sphincter test.
pontiacstogo said:stroker said:Funny you should mention this right now. My local custom bike builder just left this morning for the Handbuilt Bike Show in Austin, TX with his latest creation...
Bet those FCR's make a nice rattle on a 6!
My (2 x cylinder deficient) CB900F has a set and they have a very distinctive sound;
WOW, never knew the Bol D’or was available in the US. My dad had one back in the day.
In reply to Cooter :
Oh there's no doubt that the CX500 was not designed as a sport bike, it was more akin to a Postal Jeep or Gruman Delivery van: rugged, reliable, handles like a pig, looks even worse. Don't get me wrong, I rode one for 10 years and I love the model, but there is no denying it's place in history. I was just laughing at Honda's thought that the CX500 motor was the focus of major engineering effort, while the CBX really wasn't breaking any new ground other than cylinder count. And laughing at how tow kinda similar rigs from the early 80's went down very different paths in the minds and wallets of collectors.
Slippery said:WOW, never knew the Bol D’or was available in the US. My dad had one back in the day.
We only got the CB900F in 81 and 82 and never the Bol d'or. I imported the bodywork on that bike from the UK.
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