Honda CBX

[The Spin Doctor]

I saw one at the cafe recently... owner sat on the floor next to it, cleaning flies out of the fins with a toothbrush whilst eating his bacon sandwich

[slowsider]

Fuggin awful looking things, then and now. If I wanted excess I would get an XS.

[wheelnut]

The only bike I'd buy just to look at.

There ya go. Make them an offer.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/385026133281 ... Sw2U1i3r9r

That looks like it just came out of the crate!

However....the engine is the only remarkable thing about that model isn't it? Otherwise it looks generic Honda. The wheels, seat and indicators could be off a CX, the tank off of lots of other bikes. Was there anything special about the frame/forks/brakes etc? (I know I wanted one, but what I really wanted was more cylinders than everyone apart from Benelli Sei owners ).

The engine is what makes it remarkable. That’s enough. I’m sure that dynamically all modern bikes will leave it behind……..but look at that engine!!

Plus wasn’t it the fastest production bike for a while?

[Druid]

The engine is what makes it remarkable. That’s enough. I’m sure that dynamically all modern bikes will leave it behind……..but look at that engine!!

Plus wasn’t it the fastest production bike for a while?

I don't think it was. It wasn't even the fastest Honda, the CB900 was quicker

[Yorick]

The only bike I'd buy just to look at.

There ya go. Make them an offer.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/385026133281 ... Sw2U1i3r9r

Wrong colour. Only silver.

[Felix]

Wrong colour. Only silver.

You think? Not colours from today but back in late 70's early 80's i thought silvers and reds looked cheap and black had a bit of class about it. Obviously paint has come a long way but silver

[Count Steer]

There ya go. Make them an offer.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/385026133281 ... Sw2U1i3r9r

That looks like it just came out of the crate!

However....the engine is the only remarkable thing about that model isn't it? Otherwise it looks generic Honda. The wheels, seat and indicators could be off a CX, the tank off of lots of other bikes. Was there anything special about the frame/forks/brakes etc? (I know I wanted one, but what I really wanted was more cylinders than everyone apart from Benelli Sei owners ).

The engine is what makes it remarkable. That’s enough. I’m sure that dynamically all modern bikes will leave it behind……..but look at that engine!!

Oh, I know...I lusted after one. It's just that looking at it with the benefit of hindsight, apart from that engine the rest of it looks, well, a bit ordinary. It's a bit like a 400/4 but on steroids!

[Mr. Dazzle]

It always looks like two triples stuck together to me, the headers just seem off.

We need more straight 6 bikes in the world though I agree.

[mangocrazy]

The only bike I'd buy just to look at.

There ya go. Make them an offer.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/385026133281 ... Sw2U1i3r9r

That looks like it just came out of the crate!

However....the engine is the only remarkable thing about that model isn't it? Otherwise it looks generic Honda. The wheels, seat and indicators could be off a CX, the tank off of lots of other bikes. Was there anything special about the frame/forks/brakes etc? (I know I wanted one, but what I really wanted was more cylinders than everyone apart from Benelli Sei owners ).

That was exactly the point. It was all about the motor. Don't get me wrong, the Honda-6 is probably my all time favourite motorcycle engine.

But just not that one.

The one that I want (oo-oo-ooh) is the motor from the RC174, the 1967 Honda 297cc six cylinder racing engine. That was an absolute jewel. The one in the CBX is a moose.

In the late '60s I wanted Honda to build a roadgoing race replica 500cc six cylinder motorcycle. 10 years later they came up with the CBX. It wasn't what I was hoping for, let's say...

[Bustaspoke]

There ya go. Make them an offer.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/385026133281 ... Sw2U1i3r9r

That looks like it just came out of the crate!

However....the engine is the only remarkable thing about that model isn't it? Otherwise it looks generic Honda. The wheels, seat and indicators could be off a CX, the tank off of lots of other bikes. Was there anything special about the frame/forks/brakes etc? (I know I wanted one, but what I really wanted was more cylinders than everyone apart from Benelli Sei owners ).

That was exactly the point. It was all about the motor. Don't get me wrong, the Honda-6 is probably my all time favourite motorcycle engine.

But just not that one.

The one that I want (oo-oo-ooh) is the motor from the RC174, the 1967 Honda 297cc six cylinder racing engine. That was an absolute jewel. The one in the CBX is a moose.

In the late '60s I wanted Honda to build a roadgoing race replica 500cc six cylinder motorcycle. 10 years later they came up with the CBX. It wasn't what I was hoping for, let's say...

I remember the sound of Plater going past on the RC166 at the Classic TT
It sounded like he had to rev the valves out of it just to get the thing off the line,what a sound though!

[mangocrazy]

That was exactly the point. It was all about the motor. Don't get me wrong, the Honda-6 is probably my all time favourite motorcycle engine.

But just not that one.

The one that I want (oo-oo-ooh) is the motor from the RC174, the 1967 Honda 297cc six cylinder racing engine. That was an absolute jewel. The one in the CBX is a moose.

In the late '60s I wanted Honda to build a roadgoing race replica 500cc six cylinder motorcycle. 10 years later they came up with the CBX. It wasn't what I was hoping for, let's say...

I remember the sound of Plater going past on the RC166 at the Classic TT
It sounded like he had to rev the valves out of it just to get the thing off the line,what a sound though!

Those engines were absolutely mental - no flywheel effect and a 17,000rpm redline. There was no such thing as tickover, they had to kept above about 8000 rpm or they'd just die.

But the sound, ah the sound. Still sends shivers down my spine. The first race I ever went to was in 1968 at Oulton Park and all the GP boys were there with their works machines - Mike Hailwood, Phil Read, Bill Ivy, Ralph Bryans, Stuart Graham as well as guys like John Cooper. The highlight was hearing Hailwood on the 6 howling up the back straight before banging down the gears for Knicker Brook.

[demographic]

Must be a generational thing, CBX's did nowt for me.

[Horse]

It always looks like two triples stuck together to me, the headers just seem off.

Central cam chain? That would create a 3+3 appearance.

Edit:

[Yorick]

Must be a generational thing, CBX's did nowt for me.

In 1978 bikes were shite but we liked them
At 18, we suddenly had that. It was proper WOW.

[Bigjawa]

It always looks like two triples stuck together to me, the headers just seem off.

Central cam chain? That would create a 3+3 appearance.

Edit:

If my memory is right, they had 2 camchains, one to the front cam, and another linking it to the rear cam.

It was basically a CB900 with an extra cylinder each side. Pure "Honda style" right down to the comstars.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

They do have two cam chains, they're more like a single cam 750/4 with two extra cylinders and an extra cam, this goes back to the RS1000 race bike which Honda added an extra cam and made 4 valves per cylinder.

BTW I know someone who bent a rod on a CBX by leaving it on it's side stand over night and starting it before letting the oil settle level.

[rodbargee]

Bradford kawasaki ( before they closed had two brand new ones and wanted silly money in the 2000's I Bought mine around the same time from a wakefireld dealer for a couple of grand

[rodbargee]

like driving a desk

[The Spin Doctor]

Wasn't there a race series in Japan for the CBX? Endurance or something?

Meanwhile, is this restomod a hit or a miss?



https://www.bikebound.com/2021/01/26/honda-cbx/

[Skub]

Wasn't there a race series in Japan for the CBX? Endurance or something?

Meanwhile, is this restomod a hit or a miss?



https://www.bikebound.com/2021/01/26/honda-cbx/

It's one of those things...when you start changing/improving stuff,one thing leads to another.

The heeuge tail unit now looks out of place to my eyes. Need to change that,then look again.