I wanna be just like gggGary...

[Downeaster]

If I ever grow up.

Got that Honda bought. Not sure if it's a 500 or a 650 since I only saw it briefly once several months ago. Doesn't matter, I'm cool with either. It's just around the corner from me and I'll pick it up tomorrow and start a refurbish thread with pix.

May have to temporarily remove the welding table from the shop so I can work on it in warm conditions. Have to do a little measuring.

 

[Jim]

CX?

 

[Downeaster]

CX?


View attachment 254695

Ayuh.

 

[Jim]

There's a guy on Youtube (Shadetree) rode a 500 from Oregon back to Tampa after it sat for years... never missed a beat. Then he did the same with a pair of 650's... they never missed a beat either.

an unbreakable, highly underrated bike.

 

[MaxPete]

Yeah - those puppies are super duper durable DE.

In the UK, all the couriers used them because, while they are NOT very fast, they’re quicker than any car and they always get there.

EDIT - added "NOT very" to the above sentence....

 

[jetmechmarty]

There's a guy on Youtube (Shadetree) rode a 500 from Oregon back to Tampa after it sat for years..

As I recall, he didn’t even check the oil.

 

[gggGary]

Following!

CX; Wouldn't call them bullet proof, alternators (PITA to replace/repair) and waterpump oil seals two common issues.
Only had two (OK, a parts bike too) first pair I sold on after mucking with the waterpump thingy. Third was a trade in (silverwing) quick spiff up get it running deal, found out it wouldn't work for daddy longlegs, and made out well on the flip. There's strong following on the 650 silverwing version.

 

[Raymond]

IIRC Honda launched the CX500 about 1978 and the UK bikers reacted mostly with wtf is it? Sideways V-twin? Water cooling? Shaft drive? And the looks were challenging.

The trailblazers who bought one were rewarded with a factory recall to replace the cam-chain tensioner bolt. If the bolt snapped the engine was snafu. Mate of mine Dungbeetle got a summer job with a Honda dealer mate of his - to do CX500 cam-chain tensioner bolt swaps. Seat, tank, rear 'guard, suspension, rear wheel, exhaust, s/arm, basically the whole back end had to come off just to get to the back of the engine before you could access the tensioner. First one they did took two days but that came down till the Dungbeetle on his own could do a couple in a day.

After that, the CX aka plastic maggot came to gain a 100% unbreakable reputation among people that knew them but sales never really took off and as @MaxPete correctly says most were eventually couriered to death. Though they put up a long fight before they died. Not many around now in the UK but have become a bit of a cult.

 

[gggGary]

There's a few ways to spiff up a CX500

Your wife may not agree....

 

[jetmechmarty]

 

[jpdevol]

 

[Downeaster]

Love those pipes, but I could probably buy a running bike for what they'd set me back!

 

[toglhot]

I like the CXs, nice base for a cafe racer build. I was thinking of buying one for my next project, but I doubt I'll have time to finish it.
The CX was also available as a 650, and there was also a turbo version available, bit of a beast the turbo version.
Best thing is they have pushrods, worst thing is they have a primary chain. What on earth possessed Soichero to do that? Must have been a bad day.
https://www.motorbikecatalog.com/performance/1982/61310/honda_cx500_turbo.html