1979 Honda CBX1000: Touring in the Fast Lane

This was no jaunt; no weekend parade across two states to wash out the brain beans. This was an Open Road extravaganza. Some 5000 km in four weeks laid back on the Honda Australia CBX. Well, not quite laid back for the whole time, otherwise the distance would have been doubled. There was rent to pay and work to complete during a long stay in Sydney. But it was living with the Six. And it was living in the fast lane all the way.

One thing you learn the first day on the CBX is that it operates on the high side of legal every time it gets mobile. (And we’ll pay a ticket to that – Ed).

The deal started with offering Honda some advice on how to set up a press day for new models (CX500, CBX, XL250S, etc) at the Winton road race circuit, and then finding a contract commitment would see me in Sydney. After missing the testing and initial riding, apart from one round the block effort, my ride number came up. The last one before the CBX went to race pasture in SA and then WA.

Unlike our four wheel counterparts, there was no first class air ticket to get me from Sydney to Melbourne to collect the Six, no taxi fares. However that hardly mattered. I had a little Z400 Kawasaki to return and it handled the getting back part quite well. More on that later.

The romantic light in which the free moving journos are held by the average reader was never better illustrated than the period with the CBX. There are those who think life is just one big CBX trip. Not quite. But when one comes along why not make the most of it? Like there were no queues to ride the funky Z400 twin, nor any “Can I come with you?” bits for the trip. But the Six, rather than my riding company, was a big come-on for a number of riders who no doubt saw the ride as an opportunity to sample the most exotic production bike ever.

Luckily the schedule did not fit in with acquaintances who came from the woodwork. So I had the Six to myself and, like any normal freeloader, I guarded it as though it was the last woman on Earth. Of course it was almost the opposite; Sixes will multiply rather than disappear. But at the time the Six was barely released; a handful were running around and there was one other demo bike on the roads. It was a rare bird indeed.

It all almost backfired at Bathurst when we stopped for fuel and I was collared by a guy who leapt out of a plumber’s ute. He was irate. He had paid a deposit to the local Honda dealer and waited months for the CBX, only to find they were out and he didn’t have his!

It took me some time to calm him. And even then I am not sure he was convinced. After all there was a heap of gear on the bike, Prue sitting there (she made her one big pillion trip in the interest of testing on the Open Road and photography) and the rear tyre was on the way out. It hardly looked like the average road test machine goin’ nowhere. It was all true brother. Here’s the word.

When I picked up LT-770 from Honda in Melbourne it had 2400 km up. Hard ones. It had done the test bit and the street racer scene and drag combos and been well used. Flogged. The 5000 km I did before its return included hard road running pillion and solo; city living, dynoing, a day at Amaroo Park and traffic light take-offs. Apart from some oil weeps around the rocker covers, a noisy top end (in need of adjustment, naturally) and one fork seal leaking, the Six was fine. Perhaps reliability will not be a worry. It shouldn’t be, as it’s virtually a beefed-up 750 bottom end design with two extra cylinders.

In many ways the Six is not attractive. And yet it is. The six-cylinder engine dominates the bike; both in profile and head on. It lacks the voyeuristic stance of the Z1-R but is good to look at, and one of the most photogenic bikes ever produced. Considering the mass, Honda has styled well. And considering how conservative the giant is with appearances it comes across even better.

Sprint to Sydney

After collecting the bike there was no time to settle in; it was a sprint back to Sydney to make the deadline for another magazine effort. Knowing we wanted a full photographic effort later, when Prue came up, I grabbed a double-layer Corona touring bag. Bought it from Bol d’Or for $40 and it did the trick of holding the wet weather gear and three cameras and equipment. A pack strapped on to the rear still left plenty of space for a pillion.

The first part was the rough, fast sprint out through Whittlesea and then the Big H highway to Seymour. Speeds between 100 and 160 km/h. The Six wallowed at the rear, the front kept searching and there was a continuous slow yawing at speed. All combined with massive understeer.

But was that engine a hauler!

It would rev in a sharp, whipping whine, instant reaction to throttle movements. The turbo Porsche sound sent shivers along the spine. Heady stuff, huh? The lack of steering accuracy was not anticipated. The tyres were among the top four: a Metzeler 3.50 x 19 H semi rib at the front and Metzeler 4.25 x 18 H 120/80 at the rear.

At Seymour I upped the pressures again, bringing the rear to 40 and the front to 36. The FVQ rear units were the spring preload adjustment only ones. These were on the middle setting and I jacked them to the hardest of the five settings.

It changed the bike noticeably. It was firmer and more taut. One could feel the road ripples and it no longer bottomed out at the rear. Nor did it have the disconcerting yawing on sweepers at speed. There was still a slow snaking movement at 160 km/h or more on sweeping turns and this changed to a see-sawing flex if one encountered large, transport-formed, humping depressions (and there’s plenty of them) while cranked over. The technique which worked for me was to allow the bike to assume a more upright stance (by doing the body english get the body off the bike bit), let it change lines and flex towards the outside of the turn, roll the throttle off a fraction as this is done and then power it back on smoothly.

There was a certain amount of Z900/1000 feel to all this, the deja vu bit about having done it all before. You’re aware of the weight of the bike under such conditions yet in spite of some antics in the rough, the Six is not tiring to ride. Comfort is high. It has a contoured shape, a form fit which is explicit in showing it has been designed by riders. The controls are about the best ever; everything is ideally situated for operating, even with two lots of gloves on. There has been thought involved, not just technology from computers, but real rider feedback .

The handlebars are excellent, perhaps the best stock ones I have ridden with. Lack of width is no problem and I only note this because so many of the onlookers made mention of it. Been living in the “high and wide” era too long. Seating is firm but compliant, and the fit into the tank indentations are just right. Add fine positioning or the pegs (in other words one doesn’t need to take the feet off and stretch back, or place them on the pillion pegs for a rest during a long run) and the CBX comes up magic in the long mileage scene.

One particular big plus is the light throttle action. Despite working six 28 mm Keihins, the action is light and positive and there is never any feeling of working the throttle. Same with the clutch, which is ridiculously light compared to the Norton, Laverdas, Harleys and MVs.

The neat fit for me may mean tall riders are not quite so well taken care of although the tall ones who rode 770 or “NSW 1” (the other Six we had at the same time) were all happy with things. Settling into the bike was easy; realising its potential was not. Like 6000 rpm is in excess of 140 and there is another 100 to go. If one is stuck behind a 17-metre semi at 100 km/h and pulls out to pass, bingo, the Six is rotating the white-tipped speedo needle past 150 km/h in that one semi length!

A force to be reckoned with

The early Spring weather was warmer than the past few rides but it would not last. Storms spread their folding cumulus grey around the horizon and by 6.30 it was dark. The bugs had done their bit and I stopped at Strathmerton 24 hour roadhouse for an unusual early coffee break, visor clean and to think about the rocket I was riding.

Sometimes the sheer force of a machine takes you out of the ride, forces you out of that monastic singleness; that solitude which surrounds the long distance solo rider. The CBX is such a force, it spreads the feeling of might across a road and across a garage’s concrete and cafe tiles. A slowed Z650C went past in the opposite direction. A few minutes later it pulled alongside and the guy checked the bike very carefully. Didn’t wave or nod, then just stopped and turned back again.

At the roadhouse an aged Honda 450 twin went past slowly, only to return as the darkness settled. I had a coffee and crumpets, made notes and spoke with four truckers about the road and the bike. It gathered them to it, those blue-singleted men who know engines. About to leave and I found the 450 Honda at the edge of light, the guy struggling to get the rear wheel out (no centrestand). I helped. Half the spokes had broken and he was headed, in moody insolence, down to Melbourne with a trucker, to get it repaired. A stuffed-up ride for him. Helped drag the bike around the back. Gave him an address in Shepparton which would get it done but I have no doubt he didn’t take any notice. His problem.

From Strathmerton to Narrandera is 180km. Fast, rough in places, but real plains riding. The loosening up process was complete. Speed between 100 and 180 km/h.

Passing trucks and cars in a watery out of focus blur. At 154km the bike faltered. Reserve! A slow 26 km followed, nervous at the thought of having to push 272kg down the highway. Other vehicles, whipped past before, caught me as the Six ambled along at 40 km/h. I was unsure of the tank reserve. It took 19.2 litres and total tank holds only 20 litres. Five are reserve. All too close, and the bike offered only 9.3 km/litre, the worst of the whole ride.

The trip was turning slow and the rain did not help as it started in. Another light break, as three riders chatted about the wet in central NSW. In trench coats and tatty boots, one displayed his battle-scarred Z650 with pride — pipes, pegs, tank. The wet graded roads had made their trip homewards tough.

The trip was unusual in meeting other riders at night. It was also unusual in as much as the stops brought recognition. In fact the whole period with the Six brought conversations from readers and Joe Averages. The crowds (and there were nearly always crowds) around the Six would often have a voice saying “Are you the guy who writes for Two Wheels?” And I began to have a conscience thinking what I’m doing may be recognised!

One night, walking out of a hotel in the ‘Cross with two pre-budget cheapy ($8.50) bottles of Tequilla two guys stood by the bike. One was a taxi driver who said “Hi Kel!” and we raved for more than an hour.

The other was a hop-head, stoned out of his brain who eventually faded into the stalled traffic and the busy sidewalks. The driver was a bike magazine freak and it was a cool evening chat.

Friends of the Night

The Total stop was crowded. The bike joined a black, new model GS1000 and similar GS750, plus two patrol cars. The riders had just arrived.

Heading home after a month tripping through Western Australia, Graeme Watson had started with a Z900 but it had destroyed its top end near Perth and he had traded it on the new GS1000. Peter Kelly had his new GS750. Nearly 40 hours on the road. A long dinner followed and for the first time I would ride with people I met on the Open Road.

The rain was serious in patches. Everything was wet.

It wasn’t real cold but it was not the best night for tripping. The two holiday riders were happy at heading home and rapt in the Suzukis. Outside, the four officers checked the bikes, including the tyres. Peter’s rear was canvas material but they let it go. We broke through the crowd, readied, and left after some 20 minutes chatting to two of the patrol car boys. Sometimes I wonder about verbal communication, because although we said the same words I know we meant different things and we didn’t really paint the same picture to each other. Through a glass darkly stuff …

Peter left 20 minutes ahead, steady on 100 km/h. Graeme and I spread the water on the road at 140 km/h. He was not keen to take it into the 160 range and after 40 hours who can blame him. The road to Grenfell and Cowra was bad news, roadworks and roadworks. Mud, water and broken up. There was one section where were down to 100 km/h and I was standing on the pegs for most of 40km. The CBX got out of shape a lot on the clay and shiny sections. The GS1000 didn’t. Interesting stuff indeed.

The CBX could be ridden without the light and still go hard, ahead or behind the GS1000. That new model Suzi has a magic headlight. The Six has a reasonable, middle-­sized headlight but must have an H4 100 watter for Australian conditions. No ifs, buts or costs.

On the way through the rain and fog, I was pulling the CBX out of some mean slides. The change from hotmix to worn, shiny, melted surfaces was the problem, as I mentioned with the Seeley on the Metzeler a while back. The GS, with standard Japanese tyres, did not slide. Of course it doesn’t have nearly the mid-range power of the Six but it is no slacky either.

I was impressed with the ease with which the GS broke the night. Same as the big MV750SS out there, same as the older Nortons when on song. They lacked the svelte comfort and suppleness of the BMW and the torquey, heartwarming lope of the big Guzzi 850 on this run, but they represent sport performance bikes covering sprints and with production racing in mind at design stage. The BM and Guzzi do it just as easy on the Open Road and that is significant if you are into country tripping. Bigger tanks, better range and knowledge of tripping has been built in.

By this stage I was blaming the rear FVQs for some of the lack of predictability and wallowing antics. We parted at Lithgow, the Suzukis taking the highway while I went for broke on the Bilpin road to Richmond. Thanks fellas.

After the ride, cleaning the Six became a mammoth job. Trick is to spray it with Jiffy detergent, then hit it with the hot water car wash. Then the Glow and then the Armor ­All. Expensive, but at $4400 it deserves attention.

City riding produced mixed feelings. The Six is the ultimate boulevard cruiser, penultimate traffic light mono-wheel monster and certainly the heavyweight of the “lookit-that” bit around. As flash motorcycling goes there is nothing in the realm to match it, apart from an isolated Rickman turbo and such.

Trickling through the ‘Cross at one am on Saturday night, disco dressed, with a 40-30-36 long-haired lady dressed in about eight spots worth of suede and silk, is enough to stop the sidewalk shuffle. And also get you stopped. Six times in fact, but only three that night to check out the bike and talk. But then the Man has that prerogative, to stop you and chat.

Six in deep city

But in riding terms the Six is not your deep city machine. The high centre of gravity and the weight make it demanding. Seat height is okay but it can require caution at times. Like in the wet the rear end will break loose quickly. Just piddling along at 5000 rpm and the engine picks up 500 rpm as the rear hits some bus oil or whatever. Two guys who rode the bike were white-knuckled after their trips in the wet.

The brakes and F2-style front end really need to be improved. Soft and comfortable though the forks are, they feel similar to the early GS750, rocking up and down too much for my liking. The brakes need to be kept on regularly in the wet or they do not work. The steep fork angle, which is a realistic compromise for general steering, means less absolute control at speed on the highway, and even with 27.5 degrees rake the bike needs a lot of lean to make it on those 90 degree city turns. Third to fourth gear and trickling gets you by in radar country suburbs.

Overall I would say the average rider would be far happier with a GL1000 in heavy city than the CBX. However, despite the crowds and affection and awe the CBX inspired, there were some who still hate Hondas. Parked at Westfield Parramatta one morning. Just locked the bike with the cable lock and was taking the Bell off, all the while chatting to a bus driver across the road, while the crowd gathered. A whoosh and crash and flying sand and pieces. I thought, with my typical racer’s reflexes (as I removed the helmet and looked about), that someone had lost a bottle from a vehicle. The bus driver shouted “Up there!” and some shop owner went running for security. Apparently some noddy had aimed a bottle filled with sand at us. The bottle had gone between the bike and the Bell as I turned, hitting the footpeg and shattering. Nice one. From three floors up.

The performance of the CBX not only inspires awe, it deserves it. There are no bikes stock standard with the same midrange punch. The lack of flywheel effect means rheostat-type response and Honda has done a magnificent job with the carbies, the jetting and the tuning, considering the crush-­your-balls job the environmentalists and withered brains that make up our ADRs are doing.

If around town required care and delicate throttle control the open road required little more than the urge to move. But before that period came on again there was one incredible day at Amaroo Park wherein the upper levels of performance showed that even giant wide multis, winners in the numbers game, can have limitations which only come to light under race track conditions.

The original rear units could not cope with the bike. Others there that day, including the team Avon CBX (tried before it they settled on the Yamaha XS1100), had the fully adjustable gas FVQs. These allow for compression damping adjustment and rebound damping adjustment, plus the standard five spring preload adjustments. These units work much more efficiently and change the wallow effect to an up and down rocking.

They don’t cure the problem, which lies in the swingarm and lack of strength around the junction of engine/swingarm, but they make the bike easy to live with in the grey shadow mists of racing. Which means these units (standard fitment on bikes from second shipment) will do for most road riders.

Race-track scruting

After a morning doing photos and riding with the four TW test machines there were a number of top riders out there circulating. After 40 or so laps around the low 61s and high 60s the CBX’s brakes started to lose performance drastically. This was verified the next day when we heard that Reg Pridmore had crashed in a race in Japan and blamed the brakes. Whether the rubber hoses expand or whether there is knocking of the pads creating air in the hoses, or whatever, riding indicates the CBX needs some attention to the brakes for racing.

The Ducati Darmah is in another realm altogether. It must have been born in Curve Country. The Six could do with the Ceriani front end and the Brembo discs.

All of which means nothing to road performance because, quite simply, the average rider/owner will not find the brake performance anything but sound. There was a sponginess among the four CBX bikes I checked, which was put down to requiring bleeding. But if this is so it still indicates there is some need for checking. However the braking tests showed the Honda could stop well. Under road conditions it did just that but I would like more feel at the lever and less “grabbiness” under hard use at the rear.

Some others complained of missed shifts and jumping out of second gear. This may be but the Honda was perfect during the time I rode it. One must allow time to let large gears engage. Careful use of the clutch is needed under about 4000 rpm and one needs to let the shafts synchronise. After all, you are dealing with nearly 100 horsepower. Over 5000 rpm the clutch was not required on upshifts. The traditional Japanese transmission windup was still there but careful use of the throttle and staying in higher gears than usual in traffic overcame this. I found it all quite okay.

The O-ring chain is great. It was not until 2000km that it needed adjusting. And only three times during the whole test. Amazing!

During the dyno period the bike began to miss near the 8000 rpm range and on the dyno first time it would not go over 7000.

At Bennett Honda the steering head was tightened (which necessitated removing the bars and instruments and lights. The oil was changed and all bolts tightened – especially the engine bolts.

Examining Eastmure’s Surfers crash CBX showed the engine to be tougher than the delicate alloy looks. It had bounced down the road (as well as on Eastmure) and down both sides, destroying the ancillaries. But the engine was undamaged, despite the grit, mud, grass and stones embedded in the fins.

The mechanic there, Robert, gave me one of the trick ND plugs which Eastmure and Cole use for racing, as the NDs in the test bike were obviously too hot. But there were none around and despite phoning Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide no plugs could be found. Not even the recommended NGK D8EA, let alone the ND X24ES-U. The bike had been fitted with ND X31ES-Us in Melbourne for the hard performance it would receive under testing. The trick ones, the ND X31ES-GUs, seemed the go. In the end, a week later, before leaving, it was down to London Trading and we fitted NGK D8EVs, which were the coldest we could get. These retail at more than $6 each; equalling $36.

The CBX will be a very, very, expensive bike to maintain and pay for in terms of parts and labour for tuning. These NGK plugs worked well in the cool and rain on the way home and smoothed things out again.

The work in Sydney went on and on, beyond the deadline of the contract. However, it finally was put to bed and there was time to take a quick break. Quicker than planned as Prue had railed up (there is a longer bar service) and original plans called for a sprint to Queensland. This was amended to a long burst through NSW, across the back, down through Swan Hill and home as we had less than four days.

Heading home

The Corona bag held heaps and the big Six had room to spare for the rucksack on the back with room for two (but we are good friends). The space was half taken up with the three cameras and lenses, not just travelling gear, plus the Chatsworth Accessories Sonic Intercom system. Around town it was a buzz. Beating the fuel strike out of town on the warmest day for weeks we punted through Bathurst and beat the rain for another 100km. By this stage the rear tyre was going and cornering was sometimes tricky. We had also met the Bennett Honda CBX on the way to Forbes, with another Sydney student journo, Steve Brown. One of those coincidences that make riding nice.

The smooth, enormous power of the CBX helped in the open country with the gear and the lady. The bike was still less predictable on the narrow, bounding, raw-gutted NSW roads than the Laverda of old (not the latest ones with the new round-town geometry), Nortons and the best of the lot, the Seeley Honda. Magic on the mind, that one.

For Prue the ride was okay up to 150 km/h then the wind pressure annoyed her. Comfort-wise the Six was exceptional, allowing for a back rest with the pack and a fine seat. The rear units, still on hardest preload, bottomed continuously and yet it was still manageable and stable most times. And comfy. With better units and forks it would rival the great BM for loping ease.

Braking was not so hot but we avoided panic sessions. Pressure required was high but after bleeding back in Melbourne there was a fair improvement. The sliding was, by this stage, predictable and there was little fuss in hustling through the familiar rough sections between 120 and 140 km/h. Fuel consumption was around 10.5-14.4 km/litre with the average at 11. Only 200km to a tank.

West Wyalong was not the Total stop. No, we went for the colour teev at the Flag Motor Inn, complete with the bistro bar. Ideal middle class tucker for travelling sales reps, Diners card families and locals doin’ it up (they think it is expensive). But it beat the rain. The food’s average. Wines and grog okay and people friendly. Service varies. Probably the best spot for 200km in any direction.

Heading along the narrow highways the rain of the past few weeks was evident everywhere. It was cold; damp in places, but definitely Spring. The fields and the verges were covered in yellow daisies which swallowed the green fields and grass. Then there were patches of purple wild prickles, light, crisp, golden wattle bushes and trees and the slender, delicate, but oh­-so-tough ash-white heather. With birds and water around. All pleasant touring stuff.

Was it nostalgia? Was it escape? Nope, just two-up heading south to more work at the end. Went through Barooga, my old past, the homestead I grew up in, then west to Swan Hill. Finally down to home at a steady, earthy 5000 rpm and 140 on the clock the next day.

The lack of a fairing showed in the buffeting and after the Seeley I think high speed or extended tripping requires some form of wind protection to make it easier all round.

Time for analysis

In Melbourne the gear was unpacked (I’d been gone seven weeks) and the next morning, before taking the bike back, I went to clean it (for the third time, mind you). The rear tyre had a giant gash in it, not a Finilec job. Hmm. Into town and collect Mick Cole’s spare wheel with the new Metzeler and back out. Remove the wheel and find out what the Six Hour boys were in for. (Proved to be prophetic didn’t it?)

Not a roadside job or easy one at all! Around the boulevard en-route to Honda and the new Metzeler seemed much better. The bike was more stable and less prone to break away under power.

Of the four top tyres the Metzeler seems the jack of all trades. The trade-off is better wear for reasonable results. The CBX had the Metzelers (3.50 x 19 at the·front and 4.25 x 18 120/80) at the rear, in place of the tubeless tyres standard. These did well and considering the heavy action throughout the 7500 km of testing the rear deserves an honourable mention. In NSW they stick with the small one as it is meant for the 2.15 rim (equals a WM3) whereas the larger one, Cole’s 4.75 x 18 130/80 is meant for the 3.15 rim (WM4). But the bigger one fits and does well. Quite well, thank you. It’s the one to use in all cases.

One other CBX had Avons at Amaroo. These wear rapidly on the Six. The Continentals definitely drive better from corners than the Metzelers from observation and riding and talks, but they do not last as long as Metzelers. And the Michelins are trick but not up to the weight of the muscle bikes and would hardly last a hard charger to Sydney and back. I think I would stick with Contis, or Metzelers for the big Six. Yet I found Avons perfect on the Laverda.

Fuel at 24 cents per litre and rising means $3.60 stops are common. The Six is thirsty. Solo as low as 9.3 km/litre up through 12.6 km/litre in the country (180 to 240km per tank); from 12 km/litre to 14 km/litre solo in the city; and between 10.5 km/litre and 13.5 km/litre tripping with a pillion and gear. There was one 14.4 km/litre tankful but that was with a tail wind.

The suspension is adequate for high speed touring on good highways. It is okay for the city and for general running/touring. However, considering the grace and sheer power of the Six it deserves better high speed rough road suspension, or adjustable stuff like the Suzuki. The forks improve with heavier oil according to the race teams, but I would also like to add 750 valve springs to the top to tighten the front up.

There is little arguing with the care Honda went to in most of the bike. The Comstar wheels are rugged, (but remember they cannot be repaired. You must buy a complete one if damaged), the use of alloy wherever possible, the excellent balance of such a high C of G machine and the cunning way the ancillaries all fit, including the six carbs, without interfering with the rider or passenger.

Whether it was intentional or not, the heart of the bike, that staggering array of cylinders and pipes, is unencumbered in any way by traditional lower frame tubes and engine mounts. The Six is all heart, all engine, and it quite simply bewilders the man in the street. It has more rear wheel power than anything you can buy off the showroom floor.

In addition, the 24 valve Ferrari League CBX appears to have the credentials for reliability. Looking at the Honda Australia race engine in pieces, there is no reason to doubt it will be as long lived as the CB750s.

Depending on the rider, one can live comfortably around town between 4000 and 6000 and on the highways in the 4000 to 7000 range. The power is comfortable and easy.

Over 8000 things begin to happen more quickly than most riders would be able to handle in many situations. It is not any engine which will be revved around the redline, because in the upper three gears the speed is phenomenal.

The CBX shines, not only in the immaculate engine, but in its high comfort level under all conditions, the excellent controls and the fine ground clearance. Honda avoided the instrument mayhem complexity, but I would like an oil pressure and temp gauge as a guide.

The bike is not affected to a point of discomfort by high winds, even two-up (we struck some mean cross gales). The brakes work well enough for most situations. Perhaps it is only on Racers Road that they lack the instant, wheel- snapping response one has come to expect of muscle bikes, or after riding the Ducati Darmah, the Seeley and such.

Against the others

In this month of Sixing it off I added up the Open Road-style test machines and the CBX became the 26th given its head in what is a true indication of a bike’s all-round potential.

The 26 does not include my own personal bikes used on the Open Road. Of them all, the memorable ones (and most trips are memorable) include the MV750SS, the strong but chain devouring Laverda 1000, the short-lived Benelli Sei 750 on which neither Rod nor the bike lasted the distance, the Guzzi 850 and the Seeley Honda.

Of course the Nortons were good, the BM too, the CX500 was impressive as was the Fl, the Darmah, and GS750. Memorable was the Harley 1000, the early GT550 and CB550. In all I would rate the CBX in the top five, close to the top.

One must understand the CBX is more than a motorcycle. Honda has the 900/4 coming, which will do everything the Six does. No, the Six takes imagination into reality and that is good. Whether it survives in a frosty climate of control (over everything) remains for the future. Whether it is necessary, or even the sort of thing a company should be selling, is totally irrelevant and that argument, which even comes from within the strict, conservative motorcycle industry, doesn’t deserve any time.

The Six proves the creative might of Honda and the sheer artistry of its performance, its image, makes it an elixir for those who have dreams of such exotica. If you like it then buy it while it is here. It is not outrageously expensive and it belongs in the other limits.

Ride it and keep it, because at some stage in the future, when the talk turns to great motorcycles, it will turn to the Six. And when it does you can unveil the beast sitting in your garage and take it from there, because it is either the end of an era or the beginning of one which reaches beyond imagination.

Go and enjoy it.

By Kel Wearne. Two Wheels, February and March 1979.