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The perfect 100 point Restoration of the Legendary
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My introduction to the CBX |
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The late
seventies were the dark ages for the automotive industries in my opinion.
Gone were the glory days of the muscle cars, and we were TORTURED by the
oppressed 55 MPH speed limit. But there was something very exciting
happening in the motorcycle industry that only motorcyclists were enjoying.
All through the 70s, bikes were getting better, faster, and more interesting
each year. It seemed like each month, we looked forward to the latest news
read from the pages of all the moto magazines and news papers. By the late
70s, the performance and excitement was at a feverish pace. The Yamaha
XS1100 hit the streets with a force that dethroned the almighty KZ900. Wow,
how could bikes get any better, or any faster? (we thought). I had to have
one! I loved my XS1100.
I was the cock of the rock! 22 years old, and the fastest thing on the road. I don’t remember the exact moment that I heard of, or read about the CBX. But I do remember what my first reaction was. Oh My God…..I wonder who I can sell my 11 to. At 22, and in 1978, $3500.00 was an astronomical amount of money. But I figured with the money I could get for the 11, plus this months rent, and little help from "Mickey Ds", I would have enough to get one of those Candy Glory beauties of my own. By December of 1978, there was somewhat of a price war going on in LA for CBXs. Every day in the LA times, there were a couple of dealers that would publish the prices of there bikes. Pasadena Honda was always the cheapest. They listed the bike at $3299.00 plus tax & license. On December 7, 1978, I honored Pearl Harbor Day by hitching a ride to Pasadena Honda from my neighbor, who by the way I had convinced a couple of days earlier that the XS1100 was the best bike ever made, and how fun it would be for us go riding together. It worked, he bought my 11, and on to Pasadena we went. I had exactly $3600.00 in my pocket in cold hard cash. When I walked into the showroom, it was 5:00pm, and they closed at 6. I walked over to the line of CBXs. There were 3 silver ones and 4 red ones. I thought, Ok, do I want silver or red? I never even stopped as I past the row of silver bikes on my way to the Candy Glory side of the showroom. I was scrutinizing the paint of each bike when the sales guy walked up and asked me if I needed any help. I said, yes, can you pull this one out of the line so I can look it over? After looking it over, I looked up at him and said, I’ll take this one. He said, Oh, Ok, I’ll get a credit ap. I said, no that’s ok, "I have cash" That statement, and a beautiful woman saying "OK" are what a 22 year old male lives for. I took flight on my brand new Candy Glory Red CBX at 6:00pm. Wow what a SOUND! I thought. It was the best sound from any bike I had ever ridden. I was in love before I rode it the one mile to the freeway on ramp. It was getting dark, and the red glow of the instruments was the coolest thing I had ever seen on a bike. I was fixated on the look, the sound and the feel of the bike all the way back to Orange County. I was hooked for life.
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Click on each picture for a larger view of the image These pictures were taken the next morning when I rode it to work. My bud at work said, ride it up and back, and I’ll snap a picture. - "Sorry, the bell bottoms were "in" then."
I rode my ’79
for a year and loved it. When the ’80 CBX came out with its suspension
improvements, again, I had to have it. So I sold my ’79 and bought one.
I actually liked the 80 better due to the fact that it handled and rode
better than the 79. I am still amazed that the 79s are more desirable.
Yes, the 79 has a little more power, but there are only a fraction as
many 80s as 79s, and the power difference is hardly noticeable really.
These days, neither bike holds a candle to the performance monsters that the new bikes are. But the fact still remains that the CBX will probably always hold its position for being one of the most beautifully designed and unique bikes ever produced. It attracts attention like few bikes ever have. It stood out in 1979 and still stands out and attracts attention just as much as it did in 1979, if not more, and you can bet that it will continue to do so in the future. Some say that the CBX is the next Vincent. I agree with that assumption. I think it has already started taking on that metamorphosis. The CBX leads the pack of a few other bikes from the 60s and 70s that are going down the same path as the muscle cars of the same era. Like the muscle cars, these bikes were raw, exciting and pure in their design and individuality, especially the CBX. Having said all of that, this article is now at the point of its original intent. To inform, educate and suggest ways of obtaining and restoring a CBX of your very own without breaking the bank or feeling overwhelmed with the whole process. One thing to keep in mind is that the CBX is really no different than any other bike, big or small in just about every respect other than its unique look and design. It is that uniqueness that scares people off from working on or restoring their own bike. The other thing that scares people is the apparent condition of some of the components and finishes of the bike. This article will address all of these things, and more, so that you will have a better understanding, and it will focus on the important things to look for in your search for the bike that you are comfortable with buying, and how much work it will take to get it to the level of restoration you want to achieve. Home Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Next Free counters provided by Andale. Send mail to
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