As someone who's actually owned a Plastic Pig, there was a certain inevitability about my acquisition of a Honda CX500. But no excuse for ending up with four of the damn things. That's the problem with Maggots, they are so unique that they do grow on you and before you know quite what's happened you're an addict!
The CX500 was introduced in Japan in 1977, made it to the UK a year later. In its home market it quickly mutated into a 400 but both the bore and stroke were altered, so not an excess of parts that were interchangeable. More on the 400 later (they are available on the grey import circuit).
Honda were kings of vertical twin and straight four design, when they engineered their V-twin they refused to gain inspiration from any other manufacturer. Watercooling, whilst not unique, was certainly rare - the lines of the machine somewhat ruined by the bulky radiator. V-twins, with the cylinders stuck out in the airstream, don't really need water-cooling but the design presaged the likely future of motorcycling.
Honda had almost single-handedly designed motors that could be mass produced with OHC's, thus another strange element of the CX's mill was the use of pushrods! Alas, there was still a camchain to drive the camshaft that controlled the pushrods. To add insult to injury, the camchain wasn't well designed and prone to early failure, though this was eventually fixed.
At least the large engine castings, owning as much to automotive technology as motorcycle engineering, were used as a stressed member, a relatively simple spine type steel frame connecting steering head to swinging arm.
This mix of modern and old-fashioned design was also emphasized in its performance which didn't add up to excessive kicks. A mere 50 horses had to push 440lbs, its major redeeming feature an excess of midrange torque that made 70-100mph cruising easy going.
At the time of its introduction, Honda went to great lengths to explain to credulous journo's that its high moment of inertia would give it quick handling. This was nonsensical, as even the shortest blast on the Honda would reveal. A top heavy, twitchy, feel was combined with mushy suspension to give the bike the directional stability of some old sixties Japanese twin, though it never went into the wilder speed wobbles so beloved of some Kawasaki models.
The best that could be said for the bike, it was relatively relaxed on the motorway, almost BMW-like in its relentless gobbling up of mileage. It bounced around bumpy corners with a mind of its own and would react fiercely to a heavily slammed shut throttle; the shaft drive making its presence felt.
To be fair, compared to many old Hondas, the gearchange wasn't actually that bad, though any rider used to modern machinery would soon be reduced to a nervous wreck. To sum the CX up as a poor man's BMW was about right.
Now, these comments apply to something new, or newish. I had a few test rides when they were introduced and read the reviews, but wasn't impressed enough to cough up the dosh. Not with the stories of rapid self-destruction of its engine, though they were more or less sorted after the first year.
It wasn't until 1982 that I bought one. 14000 miler, 1979 edition. Not quite immaculate but not far off, having just the one mature owner who was buying a BMW. Luckily, the guy had fitted aftermarket shocks (R and R?) and heftier springs in the forks - this minor upgrade absolutely transforming the feel of the machine, though it was still top heavy and prone to falling into corners. Time - a month at most - soon allowed me to adapt to its ways.
There was absolutely nothing exceptional about this machine. Compare the shaft drive and gearchange to a similar era BMW boxer, the Japanese machine was way ahead of the game. Its power output was best described as friendly, as far from adrenaline madness as you could get. But there was something about the way it ran that got under the skin. And despite the stories, it was a tough and generally well finished machine.
You have to respect a bike that comes to life first time on a winter morning - when it was covered by about a foot of snow! Any machine that can do a 1000 miles in a day, most of it at over 90mph, and tick over like its abilities haven't even been touched, has to elicit a smile. Or the time, after I was used to its ways, that I took a Honda CB750 on the inside, left him for dead in some sinuous curves.
CXs also fit me really well, straight out of the crate (perhaps no coincidence that I'm average weight and height), leaving me well balanced against a 90mph gale. Winter riding was helped along by heat wafting up off the cylinder heads, conveniently placed to stroke with a (leather) gloved hand when my digits threatened to fall off with the cold!
Anything over the ton rapidly became a bit tiring but then the engine didn't feel too happy either, grinding out some vibration and making ominous noises. Push it hard, the ton-ten was possible in neutral conditions... 115mph the best I ever saw, but it was a downhill motorway stretch, a North Sea hurricane assisting speed testing!
Especially true when loaded up with junk. A carrier and top box out back, a huge tank-bag and even a rucksack if I wasn't carrying a pillion (which I didn't mostly, the power not really up to the big mamas that are my type of bird).
Even with the stronger suspension, the Honda was hard pressed to maintain its stability - down to the high centre of gravity that it started out with, put too much mass too high or too far back, the bike loses all precision at the front end. It was still rideable but I wouldn't trust it at speeds above 70mph - which is asking to be knocked off by irate cagers. In the end, decided it was better to travel lightly and rapidly, stay in B & B's rather than the tent.
As mentioned, long distances in a day weren't a problem. Well, not for me or the chassis, but the engine needed an oil change every 1500 miles and often needed the valves tweaked at the same time. As the carbs wore (after 25000 miles) they too needed frequent balancing sessions. On the plus side, the shaft drive was maintenance free, the tyres lasted over 12000 miles and I even eked out the disc pads. for more than 10000 miles - mainly because I looked where I was going and hardly ever needed a fistful of brakes.
The brakes were an interesting combination of front twin discs and rear SLS drum. The latter was entirely adequate and maintenance free - a great contrast with rear discs that are rapidly covered in road crud and need constant attention. The twin discs were about what you'd expect from that period, good stoppers but with a bit of wet weather lag and needing a complete rebuild every 15000 miles, or so.
The calipers aren't easy to disassemble and if neglected corrode into one solid lump. The general build quality of the bike's quite good. The first sign of rot found in the exhaust collector box - it doesn't do much, can be knocked out and the holes in the pipes welded over. Of course, the silencers will go eventually but universal cans (the short, stubby ones) can then be knocked out without doing in the carburation. The downpipes will last as long as the engine...
CXs have gone around the clock. Not all of them, mind! Even with regular oil changes and maintenance sessions, mine began to go off around the 60000 mile mark. The first signs were heavy knocking on start up, disappeared once the oil circulated. And a reluctance to go beyond 90mph, with loads of vibes and engine noise. The bike didn't look that bad, there wasn't any rust and I'd even kept the engine alloy in good shape, whilst the chassis was still running its original bearings!
I later found out that the CX had blown up big time, about a week after it was sold! I think the main bearings were shot, although it could've been the water-pump on the way out. Whatever, I had, for once, good timing.
Most of the mechanicals were identical between the machines but there were subtle differences that annoyed me. After so many miles on the old CX we'd adapted to each other ways and | found the newer machine slightly annoying. The relatively mushy front forks didn't help but the back end was both tauter and more compliant than the old twin shock set-up.
Power delivery was bit harder charging at the top end, nothing to get too excited about but it was a tad easier to run through the ton and put 110mph on the clock. The latter might've been optimistic as I managed to do 120mph on one memorable occasion. This was the fastest I'd ever travelled on a motorcycle sad old git, I know.
As usually happens, after a couple of months riding the bike became part of my life and I wouldn't hear any criticism of it. I was soon clocking up some high mileages over the weekend as well as doing the commuting chores. If you can live without mind blowing acceleration and blistering top speeds this kind of bike's ideal. If you can't your licence probably can!
Everything wore at a more rapid rate. Why, I don't know. Tyres lasted for less than 10000 miles, pads for about half that, and fuel was only 45mpg. And I had grave hassle with the rear suspension's linkages every 12000 miles. On the other hand, servicing was a 3000 mile chore rather than at half that mileage but hardly a major cost. Again, the shaft drive gave me an easy time.
The water-pump failed at 39400 miles! A used item sorted that but I began to notice smoke on the overrun. The engine may have overheated when the pump was on the way out, though valve seats that disappear into the cylinder head aren't unknown on CXs. Whatever, I needed a used pair of cylinder heads and it took about two weeks to find them.
One advantage of OHV designs, it's relatively painless to whip off the cylinder heads! Or I thought it was... somehow I managed to crack one of the carb's manifolds. Typically, this was on the inside where I couldn't see it, took a lot of head scratching before I realised why I was riding around on a rather odd sounding 225cc single!
Come 45000 miles I was convinced that the engine was about to blow up in a big way. The finish on this later CX wasn't as good as the earlier one, bits of rust coming out from under the tank's and frame's paint whilst the white fur was having a fine old time with the engine alloy. It all cleaned up, but came back at the first sign of rain.
This was 1987. The CX was traded for a Kawasaki GT750. The same kind of philosophy behind the four but I never really got on with it, just didn't seem right after the friendly V-twin. A Moto Guzzi V50 was picked up cheaply but turned out to be in self-destruct mode. Fix one problem, another bigger hassle turned up. That was dumped on the nearest breaker. The GT rolled up the miles for a few years until 1990 when I bought a dog CX500.
Poor thing had been through too many owners and clocked up 76000 miles. It should've been on its last legs save that the motor had been rebuilt ten thousand miles before. The money obviously ran out when it came to the shaft drive. A worn CX has a pretty nasty gearchange which becomes almost impossible when the shaft's bearings are shagged. A complete assembly of back wheel and shaft purchased from a breaker and fitted. I could then use the gearbox without too much thought (still an acquired art like BMW's once some wear gets into the selectors - a good thief deterrent!).
Despite its age and relative lack of power, I was happy to be back on a CX! Over the next couple of years I did the chassis up - rebuilt front forks, Girling shocks, powder coated frame, resprayed cycle parts, rebuilt brakes and renovated Comstar wheels. Even made stainless steel downpipes!
The clock clicked through the 100000 mile barrier... the engine didn't want to know any more! They have a built-in obsolescence that means anything over 60000 miles is pushing it. Sometimes the tolerances go the right way, under a tender hand they break into six figures; usually a fairly major rebuild is needed along the way. Once they get to a certain stage, all the major components are a goner. There was certainly little that I could salvage from mine!
Not one to give up easily, I tracked down a crashed CX from the breakers. This had a rattly old beast of an engine but it worked well enough. Along the way, I had bought a good VT500, which seemed to be more of the same in a slightly more sporting vein. The CX was relegated to winter hack status, somewhat unfairly as its renovated chassis was in fine shape.
Forward to 1994, when what did I find in a grey importers? A Jap spec GL400! Pass the sick bucket, what kind of pervert would do that to a CX engine? I was about to walk out in disgust when I was collared by the salesman. Despite looking like it'd been abandoned for a few years, the mileometer read only 7000 kilometres and the motor purred with restrained vigour. The ticket said 800 quid but the dealer seemed pretty desperate and didn't hit me when I offered five hundred notes, adding that I'd have to spend out on a lot of kit to get rid of the custom look.
He seemed glad to be shot of the abortion and I had the embarrassing business of riding it home. The 400 only makes 40 horses, needs some more throttle work, but is that much smoother than the 500. The chassis was horrible, no other word for it. There wasn't any feeling of security, it seemed to emphasize the top heavy and whacky feel of the original CX; not aided by long travel suspension that was far too soft. The front disc had the forks flopping about all over the shop. Decided I could live with the motor but the chassis was just an accident looking for somewhere to happen.
Yes, | did the obvious. Mate the 400's engine with the old but renovated CX's chassis. The 400's chassis was sold off to some pervert for two hundred quid and the CX500 motor went for 150 sovs (it still ran!) to a desperate DR. That meant I'd only paid 150 quid for a practically new engine! Better still, the CX400 was so competent that | didn't need the VT any more and was able to sell it at a nice profit. Clever, or what?
True, the 400 didn't quite have the relaxed feel of the 500, but everything was so much more slicker than the old rat I'd been riding around on, | wasn't going to complain. I'd mated the 400's engine with my stainless steel exhaust and 500's carbs (themselves modded to suit the exhaust), so there was probably a few more horses than stock.
It was certainly the most economical middleweight I'd ever owned. The first CX would do 60mpg on a good day but most of the bikes I'd owned turned in 45mpg or so. Not a disaster but hardly inspiring compared with modern cages. The CX400 averaged out at just under 70mpg, with 75mpg possible under a moderate right wrist. Ridden flat out, good for about 105mph (90mph cruising no great hassle), it'd dive down to 60mpg. As the other running costs were minimal, it was a very cheap bike to run.
CX500's are slowly disappearing from the roads. Some are still seen charging through London as part of the DR scene; the engines can be rebuilt a few times, becoming increasingly finicky. The really nice, low mileage ones are hard to find, you have to go to the extremes of a fanatic to get something decent on the road. Worth the effort? Oh yes!
H.K.