I found a one owner Honda CBX550
with 8000 genuine miles on the clock for a not unreasonable £1300
late in 1989. It came with a Marshall 4-1. I didn't ask why the
original system had been discarded, one look at the manual tells
all. The factory job must be the grand daddy of all quick rot
systems. The Marshall meant that changing the oil filter was difficult
without removing the two centre pipes and it grounds easily, especially
two up without the suspension jacked up to maximum.
I found the air adjustable forks
and rear shock a bit of a novelty. In my experience, the settings
are critical for handling and ride comfort. During the test run
the bike seemed to handle okay but more adventurous riding, after
the cash changed hands, highlighted some serious deficiencies
at the rear. No amount of fiddling with the suspension settings
and tyre pressures would cure it. Closer inspection revealed an
Arrowmax on the front and a new tyre of dubious Taiwanese provenance
on the rear. A rear Arrowmax made a hell of a difference.
Changing the rear tyre gave me
a chance to sample the mysterious delights of the infamous enclosed
disc brakes. To be fair, the brake works well and the intentions
of the designer are clear. Enclosing the discs stop the brakes
getting covered in rot producing fertiliser and, in that respect,
the design is effective. On almost every other count it is a disaster.
According to the manual, the wheel can be removed without disconnecting
the hydraulic line - this is a load of rubbish.
It is much quicker to remove the
brake line and remove the wheel undismantled, even though it is
not of the QD design. I eventually got the brake assembly away
from the wheel and was appalled by the state of the pads - there
was virtually no meat on them, or so it seemed. Being of a cautious
disposition I nipped down to a local dealer for a quick butchers
at a new set - imagine my surprise when I found that what I thought
were worn pads were virtually unused.
With the back end sorted I decided
to check the front. Again, the manual was misleading. The bike
is naturally biased towards the front when on the main stand -
after I had wrestled the front wheel free the bike gently collapsed
on to the garage floor, fortunately causing no damage.
Removing the front wheel with
the hydraulics disconnected, rather like a drum assembly, is the
quickest way. Removing either wheel is fine in the workshop but
fixing a puncture on the open road might not be much fun. With
the wheel out I took the opportunity to change the fork oil and
fit a set of fork gaiters. The previous owner had rechromed the
forks and it seemed a pity not to give the exposed sections some
practical protection. I could tell he had taken the forks to pieces
by the condition of the damper retaining bolts.
The bike also benefits from a
rising rate rear suspension with all the attendant linkages. For
reasons best known to themselves, Honda decided not to provide
any way of lubricating the bearings so periodic stripdowns are
needed to keep them greased. I reckon this is required every 12
months. Enough of the practical mechanics, what is it like on
the road.
Surprisingly good, is the answer.
Like many Jap machines it has two quite distinct personalities.
Ridden gently, not going much over 7000rpm, the bike is docile
and tractable, pulling away cleanly in 6th from quite low speeds.
Ridden in gentle mode, without frenzied acceleration, it will
zip up to 80mph then run out of steam. Higher speeds are available
if the engine is pushed hard through the gears. The lack of a
fairing, coupled with a fairly upright riding position, makes
prolonged high speeds an uncomfortable experience. Staying around
the legal limit is preferable. The handlebar rake can be adjusted
and, as I spend a lot of time on country roads, I use a wide setting
for extra controllability.
On my first outing I became convinced
that the gearbox was defective. Try as I might I could not make
clean changes. Eventually, I discovered that quick shifts are
essential, any delay produces a less than satisfying change. The
clutch drags when cold. Starting off in the morning used to involve
a very clunky selection of first gear until I started to free
the clutch first - engage first gear, pull in the clutch and push
the bike forward before starting the engine.
Handling is fine and virtually
vice free, certainly when ridden within my personal limits. Front
tyre pressure and condition seem to have a marked effect on handling.
Inspecting the front tyre for wear is not necessary. Once it wears
to near the legal limit the steering goes decidedly odd.
Whitelining is easily induced
if the front tyre pressure falls by more than a few pounds. The
only other quirk is lifting the rear wheel while accelerating
briskly on the pock marked surfaces that pass for roads in this
neck of the woods. Fuel economy seems quite reasonable, about
50mpg on unleaded. Although I'm quite happy to be eco friendly,
I hedge my bets by adding small amounts of Castrol R to the petrol
to help keep the inlet valves lubricated. Well, that's my story
and I'm sticking to it. I suppose someone will write in and tell
me that I'll clog up all the carb jets but what the hell - I like
the smell!
Fuel tank capacity is an illusion.
It looks big but in fact holds under three gallons. An electric
fuel gauge us fitted but mine had packed up and I haven't got
around to fixing it. I'm not certain about tyre wear. The original
tyre must have worn out in less than 8000 miles, the front Arrowmax
was worn out at 13000 miles but I don't know how long it was on
there.
The Arrowmaxes certainly work
well in the wet - the effectiveness of a tyre can to some extent
be seen by its ability at shifting water. One wet day my son on
the pillion was absolutely drenched by the spray from the rear
tyre despite the substantial rear guard. The bike was rock steady
all the way up the A5.
I use the bike mainly for commuting
to and from work, a 32 mile round trip on country roads and lesser
A roads. A surprisingly large chunk of the journey is in heavy
traffic. Being relatively light and fairly narrow makes percolating
through traffic simple. Good acceleration means cars don't have
a hope in the traffic light GP.
Being born in the Smoke has advantages,
you learn to ride in traffic and acquire the ability to anticipate
movements and spot gaps. It never ceases to amaze me when I see
riders, very often much younger than myself, sitting in traffic
and progressing at car pace. To be fair, I am often put to shame
by moped riders, mostly women, who can squeeze through incredibly
small gaps and seem to ride at full throttle regardless of the
congestion. In really heavy traffic they can't be beaten and cut
through the chaos like a knife through butter.
I don't think I could recommend
the CBX for operating away from base. Although I have no qualms
about reliability, touch wood, a puncture in the middle of nowhere
could be heavy trouble. The limited range is another inhibiting
factor and carrying luggage two up doesn't look particularly easy.
Where it does score is on the
value for money front. You can save about £1000 on a Kawa
with the same performance, mass and age. Admittedly, the Honda
is a little old fashioned in looks, the styling, by current standards,
a little naff with lots of chrome, polished alloy wheels and the
engine is a mixture of matt black and brightwork. Technically
it is a different story, with a 16 valve motor, discs all round,
tubeless tyres, anti-dive braking, oil cooler and air suspension.
For the rider who is prepared
to sacrifice fashion on the altar of expediency, a good low mileage
example has to be worth a second look.
Paul Doherty
****************************************************
Sometimes you can even surprise
yourself...walk into the local dealers with the proceeds of my
redundancy cheque and then ride out on a very nice, 5000 mile
old Honda CBX550. Nothing too shocking in that, I suppose, but
I hadn't ridden a bike for 22 years and had to buy some squeaky
clean new gear as if I was a rank amateur. The gearchange and
brake levers were the wrong way round and the twistgrip was highly
sensitive to the slightest twitchiness in my right hand.
Being out of work meant I had
plenty of time to explore the parameters of the new machine in
the marvellous back lanes of Herefordshire. Once used to the gearchange,
I found the Honda very easy to ride and fluid around the corners
without any nastiness coming out if I suddenly decided I was going
too fast or wanted to change my line. I seemed to be able to lean
over a lot further than on the old Brit's and accelerate much
harder out of the corners.
True, the engine did lack in torque
at the lower end of the rev range, but it had none of the gruffness
of an old Brit, none of the engine trying to shake itself out
of the frame (the stuff of legends...). So smooth was the mill
that it'd run right down to 1500rpm in top gear and pull ever
so slowly under the mildest of throttle hands. If I lambasted
the throttle the drive train would rattle, grumble and scream
in protest, whilst the motor itself went into one big sulk.
At 6000 revs the mill came on
to cam, underwent a huge change in character, from being pleasant
and relaxed to violent and vicious. The snarl of the exhaust,
the way the rev counter went dipping into the red and manner in
which my arms were wrenched left no doubt that it had a serious
nutter side. In some ways it was just like a Bonnie, but heavier
going without any of the vibration.
Of course, across the frame fours
intrinsically suffer from secondary vibes just as old twins do
from primary vibration, but in the CBX's case the lack of cubes
combined with an engine exceptionally well matched to its frame
(if you ever want to experience really vicious vibes just put
a T120 mill in an A10 frame...) made for an uncanny smoothness
that gave the impression of a motor built to the highest engineering
standards.
The only time I noticed an intimation
that the mill wasn't perfectly balanced was when slamming the
throttle shut, the forces of engine braking were reflected in
a slight resonance in the petrol tank. Nothing to really worry
about as it was entirely transitory but the smoothness of a well
run in, low miler is worth noting when looking over CBX550's for
signs of abuse or clocking.
It's all very well having a marvellous
engine but on modern roads it's vital to have a good combination
of handling and braking. Here the Honda also scored well, more
so in its handling, which I found so good as to be hard to fault.
Well, it was a little sluggish at low speeds and whole thing was
on the wide side for filtering through traffic with ease, but
add a little speed to the equation and it runs along very well
indeed.
The brakes were speed killers,
rather odd enclosed discs, but furious enough to shake the front
forks and waggle the back end if used with anything other than
the most sensitive of inputs. They took an awful lot of getting
used to and held me entranced in fear in the wet, although there
wasn't any of the wet weather delay I'd read about on other bikes
(obviously due to them being housed out of the muck).
I know that some of this initial
praise and worry was down to my own ignorance and the sheer thrill
of being back on two wheels after such a long absence, things
had sure changed for the better from the days when you never really
knew if the bike was going to make it to the end of the journey
in one piece.
Since buying the Honda I've had
blasts on a great variety of machines, from XS400 to CBR600, can
put the CBX in a better perspective. I didn't find anything that
was easier to ride, plenty had more sensitive brakes and only
the CBR was as comfortable for long trips. The latter had performance
so hard edged that it left me shaking for days afterwards, lurid
nightmares of tearing metal and broken limbs - it was kind of
motorcycle on which I'd either lose my licence or life pretty
damn quick. Brilliant but too much of a good thing.
Whereas the CBX seemed much more
suited to my own riding abilities and the charms of British roads
(with Gestapo like police cordons, massive fines for the unwary
speeder, etc). I was also enamoured of the way it looked, its
nakedness enhancing the brutality of the bulk of the four cylinder
DOHC motor. Not retro in a silly way but purposeful and righteous.
I'd read about the likelihood
of the camchain tensioner doing the dirty on the motor but hoped
that my late model with a low mileage would escape such infidelities,
I had it serviced every 5000 miles by the local dealer who had
a workshop cleaner than my own kitchen, and did everything for
a very reasonable £80. I also did an oil change at 2500
miles, just to be on the safe side.
I spent more time cleaning up
the bike than anything else, determined to keep it in the immaculate
state I'd bought it. I've seem some really rotten CBX550's so
it obviously pays to put in some tender loving care. The exhaust
and wheels were the hardest bits to keep clean, needing almost
daily attention - in this area alone was the Honda inferior to
the old British stuff that had chrome that could last for decades.
The bike was still looking immaculate
after three years and 22000 miles...then some glory boy in a GTi
did a right turn just as I was coming abreast of him. I couldn't
believe the idiot, didn't even have time to give him a blast on
my horn. Front of the bike hit the side of his car, at about 35mph,
and over the bars went I. I slammed into his bonnet, felt like
I'd broken every bone in my body.
What I couldn't believe was that
the guy carried on with the manoeuvre, flipping me off the car
and crushing the bike under his back wheel. Only because CBX and
car became as one did he have to stop. At the very least I expected
a helping hand and profuse apologies along the lines of, sorry,
mate, I didn't see you. What I got was a mouthful of abuse and
several kicks in the ribs. I would most likely have ended up a
road rage victim had not a lorry driver pulled up and dragged
him off me.
The next few minutes were a bit
blurred, I just remember being sick in my helmet whilst it was
still attached to my head. A frantic member of the public was
doing a little dance, screaming at me not to move as I struggled
up and tore the lid off. I flexed my fingers and toes just to
make sure everything was still connected up. The cager had kneed
the lorry driver and fled the scene.
To cut a long story short, the
car was stolen and had been reported being used in a burglary.
The poor old Honda had all its cycle parts crushed, forks and
swinging arm bent, wheels buckled, etc. A write-off said the insurance
company, offering £500. Eventually they settled on £600
plus me keeping the thing.
So I had a good frame, perfect
motor and most of the electrics. Perversely, the very frailty
of the motor meant that there were much more chassis bits available
than engines, so ringing around three breakers secured all the
parts I needed for around £300. As it was nearly winter
time I took the opportunity to fit the half fairing that was available
on some models. After lots of spannering I was back on the road.
Thing was, the bike seemed to
have loss a certain something in the transition. There was a roughness
and reluctance to rev to the previous extremes and the gearbox
had turned all awkward, very like a BMW R80 I had a quick blast
on - agricultural was a kind description, talk about myth being
well beyond reality.
I persevered with the machine
for another 6000 miles, or so, hoping we could once again attain
a happy friendship, but it just didn't happen. In fact, I began
to neglect the bike a bit, not going manic when the odd spot of
rust turned up or the paint started to fade and bubble around
the fuel cap. The front discs were also going very weak - remember,
not the original equipment, so no way of knowing how many miles
they'd done.
In part, this contributed to the
second crash, which was also a mirror image of the first, save
that the car turned left (inexplicably, as there wasn't a turning
off or anything!). Had the brakes been as fierce as before I would've
lost most of the speed, as it was the locked up front end hit
the back of the car at about 20mph.
I was just thrown backwards and
forwards in the seat this time, doing an excess of damage to my
marital prospects and almost jerking my shoulders out of their
sockets. Unbelievably, the dumb f..ker just drove off, leaving
me sitting there with a mangled front end and enough swearing
to embarrass a cab driver.
The egg-shaped wheel made the
bike impossible to move, and the cops showed a remarkable disinterest
in helping out. Having looked up my record in their computer,
they reckoned I was making a habit out of attacking cars and perhaps
I should have an eyesight test and I'd better get the vehicle
off the road else I'd be done for obstruction. Next time they
need my help they know where they can shove it.
I pleaded with the dealer to come
and collect it. He was kind enough to offer me £700 off
the retail price of a CB500 twin that had been sitting in his
showroom for months. It was enough incentive for me to do the
swap, but I'm not convinced of any progress made in motorcycle
design. Still, I'm beginning to fall for it.
F.H.