I had a brand new 1979 CX 500 standard with an 18 inch rear wheel. I got it set up for touring and road it across Canada then headed south to Southern California before returning home to Calgary, Alberta Canada. We rode two up the whole time. In total we travelled 30,000 Km. A great motorcycle!
This bike was purchased in the state of New York by a US service member . Probably just before he was TDY'ed to England . The US Military then would ship personnel items to your post. I would also tell you he either ran into money trouble and SOLD IT or was told he would have to pay to ship it back. IMO this was one of HONDA's best engines. It would do A Ton on the roads , great gas milage. Plenty of power , simple easy maintenance, water cooled . In the states we called these HONDAguzzies. Loads of motorbike couriers in major cities used this bike because they could run all day in stop and go traffic and not over heat.
My dad gave me a CX500 Custom In 1982, I loved that bike, I was in college and those college girls were always wanting me to take them for a ride, Which I was happy to give them. I wish I had the money to buy that bike, so many great memories of me and my CX500, Good times! It was a unique bike and very good looking and ran flawlwssly.
I can't believe they didn't drain the old before they started it. Oil develops an acid in it when it sits for about a year. Pretty nice find. I always thought they were cool bikes.
To try to sstart would be my last thing on the list, first i would do anything else, then fill new liquids in and THEN start to run. Must be fun to start and the the motor breaks by oiling or cooling problems...
The etched number is the past owners social security number. There used to be an anti theft program in the states back in the 80's. They had you etch your social security number on items you wanted to protect. Of course 30 seconds with a grinder and it is gone.
I had two maggots while couriering in London in the early 80's. Both bulletproof but the first went down the road at some speed on the A40 (as did I!) and the second racked up about 40k in two years through work and touring Europe. It eventually died due to too little maintenance on my part. Cracking bikes.
I bought that exact bike new! Same color tank.mounted silver vetter bags flush with the seat and quick silver fairing short wind shield. It looked and ran spectacular for years! Adjust the valves and chain was it. Daily driver and toured! Loved it!
A great, informative, humorous and no nonsense video. Thank you. Brought back many happy memories of my CX500A, which I bought from new back in 1981. As well as being my daily commute at the time, I took it on a solo trip from Northern Ireland to the South of France that year and it never missed a beat. Wish I still had it.....although I still have its top box, complete with Nice, Cannes and St. Tropez stickers! I look forward to seeing your next videos. Best wishes for now.
Yes indeed; this poor student could never have afforded a Guzzi for the V-Twin or Beemer for the shaft drive - so my CX500 was fine. Back and forth up the Bruce HWY, from Rockhampton to Townsville and a couple of tours 1980 - 82. It's a bike I wish I'd kept. I've seen a couple given the cafe racer treatment here in Australia lately, but none original.
Thought it was a yank because of the handle bars, I bought one brand new in 1978 absolutely loved it, very easy to maintain, some of the courier ones did massive mileage running for years after production had stopped. I’d love Honda to make a modern 750/800 version I’d have one in a heartbeat.
Bought one from a friend with 500 miles on it. Put a cruiser faring on it and did significant touring for several years on the weekends. During the week I commuted into and around Washington, DC. It was easy to drive in the city and my clients allowed me to park at their site. Parked it at DOJ, DEA, and DOL HQs as I was a consultant. Also drove it around the DC Beltway as I lived in Southern MD and my corporate offices were in Bethesda and Herndon. My wife made me quit riding motorcycles because a good friend or ours was killed on his motorcycle and she didn't want me to make her a widow with young children.
Passed my test on a Honda Benly cd 200 ( drum rear brake ) and two weeks later was sat on my first big bike , the cx 500 . Happy memories when I heard her start up , still riding many years later , great video, you could smell the fumes 🤪😊👍👍👍
Long time ago (1981) when i was 16 my (later) brother in law bought a brand new CX and we were so impressed (he shared his garage with my buddy and me for our 50 ccm bikes), in 1987 i bought a used, red CX too, it was OK but that time i had lots of experience with bigger bikes like the GS 1000 or CBX, and bec i had the big CBX too i sold the CX to my buddy. And this bike still rides on till today.
I just picked one up for 500$ 53000 miles and it runs like a timex doesn't miss a beat!! great bike I. am slowly restoring it and riding it at the same time !!!
Hello. Here in Buenos Aires Argentina in San Isidro neigIhborhood, I know the owner of a CX 500 ,1979 and the bike has only 4000km, about 2500 miles. Mr Rodríguez now is 80 years old and every sundays start his bike and goes away. Great job with this old lady.. I love the classic Japanese bikes. Sorry about my english and Greetings from the lands of Tango, football and goog meats..👍👍
Sure brings back many memories; I had one in the US, the Honda Silverwing as it's known here. Full fairing with hard luggage and top box; an excellent tourer.
Awesome find and startup story. I did a barn find restart on one the same age. Same issue with low speed running on one cyl. Carbs needed an ultrasonic clean which I did not have access to at the time. But otherwise went well. BTW, unbolt inlet manifolds for easier removal and refit of carbs. Had plenty of practice removing and refitting chasing down that low speed issue...
Great video and well done gettin the old girl back up and running. For future ref: there is an 17mm inspection cover at the front of the engine under the radiator, remove that and you can use the same socket to turn the engine over via the crank. Much easier than trying to turn it over in 5th gear via the rear wheel.
Great vid. Excellent find. I have a NA 1982 CX500 Custom in my Shed. It took my brother and GF across Canada and back and my wife and myself from Atlantic Canada to New York and back without a hiccup. I parked it in my shed when it blew a second stator 15 years ago. Its sitting next to a 1977 CB360T that hasn't run in 35 years. You guys are welcome to venture across the pond to film an extra special mini series. 😎 Cheers
Honda made some pretty cool bikes with this engine. The first Honda Turbo bike used this engine as well. I heard they had issues with water pumps but it wasn’t hard to fix.
Myself and a mate flew from England into Sydney Australia back in the mid 80s we bought a second hand CX500 Honda red and black around an 81 or 83 models we rode it 2 up with our gear plus a gear sack bag up north to Cairns FNQ and all about FNQ then back to Brisbane then Sydney all up in 3 months we really enjoyed it the bike never missed a beat i really didn't want to sell the bike but we had no choice after selling her we bought our plane tickets back to England im in my mid 60s now and would love to see more of Australia on another bike doing exactly the same on another reliable motorcycle 🏍️ i highly recommend the CX500 Honda as one of those very reliable bulletproof bike's that won't let you down by the way we payed 1500 dollars for the Honda
I've just bought a Honda CX500B 1981 with 426 miles. It was parked in a garage since 2013 and the log book claims 2 previous owners. I stripped out everything and rebuilt the carbs 3 times, oil change, new battery, unsiezed the clutch and new brake pistons. It runs and now rides well. The frame is like new but the plastics are scratched and Alloy parts are corroded. parts
Incredible find, only 39 miles? WOW!! I bought a used CX500 in the mid 80's. The local dealer who was a great bloke, sold me it cheaper because...... 'Don't use 1st gear, it will pull away in 2nd'. 'Why?' I asked. 'I think there's a tooth missing off 1st gear, but I've ridden it and no problem with the rest of the box'. I agreed to buy it as I trusted him, and he was right. I did try 1st to see what he meant and it lurched and lurched again so I stopped. See what you mean George, I will just ride my 4 speed CX from now on. I really enjoyed the bike....Wish I still had it, should have done a repair on it but never did and I resold it not that long after. Ahh well. 😉
What a smashing video to come across. Such a recognisable engine sound 😎. My Dad had a 1980 CX500 from new, that he used to commute from Hastings to Andover, year round. He had a full Polaris fairing fitted and wore a tank suit. In bad weather he'd get wetter walking from the garage to our front door than on the 120 mile commute. Happy memories of being sat on the back as a teenager, and I can remember it's registration number to this day. Might be my memory failing me, or wishful thinking, but I thought his speedo went to 100mph.
The speedo might well have gone to 100 mph or farther on a UK version of the CX500. The 85 mph speedo for cars, trucks, and motorcycles was a US government mandate from 1979-81 (affecting the 1980-82 model years). The idea was to save fuel since the bureaucrats felt people wouldn't drive at extreme speeds since the speedo scale was limited to 85 mph. There was also supposed to be special emphasis placed on the 55 mph position (usually by displaying the number in a much larger size than its neighbors on the scale) to emphasize the national 55 mph speed limit. The speedo mandate was only in effect for 1979-81, but vehicle manufacturers didn't change back immediately. They waited for a normal redesign cycle to occur before reverting to the old 120 mph or greater scales on speedometers. Interestingly, the Federal government has no power to mandate a national speed limit (that is the purview of each state individually) but Federal highway funding was withheld from states who refused to acquiesce to the 55 mph limit...and not wanting to lose that funding, all of the 50 states fell into line.
I'm sure you are aware, ignition key can be made once you get the ignition switch out and carefully take it apart to remove the key cylinder and then manually cut a key to match the wafers. That key will then work other locks on the cycle.
It makes me sad to see this beauty with just 39 miles on it with a rusted tank. I had one 😊 I keep my current bike, a VT500C Shadow, in the shed and its donor-bike as well. Yes, with such a vintage bike it is simpler and cheaper to have a spare one. Fueltank filled to the rim. Just to prevent this. Keep up the good work 👍🏻🤝🏻🇳🇱
I always find it sad when the wife takes the bike in a divorce. If it isn't bad enough losing your best friend, the most dependable thing in your life and the love of your life. You have to also find a new wife. 🤔😂
@@SpecialisedMotorcycleTransport all done for the best it was easier to take the bike for the transport she needed. I ended up with a Suzuki 600. Now in Oz with a Suzuki C50 and a new wife who can't ride, won't go on the back so happy rides foe me😅
I'm no motorcyclist, but the numeric electrical etching is to put off potential thieves from stealing parts or the whole bike....I can remember this back in the 80s....🤔😳😳🇬🇧
The plastic maggot. A friend had one back in the late 70s and loved it. My only experience with these was a 650 Eurosport version that an acquaintance asked me to appraise before buying. Turning left it was impressive, turning right not so much. Turned out it had been in some sort of accident and well to put it bluntly I've seen straighter bananas. It was being sold by a car dealer who had blindly taken it in as a part exchange.
My Dad had one we called the Blue Maggot. It was an awesome bit of kit. We ended up having a sidecar on it. Were they called the Plastic Maggot because of its looks?
Bought a barn find ‘79 Honda CX 500 in 1989. The choke is a finicky bugger on cold days and requires a good warm up before pushing the choke button down. I removed my fuel tank and had it professionally cleaned out and chemically sealed to prevent rust forming inside the tank. Wondered if you fellas replaced the fuel filter? Those old pipes harbour barn mice nests and spiders, so removing the pipes and inspect. I put duck tape over the exhaust pipe holes in fall to winterize the bike. A good flushing of gear oil and coolant would be a good idea. Not sure about fork seals/oil and brake fluid - all part of a good restoration for new buyer. Not the best bike for beginners because the bike is top heavy with a full tank of fuel. ⛽️ Hondas are reliable cheap transportation. Had mine until I bought another used bike - 83 Honda VT 750 Shadow. Eventually graduated to 2005 Honda 1100 Shadow (most comfortable next to a Goldwing).
Popular with dispatch riders in the 80's . I worked as one in London, and rode my black CX500 to Denmark and back. They had electrical problems, but a fine "poor mans BNW's".
Bought a 76 in 02 and ran for a few years. Mine was low mileage also but not that low. Eventually the ehaust failed at the collector underneat so I bought two mufflers off of a Ducati Monster and it worked fine, just a bit louder. Same basic model, not the sport model or silverwing.
Those were great small bore bikes. The only bad thing I ever experienced with those was the stator assemblies went bad on a lot of them. It’s not an easy job to remedy. Great little bikes and road trip worthy for sure!
Hope it’s the later version and had the cam chain tensioner mod done. Early maggots were renown for cam chain problems, alternators were also went at about 50 thousand. But still a great bike, I used to have one and loved it.
iv had a few of these bike and i do wish id kept the last one i had,great classic that was just bullet proof,handled realy well for it size,use to throw it about the london streets while dispatching .the rear wheel stearing was so mush fun on the cheap continentals ,took it from london to leeds and never missed a beat,so comfortable you could sit on it all day id swap my ducati 1000ds for it right now
I had one for 12 years, triple bypass put an ignitech on it, 70,000 miles of pleasure, and it;s still on the road in Whitchurch i believe, it was a 1979 Z
Mine would develop a weave at an indicated106mph. It would correct itself as soon as I rolled off. I used to do it to ease the boredom of a long commute.
Had a CX500 custom brilliant bikes just be aware the original cam chain tensioner are prone to snapping with obvious consequences but there is a upgrade available. enjoy I did.
I brought a cx500 new in 1981 it cost $1999 they were a great little bike, the one that you have was called a 500 custom here in Australia, what a great project, great video thankyou.
Fair point, I don’t know what models were sold in Australia, but generally, the Custom models had the smaller tank. I have a 1979 model Deluxe that is almost identical to the one they are working on.
I had 3 of these when I was a despatch-rider. Comfortable, easy to service and fairly reliable. My last one went through 3 alternators before I got rid of it for a GT 750. I could change an alternator myself with a trolly jack in about 3 hours, good find.
LOL. Same story. Despatch rider with the same bikes. Also had a VT500 though. Funny and sad looking back. We'd probably get arrested these days for the way we used to hack round.
@@nicolasetherton2534 Good for you. I still look at bikes for sale but I'm not sure my 65 year old brain is up to it now. Crikey I used to rip through town. Going through gaps that were barely wide enough. And speeding constantly. The VT500 was my fav bike for the job as it was so torquey and nimble. I finally got away from despatching by joining the railway. Then I bought a Bandit 1200 as a fun bike. And it was serious fun. Have a good one.
The etching is an American social security number put there as an anti theft measure. No one who held a bike legitimately would etch someone else's social security number.
I picked up on that immediately. Here in the US it is not unusual for people to etch their social security number into valuables. Interesting that the bike is in the UK. I wonder if the bike was stolen in the US and shipped overseas to be sold. It would be interesting to do a VIN search.
If that is a social security number, the 097 indicates it was owned by someone who was first issued their social security number while living in New York. Unfortunately, that doesn’t tell us where the bike was originally sold. However, that VIN should be in Honda’s records somewhere.
had one years ago bought it with big end gone and fuel tank missing, got crank ground and bought a tank from the breakers and job done. Paid £ 50 for the bike but that was in the 90's.
I owned a 1980 CX500 until a few months ago. It had about 20,000 KMs on it when I got rid of it. With the exception of the mufflers, the bike looked like it was only a few years old. It was a fantastic city bike. The new owner has it shined up like new and has mufflers on their way. I'll be sad seeing it go down the road, but am happy that it possibly has another 42 years or so left in it.
The numbers etched on the bike, are for parts identity, if the bike was ever stolen and parted out. It was like a type of insurance, all the numbers were held on file with the insurance company that sold you that insurance package. The numbers on all the major parts, made it difficult to sell stolen parts.
Yea I have 1973 cx 500 deluxe, I like to see what you can do with it.the Main problem is was owned by a painter, as you know about painter's they paint EVERYTHING!!!!
Enjoying your video watching you struggle with the carbs brings back the nightmare of my Kawasaki zl400 carbs 4 of them in the tightest space you can imagine 😂😂😂😂😜
I have got 2 of this kind ...Cx500 and a Cx650 , the 500 was a crap with lack of power but the 650 was great with acceleration and couple at the mid range , I was very disappointed by the cx500 and keep it for only one year before sale it ... I still like vintage bike and now I am running daily a Suzuki vx800 and it's ok , not the fasted bike I own but ok .
Plastic Pigs as I recall they were occasionally known. I had one. Went along the A45 between Coventry and Birmingham in a strong headwind and it wouldn't go above 50. Traded it the next day for a Kawasaki Z1300. Best trade I ever did with a bike. Not that I disliked it. Indeed I find myself now looking out for a CX500C.
Since the bike has a New York inspection sticker on the left fork tube, that means it was imported from the States to the UK. I was wondering about the number etched on the left hand valve cover myself before I saw the NY sticker. That number must be the original owner's Social Security number. The same number is on the front fender and on the frame of the motorcycle under the left edge of the seat (I saw it when you had the seat raised). Engraving your Social Security number on personal items was a thing people did for a time...long before identity theft became popular.
Honda wiring: red to the battery, black is power AFTER the ignition switch, green is earth and black/white is the CDI kill feed. Applies to every Honda I've ever worked on.
Yes I studied the bike before we filmed the video and they had a huge problem with the Cam chain tensioner which thankfully was only with the early bikes. By 1980 they had the issue under control thankfully. 😁
you can spot an early bike that has had the recall update done to it by the three punch marks added by the engine serial number. I did about a dozen of them at the Honda shop where I used to work.
Great video again Baz. My wee dog seems to love being around bikes too. Unfortunately my wife won't let me get a Bagster dog carrier to take her on the bike. I never had a CX500, nearest one I had was a VF750SC, another troublesome Honda. My CB360 had the tank and carbs in that condition too.
Steady on bro, they’ve only just figured out that trying to start old bikes is a dumb idea. Are you sure they’re ready for that level of technical wisdom yet?
Check to see if the numbers are the frame number or VIN There was a 650cc Turbo version of that bike. A friend of mine had one in about 1981. It was a bloody fast bike
The numbers are social security number. The owner was probably in the United States Air Force when it was purchased. The USAF had a program to help prevent theft by offering free use of an engraving tool to put your SSN on things you owned. My first bike was a used 1978 CX 500 loved that bike.
That's very interesting. Starting to believe it must have been a serviceman who originally owned the bike. Could you please tell me when a social security number is issued? Is it at birth?
@@SpecialisedMotorcycleTransport SSN is issued when you apply for it. Back in the day when I was in the military, the SSN was put on pretty much everything as an ID number. This was, of course, before identity theft was made easy via Internet
*_This Bike is now up for sale Boys and Girls.
Link to the eBay auction is in the description.
Happy Bidding._*
How much did it go for ?
I had a brand new 1979 CX 500 standard with an 18 inch rear wheel. I got it set up for touring and road it across Canada then headed south to Southern California before returning home to Calgary, Alberta Canada. We rode two up the whole time. In total we travelled 30,000 Km. A great motorcycle!
Thanks for sharing! 30k km shows what these bikes are made of. ✌️
This bike was purchased in the state of New York by a US service member . Probably just before he was TDY'ed to England . The US Military then would ship personnel items to your post. I would also tell you he either ran into money trouble and SOLD IT or was told he would have to pay to ship it back.
IMO this was one of HONDA's best engines. It would do A Ton on the roads , great gas milage. Plenty of power , simple easy maintenance, water cooled . In the states we called these HONDAguzzies. Loads of motorbike couriers in major cities used this bike because they could run all day in stop and go traffic and not over heat.
I ran my 1978 model for seven years, without trouble, sold it for what I paid for it, (£350) have had sellers remorse ever since. A long, long time!
I am sure your remorse deepens with the years. It's a wound time does not heal, but actually exacerbates.
My dad gave me a CX500 Custom In 1982, I loved that bike, I was in college and those college girls were always wanting me to take them for a ride, Which I was happy to give them. I wish I had the money to buy that bike, so many great memories of me and my CX500, Good times! It was a unique bike and very good looking and ran flawlwssly.
I can't believe they didn't drain the old before they started it. Oil develops an acid in it when it sits for about a year. Pretty nice find. I always thought they were cool bikes.
To try to sstart would be my last thing on the list, first i would do anything else, then fill new liquids in and THEN start to run. Must be fun to start and the the motor breaks by oiling or cooling problems...
this WHY you need to drain oil and petrol from the bike if you are not riding it.
I had a few of these in the early 80s, loved them.
The etched number is the past owners social security number. There used to be an anti theft program in the states back in the 80's. They had you etch your social security number on items you wanted to protect. Of course 30 seconds with a grinder and it is gone.
I would think giving your social security number to the kind of people that steal bikes is a mistake.
097 is a NY ssn number
So a thief has your bike AND your SS number… great idea. 😂
I had two maggots while couriering in London in the early 80's. Both bulletproof but the first went down the road at some speed on the A40 (as did I!) and the second racked up about 40k in two years through work and touring Europe. It eventually died due to too little maintenance on my part. Cracking bikes.
I bought that exact bike new! Same color tank.mounted silver vetter bags flush with the seat and quick silver fairing short wind shield. It looked and ran spectacular for years! Adjust the valves and chain was it. Daily driver and toured! Loved it!
A great, informative, humorous and no nonsense video. Thank you. Brought back many happy memories of my CX500A, which I bought from new back in 1981. As well as being my daily commute at the time, I took it on a solo trip from Northern Ireland to the South of France that year and it never missed a beat. Wish I still had it.....although I still have its top box, complete with Nice, Cannes and St. Tropez stickers! I look forward to seeing your next videos. Best wishes for now.
Thanks for the lovely comment David. 😊
Yes indeed; this poor student could never have afforded a Guzzi for the V-Twin or Beemer for the shaft drive - so my CX500 was fine. Back and forth up the Bruce HWY, from Rockhampton to Townsville and a couple of tours 1980 - 82. It's a bike I wish I'd kept. I've seen a couple given the cafe racer treatment here in Australia lately, but none original.
Thought it was a yank because of the handle bars, I bought one brand new in 1978 absolutely loved it, very easy to maintain, some of the courier ones did massive mileage running for years after production had stopped. I’d love Honda to make a modern 750/800 version I’d have one in a heartbeat.
I’ve thought the same thing. Currently have a 79 in my shed, becoming a Cafe bike. Honda could do an 800 ADV version as well.
almost looks like a parts bin special from Honda, a cross between a stock CX and a CX Custom
a mate here had the CX550 turbo (?) It was bought basically to see how fast he could ride across the Nullabor from Adelaide to Perth!
Bought one from a friend with 500 miles on it. Put a cruiser faring on it and did significant touring for several years on the weekends. During the week I commuted into and around Washington, DC. It was easy to drive in the city and my clients allowed me to park at their site. Parked it at DOJ, DEA, and DOL HQs as I was a consultant. Also drove it around the DC Beltway as I lived in Southern MD and my corporate offices were in Bethesda and Herndon. My wife made me quit riding motorcycles because a good friend or ours was killed on his motorcycle and she didn't want me to make her a widow with young children.
Love to hear your stories..
Thanks for this. 😊🙏
Passed my test on a Honda Benly cd 200 ( drum rear brake ) and two weeks later was sat on my first big bike , the cx 500 . Happy memories when I heard her start up , still riding many years later , great video, you could smell the fumes 🤪😊👍👍👍
Long time ago (1981) when i was 16 my (later) brother in law bought a brand new CX and we were so impressed (he shared his garage with my buddy and me for our 50 ccm bikes), in 1987 i bought a used, red CX too, it was OK but that time i had lots of experience with bigger bikes like the GS 1000 or CBX, and bec i had the big CBX too i sold the CX to my buddy. And this bike still rides on till today.
I just picked one up for 500$ 53000 miles and it runs like a timex doesn't miss a beat!! great bike I. am slowly restoring it and riding it at the same time !!!
Hi. I had six Cx's when I was a Belfast DR, I put 120,000 on one engine without any problems, regular maintenance is the answer.
The engine noise took me back. My fave bike was Neddy, rode it miles in 80's 90's. Loved it.
I bought a new one back in 1980, great bike. Wish I still had it, but we all say that about our past bikes.
I like that you are getting these classics back on the road, thank you.
So many videos about CX 500 ,gutted owned 2 back late 80s despatching in London, loved those bikes, earned good money
Heat the rubbers on the carbs with a heat gun or blow dryer to make them soft and easy to remove the carbs.
Hello. Here in Buenos Aires Argentina in San Isidro neigIhborhood, I know the owner of a CX 500 ,1979 and the bike has only 4000km, about 2500 miles. Mr Rodríguez now is 80 years old and every sundays start his bike and goes away.
Great job with this old lady..
I love the classic Japanese bikes.
Sorry about my english and Greetings from the lands of Tango, football and goog meats..👍👍
Thank you for sharing that story Leonardo. 😁🙏
Sure brings back many memories; I had one in the US, the Honda Silverwing as it's known here. Full fairing with hard luggage and top box; an excellent tourer.
The 650, nice bikes I’d take one in second if I could find one.
Awesome find and startup story. I did a barn find restart on one the same age. Same issue with low speed running on one cyl. Carbs needed an ultrasonic clean which I did not have access to at the time. But otherwise went well. BTW, unbolt inlet manifolds for easier removal and refit of carbs. Had plenty of practice removing and refitting chasing down that low speed issue...
Thank you. 😁
Great video and well done gettin the old girl back up and running. For future ref: there is an 17mm inspection cover at the front of the engine under the radiator, remove that and you can use the same socket to turn the engine over via the crank. Much easier than trying to turn it over in 5th gear via the rear wheel.
My first bike was '82 CX500, loved it.
Great vid. Excellent find. I have a NA 1982 CX500 Custom in my Shed. It took my brother and GF across Canada and back and my wife and myself from Atlantic Canada to New York and back without a hiccup. I parked it in my shed when it blew a second stator 15 years ago. Its sitting next to a 1977 CB360T that hasn't run in 35 years. You guys are welcome to venture across the pond to film an extra special mini series. 😎 Cheers
If only youtube paid well enough id be over in a flash. 😂
Thanks buddy 🙏
@@SpecialisedMotorcycleTransport Never say never ....🙂
Honda made some pretty cool bikes with this engine. The first Honda Turbo bike used this engine as well. I heard they had issues with water pumps but it wasn’t hard to fix.
Owned two CX500s. Excellent bikes.
I'd love it. The sound is exquisite. I remember the engine note.
Absolutely loved this video. I remember my dad riding a cx500 in the 80s. Would love to buy him another one
Myself and a mate flew from England into Sydney Australia back in the mid 80s we bought a second hand CX500 Honda red and black around an 81 or 83 models we rode it 2 up with our gear plus a gear sack bag up north to Cairns FNQ and all about FNQ then back to Brisbane then Sydney all up in 3 months we really enjoyed it the bike never missed a beat i really didn't want to sell the bike but we had no choice after selling her we bought our plane tickets back to England im in my mid 60s now and would love to see more of Australia on another bike doing exactly the same on another reliable motorcycle 🏍️ i highly recommend the CX500 Honda as one of those very reliable bulletproof bike's that won't let you down by the way we payed 1500 dollars for the Honda
Feeling nostalgic. ☺️
Be nice if Honda could make it today. I am sure it would sell in the retro market.
I've just bought a Honda CX500B 1981 with 426 miles. It was parked in a garage since 2013 and the log book claims 2 previous owners. I stripped out everything and rebuilt the carbs 3 times, oil change, new battery, unsiezed the clutch and new brake pistons. It runs and now rides well. The frame is like new but the plastics are scratched and Alloy parts are corroded. parts
Love to hear things like this..
One more back on the road. 😁
I rode a Honda 500 Silverwing for a few year back in 1985, it was a very good bike, had lots of fun trips to the mountains and cost.
Incredible find, only 39 miles? WOW!! I bought a used CX500 in the mid 80's. The local dealer who was a great bloke, sold me it cheaper because...... 'Don't use 1st gear, it will pull away in 2nd'. 'Why?' I asked. 'I think there's a tooth missing off 1st gear, but I've ridden it and no problem with the rest of the box'. I agreed to buy it as I trusted him, and he was right. I did try 1st to see what he meant and it lurched and lurched again so I stopped. See what you mean George, I will just ride my 4 speed CX from now on. I really enjoyed the bike....Wish I still had it, should have done a repair on it but never did and I resold it not that long after. Ahh well. 😉
J'ai passé mon permis moto sur cette moto une CX 650 , je garde un très bon souvenir de cette moto ❤
What a smashing video to come across. Such a recognisable engine sound 😎. My Dad had a 1980 CX500 from new, that he used to commute from Hastings to Andover, year round. He had a full Polaris fairing fitted and wore a tank suit. In bad weather he'd get wetter walking from the garage to our front door than on the 120 mile commute. Happy memories of being sat on the back as a teenager, and I can remember it's registration number to this day. Might be my memory failing me, or wishful thinking, but I thought his speedo went to 100mph.
Thanks for sharing buddy. 🤗
The speedo might well have gone to 100 mph or farther on a UK version of the CX500. The 85 mph speedo for cars, trucks, and motorcycles was a US government mandate from 1979-81 (affecting the 1980-82 model years). The idea was to save fuel since the bureaucrats felt people wouldn't drive at extreme speeds since the speedo scale was limited to 85 mph. There was also supposed to be special emphasis placed on the 55 mph position (usually by displaying the number in a much larger size than its neighbors on the scale) to emphasize the national 55 mph speed limit. The speedo mandate was only in effect for 1979-81, but vehicle manufacturers didn't change back immediately. They waited for a normal redesign cycle to occur before reverting to the old 120 mph or greater scales on speedometers. Interestingly, the Federal government has no power to mandate a national speed limit (that is the purview of each state individually) but Federal highway funding was withheld from states who refused to acquiesce to the 55 mph limit...and not wanting to lose that funding, all of the 50 states fell into line.
I'm sure you are aware, ignition key can be made once you get the ignition switch out and carefully take it apart to remove the key cylinder and then manually cut a key to match the wafers. That key will then work other locks on the cycle.
There's a code stamped on the locks which can be used to have new keys made. Easiest lock to get off to check the code is usually the helmet lock.
Ing lock has the key number on it, take it to a good lock smiths and they can down load the key for cutting.
There is filiform corrosion between aluminum and clear coat.
I bought a 1980 CX500D new, and I still have it. I just serviced it and am riding it.
It's simply amazing that you found this bike.
It makes me sad to see this beauty with just 39 miles on it with a rusted tank. I had one 😊
I keep my current bike, a VT500C Shadow, in the shed and its donor-bike as well. Yes, with such a vintage bike it is simpler and cheaper to have a spare one. Fueltank filled to the rim. Just to prevent this.
Keep up the good work 👍🏻🤝🏻🇳🇱
CX 500 was the first bike I bought new it was my pride and joy
Had two of these, both the wife and I rode. Love touring the UK. When we split, she took the bike. She sold it to a courier who used it for years.
I always find it sad when the wife takes the bike in a divorce.
If it isn't bad enough losing your best friend, the most dependable thing in your life and the love of your life. You have to also find a new wife. 🤔😂
@@SpecialisedMotorcycleTransport all done for the best it was easier to take the bike for the transport she needed. I ended up with a Suzuki 600. Now in Oz with a Suzuki C50 and a new wife who can't ride, won't go on the back so happy rides foe me😅
Really enjoyed that , I had one in the nineties that was a 79 and had 21 owners! But still good , wished I still had it
Thanks for that Charlie. 🙏😁
Just incredible!..... It goes to show that low mileage gems are out there... Great work gents..... 🇭🇲
Thank you Robbie. 😁
I'm no motorcyclist, but the numeric electrical etching is to put off potential thieves from stealing parts or the whole bike....I can remember this back in the 80s....🤔😳😳🇬🇧
My favourite bike back in the early 80's. So many dispatch couriers would be riding one of these.
The plastic maggot. A friend had one back in the late 70s and loved it. My only experience with these was a 650 Eurosport version that an acquaintance asked me to appraise before buying. Turning left it was impressive, turning right not so much. Turned out it had been in some sort of accident and well to put it bluntly I've seen straighter bananas. It was being sold by a car dealer who had blindly taken it in as a part exchange.
My Dad had one we called the Blue Maggot. It was an awesome bit of kit. We ended up having a sidecar on it. Were they called the Plastic Maggot because of its looks?
Bought a barn find ‘79 Honda CX 500 in 1989.
The choke is a finicky bugger on cold days and requires a good warm up before pushing the choke button down. I removed my fuel tank and had it professionally cleaned out and chemically sealed to prevent rust forming inside the tank. Wondered if you fellas replaced the fuel filter? Those old pipes harbour barn mice nests and spiders, so removing the pipes and inspect. I put duck tape over the exhaust pipe holes in fall to winterize the bike. A good flushing of gear oil and coolant would be a good idea. Not sure about fork seals/oil and brake fluid - all part of a good restoration for new buyer. Not the best bike for beginners because the bike is top heavy with a full tank of fuel. ⛽️ Hondas are reliable cheap transportation. Had mine until I bought another used bike - 83 Honda VT 750 Shadow. Eventually graduated to 2005 Honda 1100 Shadow (most comfortable next to a Goldwing).
Popular with dispatch riders in the 80's . I worked as one in London, and rode my black CX500 to Denmark and back. They had electrical problems, but a fine "poor mans BNW's".
Bought a 76 in 02 and ran for a few years. Mine was low mileage also but not that low. Eventually the ehaust failed at the collector underneat so I bought two mufflers off of a Ducati Monster and it worked fine, just a bit louder. Same basic model, not the sport model or silverwing.
The CX500Z only launched in 1978.
Those were great small bore bikes. The only bad thing I ever experienced with those was the stator assemblies went bad on a lot of them. It’s not an easy job to remedy. Great little bikes and road trip worthy for sure!
Like the Superdreams, stator coils broke down. Was the lacquer on the copper dodgy?
Cam chain tensioner did go bad from new.
Hope it’s the later version and had the cam chain tensioner mod done. Early maggots were renown for cam chain problems, alternators were also went at about 50 thousand. But still a great bike, I used to have one and loved it.
Yes this one left the factory with the modified tensioner fitted fortunately. 👌
Definitely a special video.
iv had a few of these bike and i do wish id kept the last one i had,great classic that was just bullet proof,handled realy well for it size,use to throw it about the london streets while dispatching .the rear wheel stearing was so mush fun on the cheap continentals ,took it from london to leeds and never missed a beat,so comfortable you could sit on it all day id swap my ducati 1000ds for it right now
I had one for 12 years, triple bypass put an ignitech on it, 70,000 miles of pleasure, and it;s still on the road in Whitchurch i believe, it was a 1979 Z
First "big" bike I ever rode.
It went so fast the wind ripped the peak off my Stadium open-faced helmet on the M67...😅
Haha Brilliant.😂
Was that a "project 9" ?
my first new crash helmet in 1979 for my mobylette X7 !
@@buxvan Very possibly! You have a better memory than me!
Mine would develop a weave at an indicated106mph. It would correct itself as soon as I rolled off. I used to do it to ease the boredom of a long commute.
Great video guys, I remember back in the early 80s, here in Ireland that’s all our police 👮 drove in blue obviously
Had a CX500 custom brilliant bikes just be aware the original cam chain tensioner are prone to snapping with obvious consequences but there is a upgrade available. enjoy I did.
This one left the factory with the upgraded CCT. The issue was only with the earlier bikes. Thanks for the heads up. 😊
I brought a cx500 new in 1981 it cost $1999 they were a great little bike, the one that you have was called a 500 custom here in Australia, what a great project, great video thankyou.
Thank you Phil. 😁
It’s a deluxe. Custom had a different tank.
@@martinowl you might be right, but to my knowledge here in Australia there was only two models in the early one the cx500 and the cx500 custom.
Fair point, I don’t know what models were sold in Australia, but generally, the Custom models had the smaller tank. I have a 1979 model Deluxe that is almost identical to the one they are working on.
My wife and I rode a cb175 from m/cr to Corsica & back in 2 weeks in 1971! Carrying us plus camping gear cost £100 for everything!
Love this. ❤️
Check out our tour of Scotland on two small two stroke Yamaha DTs. 😁
I had 3 of these when I was a despatch-rider. Comfortable, easy to service and fairly reliable. My last one went through 3 alternators before I got rid of it for a GT 750. I could change an alternator myself with a trolly jack in about 3 hours, good find.
LOL. Same story. Despatch rider with the same bikes. Also had a VT500 though. Funny and sad looking back. We'd probably get arrested these days for the way we used to hack round.
I still ride now and I still filter like a despatch-rider if I feel like it but the sense of self-preservation slows me down now.
@@nicolasetherton2534 Good for you. I still look at bikes for sale but I'm not sure my 65 year old brain is up to it now. Crikey I used to rip through town. Going through gaps that were barely wide enough. And speeding constantly. The VT500 was my fav bike for the job as it was so torquey and nimble. I finally got away from despatching by joining the railway. Then I bought a Bandit 1200 as a fun bike. And it was serious fun. Have a good one.
You too mate, looking back now we took a big gamble doing that job, but you could get away with a lot more in those days, ahem, in many ways.
What a beautiful bike looking forward to this one.
I think it's our best one yet. 😁
The etching is an American social security number put there as an anti theft measure. No one who held a bike legitimately would etch someone else's social security number.
I picked up on that immediately. Here in the US it is not unusual for people to etch their social security number into valuables. Interesting that the bike is in the UK. I wonder if the bike was stolen in the US and shipped overseas to be sold. It would be interesting to do a VIN search.
If that is a social security number, the 097 indicates it was owned by someone who was first issued their social security number while living in New York. Unfortunately, that doesn’t tell us where the bike was originally sold. However, that VIN should be in Honda’s records somewhere.
@@HockeyVictory66 There is a New York inspection or registration sticker on the fork too, so that checks out
had one years ago bought it with big end gone and fuel tank missing, got crank ground and bought a tank from the breakers and job done. Paid £ 50 for the bike but that was in the 90's.
The Turbo version was a Hot Rod. That configuration of an Engine was Bulletproof.
I owned a 1980 CX500 until a few months ago. It had about 20,000 KMs on it when I got rid of it. With the exception of the mufflers, the bike looked like it was only a few years old. It was a fantastic city bike.
The new owner has it shined up like new and has mufflers on their way. I'll be sad seeing it go down the road, but am happy that it possibly has another 42 years or so left in it.
The numbers etched on the bike, are for parts identity, if the bike was ever stolen and parted out. It was like a type of insurance, all the numbers were held on file with the insurance company that sold you that insurance package. The numbers on all the major parts, made it difficult to sell stolen parts.
This was the bike i wanted after the Superdream i owned. Wanted one in red. Being water cooled was bit of a novelty in early 80's.
I had a silver Superdream and sold it to purchase a red CX500.
Pulling plugs on a transverse V twin...always a treat
Piano fingers needed. ✌️😂
Great video great bike
Yea I have 1973 cx 500 deluxe, I like to see what you can do with it.the Main problem is was owned by a painter, as you know about painter's they paint EVERYTHING!!!!
Lol, I had one of those back in the day! Shortly after I got it the cam chain tensioner/guide piled up and made a mess. Wasn't a happy camper! 😂
Thanks Baz, if i find another timewarp bike ill let you know! just rebuilding my flux capacitor now
Just bring me back a sports Almanac please mate?
I loved my CX500 but remember cam chain recall. Also etching each part was to identify when stolen.
Takes me back to the sounds of the 80s! Great video and thanks for sharing 👍 😀
Thanks Richard. 😁
The VIN etching thing was a popular anti-theft service back in the day.
Enjoying your video watching you struggle with the carbs brings back the nightmare of my Kawasaki zl400 carbs 4 of them in the tightest space you can imagine 😂😂😂😂😜
I had this on my eBay... Was after that same bike lol, congratulations on winning it and can't wait to see what you do with it 😁👍
We didn't win it Tom the bike was auctioned after this video.
That is crazy, but so cool...well whoever got the bike is very lucky and I hope it's well looked after 👍
This was a sweet bike back in its day!
I have got 2 of this kind ...Cx500 and a Cx650 , the 500 was a crap with lack of power but the 650 was great with acceleration and couple at the mid range , I was very disappointed by the cx500 and keep it for only one year before sale it ... I still like vintage bike and now I am running daily a Suzuki vx800 and it's ok , not the fasted bike I own but ok .
bullet proof engine never let me down rain or snow the thing is just awesome and so nice to ride loved it
Wives GL500C Silverwing is sitting in the shed been there for nearly 30 years. She stopped riding it when pregnant with our daughter she is now 28.
Would you like us to feature the bike and get it going for you?
Send us an email through the website. 😉
I had two CX500 and 1 CX650 (B935LUY) brilliant bikes. Wish I still had the 650.
I had a 1980 CX. As I remember at low RPM the stator could not keep the motor running and needed to be connected to the battery.
Plastic Pigs as I recall they were occasionally known. I had one. Went along the A45 between Coventry and Birmingham in a strong headwind and it wouldn't go above 50. Traded it the next day for a Kawasaki Z1300. Best trade I ever did with a bike. Not that I disliked it. Indeed I find myself now looking out for a CX500C.
Since the bike has a New York inspection sticker on the left fork tube, that means it was imported from the States to the UK. I was wondering about the number etched on the left hand valve cover myself before I saw the NY sticker. That number must be the original owner's Social Security number. The same number is on the front fender and on the frame of the motorcycle under the left edge of the seat (I saw it when you had the seat raised). Engraving your Social Security number on personal items was a thing people did for a time...long before identity theft became popular.
It looks like someone has had a go at that ignition switch before now
Honda wiring: red to the battery, black is power AFTER the ignition switch, green is earth and black/white is the CDI kill feed. Applies to every Honda I've ever worked on.
Marvellous entertaining watch. Had one of these from new. Brilliant all rounder but timing chain broke.
Yes I studied the bike before we filmed the video and they had a huge problem with the Cam chain tensioner which thankfully was only with the early bikes. By 1980 they had the issue under control thankfully. 😁
@@SpecialisedMotorcycleTransporti understand that some of the very high mileage ones ate their valve seats and the only cure was a new head😢
you can spot an early bike that has had the recall update done to it by the three punch marks added by the engine serial number. I did about a dozen of them at the Honda shop where I used to work.
@@tedecker3792 yes fortunately this one was newer than the old style cam chain tensioner but that is a golden tip.
Thanks buddy. 👍
39 mi ! What a gem, dang I’d like to find one with 20k or less I’d be thrilled 🐾✌️🇺🇸
Yes it is a rare gem indeed. 💎👌
My favourite bike I ever owned:)
Great video again Baz.
My wee dog seems to love being around bikes too. Unfortunately my wife won't let me get a Bagster dog carrier to take her on the bike.
I never had a CX500, nearest one I had was a VF750SC, another troublesome Honda.
My CB360 had the tank and carbs in that condition too.
Thanks Alistair. 👍😁
J. I. S screw driver are a must if your going to keep doing this sort of thing. About £15.00 on line
Steady on bro, they’ve only just figured out that trying to start old bikes is a dumb idea. Are you sure they’re ready for that level of technical wisdom yet?
Not yet. You need to strip out a few hundred screw heads first.
Check to see if the numbers are the frame number or VIN
There was a 650cc Turbo version of that bike. A friend of mine had one in about 1981. It was a bloody fast bike
The Number is a US Social Security Number.
These were courier hacks in the London circuit very tough engines
The numbers are social security number. The owner was probably in the United States Air Force when it was purchased. The USAF had a program to help prevent theft by offering free use of an engraving tool to put your SSN on things you owned. My first bike was a used 1978 CX 500 loved that bike.
That's very interesting. Starting to believe it must have been a serviceman who originally owned the bike.
Could you please tell me when a social security number is issued? Is it at birth?
interesting, bit silly to to engrave the number on a part that can be unbolted and replaced in a few seconds though.
@@SpecialisedMotorcycleTransport SSN is issued when you apply for it. Back in the day when I was in the military, the SSN was put on pretty much everything as an ID number. This was, of course, before identity theft was made easy via Internet
Wow i had a CX500C brandnew back in 1982. Would love to own it... I am in The Netherlands 😊
The bike is now on ebay. link in the description. 😄