HONDA CBX1000 (1978-1981) Specs, Performance & Photos

The Honda CBX was a sports motorcycle part of the CBX series, manufactured from 1978 to 1982. The bike was the flagship of Honda's range and well received by the press but was outsold in late 1979 by its CB900F sibling.

In the mid-1060s, Honda manufactured the RC series six-cylinder race bike, but the CBX model was the first production six-cylinder road bike that featured the GP racing technology.

In 1982, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer repositioned the CBX into the spot touring section with the CBX-B model that packed a detuned engine to 98 hp and the addition of a Pro-Link monoshock absorber on the rear, a 39 mm air-adjustable front fork, a stronger frame, and a fairing with optional panniers.

The 1978 model packed an air-assisted fork on the front with 160 mm of wheel travel and dual shock absorbers with 100 mm of wheel travel for optimum suspension performance.

In the braking department, the bike featured two 276 mm discs with hydraulic calipers on the front and a single 296 mm disc squeezed by a hydraulic caliper on the rear wheel that offered optimum suspension performance.

In the performance department, the 1978 Honda CBX1000 had its soul brought to life by a 1047cc four-stroke six-cylinder air-cooled engine fed by six Keihin carburetors that helped deliver an output power of 105 hp at 9,000 rpm and 72 Nm (52 lb-ft) of torque available at 6,500 rpm.