kauai1800
New Member
Aloha - here's a thread documenting my rebuild of a 1981 Honda CBX.
This is a project I have no business taking on, because I am at best a hack mechanic and the CBX engine is regarded as one of the most technically complex motorcycle engines ever made (an inline 6 cylinder DOHC with 24 valves and 6 Keihin carbs).
This bike came as a separate frame and motor - the two parts were split up from the same original bike and were owned by 2 different people, but had been stored near each other up on the North Shore here on Kauai. The total price for frame and engine was $400 - how could I possibly say no?
It is one of the fabled "school bikes" - one that has never run a mile. These were donated by Honda to vocational training programs to teach future mechanics how to work on DOHC motors.
You'll be able to see the condition of the parts in the photos in the thread...some like the frame, have sat out in saltwater air for many years and look like shit. Others, like the carbs, head, seat, rear fender, etc look like they are brand new. There's several pieces of NOS bodywork and a complete set of NOS rings, boots, and gaskets. Although this is a school bike, it looks like it didn't spend much time being worked on as the majority of the bolts have no tool marks and the few that do have minor marks.
Here's a couple of the major hurdles to getting this bike together...
1) I've never rebuilt a motor before - just stuff like brakes, valve adjustment and minor things of that nature
2) The bike came in pieces so it's hard to inventory every piece to be sure all the parts are here
3) I've never seen a running CBX and no one I know on Kauai has one (though rumor has it that maybe there is one...)
4) I am not going to spend more than maybe $1000 total to get it running again
So that's why I thought you guys would like this thread. I has something for everyone....
if you're a skeptic you can be all "no way mate...you'll never do it...you're in over your head!"
If you're a fan of old Hondas you'll cheer me on for not parting it out and trying to get it back on the road
If you like the underdog, then you'll root for me because unlike many of the guys I see here on DTT and other forums - I have no fucking clue what I'm doing. (Seen "Idiot Abroad"? Like that...).
And if you like those "Race to Rebuild" shows, you'll love this because my "ringer" is TONY...he's a really nice guy who has offered to come from Sydney Australia to Kauai help me rebuild this bike - but we've only got THREE DAYS to do it.
This will all go down just 10 days from now and I might even set up a ustream live webcast so folks can tune in and see our progress/mock us.
Here's a few photos to give you a feel for where I'm at...
This is a project I have no business taking on, because I am at best a hack mechanic and the CBX engine is regarded as one of the most technically complex motorcycle engines ever made (an inline 6 cylinder DOHC with 24 valves and 6 Keihin carbs).
This bike came as a separate frame and motor - the two parts were split up from the same original bike and were owned by 2 different people, but had been stored near each other up on the North Shore here on Kauai. The total price for frame and engine was $400 - how could I possibly say no?
It is one of the fabled "school bikes" - one that has never run a mile. These were donated by Honda to vocational training programs to teach future mechanics how to work on DOHC motors.
You'll be able to see the condition of the parts in the photos in the thread...some like the frame, have sat out in saltwater air for many years and look like shit. Others, like the carbs, head, seat, rear fender, etc look like they are brand new. There's several pieces of NOS bodywork and a complete set of NOS rings, boots, and gaskets. Although this is a school bike, it looks like it didn't spend much time being worked on as the majority of the bolts have no tool marks and the few that do have minor marks.
Here's a couple of the major hurdles to getting this bike together...
1) I've never rebuilt a motor before - just stuff like brakes, valve adjustment and minor things of that nature
2) The bike came in pieces so it's hard to inventory every piece to be sure all the parts are here
3) I've never seen a running CBX and no one I know on Kauai has one (though rumor has it that maybe there is one...)
4) I am not going to spend more than maybe $1000 total to get it running again
So that's why I thought you guys would like this thread. I has something for everyone....
if you're a skeptic you can be all "no way mate...you'll never do it...you're in over your head!"
If you're a fan of old Hondas you'll cheer me on for not parting it out and trying to get it back on the road
If you like the underdog, then you'll root for me because unlike many of the guys I see here on DTT and other forums - I have no fucking clue what I'm doing. (Seen "Idiot Abroad"? Like that...).
And if you like those "Race to Rebuild" shows, you'll love this because my "ringer" is TONY...he's a really nice guy who has offered to come from Sydney Australia to Kauai help me rebuild this bike - but we've only got THREE DAYS to do it.
This will all go down just 10 days from now and I might even set up a ustream live webcast so folks can tune in and see our progress/mock us.
Here's a few photos to give you a feel for where I'm at...