Difference between revisions of "Honda CX500C"

The race for technological supremacy was at its height at the beginning of the Eighties multi-cylinder, multi-valve engines were all the rage. and the latest novelty was the turbocharger. Costly, and often imperfectly engineered. The turbo proved a flash in the pan. but that didn't prevent the best of the turbo bikes from acting as a superb technological showcase for their makers.

==High-Tech Turbos==

Launched in 1980, the Honda CX500 was the most daring attempt at producing a high-tech turbo bike. The world's leading manufacturer at the time. [[Honda]] had chosen to turbocharge a relatively small engine, and complicated the problem further by choosing a v-twin.

==Technical Complexity==

Honda achieved its aim in a masterly manner, though at the expense of fearful technical complexity. If the original CX500 was plagued by a turbo that came in too sharply, the [[Honda CX650|CX650]] that followed was one of the best sports-touring bikes ever built. But it came too late, the turbo craze was over soon, and performance-hungry motorcyclists began turning towards increasingly large naturally aspirated engines. Honda had done its best to make the CX Turbo a success by employing the renowned Italian automotive stylist [[Giovanni Michelotti]], who created a shape that was as practical as it was innovative. The CX's fairing offered a rare level of protection while forming an integral part of the machine.

[[Image:1979_honda_Cx500c.jpg|left|thumb|1979 Honda CX500C]][[Image:1979_honda_Cx500c_1.jpg|left|thumb|1979 Honda CX500C]]

[[Image:1980_honda_Cx500c.jpg|left|thumb|1980 Honda CX500C]][[Image:1980-Honda-CX500C-Black-2513-0.jpg|left|thumb|1980 Honda CX500C in Black]][[Image:1980-Honda-CX500C-Black-2513-1.jpg|left|thumb|1980 Honda CX500C in Black]][[Image:1980-Honda-CX500C-Black-2513-2.jpg|left|thumb|1980 Honda CX500C in Black]][[Image:1980-Honda-CX500C-Black-2513-3.jpg|left|thumb|1980 Honda CX500C in Black]][[Image:1980-Honda-CX500C-Black-2134-0.jpg|left|thumb|1980 Honda CX500C in Black]][[Image:1980-Honda-CX500C-Black-2134-1.jpg|left|thumb|1980 Honda CX500C in Black]][[Image:1980-Honda-CX500C-Black-2134-2.jpg|left|thumb|1980 Honda CX500C in Black]][[Image:1980-Honda-CX500C-Black-2134-3.jpg|left|thumb|1980 Honda CX500C in Black]][[Image:1980-Honda-CX500C-Black-2134-4.jpg|left|thumb|1980 Honda CX500C in Black]][[Image:1980-Honda-CX500C-Black-2134-5.jpg|left|thumb|1980 Honda CX500C in Black]][[Image:1980-Honda-CX500C-Black-2134-6.jpg|left|thumb|1980 Honda CX500C in Black]][[Image:1980-Honda-CX500C-Black-2134-7.jpg|left|thumb|1980 Honda CX500C in Black]]

[[Image:1981_honda_Cx500c.jpg|left|thumb|1981 Honda CX500C]][[Image:1981-Honda-CX500C-BlackBlue-9525-0.jpg|left|thumb|1981 Honda CX500C in Black/Blue]][[Image:1981-Honda-CX500C-BlackBlue-9525-1.jpg|left|thumb|1981 Honda CX500C in Black/Blue]][[Image:1981-Honda-CX500C-BlackBlue-9525-2.jpg|left|thumb|1981 Honda CX500C in Black/Blue]][[Image:1981-Honda-CX500C-BlackBlue-9525-3.jpg|left|thumb|1981 Honda CX500C in Black/Blue]][[Image:1981-Honda-CX500C-BlackBlue-9525-4.jpg|left|thumb|1981 Honda CX500C in Black/Blue]][[Image:1981-Honda-CX500C-BlackBlue-9525-5.jpg|left|thumb|1981 Honda CX500C in Black/Blue]][[Image:1981-Honda-CX500C-BlackBlue-9525-6.jpg|left|thumb|1981 Honda CX500C in Black/Blue]]

The CX500C'82 CUSTOM was sold in 1982 and was available in one of two color schemes: Candy Muse Red with Red Brown Metallic and Cosmo Black Metallic with Gray Metallic. The gas tank and side covers were two-toned. The front disc brake had twin piston calipers. The serial number began JH2PC010*CM300001