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Difference between revisions of "Honda CX500T"
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Honda shocked the world when in 1982 they introduced the world to the first production turbo [[motorcycle]] ever seen. It was also fuel injected and had the most radical [[fairing]] yet to be seen. It was upgraded to become the [[Honda CX650T|CX650T]] the next year and soon the other manufacturers responded with their own turbo motorcycles such as the [[XN85|Suzuki XN85]] in 1983 and the [[ZX750_E:TURBO_SERIES|GPz 750 Turbo]] introduced by Kawasaki in 1984. The CX500T(also known as CX500TC) was based upon the Honda CX500 which was also the platform upon which the Honda Silverwing 500 was built. There were only a total of approximately 5400 CX500T’s built. The CX500 was more of a example of Honda's engineering capabilites, as turbos are more ideally suited to large, multi-cylinder engines that give a smooth exhaust flow. | 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== | |||
Honda shocked the world when in 1982 they introduced the world to the first production turbo [[motorcycle]] ever seen. It was also fuel injected and had the most radical [[fairing]] yet to be seen. It was upgraded to become the [[Honda CX650T|CX650T]] the next year and soon the other manufacturers responded with their own turbo motorcycles such as the [[XN85|Suzuki XN85]] in 1983 and the [[ZX750_E:TURBO_SERIES|GPz 750 Turbo]] introduced by Kawasaki in 1984. The CX500T(also known as CX500TC) was based upon the Honda CX500 which was also the platform upon which the Honda Silverwing 500 was built. There were only a total of approximately 5400 CX500T’s built. 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. The CX500 was more of a example of Honda's engineering capabilites, as turbos are more ideally suited to large, multi-cylinder engines that give a smooth exhaust flow. | |||
The CX500 Turbo produced 82 bhp, well above the standard [[Honda CX500|CX500]]'s 50 bph and was capable of incredible acceleration, but the turbo lag and step-down made it difficult to ride. It was a quite complex [[motorcycle]] since it had conquered two firsts for Honda: turbocharging and fuel injection. | The CX500 Turbo produced 82 bhp, well above the standard [[Honda CX500|CX500]]'s 50 bph and was capable of incredible acceleration, but the turbo lag and step-down made it difficult to ride. It was a quite complex [[motorcycle]] since it had conquered two firsts for Honda: turbocharging and fuel injection. | ||
==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 CX650T|CX650T]] 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. | |||