Topic: 1982 Honda CX500TC Turbo - $4500 (Lakeville)

[Bubba]

Spotted on Craigslist.

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/dak/mcy/4943046660.html

[johngenx]

Sweet bike - but ouch, the price.

[Snowman]

Seen one in the flesh when a close friend had one and within a week was a vegetable when he crashed it. Lived for 10 years eating through a tube and why I never owned a bike. Sorry to be a downer but brought back memories of Stanley....looked almost exactly like Ted Nugent....Wango Zee Tango.

[johngenx]

When I worked for Honda we got to ride one - technological marvel, but the turbo lag was a bummer and overall the bike wasn't that exciting to ride.  Honda used it more as a mule for future tech than a serious bike for the market.  It had computerized fuel injection and a whole host of other stuff.  IIRC, Honda was granted well over 200 patents on the stuff they developed for that bike.

Engineers went on and on about how it was quick like a liter bike and handled like a 500 - but my CBX would destroy it in a straight line and the high-CG chassis was a little ponderous in my opinion.

It's an interesting bike and I'd like to have one - but that one needs a bunch of work - I'd pass.  The owner should restore it and sell it that way - he'd have way more people interested.

[Bubba]

Seen one in the flesh when a close friend had one and within a week was a vegetable when he crashed it. Lived for 10 years eating through a tube and why I never owned a bike. Sorry to be a downer but brought back memories of Stanley....looked almost exactly like Ted Nugent....Wango Zee Tango.

Sorry to hear about your friend. 

[Snowman]

Seen one in the flesh when a close friend had one and within a week was a vegetable when he crashed it. Lived for 10 years eating through a tube and why I never owned a bike. Sorry to be a downer but brought back memories of Stanley....looked almost exactly like Ted Nugent....Wango Zee Tango.

Sorry to hear about your friend. 

Thanks another friend died, Ken was on the National Jr. Hockey team at the time. Then there is Roberto who is a walking skin graft. Get a bike they said 

[johngenx]

Ugh - super bummer.  Oddly, I have a lot longer list of friends killed in the mountains than on bikes.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Seen one in the flesh when a close friend had one and within a week was a vegetable when he crashed it. Lived for 10 years eating through a tube and why I never owned a bike. Sorry to be a downer but brought back memories of Stanley....looked almost exactly like Ted Nugent....Wango Zee Tango.

Anyone who's been around motorcycles has similar stories. It sucks, but it's the risk a biker takes.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

The turbo bikes from that period were sort of interesting from a technical perspective, but really not very successful.

[johngenx]

Honda lost money on every copy they sold. The bikes were so expensive to produce. But Honda figured that it was an investment in the future of motorcycling. Then the motorcycle market sank big time in the mid 80s and they had to abandon the turbos.

[footlong58]

Honda lost money on every copy they sold. The bikes were so expensive to produce. But Honda figured that it was an investment in the future of motorcycling. Then the motorcycle market sank big time in the mid 80s and they had to abandon the turbos.

wasn't even that, totally... turbo motorcycles were more expensive to buy and own, and did nothing better than a traditional inline 4.  all the japanese 4 were toying with ideas.  rotary's, inline 6's, the CX guzzi style v twin.  all were basically neato, but different for the sake of being different.

[blur911]

Honda lost money on every copy they sold. The bikes were so expensive to produce. But Honda figured that it was an investment in the future of motorcycling. Then the motorcycle market sank big time in the mid 80s and they had to abandon the turbos.

wasn't even that, totally... turbo motorcycles were more expensive to buy and own, and did nothing better than a traditional inline 4.  all the japanese 4 were toying with ideas.  rotary's, inline 6's, the CX guzzi style v twin.  all were basically neato, but different for the sake of being different.

At the time a lot of insurance companies had started dropping or heavily surcharging larger displacement bikes, turbos kind of got around it for a short while.

Now if you call any insurance company in Ontario about motorcycle coverage the first question they ask is: "Is it turbo-charged?", if you answer "yes", the conversation is over.

[Minou]

I purchased a new CX650E in 1983.  $3500. all in.  Same color as the one pictured above but the non turbo came with a small handlebar mount half fairing.  It was physically the size of a 750 and weighed as much but I loved its european style and Guzzi cross side V twin, simplicity, driveshaft and sound.  Sold it in pristine condition for $2200. in +/-1997 after 10 years in storage.  Should have kept it.