Ah, the CBX1000. It’s always been about one thing…..the mighty six cylinder powerplant.
The Genesis of the inline six motorcycle engine as we know it today began with the Honda RC166 1966 Championship winning racer.
Soichiro Honda broke convention to challenge the 250cc two stroke racers of the day, by enlisting the young talented engineer Shoichiro Irimajiri who concocted the six cylinder 250cc four stroke which made up for having two crankshaft rotations per cycle by having six minute 41.21cc cylinders revving to a mind melting 20,000 rpm.
Arguably among one of the best sounding motorcycle engines ever made. A decade and a bit later, Honda did it again, taking on the contemporary inline 4, 1000cc bikes by reviving the inline 6. that had given them so much race success.
Enter the Supersport CBX, originally launched as the naked Z model in 1979 which later morphed into the faired Prolink which utilised thicker forks, bigger brakes and incorporated the ‘Pro Link’ mono shock rear end as well as being re-tuned for better torque and midrange while further refining the engine for smoother idling and better low speed running by changing the angle of the six carbs as well as using higher lift cams with less duration and a redesigned ignition advancer system increasing maximum advance from 2500rpm to 3000rpm.
A full fairing was fitted to the Pro Link CBX1000, much to the disgust of many purists who felt the CBX had gone soft, although the mighty engine was arguably better than ever and despite its extra weight, handling and braking was improved through beefier components. Those who preferred the ride and look of a naked were of course free to remove the fairing and the additional weight that came with it!
Offered as an extra were these slimline pannier boxes, a rarity if you can get one that comes with them.
This particular example has covered just 2,382 miles at the time of purchase, 3 previous owners and complete with the original purchase invoice, service history and MOT’s.
Engine bars were standard on the Prolink, protecting the oil cooled 1047cc engine.
A 6-2 double walled exhaust design with crossover pipe emits the wonderful sound from the tailpipe. Aftermarket options include 6-1 or 6-6 configurations each offering a variation on the very distinctive engine note.
The low mileage is backed up beneath the skin where the electronics still look like new.