1979 Honda CBX1000, Frame no. CB1-2016430 Engine no. CB1E-2016346

1979 Honda CBX1000
Frame no. CB1-2016430
Engine no. CB1E-2016346
When it comes to modern-day Japanese exotics, the conversation starts – and some might say ends – with Honda's mighty CBX. Six cylinders all in a row. Twenty-four valves. Double overhead camshafts. Wailing exhaust note. Dynamic styling. Jaw-dropping performance. The CBX had it all.

Said Motorcyclist magazine in their retrospective of bike, "The CBX Six demonstrated – once again, and with phenomenal clarity – that Honda could build anything it could imagine. In the process, the CBX reestablished Honda both as motorcycling's unrivaled performance leader and its undisputed technological visionary".

The 1000cc engine, still a visual standout today, was inspired by Honda's RC250 and 350cc six-cylinder Grand Prix racers, ridden to glory by the likes of Mike Hailwood and Jim Redman. First-year CBX models like the '79 on auction here were good for 100-plus horsepower and quarter-mile times in the mid-11-second range. For a while the CBX held the high ground in the Superbike wars.

This unrestored CBX, which has clocked just over 5,000 miles from new, is doubly desirable in that it is a true one-owner bike, and a garage-find at that! Owner Chris Coakley, recently deceased, was an uncommon enthusiast who would purchase the hot bike of the day, ride it for a year or two, then park it and move on to his next new machine. Retrieved from Coakley's garage, the CBX was given a 'make-run' recommissioning that included rebuilding and tuning all six carburetors, plus a brake system overhaul that included calipers and master cylinders. Receipts for recent work carried out as well as the original Honda owner's manual and factory service manual are included in the sale.