Description
Please note: Regarding the cold start video, the seller states, “I suspect it will need a fuel pump which I don’t want to deal with. I was able to run the engine using a spray can of ether.”
Click here for an VINData Motorcycle History Report on this 1982 Honda CX500 Turbo. Additional photos are available here for your perusal.
Depending on how you define “production”, Kawasaki was the first motorcycle manufacturer to roll out a turbocharged motorcycle. But as this OddBike article points out, Kawasaki’s effort was more of a quasi-aftermarket creation, and it wasn’t well-thought out either. Honda’s CX500 Turbo is more deserving of the ‘first production turbo bike’ title, as it truly started the forced induction craze of the early 80s.
Hindsight has shown that turbos were not meant to be, as manufacturers were later able to get big power out motors without that pesky turbo lag. Still, as a piece of history, this is a fascinating motorcycle. Fun trivia: the turbocharger has 51mm rotors that spin over 200,000 rpm!
Thanks to the tiny turbo, the 498cc engine produced 82 horsepower, which got the bike up to 128 miles per hour. This was up from the base CX500’s 50 horsepower. But the turbo wasn’t the end of the modifications – this bike also got upgraded with digital ignition, Pro-link rear suspension, and evolved Comstar wheels.
This example is VIN: JH2PC0302CM002709. The seller purchased the bike from a private party at a bike show in Lincoln, Nebraska on 2/23/2010.
The odometer shows 17,038 miles.
Maintenance:
The seller states, “I installed a battery and tried to start it but fuel is not reaching the injectors. I suspect it will need a fuel pump which I don’t want to deal with. I was able to run the engine using a spray can of ether.”
Modifications:
According to the seller the bike is stock.
Inside of the tank:
It is riding on Dunlop K491 and Dunlop Elite S/T tires with date codes of 237 and 283.
The sale includes two keys.
Cosmetic Blemishes: please see the album up top for all known cosmetic blemishes. Here is a selection:
Currently located in Lincoln, Nebraska, this Honda is offered on a clean Nebraska title. Have any CX500 Turbo stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!
