Motorcycle specifications HondaCBX 750 F 1986 In search of destiny

At the beginning of the 80s, Honda, the motorcycle industry's number 1 manufacturer, displayed its leadership with incredible insolence. Its industrial capacity and the dynamism of its R&D department enabled it to fight on absolutely all fronts and to offer a much wider range than its direct competitors.

And while the VF range, the new spearhead of the sports range, was being introduced, Honda did not abandon its traditional CB range - quite the contrary. In 1983, for example, the manufacturer launched the CBX 750, a 4-cylinder model that was only slightly less sporty than its VF-F cousin, and was part of an already well-stocked range that included affordable models (CBX 400 F & CBX 550 F) as well as a luxurious CBX 1000 equipped with ProLink suspension since 1981.

this new "4 in a row" is a clever blend of classicism and modernism. The VF range clearly announces its high-tech orientation with its water-cooled V4. Like its predecessors, the CBX retains its road-facing in-line architecture and air-cooling. But that's where the comparison with the previous CB 750 K, CB 750 F & CB 750 F2 ends. With a double overhead camshaft and 4 valves per cylinder equipped with an automatic adjustment system (called the Hydrolic Valve Adjuster System), the CBX's engine, fed by 4 34 mm carburetors, develops some 20 more horsepower (93 hp at 9,500 rpm) than its predecessor powering the CB 750 FC Bol d'Or.

The CBX has the luxury of being more powerful than the VF-F, and can even boast one of the most powerful air-cooled 4-cylinder engines ever produced. Power per liter (+124 bhp/l) reached heights that, at the time, only models equipped with turbochargers could surpass.

The chassis, like the engine, is modern, but without any futuristic technological gimmicks. On the program: tubular steel frame with double cradle, ProLink monoshock and telescopic fork equipped with an anti-dive system and pneumatic assistance. The front drivetrain is equipped with a pair of 280mm-diameter discs fitted with double-piston calipers (single disc and 2-piston caliper at the rear).... all good, tried-and-tested stuff.

the styling is sober and in tune with the times, with an engine that still refuses to hide behind fairing flanks and a fork head integral with the frame, providing decent protection given the height of the bubble. The front end, however, stands out from the rest of the production line thanks to its two square headlights. The engine cowling adds a touch of aggressiveness. The riding position vacillates between sporty and comfortable (although today's young biker would prefer the sporty side). The wider engine than the V4 makes for a more relaxed riding position.

On the road, the CBX is right at home, but offers a very different personality from its VFF sibling. The in-line 4-cylinder engine has a different character to the V4; less rounded, the CBX lacks the VFF's high mid-range torque and quick revving. Supple at low revs and powerful at higher revs, it seems to be a more natural match for the sporty Kawasaki GPZ 750. The chassis gives the same impression: stable and surefooted, but less lively than the VFF.

In terms of performance, the CBX has nothing to be ashamed of. At over 215 km/h, it does as well as the others. Fuel consumption is around 7 to 7.5 liters.

A rarity today, the career of this bike has surely suffered somewhat from its manufacturer's policy of attacking on all fronts. The aura of the VFF overshadowed it, and its replacement in 1987 by the ever-charismatic CBR range consigned it to general oblivion.

but the bike did have descendants. First of all, with the CBX 750 Bol d'Or, which in fact bridged the gap between the CBX and the CBRs between 1985 and 1987. It was in fact a simple evolution of the CBX, equipped with a full fairing and a very successful design that seemed to herald the truly innovative style of the CBRs. Much later (1992), the CBX engine found a second life with the CB 750 Seven Fifty. However, the engine here, deflated to 73 hp and perfectly suited to the definition of this bike, will hardly have the flavor of its ancestor.

Tanthallas - Photos: Manufacturer