The Unforgettable Roar of Honda's CX650 Turbo

In the early 1980s, the motorcycle world was ablaze with technological innovation, and Honda, ever at the forefront, dared to push boundaries with forced induction. Among their most ambitious projects was the CX series, culminating in the enigmatic and incredibly rare 1983 Honda CX650 Turbo. This machine wasn't just a motorcycle; it was a statement, a glimpse into a future that, for various reasons, never quite arrived. If you've ever wondered about the presence of a turbocharger on this specific model, the answer is a resounding yes – it's right there in the name, defining its very essence.

The CX650 Turbo represents the pinnacle of Honda's turbocharged motorcycle efforts, emerging as a refined successor to the earlier CX500 Turbo. It was a bike designed to deliver exhilarating power, combining the agility of a middleweight with the thrust of a much larger machine. With only 1,777 units ever built globally, and fewer than 1,200 making it to the US and Canada, owning a CX650 Turbo today is to possess a significant piece of motorcycling history, a testament to Honda's audacious engineering spirit.

The Genesis of a Turbocharged Dream

To truly appreciate the CX650 Turbo, one must first look back to its roots: the Honda CX500. Introduced in 1978, the CX500 was conceived as a quiet, efficient, low-emission, and remarkably low-maintenance motorcycle. Honda even initially envisioned it appealing to women, thanks to its user-friendly design. It featured a distinctive 4-valve-per-cylinder, pushrod-operated V-twin engine, shaft drive, a 5-speed gearbox, water cooling, and Honda’s innovative ComStar wheels shod with the first tubeless tyres designed for a production motorcycle.

Despite its initial modest aims, the CX500 proved to be a reliable and user-friendly machine, especially after an early cam chain tensioner glitch was resolved. It sold particularly well in Europe, where tax and licensing laws favoured smaller bikes, becoming a firm favourite among British motorcycle couriers for many years. However, Honda, the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer, felt the competitive heat and sought new ways to stay ahead. The company's engineers, ever keen on innovation, saw the CX platform as a fertile ground for something more exciting.

Why Turbocharging?

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the motorcycle market was ripe for innovation. High fuel prices and a general affluence spurred demand for middleweight bikes that could serve both as commuters and for short tours. Riders were younger, hungry for power, speed, and anything new and different. Turbocharging emerged as a leading contender for the "wave of the motorcycle future."

After experimenting with supercharging, Honda's engineers settled on turbocharging. A turbocharger offered a significant boost in engine performance without adding excessive weight. Essentially, it's a mini-turbine powered by the engine’s own exhaust gases. These gases spin a small rotor, which in turn drives another rotor to force air under pressure into the intake manifold. This creates a denser air charge, allowing for a larger fuel/air mixture in each cylinder, and consequently, more power. The challenge, however, lay in making this surge of power easily controllable – a challenge Honda would grapple with.

The CX500 Turbo: A Bold First Step

Honda’s first turbocharged motorcycle, the CX500TC, was announced in 1981 and hit the roads in 1982. It was a marvel of its time, not only boasting a turbocharger but also a sophisticated fuel injection system and a pair of onboard computers. The engine, like all CX models, was a stressed member of the frame, while the chassis featured an integrated fairing, a substantial headlight, dual disc brakes upfront, and a single disc at the rear.

Despite its technological prowess, the CX500 Turbo wasn't without its quirks. Period testers noted that while it was blindingly fast on boost, easily reaching 125 mph, it was also expensive, rather thirsty, and suffered from a noticeable phenomenon known as turbo lag. This meant a discernible hesitation before the turbo spooled up and unleashed its full power, making it challenging to navigate through twisty roads. The dream of a middleweight with litre-bike power came with a difficult power delivery characteristic.

The 1983 CX650 Turbo: Refinement and Redemption

Learning from the CX500 Turbo’s shortcomings, Honda swiftly went back to the drawing board, introducing the CX650T for the 1983 model year. This was the final and most refined iteration of their turbocharged V-twin. The engine capacity was increased to 674cc, and the compression ratio was bumped up from 7.2:1 to 7.8:1. Crucially, the computer controls were simplified, and the gearing ratios were adjusted, with a wider gap between fourth and fifth gears. These changes resulted in a motorcycle that, while equally impressive on boost, offered a significantly smoother transition from off-boost to on-boost, making it much easier and more enjoyable to ride.

The turbocharged 674cc V-twin of the CX650T was factory rated at a potent 100 horsepower, featuring liquid cooling and fuel injection. Power was transferred to the rear wheel via a 5-speed transmission and shaft drive. Visually, the CX650 Turbo typically sported a distinctive white finish with red and blue striping, retaining factory-style bodywork, wheels, and seat upholstery. Although capable of immense speed, it was also designed with touring in mind, offering a comfortable riding position for average-sized riders and a fairing that provided decent wind protection.

A Glimpse at a Specific CX650 Turbo

Consider a particular 1983 Honda CX650 Turbo, recently acquired and showing approximately 13,000 miles. This specific example, finished in its signature white with red and blue striping, boasts a robust service history. Recent work included the replacement of the front and rear master cylinders, new fork seals, fresh Pirelli Sport Demon tyres, a new battery, and spark plugs. An oil and filter change was also carried out, alongside a rebuild of both front and rear brake calipers and the addition of stainless steel brake lines. These detailed maintenance efforts highlight the commitment required to keep such a unique machine in top condition.

Riding the Boost: The CX650T Experience

Contemporary testers and owners alike agree that the CX650 Turbo truly shines on secondary country roads with broad, sweeping turns. The power delivery, though refined from the 500T, still comes on with a thrilling suddenness. As one writer eloquently put it, "The power comes on so suddenly that you’d best be pointed in the desired direction, because THAT is where you’ll be heading with great alacrity." This characteristic made it a formidable machine, capable of leaving much larger bikes in its wake, as one owner recounted, easily outrunning an 1100cc machine on winding roads.

However, the CX650 Turbo wasn't without its compromises. Its high centre of gravity and a wet weight of 573 pounds made it quite a handful when navigating truly narrow, switch-backing mountain roads. Where it excelled was as a sporty touring bike. The comfortable seat and riding position, combined with an adjustable single rear shock (reachable from the seat), mild vibration, and effective fairing, made it a capable long-distance machine. Interestingly, despite the larger engine, the 650T was actually 11 pounds lighter than its 500T predecessor.

The Economic Tides and the Turbo's Demise

Despite its technological advancements and thrilling performance, the CX650 Turbo's reign was short-lived, lasting only a single model year. Its demise was largely a casualty of unfortunate economic circumstances and shifting market demands.

The early 1980s saw a dramatic swing in motorcycle sales. A boom in 1981, where Honda even sold out of some models, quickly turned into a bust in 1983 as the global economy suffered. People simply stopped buying motorcycles. To compound the problems for Japanese importers, Harley-Davidson successfully lobbied for a tariff on all Japanese motorcycles of 700cc and larger, further dampening sales of powerful, imported machines.

Ultimately, turbo motorcycles, including the CX650T, "vanished because they didn’t meet buyers’ expectations," as Art Friedman, former editor of Motorcyclist, explained. The fantasy of middleweight handling and cost with big-bike power often translated into bikes with difficult power characteristics that weighed and cost nearly as much as the big bikes, without always performing demonstrably better. The prolonged slump in sales throughout the 1980s meant that only the most popular and commercially viable models survived, leading to the CX650T's premature retirement from production.

Ownership and Maintenance: A Labour of Love

While most Hondas are renowned for their reliability and minimal maintenance requirements, the CX650 Turbo is an exception. Owning one demands either a willingness to invest significantly in repairs or a keen interest in learning to work on the bike yourself. It’s not a machine for the faint of heart or those seeking a truly 'fit-and-forget' experience.

Several common issues plague the CX650 Turbo, which prospective owners should be aware of:

• Alternator Failure: The stock alternator has a tendency to burn out between 15,000 and 20,000 miles. Located on the backside of the engine (which is a stressed member of the frame), accessing it requires removing the entire engine. The common and permanent fix is to replace the stock unit with an Electrex stator.
• Starter Motor Problems: The original starter motor often fails. It draws too much current, causing the engine to kick back and break the starter clutch springs. This leads to the starter clutch rollers grinding on the crankshaft, producing an audible grinding noise during startup. Ignoring this issue can lead to catastrophic bottom-end damage. The recommended solution is to replace it with any CX500 starter motor that features four Phillips head screws in the centre, which is considered a permanent fix.

These specific maintenance challenges underscore the fact that while the CX650 Turbo is a fascinating machine, it requires dedicated care and attention to keep it running optimally.

The Enigma of the "Tech School" Bikes

An intriguing aspect of the CX650 Turbo's history involves a significant portion of its limited production run. Honda, concerned that dealerships might not possess the expertise to work on these technologically advanced machines, reportedly sent approximately half of the 1,200 CX650 Turbos imported into the US and Canada to Honda tech schools and junior college mechanics programmes. The donation agreement supposedly stipulated that these bikes were not to leave the schools and were to be destroyed by instructors after the model was discontinued.

However, it is widely believed that many of these "tech school" Turbos eventually found their way into the marketplace. Stories abound of individuals acquiring these bikes directly from schools for incredibly low prices. While such sources may have dried up now, it hints at a deeper, perhaps unfulfilled, long-term plan Honda might have had for the CX650T, plans that were quietly shelved when the market didn't respond as anticipated.

What the Press Said: A Roaring Endorsement

Despite its eventual withdrawal, the CX650 Turbo captivated motorcycle journalists of its era. Their reviews paint a vivid picture of its exhilarating, if somewhat demanding, performance:

• "The problem with the CX-T is that it’s impossible to resist constantly dipping into the boost. And anytime you light up the boost gauge on this bike, speed limits become a joke." – Cycle Guide, March 1983
• "The Honda’s huge power surge is breathtakingly fun, and reduced turbo lag makes the 650 a joy to ride fast." – Cycle, October 1983
• "The CX650T is a splendid touring bike, and its fear-inducing mid-range power elevates it to Grand Touring status." – Cycle, October 1983
• "Off boost, the CX650T chuffs its way down the road like a mildly tuned 650 twin. On boost, it accelerates like an F-4 being blasted off the flight deck of the USS Enterprise by a steam catapult." – Rider, October 1983
• "The Honda seems to glide effortlessly down the road at high speeds, the subdued whir of its turbocharger the only hint that this bike is pressure fed." – Rider, October 1983
• "The bike would fling itself forward, turbocharger whistling, and you could easily mistake the blur of passing scenery for the blur of a Doppler shift as you reached terminal velocity." – Cycle World, January 1987

These glowing, often dramatic, descriptions underscore the unique and powerful riding experience the CX650 Turbo offered. It was a machine that demanded respect and delivered an unforgettable thrill.

CX500 Turbo vs CX650 Turbo: A Quick Comparison

Frequently Asked Questions About the CX650 Turbo

Is the 1983 Honda CX650 Turbo a good bike?

Whether the CX650 Turbo is a "good" bike depends on your perspective. In its time, it was a groundbreaking machine, offering exhilarating power and advanced technology. It was refined over its predecessor, making it easier to ride. However, it was also expensive, had specific maintenance demands, and its power delivery, while thrilling, required a skilled hand. Today, it's considered a highly collectible and historically significant motorcycle, admired for its rarity and Honda's audacious engineering. For a collector or enthusiast willing to undertake its unique maintenance, it's an exceptional and rewarding machine; for someone seeking a low-maintenance daily rider, perhaps less so.

How many Honda CX650 Turbos were made?

Only 1,777 Honda CX650 Turbos were built for the single 1983 model year. Of these, fewer than 1,200 were imported into the US and Canada, making it one of the rarest production Hondas ever.

What are the common maintenance issues with the CX650 Turbo?

The main maintenance challenges for the CX650 Turbo include the stock alternator, which tends to fail between 15,000 and 20,000 miles and requires engine removal to replace (often with an Electrex stator for a permanent fix). Another common issue is the stock starter motor, which draws too much current, leading to broken starter clutch springs and crankshaft grinding. This is typically resolved by replacing it with a specific CX500 starter motor type.

What is "turbo lag"?

Turbo lag refers to the delay or hesitation in an engine's power delivery between the moment the throttle is opened and when the turbocharger fully spools up and provides its maximum boost. In early turbocharged vehicles like the CX500 Turbo, this lag could be quite pronounced, leading to an unpredictable surge of power. The CX650 Turbo significantly reduced this lag, offering a much smoother power transition.

Why did Honda stop making turbo motorcycles?

Honda, along with other manufacturers, ceased production of turbo motorcycles primarily due to a combination of economic factors and market reception. The early 1980s saw a severe downturn in motorcycle sales. Additionally, turbo bikes, despite their power, often came with a high price tag, complex maintenance, and unique power characteristics (like turbo lag) that didn't fully align with rider expectations for middleweight handling at a lower cost. They were expensive to produce and didn't sell in sufficient numbers to justify continued development, especially with the added pressure of tariffs on larger Japanese imports.

Conclusion

The 1983 Honda CX650 Turbo stands as a bold testament to an era of unbridled innovation in motorcycling. It was a machine that defied convention, pushing the boundaries of what was possible with forced induction on two wheels. While its production run was brief, and its ownership demands a certain dedication, its legacy as a powerful, unique, and incredibly rare motorcycle endures. For those fortunate enough to experience its exhilarating boost, the CX650 Turbo remains an unforgettable ride, a true icon of Honda's engineering prowess and a fascinating chapter in motorcycle history.

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