1982 CX500 Turbo

The early 1980s were an intoxicating time to be a motorcyclist—especially if you were the power-hungry sort. Turbocharging was all the rage, and in the period between late 1981 and early 1982, no fewer than three turbocharged production machines (a fourth would come a year later) were unleashed upon the masses. Leading this technological charge, in typical fashion, was Honda with the stunning CX500TC.

At the time, wringing more horsepower from one's motorcycle by way of a turbocharger usually involved fitting an aftermarket unit to the bike's exhaust system. Large-displacement, multi-cylinder models were best suited to boosting, and they tended to be the machine of choice due to their relatively small, regular power pulses.

As was (and still is) their wont, Honda's engineers ventured in the opposite direction, bucking conventional wisdom by developing a turbocharged middleweight V-twin. Specifically, the CX500, the equally groundbreaking (and extremely successful) V-twin introduced in 1978.

Huge challenges lay ahead, though, not least of which was harnessing the irregular exhaust pulses of the CX's liquid-cooled, 497cc, 80* transverse V-twin powerplant. This was accomplished by creating the world's smallest turbocharger unit, boasting a scant, 2-inch-diameter turbine capable of spinning at a stratospheric 200,000 rpm to produce maximum boost of 18.5psi and goose the normally aspirated CX's peak horsepower from 50 to 82bhp at 8,000 rpm.

Naturally, increasing CX's power threshold also demanded beefing up the engine's structural integrity. And while Honda's engineers found the stock crankcases to be sturdy enough, most everything else was significantly upgraded, including a beefier crankshaft and clutch, heftier connecting rods and production-spec forged pistons, a Honda first. Further technical innovation, and another Honda first, found fuel injection replacing the CX500's stock carburetors.

The CX chassis was also retooled to fit Honda's Pro-Link monoshock rear end, while the forks, wheels and brakes all increased in size. A large, stylish, pearl-white fairing added the final, gran turismo touch. Even with the added brawn, the 527-pound (dry) CX500TC was an able handler, with compliant suspension and confidence-inspiring stability at speed.

Heaps of adrenalin-pumping performance, especially when on boost, was also readily on tap. "We're here to tell you," lauded Cycle Guide in 1981, "that not only is the Turbo one of the most exciting-looking motorcycles in recent history, it's one of the most thrilling to ride."

Ultimately, however, despite a displacement increase and significant refinement in the form of the 1983 CX650TC, the CXs (as did all their turbocharged counterparts) quietly disappeared from the landscape as Honda readied its new lineup of liquid-cooled V-4s.

Nevertheless, this "corporate statement," as it often was billed, of innovation and daring remains adored by a loyal legion of disciples and collectors. Proof, once again, of both Honda's technical prowess and the willingness to take risks by flying in the face of conventional wisdom.