Honda CBX Service Manual (1981-1982)

Honda introduced the CBX as a flagship large-capacity sports motorcycle for the 1979 model year. Honda's own historical archive describes the CBX1000 as a new sports model built around a DOHC six-cylinder, four-valve engine and launched alongside the CB900F/750F as part of a new generation of high-performance road bikes. The 1,047 cc transverse inline-six gave the CBX its defining identity and made the model one of Honda's most technically distinctive production motorcycles of the period. See Honda's 75 Years of History.

The first 1979 machines were conceived primarily as high-performance roadsters. For 1980 Honda refined the chassis and suspension while retaining the same essential six-cylinder platform. The major break came for 1981, when the CBX was repositioned toward long-distance road use. Contemporary coverage described a longer wheelbase, revised frame, Pro-Link single-shock rear suspension with an aluminium swingarm, air-assisted suspension, wider wheels, stronger braking hardware and an integrated fairing with detachable luggage. Those changes transformed the machine from its original superbike role into a more mature six-cylinder sport-touring motorcycle. Contemporary detail on the redesign is preserved in Cycle World's January 1981 report.

The 1981 specification retained the 1,047 cc air-cooled DOHC inline-six, with six carburetors and a five-speed transmission, but the chassis and equipment changes gave the later CBX a distinct character. Honda's Pro-Link rear suspension concentrated the spring and damping unit near the centre of the machine, while the larger touring equipment and revised braking system addressed the limitations of the earlier roadster. This 1981-1982 configuration is therefore commonly treated as the later Pro-Link generation rather than simply a cosmetic update to the 1979-1980 bikes.

The 1982 model continued this Pro-Link sport-touring layout and became the final production year of the original six-cylinder CBX line. Honda did not replace it with a direct six-cylinder successor; during the early 1980s the company's large-performance strategy increasingly moved toward newer four-cylinder and V4 platforms. The CBX nevertheless remained important for its engineering ambition, distinctive engine architecture and the way its final two years demonstrated Honda's shift from outright superbike positioning toward high-speed grand touring.

This product covers the later 1981-1982 CBX only. The factory shop manual states that it is based on the 1981 model and directs technicians to Section 22 for 1982 service information, so the earlier 1979-1980 versions should not be treated as covered by this publication. Related Honda six-cylinder manuals and products are grouped in the Honda CBX service manual catalog.