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Date: Wed Aug 31 01:55:08 2005
Name: Don M

Off-topic mini-rant...

You know what bugs me? That you can't buy a new 400 in Canada. If you look at the new bikes in this country, each of the Japanese makers has, like, 1 250 for training schools and then their real bikes start from 600 and up. And you can't get a middle of the road bike - its got to be a crotch rocket or a cruiser.

Anyway, I went to the Japanese web site and saw this Honda CB400 Super Four... looks a lot like a new version of the CBX400 :) Why can't you buy them outside of Japan? Grumble grumble grumble.

http://www.honda.co.jp/CB400SF/catalogue/index.html

Yeah - off topic, but I thought if people hadn't seen the above bike they may find it interesting. Especially with the paint scheme.

Don

Date: Sun Aug 28 03:44:30 2005
Name: Stan
Email: winchesternoguns@aol.com
Type: CBX 550F

Don, E-mail me directly, You may be able to talk me out of my collection of CBX's and parts. I am also on the right side of Canada (surrey)

Stan

Date: Wed Aug 24 13:25:16 2005
Name: Mr. Roy Boy dd

Don,
Not stupid, but a touch risky. Even if your best friend checked the bike for you no too people are exactly the same in the brain.
Might be getting too late for grey market CBX's?

Good luck!

Date: Tue Aug 23 03:09:22 2005
Name: Don M

mrroyboy - I should have talked to you earlier, maybe my experience wouldn't have been so sour then. I've basically decided that buying a bike on the 'net is stupid and I should hang my head in shame for being an idiot. I'm going to find something local, although that means it won't be a CBX... Although I'll keep my eye on the 2nd-hand-bike-from-Japan greymarket that exists in Vancouver. Who knows, maybe a CBX400 will show up some year .

Eugene - I'm really looking for something that is economical. I've visited your web site - nice looking machine but I'm sure the price would be too much for me. I'll do as you suggest and start broadening my research a bit. If I can't have the bike I love, I'll love the bike I have (or can get anyway). :)

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

Don

Date: Fri Aug 19 14:52:39 2005
Name: Eugene
Email: eugeart@hotmail.com
Type: CBX 550F

Don,

I am planning to sell my CBX real soon. I just bought another bike. I've fixed up the honda nicely. Cafe fairing installed and painted to match body. New exhaust 4-2. Rebuilt the front forks- very nice! New tires front and rear. The engine is strong with no camchain rattle. Every thing else is great. No turn signals installed so hand signaling is required but that is an easy fix.

I'm going to build a website to showcase the bike and sell it. I really am loath to sell it since I fell in love with the bike but time to move on...

I'm not sure what they go for in Canada but I'm not giving this bike away. I think it is a real find and with the work I've done its a pretty good bike. Of course there are a few blemishes here and there but what 23 year old bike doesn't have them unless its never been ridden or has had a frame off restoration.

Just in case you are interested I put that forth. Now- there are plenty of fantastic bikes out there for good prices and if you just want to ride don't get fixated on any one model. Do your research and get exactly what is right for you. I myself have looked at CBR's, Bandits, VFR's, XJR's, GSX's, Buell etc... I had an idea and narrowed it down to what I thought I wanted. Then I found one in my price range.

So good luck man, look for my website soon on the next few days.

euge

Date: Fri Aug 19 14:39:35 2005
Name: 
Email: mrroyboy@hotmail.com
Type: CBX 550F

Unless you are a collector who is buying up CBX550's why would you bother with that machine?
I say pass unless it's $4-500 and has everything else fine.
e-bay has a surpriseing amount of "new" CBX items, many are common Honda bolt on's though.
PS:
TO is not "the other side of Canada" look at a map!! I have one I'd sell quiet engine, fresh mvi, spare parts galore... including body panels, brake rotors, rims, shocks, and much more. Has new tires, brakes, etc.
Less than $1500.oo but I am on the other side of Canada!

Date: Fri Aug 19 05:27:47 2005
Name: Don M
Email: cbx550@geeksrus.ca

Me again - still wondering about buying a cbx550 from the other side of Canada. Had the bike inspected. Among other things the inspection report sez:

steering bearings "shot"
engine is noisy - probably cam chain
engine is rough
"when bike heated up I had to shut off the engine, the tensioner sound was bad and getting worse"

These things should not be a surprise given I've reviewed most of the messages on this board. What I am wondering is whether it is easy to get a replacement tensioner, where to get it from and about how much it would be.

I think that if I get a shop to make these repairs I'll be looking at an unreasonable bill, so the option is to investigate doing it myself - but its not like I know what I'm doing.

The other clear option is to not get the bike.

Any advice? (on the tensioner replacing/cost - I'm fully up on the "dont buy the bike" advice :))

Don

Date: Fri Aug 19 05:18:39 2005
Name: Don M

Date: Sun Aug  7 09:23:36 2005
Name: Joseph Lupia
Email: jlupia@cogeco.ca
Type: CBX 550F

I need an engine for my 1983 honda 550 cbx (dohc 16 valve)
If you can help me email me at
JLUPIA@COGECO.CA
THANK YOU
JOE

Date: Sat Aug  6 02:55:35 2005
Name: 

Michel:
Where in the world are you located?

Date: Sat Aug  6 02:24:10 2005
Name: Eugene
Email: eugeart@hotmail.com
Type: CBX 550F

www.davidsilverspares.co.uk and click on the cbx fairing. I saw that he stocks body panels... email them for help. Has left side I believe.

Date: Fri Aug  5 10:30:12 2005
Name: Michel
Email: michelm1@videotron.ca
Type: CBX 550F

Looking for a left side panel and a goog gaz tank.
Someone could help?

Date: Fri Aug  5 07:09:18 2005
Name: Eugene
Email: eugeart@hotmail.com
Type: CBX 550F

I've ordered some slipons from JC Whitney (.com) and some 1 3/4 inch exhaust pipe. For two slip ons, the clamps and 7 feet of pipe and shipping it was $84 US. I got the racey-looking slash-cut side-draft mufflers with removable fiberglass packed baffles. That way I can remove or add fiberglass instead of rejetting (I hope). I also don't want a loud bike either.

I've got a quote on welding for $40-60. I hope this works out since the original mufflers are rusted and i've patched them with soda cans and aluminum tape. This should be better. I think the original cans look terrible and out of place on that bike anyway. The rest of the bike looks like it means business.

So optimistically thinking, I ought to be done with the exhaust renovation for less than $150 US. To adapt a yoshimura or something along those lines would have cost more than the bike is worth.

I'm slowly documenting this progress and will have it online to see soon. Check out JCwhitney.com and get a catalogue sent to you. There is alot of interesting parts to give ideas and a price to go by. I've seen better prices elsewhere but this is a place to start looking for basic stuff.

Date: Wed Aug  3 00:48:26 2005
Name: Stan
Type: CBX 550F

Yes your sales person is right.
Camchain & tensioner common problem.
Conrod #3 common.
Exhaust system not avail in Canada anymore as well as many other 'wear' items, not even from Honda.

However, buckets of money or ingenuity will keep it going.

Date: Tue Aug  2 14:25:42 2005
Name: 
Type: CBX 550F

If you start at the first of this message board (See all the messages linked in blue at the bottom this page?) you will also read quite a bit about cam chains and their tensioners.

Date: Sat Jul 30 05:24:10 2005
Name: Don M
Email: cbx550@geeksrus.ca

I've pretty much decided to go ahead with buying this CBX550F in Toronto. I will have it inspected before purchase. I'm trying to arrange the best deal possible on shipping.

Anyway, I was talking with a Yamaha dealer just now who sometimes sells older bikes brought in from Japan and he said:

"Yeah, I remember the CBX550... thats a bad engine you know. Bad. Conrod #3 is always going on them. When I worked at a wreckers we couldn't get enough of those engines because people were always wanting parts for them. And you can't buy the exhaust system anymore... Well, maybe Honda will sell you one but it will be big money."

This from a guy who is trying to sell me something else, I take it with a large dose of salt. Just wondering if anyone here has a comment.

The other thing is I've found a guy locally how has a parts-bike 550F... should I be trying to pick anything up as pre-emptive parts collecting??

Thanks,
Don

Date: Fri Jul 29 07:25:33 2005
Name: Stan
Type: CBX 550F

Don, asking price seems reasonable including shipping if it is in good to excellent shape. Have a reputable shop inspect the bike and provide report prior to any purchase.

Old bikes are never as good as we remember then to be.

Date: Thu Jul 28 13:18:04 2005
Name: Don M
Email: cbx550@geeksrus.ca

Call me crazy... I had a CBX400f in '89 when I lived in Japan. Its the only bike I ever owned and loved it like crazy. It got stolen by joyriders, got pretty much wrecked, and I left Japan before it was repaired.

Anyway, I have been riding a friend's little 250 for the last few months and I want to get back into the game. But of all the bikes in the world, I still like the "look and feel" of the CBX400/550 more than anything else...

I'm in Vancouver, Canada... been looking around, but haven't found one that is ride-able. Found one in Toronto and I can have it shipped to me for around $450 CAD... I think I can buy it from him for $1800-1900. Appears to be in quite good shape, has recent fixes, about 38000 km.

I'm just wondering what people think of this price, and can you talk me out of or into this deal :)

Don

Date: Wed Jul 27 08:54:53 2005
Name: Robert Boydd
Type: CBX 550F

Thanks for the side panel hint. I'll look into the Saber and Nighthawk, but I doubt it.

Yes. They were in Canada in '83 at least, and I always thought that they were in USA too.

I have a Honda service manual and could scan a few pages if someone was desperate.

Date: Sat Jul 23 10:44:41 2005
Name: Eugene
Email: eugeart@hotmail.com

Daniel, I have a haynes manual for the cbx. Tell me what you need and maybe I can scan in some pages and email them to you as jpegs or perhaps even mail hard-copies.

Date: Sat Jul 23 10:41:43 2005
Name: Eugene
Email: eugeart@hotmail.com

Robert, take a look at the sabres or 83 nighthawks. They seem to have the same panels. I might be worth a shot

Date: Sat Jul 23 06:49:08 2005
Name: rob
Type: CBX 550F2 (Integra)

sorry Rob thought you were UK based!MCN is a weekly bike newspaper....has a good section full of bike wreckers, as they are called in north america.
I thought that the cbx was imported into canada.
If you get real stuck, leave a post and i can drop you some numbers for breakers in the UK.

rob

Date: Fri Jul 22 12:46:59 2005
Name: Eugene
Email: eugeart@hotmail.com
Type: CBX 550F

I have been very frustrated in finding references to cbx's except 1000/1100cc in the US. I've seen some similar body styles which might be compatible. Why not email honda and ask them suckers?

Date: Fri Jul 22 06:52:46 2005
Name: Robert
Type: CBX 550F

Wern't these bikes in USA?
I e-mailed a few wreckers and they said no such bike in USA.
I stated 1983cbx550f.

Date: Wed Jul 20 13:32:43 2005
Name: Robert Boydd
Type: CBX 550F

Whole panel is gone... flew away never to be found.
Sorry, I don't understand what this means "just try round the breakers in the back of MCN"

Date: Wed Jul 20 06:13:24 2005
Name: Rob
Type: CBX 550F2 (Integra)

Hi Rob
If you still have the lugs, you might have some luck with some of these places that offer plastic welding.
Otherwise just try round the breakers in the back of MCN

rob

Date: Wed Jul 20 04:06:49 2005
Name: Bobert Boydd
Email: mrroyboy@hotmail.com
Type: CBX 550F

David Silvers; " Sorry no stock of R/H side panels in any colour and now discontinued."

No one Here has a spare right side panel?

Date: Wed Jul 20 02:48:44 2005
Name: Daniel
Email: dadaj@o2.pl
Type: CBX 400F2 (Integra)

Hi, I'm from poland. I have a problem witch my CBX 400 F2 .I have not manual serwis. Please give me manual to dadaj@o2.pl

PLEASE

Date: Tue Jul 19 14:39:10 2005
Name: Robert Boydd
Email: mrroyboy@hotmail.com
Type: CBX 550F

Thanks, I thought David Silvers only had the faring for sale, but the picture is a link?
Web says they have lots of lefts, I have two also. What gives? The right's all get blown away? I will e-mail them and inquire!
Anyone else?

K&N seperate filters should be simple matter to measure OD of carb mouth and order.

Date: Tue Jul 19 07:47:07 2005
Name: Eugene
Email: eugeart@hotmail.com
Type: CBX 550F

Does anyone know the K&N airfilter replacement part number (the single element that goes in the air box) or the universal part number for four filters (airbox removed and airfilters attached to the carbs) on the CBX550? Any results and advice as to changing these Items either way? I am running original exhaust and I don't believe the carbs have been re-jetted. I am also considering foam airfilters also as opposed to the K&N. Do any of these parts correspond to a CB550?