I loved this bike for the short time i had it, i liken it to a poor persons Fazer 600. it has a nice riding position, plenty of low end power but looses it around 120/130mph, but that was fine for me, i aint interested in much above 100mph.

It has about 98bhp wich was more than my GPZ750R. The engine is nice and smooth, it has hydralic valves so the top end should be nice and quiet but you have to make sure that the oil pump is good else it all goes tits up.

My only real critisium is the pilion seat, it has quite a steep forward rake so the pilion tends to slide forward wich can get a tad uncomfortable, esspecialy for us blokeys.

The 16' front wheel can make for quick steering but the bike is very forgiving, the brakes arnt great, but mine was not in the best of its life.

Watch out for engine rattles, i thought it was the cam chain so i haggled a good price on that fault, but it turned out to be the alternator drive chain, engine out job, so i cut my losses and sold it informing the next owner of the fault, the loss in money worked out cheeper than the fix.

Still i highly recomend this bike, but get a nice one, there are plenty out there.

I had a 1985 CBX back in 95, until I got my Daytona it was the best bike I'd ever owned. When I picked it up I couldn't get over how good the handling was or how smooth the bike seemed. I read a post somewhere where a guy with a newish Fireblade bought a Cbx as a second bike and ended up preferring the Cbx.
They still look good now. I only kept mine for a few months, a serious case of poverty forced me to sell it. A 20 year old bought it the day he passed his test, he wanted to paint it pink and put a sidecar on it! He swopped it for a CB 750 F plus cash and it ended up in the Lake District.

MMMM... i never realised the oil went through the frame, how observant of me NOT.

Never had the urge to paint it pink... that is Oogas domain. As for side cars...yyyuuuchh !

I had one too in Black but buggered if I can remember what year it was.Cracking bike though.

Still got one. Its on an '85 B plate. 40k miles from new and still gives a big grin when I ride it. Bits are still easy'ish to come by. The hydraulic tappets are fine with regular oil and filter changes. The weak point's are the chain tensioners. Ok so they're an engine out job but nothing too scarey.

The rear shock needs regular greasing and the preload cable must be kept oiled or that siezes. The forks could do with a respring if I'm honest tho thats prob down to the mileage.
The other stuff is usual Honda fodder. Well made and seems to be lasting the test of time. Theres an RC17 register with a world wide membership. The site gives some good info re all the uasual fix's and theres some nice upgrades like retro fitting cast wheels from other honda models.

Getting rarer now and mines on an agreed value collectors insurance. The yearly inspection has put a value of 1900 quid on it. Not bad when you think I paid a lot less than that for it. Its been a labour of love.

Would I get rid of it? Probably not. Its been a great bike and gets used probably more than the firestorm. Great to ride with predictable handling. The brakes are fine when new lines have been fitted. Probably stops better than the storm. The gearbox is one of the better ones that I've experienced. The shift pawl springs need changing if any mileage has been covered over the years. An easy job and pence to do. Give a very slick positive change.

The engine pulls strongly from the lower revs and really comes alive from about 8.5 grand and rockets all the way to the red line. Makes for a lively ride bearing in mind that we are talking a 20 odd year old bike. Not too bad on petrol considering that the engine is fed by four carbs. Can be pootled round town easily but really comes into its own on fast B and A roads.
Tyres need to be chosen carefully to suit the style of rider. Currently I've got it shod with Bridgestone BT17 battlaxe's. Not too skittish and seems to take a bit of the "twitch" out of the steering. Tho setting up the preload and rebound on the forks helps an awful lot. The antidive doesn't seem to do a lot. Fork seals need to be in tip top condition if they are to hold the air in them.

If you want a useable "classic", I use the term loosely, then you won't go far wrong looking at the CBX. It was the fastest 750 on the road for 5 mins. The 5 mins before suzuki launched the GSXR that is!