Total Number of CBXes Made

[RJ CB650]

No offense (and I know you're far from alone in feeling this way), but I don't get the angst. Pretty much everyone that wants a CBX can get one, and we all need parts, many of which aren't available from Honda. If guys didn't part out bikes, my bike would still be parts.

You may argue that some bikes are more or less worthy of the fate than others, but I prefer nice clean parts too. YMMV.

Well, it stems from my original and main love, classic cars. The issue is there are people looking for complete ones, and people will hack up a good one because they don't want to spend a little effort on something rougher. Then I got into bikes, and when I started, before ye e-bay etc. Finding a good vintage bike was extremely tough. Then I go to a show, there is some guy with a mediocre bobber/cafe built from a cherry and complete version of the bike I be looking for. That would be sorta the start ^.^

I have a firm belief in save the complete packages for those who would like to own one. I would rather go to a show and be beside another vehicle like mine, opposed to being there by myself cause I got parts from buddy's otherwise complete (and possibly better condition) bike that got sold to some breaker.

Now some bikes are beyond service. Toasted engine, broken suspension, etc. Those are understandable. It is only the complete and good condition vehicles that make me sigh a little. On that note, I also am pretty good modding and am not concerned with some aftermarket parts or not being concourse complete.

Personally, I like dirty and scuzzy parts then refurbishing them. I do not feel bad that way about wrecking something original, and usually (should I care or choose to) be nicer than a factory condition. Prime example is my nighthawk, (the hence RJ CB650). That is a bike that probably 95% chance would have only been bought by somebody to part out. However, I put the performance goodies, mods etc. onto it and now have something way better than if I had bought a "good condition" for the same total investment.

[EMS]

I used to be rather critical of those who part out perfectly good CBXes for their own profit. I have come to realize that there is little I can do about it and that there are many who resurrect bikes and they need the parts, so I have made my peace with this.

Back to the theme of the thread. I have almost 1,000 recorded VIN numbers of CBXes. Quite a few of them may no longer be on the road, considering the pace they are being dismantled by mistermonkeyclaw, autobuy, machIVmotors et al.
Earlier this year, I had a kid going through the list and putting all those that had a confirmed built date on an easy-to-read spreadsheet.
I would like him to get on this again and update it. As you can see, we lack quite a bit of information.
So, if you will consider it worthwhile to look at the VIN plate and let me know the number and the month the bike was built, that would be great.
I know, some will say: "Who gives a hoot?" - and these are probably the ones who can't wait to get their hands on Ian Foster's second book. And Ian would most certainly not have been able to put together two books without information that nobody gives a hoot about.

I would like to hear about 79 CBXes that were built in January and maybe February of 1979, 1980 CBXes that were built in May, July and August of 1979, Any 1980 Marysville bikes built in 1979, 1981 CBXes built in February, March and April of 1981 and any 1982 CBXes built after September of 1981. Look at the chart and see where the data is thin.

[RJ CB650]

I used to be rather critical of those who part out perfectly good CBXes for their own profit. I have come to realize that there is little I can do about it and that there are many who resurrect bikes and they need the parts, so I have made my peace with this.

Back to the them of the thread. I have almost 1,000 recorded VIN numbers of CBXes. Quite a few of them may no longer be on the road, considering the pace they are being dismantled by mistermonkeyclaw, autobuy, machIVmotors et al.
Earlier this year, I had a kid going through the list and putting all those that had a confirmed built date on an easy-to-read spreadsheet.
I would like him to get on this again and update it. As you can see, we lack quite a bit of information.
So, if you will consider it worthwhile to look at the VIN plate and let me know the number and the month the bike was built, that would be great.
I know, some will say: "Who gives a hoot?" - and these are probably the ones who can't wait to get their hands on Ian Foster's second book. And Ian would most certainly not have been able to put together two books without information that nobody gives a hoot about.

I would like to hear about 79 CBXes that were built in January and maybe February of 1979, 1980 CBXes that were built in May, July and August of 1979, Any 1980 Marysville bikes built in 1979, 1981 CBXes built in February, March and April of 1981 and any 1982 CBXes built after September of 1981. Look at the chart and see where the data is thin.

The person I got mine from was an ICOA member (I need to register myself) so that won't change numbers, but I will recheck and repost for you. Mine was an august manufacturing of 81 iirc.

As for the dismantlings, good thing there are finite buyers, so once a part supply is built up, rest are safe ^.^ I really want an 81 w/o a fairing, hopefully I can find one with the front plastics damaged so I won't feel bad pulling the fairings and cases off.

[EMS]

Thanks, RJ. I have yours from earlier info!

[EMS]

Here is a little update for those of you who are interested in this!

So far, my record keeping has resulted in the following chassis numbers built in each month. These are only those numbers that I can definitely assign to a built date.
One big problem is, that all CBXes sold outside of the U.S. and Canada did not have a date on the VIN plate and the chassis numbers are slightly different.
I found one mystery so far: A 1982 CBX in California supposedly has VIN number JH2SC0601CC401249 and a frame for sale in Germany had SC06-2401249

April 1978 CB1-20 00042 to CB1-20 02687
May 1978 CB1-20 02707 to CB1-20 03865
June 1978 CB1-20 03866 to CB1-20 06765
July 1978 CB1-20 06777 to unknown
August 1978 CB1-20 09025 to CB1-20 11051
September 1978 CB1-20 12881 to CB1-20 13082
October 1978 CB1-20 13467 to CB1-20 13762
November 1978 CB1-20 14503 to CB1-20 17287
December 1978 CB1-20 19069 to CB1 20 19927
January 1979 unknown to CB1-20 22356

June 1979 SC03-20 00030 to SC03-20 00706
July 1979 SC03-20 00734 to unkown
August 1979 none

September 1979 SC03-20 00001 to unknown
October 1979 -none
November 1979 -none
December 1979 -none
January 1980 - none
February 1980 -none
March 1980 SC03-20 11000
April 1980 SC03-20 11653 to SC03-20 12177
May 1980 SC03-20 12227

January 81 SC06..BC300089 to 300561
February 1981 301080 to 301350
March 1981 301747 to 302009
Others unknown

June 1981 SC06..CC400150 to 400794
July 1981 400879 to 401294
August 1981 401419 to 4002026
September 1981 402226 to 402245
October 1981 402293 to 402273
Other unknown

[EMS]

We didn't have a post in this thread for a while....
As I was just working on the CBX development and production start write-up after another conversation with a former Honda employee, I was able to find more evidence of high VIN numbers.
Ever so often, people refer to the Honda parts book and fiches as a resource for serial numbers. In some of these publications, the end of the 1979 CBX CB-1 or CBX-Z production is stated as serial-no...23175.
I think there is ample proof that this number only applies to the sales region for which the publications were intended for, in this case, the U.S. (or North America)
Besides the fact that we have heard of owners in Europe that own CB1s with VIN-numbers higher than CB1-20 2023175, there now is evidence of the highest number that I will have on record: CB1-20 24200.

Further digging revealed the highest 1979 model CBX (CBX-Z) produced as CB1-20 24590. This was a "European Direct Import" - whatever that means. The last CBX-Z imported into and sold in Germany was CB1-20 24578.
The only other country that received a CBX-Z with a chassis-no over 24000 was France. CB1-20 24315.
So, we may have had the first 1979 CBX in the U.S., but we did not have the last one.

[EMS]

Here we are again...
My records show the highest VIN-number of a 1979 CBX built in 1978 as CB1-20 19927 which indicates that almost all 1979s were built in 1978. I would like to hear from anyone in the U.S. who has a 79 model that was definitely sold and registered in 1978. Are there any original owners? Any documents that say so?

[daves79x]

Mike: My red '79 (serial 1918 - April '78) was on the dealer's floor by the last week of July in 1978. I could have bought it then and it would have been titled as a 1979, as were most all '79s here in the US. But I looked at that same CBX for a year and bought it in July of 1979 - the first one that dealer sold.

Dave

[wyly]

Here we are again...
My records show the highest VIN-number of a 1979 CBX built in 1978 as CB1-20 19927 which indicates that almost all 1979s were built in 1978. I would like to hear from anyone in the U.S. who has a 79 model that was definitely sold and registered in 1978. Are there any original owners? Any documents that say so?

yeah, I'm not in the USA my ride was made in Japan.
My preorder bill of sale is dated feb 6 of '78, the serial numbers indicate it was made in April '78. I'm not sure the exact date I took possession, most likely May or June. I've already posted the engine and frame serial numbers in the forum I believe my z is around #1400 or thereabouts. At what time point would the US made bikes have replaced the Japanese made versions in Canada, or were they always Japanese?

[EMS]

. At what time point would the US made bikes have replaced the Japanese made versions in Canada, or were they always Japanese?

Only some of the 1980 model production was made in the U.S. All other CBXes came from Japan.
Some records indicate that the 1980 bikes made in Ohio were officially sold by Honda only in the U.S. and Canada, and that a few generic export models were made to be sold in other countries.

[swarrans]

I don't know if my "new to me" CBX is in your database, or indeed if this is the right place to tell you, but it is:-
White CBX C with fairing removed.
Chassis JH2SC0609CC401158
Engine SC03E2401139
I live in the UK but the bike spent most of it's life in the US and only came here about a year ago

Does that mean mine was built in July 81?

Regards

Simon

[EMS]

Thanks for the input, Simon!
Yes, the bike falls right into the July 81 timeframe. You can confirm this by looking at the VIN plate on the steering neck. The right upper corner should say 7/81.
One thing is rare with yours: The engine serial number is lower than the frame serial number. This is usually the other way around.

[Mello]

Mike, my 79 has chassis 2021399 and engine 2021534. It seems to be a US spec bike, which is strange as we normally got the euro spec bikes. There is a neck plate which had come loose - I have it somewhere so will try to find it and post the info.

I also have the following two:
SC03-2001074, SC03E-2001092 registered 1980. This one has been modified quite a bit.
SC06-2302905, SC03E-2305767 registered 1982. This one has the earlier twin shock body work with VF750 wheels and front end (I think).

Regards,
Mike

[EMS]

Mike: Your 79 is a really interesting one. If you could find that VIN plate and check the build date. It is late in the model run, either 12/78 or 1/79

The 1980 is also of interest. How did yours get there? If that one has a U.S. type neck VIN plate, I would love to have the info of that one also.

[Mello]

Unfortunately the 80 has had the frame chopped and a mono shock installed. It has a different front end too. No name plate on the neck either. I have seen one other 80 with a sport kit on it here in South Africa. When I bought these two bikes, they came with a bunch of spares, which I haven't gone through yet, including another twin shock frame. There's a spare tank, side covers and front fender. I have the 80 front end too by the looks of it. All that is missing is a seat.

Interestingly, the pro link bike has what looks like the 80 type body work with the flap in the tail. Wonder if this was from the 80 originally? The prolink bike has the sport kit, which would have been standard for our market.

I think I have traced where the mods were made to these bikes so hopefully can find out a bit more of the history from them.