Sandcast CB1-2000011 CB1E-2000011 located!

[cbxmel]

Hi Guys,

For those of you interested in the early models of the CBX thought I would let you know I have located CB1-2000011 CB1E-2000011. When I have pictures of the complete machine plus mileage etc will let you know more information. Unfortunately, the machine is not for sale. Sorry the pictures are not very clear although you should be able to see the 11. Vin plate shows manufacture as 11/77 so not many built before this one. As some of you know I own the head ,cams,oil pump and oil filler cover and one crankcase end cap for sandcast number CB1E-2000028 which was one of the Honda UK press bikes and exhibited at the London Earls Court Motorcycle Show in 1979. It was pictured on the front cover of MCN in August 1979 with a beauty in a bathing costume on it! In matching red! Honda ordered the bike to be destroyed but a member of their staff took home the bits I have in the trunk of his car and I bought them 20 years later! I wonder how many more sandcast are out there? Not many I bet. Will get back to you. Hope of interest.

all the best Mel 1876

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Just like a paleontologist digging up dinosaur bones.
Looking forward to the rest of the story.

Mel, mostly because i am too lazy to look in Ians' book, what is the guessestimate on how many sandcast engines there are and did they all match numbers with their frames when first produced?

[EMS]

[cbxmel]

Mike,your images are so large can't see what you are trying to show us. Can only see lefthand side of each image.
regards Mel 1876

ps Steve it is known 41 sandcast built although very few survive. Thanks for your interest.

[Rick Pope]

Hint..... If you move your cursor over the picture, and your arrow becomes a little hand with finger extended, click on the picture. It will re-open as the entire picture.

[cbxmel]

Thanks Rick,
Never had that issue with other websites. I live and learn.

cheers Mel

[Rick Pope]

I'd appreciate hearing from others if that works for them too. I'm pretty much a computer dummy, and just stumbled upon that trick by accident, so I really don't know if it's something in my machine, or if it's supposed to work that way.

[spencer]

Works for me too. Never noticed that before.

[daves79x]

The images appeared just fine for me without fiddling. Anyway, that is so cool! There were apparently 40-odd pre-productions bikes made and not every one has been accounted for. Keep thinking I'll find one in a shed somewhere in my travels. Seriously - that bike is worth some significant money. Love to see it in person.

Dave

[Goss]

Mike,your images are so large can't see what you are trying to show us. Can only see lefthand side of each image.
regards Mel 1876

ps Steve it is known 41 sandcast built although very few survive. Thanks for your interest.

Perhaps you need to treat yourself to a 24" screen Mel!

Regards

Steve

[cbxmel]

Hi Steve,

I did as Rick suggested and ok now.So no need for anything larger than my 19 inch screen!!!

cheers Mel 1876

[cbxian]

Hi Steve,

The Records on this that Honda have in their Tokyo HQ and at the Japan Factories are incredibly limited (suprising for a Company like Honda!), they showed me everything they could. In researching the first "CBX Book" I have spoken with Honda Japan and the Experts in the various Clubs around the World, guys who own the Bikes, rebuilt them, etc (eg. Asmund Olson #14 and Jan Henrik Eriksen in Norway). We do know that 41 Pre-production Bikes were Built (up to vin.# CB1-2000041), but how many engines were built is not definitely known. Extra engines would have been built (remember sandcast 'by hand' before Production) as these bikes were for Testing and Racing!! The first Production Bikes had engine #s starting at CB1E-2000060, so therein may lie a clue!?!

Your second question about frames/engines matching ... this may have been possible but with Honda engines and frames are manufactured at different Plants so not that easy to accomplish, but again these were Test and Race Bikes so I am sure had engines swapped around over time (especially when Racing!!).

Hope you are warming up now in Canada!?

Best Regards, IAN
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[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Thanks for the info, Ian.

The "warm-up" has begun but it is late and proceeding far too slowly. In fact, we are supposed to get a couple inches of snow today. Yuck!

My local Honda dealer John Clare, was in business when the CBX was introduced in Canada.
5 or 6 years ago i saw a photo of the invitees and a couple bikes in front of the Princes' Gates in Toronto. He says it was the fall of '78. Does that sound correct?
I have asked for copies of his photos and literature from the day a couple of times but so far has been a no-go. I will ask again.

[cbxian]

Hi Steve,

Those sound like very interesting photos to record the CBX's arrival in Canada. The Shop would get some FREE exposure in the Book!?

The CBXs would probably have arrived in Canada in late-1978, the first batch from Japan seemed to head to USA in mid-1978 with all the early Production Bikes we still know about being registered there, mainly in California.

Enjoy the good weather when it comes ... and get the cobwebs blown out of your CBX-B's 6-6!! (send me an email to ian@netvigator.com, I have a question for you!)

Best, IAN
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[Pistonman]

My VIN number is:

CB1-2012216

In my documents say that the first plate number registration is May 28 of 1978, should be great know the production date...