IVI CBX Titanium

[Imagine!VehiclesInt]

IVI CBX Titanium

-Engine: 1150cc big bore kit with Falicon crank/rods, Wiseco pistons, Kibblewhite valves/springs
-Carburetors: factory, rejetted and polished by Oldschoolcarbs.
-Sprockets/Chain: 520 conversion, RK chain and rear, Krueger & Junginger, Germany, front.
-Headlight: LED Haley Davidson Corp
-Wheels: Carbon by Dymag
-Brakes: Front- EBC Vee- Rotors, EBC Double H Pads; Rear-Galfer Wave
-Frame and body: Steel tubing and Billet Aluminum Spars by IVI, Steel body by IVI, Billet housing by IVI
-Paint: Northwest Paint
-Rear suspension: Ohlin’s
-Front Suspension: KYB
-Upholstery: Gabe’s
-Controls and mirrors: Rizoma, Italy - Motovationusa.com
-Instruments: GPS-Legendary Motorcycles
-Tires: Pirelli Diabolo Rosso II
-Battery: 12 Cell Moty Design
-Exhaust: 6 into 6 Titanium by IVI
-Ignition: Dynatek

[daves79x]

What I said in the other topic.

Dave

[EMS]

What I said in the other topic.

Dave

I must agree with you Dave.
I am certainly not a purist or a stodgy fan of complete originality when it comes to the CBX. I have done my share of changes on bikes and I think it is great to learn about things that can be improved upon and still keeping the true essence of the CBX.
But when, my friends, does a CBX cease to be a CBX? Is it just the engine, that makes the CBX? Meaning, you take the powerplant and stick it into something completely different and it is still a CBX?
Were the 1960s Volkswagen Bugs that had a Porsche engine transplanted into them Volkswagens or Porsches? Would you call my Sears garden tractor with a CBX motor a CBX?
Would a Vincent Black Shadow still be a Vincent Black Shadow and would it be sought after and worth as much if the engine would hang in a BMW frame?? And by the same token, will a custom chassis built around a CBX motor in 30 years be worth as much as a completely original 1979 CBX, even one with the spindly fork, the lousy swingarm and the skinny tires?
I am not dismissing the customizing culture. I think these are always conversation pieces. For some. As far as I am concerned, this is not why I am a CBX enthusiast. I am not involved in the CBX hobby to find out, how much I can hack up a standard bike just in order to have my 15 minutes of fame in a magazine or on an internet forum. Putting a Prolink fork into an early bike, gusseting the frame or exchanging the swingarm with a Calfab unit are fine with me. Not even talking about improving the running performance with a better ignition or different carb setting. But that's it for me, guys. Transplanting other bikes' essential parts to a CBX or taking the motor out into something completely different, is not my idea of enjoying a classic bike. Even some of the naked Prolink aberrations are taking it a tad too far for me. I am waiting for the first one who is going to replace the CBX tailpiece with a Porsche Carrera whale tail......

[daves79x]

Just to be clear, I mean no disrespect and welcome, by the way, and thanks for posting the pics. I certainly lean more toward Mike's idea of what a CBX is, but to each his own.

Dave

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Welcome to the site.
Lots of nice bits on your custom build.
Thank goodness we have varying opinions on these brutes. It would be so boring if we didn't.
Got any video of the bike going down the road.

[bikeymikey748]

Mike agreeing with Dave ? What'd I miss ?
Gentlemen, your points are both well-presented, and valid.
It's curious, on the one hand I'm in total agreement with what you're saying. And yet on the other hand, as the owner of a modded 'X', I might be perceived as an offender (though the level of support and encouragement I've received on this site speaks volumes to the character of its many talented members). While I've always had an appreciation for the stock CBXs, no bike I've owned has remained stock for any length of time. And so it was with my Honda. I guess, for me a least, in essence a CBX is its motor. Other makers can call their products 'bikes'. A CBX is a motor cycle. I like to think I've taken mine in a direction that Honda might have were they to have committed more time to the model.
You're correct in asking at what point in a build a CBX is no longer a CBX. Food for thought, really.
As to the bike in question, kudos to the builders, lots of quality work. Is it still a CBX, retaining as it does only the gas tank and motor ( both modded ) ? I can't speak to that, but it would sure be a great conversation to get into over single malts while our 'Xs' ticked quietly in the background, as they cooled from our evening ride.

[EMS]

Mike: Dave said in another thread that everything is possible if you put enough money into it. This is what he referred to here and what I agreed to.
I went further into asking the question what the CBX means to the individual. And I expressed my opinion, that while I value subtle improvements to a CBX, I don't care much for complete transformations.
I acknowledge the excellent execution and workmanship that has gone into some of these bikes, but I would rather spend the money and effort into bringing the bike back to its original glory.
"Custom bikes" are just not my thing. No matter what brand of motorcycle it is.
Now, this suggestion of sitting down with a good cask strength single malt and discussing this further is an awesome idea of yours...

[RJ CB650]

Time for my two bits.

First, "What I said in the other topic." doesn't say much when a person cannot find or know about the other topic ^.^

Next, the discussion about when does it stop becoming something and becomes something else really is based entirely on what defines said vehicle. A vincent black is defined by a combination of the frame positioning, tank, engine and kinda a combination. You can take away a bit, but at some point, it transverses the line.

A CBX on the other hand, really is entirely defined by it's engine to most people. Like the goldwing is the boxer engine. Do what you want, but keep that boxer, and most will still call it a goldwing if there is some semblance of stance left.

As for the whole custom/modded. I do not care personally what is left when finished, all I rant about is what was started with. Plenty of rough vehicles prime for projects, but laziness and greed makes people want to get the best mintie ones, hack em up and sell the parts. That is what posers do, collectors and customizers like to preserve the past, and be proud of their work (at least in my mind)

And you can see that in this bike. Is it good? Is it not? Of course is all a matter of importance. Award winning is subjective. Shock value says alot, but get to looking at it, and then opinion might change. Personally, here is what I see for that bike. In house built frame, suspension and I am guessing rear swing arm? Great work on that. I do cad work, and isn't cheap, and not easy if you don't know what you are doing, but one would need a close look to see if there is value in their work, or if they just took existing, and made a stylized version. As such, I will hold judgement to other things.

First thing I notice, is that exhaust. Bare metal simple jointed straight pipes with some non finished tig welding screams lazy to me. No tuning to it, just loud and garbage. That is unless the ID is tuned and it is a WOT race only bike.

Other thing is the pics. Some people like this, but I dont. Draping Lingerie clad women over the vehicle. Be it bike, car, airplane or bloody model railway. Can be the best work, but they are hiding the car or relying on some trampy model to try and boost something they themselves are not confident in, etc. That is what it says to me, and when I see that on say a magazine, or in some article, my interest in the vehicle suddenly zeroes out.

Rant over. Summation: Nice finishing work, but on a whole just seems to me to be "slapped together with a bunch of money" Mostly due to that exhaust and the fact they need "models" for most of the pics making it seem shallow.

[Z Grand]

I wouldn't mind taking her for a spin. The redhead -- that is.

[rpleines]

IVI CBX Titanium, beautiful build, tastefully done, fantastic!!!!!!! Thanks for joining the site and posting. In my opinion the best first post ever on this site. Sincerely, Rich

[Bob Buehler]

I have a great deal of respect for anyone that can fabricate and build art based on a motorcycle, especially a cbx. The bike looks great and represents a lot of work that most of us cannot do. If you have some negative opinion be careful how you express it or keep it to yourself please. No one really cares if you don't like something. There are plenty of things in like I don't care for but I a not going to waste my time looking for places to express it.

Just a note about negative opinions. This club used to have a much larger membership but negative opinions regarding non-stock CBXs has probably reduced the membership. I don't mind if you want to restore your bike to stock if that is your interest. Anyone that knows me is aware that I have always liked the modified stuff. There is only so many of us CBX enthusiasts left, lets not fragment the group with negative opinions regarding others interests or desires.
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[EMS]

Bob: Your remarks are probably directed towards me and my earlier remarks.
I do have a different opinion regarding the expression of opinions.
if you read my post, I did not put the work that was done down or belittled the builder in any way. I too have a lot of respect for the skill and craftsmanship that many have and exhibit, who work on custom bikes.
I just don't get excited over custom bikes. And I should be able to express that in a forum. That's what forums are for. They are not gathering places to mindlessly worship certain trends. (Well, I guess, some of them are)
And as far as the fragmentation of the group is concerned, I know first hand what the real reasons for that are.
It is definitely not because some people express a "negative opinion" about something.
See what you are doing? You calling somebodies opinion a "negative opinion". That itself is contributing to fragmentation. if everybody would accept that there are different points of view and let everybody express them, we would not have a problem.

[EMS]

Let me try an analogy:

An art lover will most certainly acknowledge the skill and talent of Picasso. He still may not want to hang one of his paintings in his house. Because he doesn't like any of them.

[Bob Buehler]

I took a few minutes to read through the thread again and I don't think my thoughts were not provoked so much by your comments. I'd say you respectfully stated your thoughts. I think what prompted me to comment was the post by RJ. I don't know if he is an accomplished bike builder or not but even if he is, I find it distasteful to hear his criticism of someone else's idea of what is attractive. It might have a place on a bike builders build off tv show, but it just did not sound right on here.

Your analogy to art is very true. I'm sure the same goes for music.

I have done simple mods and modest tunes with carburetors so when I meet or see someone that can produce one off parts, entire bikes, or most recently custom tuned EFi systems to go with the fabrication, I am impressed and can express nothing but respect. I am a big enthusiast not an import car enthusiast but when I see the work some of these guys can do the last thing I am going to do is nit pick about some little aspect of it that I think should have been done differently.

And maybe you are correct in that these forums may be a place to express differences of opinion. I am sure I have offered out my opinion more often that I can remember and maybe not so tactfully either. So maybe I should have just said I like the bike and disagree with the critique and stated why.

[hondaman160mph]

Weighing in on the discussion of what is and isn't a CBX,is this a CBX?
In my opinion it is a CBX,and a nice one at that.