MY CX IS A SIGHT TO SEE

Love ’em or hate ’em, this 1978 Honda CX500 is a survivor. I bought it two years ago near San Francisco – apparently it had been in dry storage in Nevada for 35 years, and the mileage still shows under 10,000 miles.

CX expert Larry Cargill of Sacramento, California did an amazing carb rebuild, cam chain replacement and a million other things in a marathon 15-hour session. Rather than a predictable café chop, we chose to leave the ’70s touring set-up mostly alone (Vetter fairing and Bates hard bags), focusing instead on mechanical performance – it’s now unstoppable and a joy to ride, even on long journeys.

Don’t write off the humble CX500 – it’s a tough, practical classic still capable of serious travel!

Andy Asp, Oakland, California

This bike is now 42 years old – can you believe it?

RIGHT: A well-built, classy-looking bike – but whatever you do, don’t trust the side stand...