American Honda’s Bob Jameson had played an important role in developing the Honda CBX before its debut as a 1979 model, and he could hardly hide his wistful tone when recollecting the bike’s fate. After initially brisk sales, there were few takers for the imposing CBX. It wasn’t the easiest bike to own, as adjusting the six carburetors and 24 valves was almost like doing open-heart surgery. For 1981, the naked CBX gave way to the sport-touring CBX, which had a three-quarter fairing and hard saddlebags. “That was a wonderful bike, but we couldn’t give them away,” Jameson said.

Beyond the fairing and bags and re-sculpted bodywork, extensive revisions had changed the bike’s character. Making the fork stouter meant slightly revising the front suspension geometry, and the rear suspension benefited by the incorporation of a Pro-Link single-shock setup with a boxy aluminum swingarm. Wheelbase stretched from 58.9 inches to 60.4 inches. The Comstar wheels, 19-inch front diameter and 18-inch rear, were wider and the brakes were uprated.

The mighty air-cooled DOHC 1,047cc inline six-cylinder engine, which tilted forward by 33 degrees, now offered increased midrange and roll-on power after subtle changes were made to the valvetrain, carburetion, and exhaust system. Even the clutch was revised for quieter operation. But with such slow sales, Honda had taken to giving away CBXs to high school shop classes for the training of young mechanics. In its final year, the only changes for the 1982 Honda CBX were the addition of a passenger grab handle and a new paint scheme in Pearl Altair White with blue accents.