VFR next to Classic 1983 CBX 550 F

[VFR80025th]

A duo of classic honda Paint schemes.

 

Priceless!

[Dutchy]

Aaaahh!!!  Honda's inboard brake rotor!!

 

 

 

[squirrelman]

it's quite a good brake, dutchy, cast-iron ventilated floating rotor with alot of power, kinda heavy though.

 

[Mohawk]

Ah but do any of you know what’s unique about the CBX550 engine ?

 

1L of free air to the first person with the right answer ! It’s a good one as one of Ho da UK senior techs did not know it !!!👍😀

[Terry]

3 hours ago, Mohawk said:

Ah but do any of you know what’s unique about the CBX550 engine ?

 

1L of free air to the first person with the right answer ! It’s a good one as one of Ho da UK senior techs did not know it !!!👍😀

It's not a 550? (actualy 572cc). Also the crank spins backwards due to the chain primary drive. 

[Mohawk]

Top banana Terry wins the free air. Just breath a little deeper on your next inhale 👍😀

 

I’m not certain but I think it was the first production bike engine to run backwards. In the UK it had a terrible reputation for cam chain issues, I’m fairly certain that was caused by people turning the crank the wrong way whilst setting the valve clearances. I never had an issue in many miles on mine. And yes 572cc  

[Terry]

Thanks Mohawk, my VO2max is peaking right now and I'm seeing some interesting colours!

 

Not to be unnecessarily picky but aren't all engines that use a primary chain to drive the clutch spinning "backwards"? I'm thinking of CB750/900/1100Fs and of course Z1s, GS1000s etc, before the move to direct gear drive of the clutch basket. Probably even Harleys? To get the same with "modern" engines a jackshaft is usually employed e.g. the MV 800F3. 

 

I never owned the 550 but did have a CBX400F back in the day, I never had camchain issues on that one but it used to have quite the appetite for sparkplugs and got quite sulky at low revs until they were swapped. 

[Mohawk]

Hi Terry, I’m not certain if all previous primary chain driven engines were the same, but most like the CB750/900 had a primary drive or lay shaft. i.e. they had a crank rotating clockwise when viewed from the right, the primary chain spins the primary shaft in the same clockwise direction. A gear on this shaft drives the first gearbox/clutch shaft anti clockwise, then the second gear / output shaft clockwise. The 550 did away with the lay shaft by running the crank backwards or anti-clockwise when viewed from

the right side end.