Manufactured between 1978 and 1982, the Honda CBX 1050 was a sports motorcycle powered by a 1047cc inline, 24-valve, 6-cylinder engine that produced 105 bhp and sipped fuel through six carburetors. It was the flagship and Honda’s first production 6-cylinder road bike for that time. The CBX’s advanced engine was ahead of its time; but in all other respects, the bike was conventional and featured telescopic forks, a tubular frame, twin rear shocks and straight handlebars. It was one of those rare examples, the production version of which was faster than its prototype.
The CBX 1050 was rated for a top speed of 216 kph and could cover a quarter mile in 11.36 seconds with a terminal speed of 189.82 kph. However, what it is still remembered for is the sound that inline 6 made, which really can put a modern day Formula 1 car to shame. Considered as one of the best sounding motorcycles ever, the Honda CBX 1050’s magnificent howl sounds pleasingly menacing to say the least.
We’ve pulled up a few videos from YouTube which go on to show just that. So turn up the volume and revel in the sound, while your eyes feast on those six naked pipes which originate from a DOHC setup and grace some deceivingly ordinary bodywork.