CX500 questions

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jmillheiser · Sun Oct 23, 2005 12:54 pm

Well got a call from a friend of mine today. One of my coworkers is selling their 79 CX500. I went to look at the bike and it appears to be in good shape and runs nice and smooth. They want $500 for the bike. Did not get a chance to ride it but it felt good when I sat on it, the handlebars were straight and there was little vibration from the engine.

This would be my first bike, think I should snag it up? It also has an 80s vintage Vetter fairing on it that will likely be coming off (hate the look of it though it is pretty light), how hard would the fairing be to remove.

Gummiente · #2 Unread post by **Gummiente** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 1:22 pm

Check the fan blade shaft seal, these bikes were known for leaks in that area. Otherwise they were pretty bulletproof machines - my first bike was an '81 CX500C and it served me well.

IIRC, the removal of the Vetter fairing will mean that you'll have to find some front signal lights (they were mounted on the front forks) as well as a headlight bucket but those shouldn't be too hard to come up with.

jmillheiser · Sun Oct 23, 2005 2:15 pm

Ill probably just hit a junkyard or ebay for the lights. Or find decent aftermarket replacements.

How well do the CX500s ride. Do they handle well? How is the power, im gonna guess it will have a pretty good torque curve being its a v-twin. Do these bikes have any weird handling quirks? Are there any sites with good info on the CX500?

ZooTech · #4 Unread post by **ZooTech** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 3:08 pm

My first bike was a '78 CX500, and my buddy is still riding his '82 GL500i (same engine but on a SilverWing). The CX is a bit top-heavy, but otherwise they are pretty fun to ride and the engines, if in a good state of tune, are bullet-proof. Mine needed a valve-adjustment when I bought it, but I was having too much fun riding it and never got around to doing one. After 3,000 miles of near non-stop use, one of the exhaust valves on the right cylinder broke. I replaced the head with an inexpensive eBay find, but discovered the cam follower had shattered which would require a complete engine tear-down to access. I ended up getting every bit of my $800.00 back by parting the bike out on ebay, and still have a ton of stuff in my garage (including a headlight bucket if you need one).

So, as long as the engine runs well with no tapping noises (indicating the valves are in need of adjustment) go ahead and buy it. Even if it breaks you'll make a killing parting it out on eBay. And if you need any engine parts for yours, send me a PM and I'll hook you up.

jmillheiser · Sun Oct 23, 2005 4:20 pm

this one has a very light tap and I know that solid lifters will have a very light tap when adjusted properly. How hard are the valves to adjust on these? I would guess being an OHV it should be pretty easy (I can do valve adjustments on my VW in my sleep).

The bike runs pretty smooth and does not smoke. It had a few small hesitations though I would likely attribute that to old gas (the bike hasn't been run since august). The brakes are solid and the bike is pretty easy to find gears on (had zero trouble finding neutral).

Hey Zoo Ill PM you when I get the bike, will probably be interested in that headlight bucket. Currently has ugly fairing that will be the first thing to go.

ZooTech · #6 Unread post by **ZooTech** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 4:32 pm

jmillheiser wrote:How hard are the valves to adjust on these?

It's VERY easy to do. Just pop the valve covers off, remove two plugs (one on the right side of the engine covering the TDC markings and one in the front of the engine covering the front of the crank where you'll insert your socket wrench), and all you'll need is some feeler gauges, some allens, and a small open-end wrench to make the adjustments. Mine tapped like crazy when I got it, but my buddy's has been smooth and quiet since day one. Had I adjusted mine right away it would probably still be running today. At the time I was busy, broke, and worried about the valve cover gaskets sticking and getting torn upon removal.

jmillheiser · Sun Oct 23, 2005 4:37 pm

the sticky valve cover thing is the reason why I always keep a couple of spare sets of valve cover gaskets for my VW.

Is it still possible to get valve cover gaskets for the CX?[/quote]

ZooTech · #8 Unread post by **ZooTech** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 4:46 pm

jmillheiser wrote:the sticky valve cover thing is the reason why I always keep a couple of spare sets of valve cover gaskets for my VW.

Is it still possible to get valve cover gaskets for the CX?

I bought two brand new ones in '03 with no problem, but it turned-out to be a non-issue. The old ones didn't stick at all. If yours stick or otherwise need replaced, you're welcome to mine.

jmillheiser · Sun Oct 23, 2005 4:55 pm

Having a spare set couldn't hurt.

Oddly enough I didn't find the CX to be particularly top heavy, I found it to have a nice balace and was easy to keep upright.

Could be a product of the bike I took the MSF on and some of the bikes I have thrown a leg over. I took the MSF on a dual sport and have been looking at the newer standards/naked bikes which tend to be top heavy.

This CX also had a nearly empty tank too, I've heard the CX gets more top heavy with a full tank.

#10 Unread post by **yoda731** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 7:48 am

Hey, I just found this in another search I am doing. It is nice to be in good company as a CX500 owner, and really nice to know I can bug all you guys when I have a question. I'm going to readjust the valves tonight (I did it last night, but did not have the exact feeler gauge, so I'm going to do it again with the right ones). And I'm popping in a new headlight bulb, as the one in there is really yellow and really dim.

This weekend I hope to change the front fork oil. At first glance, the Clymer's manual seemed to say I had to remove and disassemble each fork separately. But the addendum for newer models seems to say its a lot easier on the '81 model. Regardless, she's getting done...

JC