One-Mile 1983 Honda CX650 Turbo for Sale Is a Tech School Survivor
It’s essentially never been ridden, but it’ll take some work to get going again.
Turbochargers are great, using waste exhaust gases to cram more air into an engine to make more power. They're not typically seen on motorbikes, but for a small window in the 1980s, they were the new hotness on two wheels. If you want to lay your hands on such a motorcycle, you might consider this 1983 Honda CX650 Turbo for sale at GovDeals with just one mile on the clock.
The Honda CX650 Turbo is a peak example of turbocharged motorcycle design in the 1980s. It was a heady time, with new technology and bold ideas rapidly changing the marketplace in a period prized for its unbridled consumerism. However, the turbo bike era was not to last, as issues of lag made for a difficult riding experience. The bikes were also expensive, and the financial situation in the mid-1980s then came along and put paid to the concept for good.
Only 1,777 examples of the CX650 Turbo were built, with 1,200 imported to the US and Canada. Motorcycle Classics notes that many of these examples were reportedly directed to tech schools, in order to educate the new generation of mechanics on working with turbos. This appears to be one such bike, being sold by the Technical Trades Division of the Mobile County Public School System in Alabama.
Despite the low mileage, you might be wary about purchasing an old tech school bike. It's not clear whether or not the motorcycle has been actively disassembled as a teaching tool or simply left to rot over the prevailing decades. On the outside, at least, everything looks relatively sound and intact. The seller does note, however, that the tires are flat and the brakes are seized. One photograph shows the front brakes are partially disassembled, while other cosmetic issues include worn stickers on the fuel tank and a cracked right-hand mirror.
Additionally, the bike comes with neither a key nor a title. It does have a VIN, however, so you may have an outside shot at getting it registered, depending on the whims of your local bureaucracy.
The starting bid is $5,000, with the reserve set somewhere north of there. Present listings on CycleTrader indicate a running, ridable CX650 Turbo selling for somewhere in the high four figures, so it's not cheap, but not wildly out of the question either. Given the dim, blurry photos and lack of prestige of the model, we wouldn't expect the price to soar to the moon.
It's one thing to have a single-mile bike in pristine condition, but this bike isn't quite that perfect and clean. Oftentimes, having a vehicle sit for a long time brings its own problems anyway. Nonetheless, if you've always wanted a turbo bike from the '80s, this is a chance to secure one with the bonus of an interesting backstory.
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