1979 Honda Cruiser reviews

I Have owned 4 Bikes in my life time. My first bike was a CB750K, the second a 93 Ninja, and the third a Yamaha 650 Maxim that just ended up in my garage one day from my friend and was never taken back. I had fun with the first three, but when I got my little Honda 500 D from a friend for christmas as a little project bike I had to admit I was supprised. Although it is a small bike it has a good amount of torque with a throaty exhaust sound even from the stock pipes. My first time on the bike I double clutched the bike and got the front wheel about 3 feet off the ground! Not bad for a 23 year old bike in my mind. Since I first recieved the bike I have been on Ebay locating a laundry list of parts to bring my project back up to a respectable level, and to my supprise not a single item is over 50 bucks. I even found a whole new engine for 25 bills! you can't beat the value. Get a new bike for going fast, but I think everyone should have a Vintage bike for a loaner or a weekend warrior when the new bike is in the shop. My mods to my bike involve cafe racer bars. shaved rear fender and fabricated taillight, blacked out chrome all the way around including the front fender and headlights assembly. Too much fun for pocket change! Show less

This review is actually for the 1981 Honda CX500C, I just couldn't figure out how to write a review on a bike not listed. I started riding 1-1/2 years ago on the CX500 that I bought for $600. For its age and 40,000+ miles, it has held up extremely well. I try to take care of it and it has done great for me. I drove round trip on the CX from Raleigh to the outer banks of North Carolina and back in one day - approx 16 hrs riding time this summer w/ dad following on his v-star. The bike didn't hesitate to go the distance. I have a custom seat, National Cycle windscreen, and a K&N air filter and no other add-ons, the rest is stock. I've accidentally over-revved the engine well beyond redline twice now, but still it runs like a train. I haven't ridden a lot of other bikes, but I seriously doubt many can work so reliably as the Honda has. It's no powerhouse, but it gets around no problem. Although I will be upgrading to a Bandit 600s in the near future I'll never forget or regret owning a CX500C. Show less

My dad bought me my 79' CX 500 Custom from a friend of ours for $600 and its been well worth the money! It runs great even though it has near 80,000 kms on it! It has Jardine exhaust and case guards that kind of spruce things up a bit. It sounds beefier than a 750. Everything works great, even after all this time. When people see it, they can't believe its a 1979, or that it only has 500cc's, thanks to that huge transmission that makes the engine look bigger than it really is. A great design for 1979, a real great beginners bike too! Its well worth your money. Show less

This is my second bike, which I acquired from a friend who was meticulous in its maintenance, and it is in near showroom condition. I am still pretty much a "rookie", in just my 2nd year of riding, but I found this motorcycle wonderfully easy to adapt to. Some may find the 32" seat height a little difficult (that's why it's MY bike and not my husband's!). It was a very forgiving bike when my rookie shifting needed a bit more practice, and the clutch is very easy to engage. Its power is sufficient for all but the steepest hills on the country roads around here. Now that my riding proficiency has improved, it's simply a joy to ride. I like the shaft drive, and the bike has been dependable to a fault. It sure is a compliment-getter, too, as there aren't many around anymore. Show less

CBX Honda was a great byke for that era, a great engine!!! Beatifull sound!! Even today it still runs great! Show less

This model was my first motorcycle and I have owned 2 different ones over a total of 4 years now. Great running bike with a bulletproof engine and decent handling for being so old. Show less

My first Bike was a 75 Honda XL250. I wanted something bigger, and my boss offered to sell me his unused CX. It had 1200 orig. miles on it, needed a new needle jet for one carb, and a battery. That was a year ago. I have put 5000 miles on it since then including a couple overnight camping trips in Wisconsin. It has a fairly plush ride with an upright riding position, gets 44 mpg, brakes well, uses pushrods and rocker arms instead of an overhead camshaft, but still revs happily to 10,000 rpm and though it has only 500 1979 vintage CCs, it gets out of its own way. don't race anything bigger or newer though. These were some of the first bikes to combine electric start, water cooling, electronic ignition, tubeless tires and shaft drive on a medium-sized chassis. Also, it has a couple nice peace-of-mind features. It can be push started and driven even with a dead battery or blown master fuse because the ignition system is self energizing and is seperate from the rest of the electrical system. It has 3 bright tail lamps. Handling is telepathic. It will drone all day down a highway without any nervousness, but even at medium or high speeds, just think about changing lanes, and it's already done. I have yet to put dime one into this bike except for correcting the errors of its previous caretakers. Suggested upgrades: sissybar and luggage rack, modern shocks and springs, xenon headlamp. Very reliable, easy to handle, do-it-all bike. I can't see ever getting rid of this thing, even if I get a new bike. Oh, and I paid 450 bucks for it. Best damn money I ever spent. Show less