1983 Honda CX650 Turbo podcast

Charles Everitt, Cycle World, 1987 "Bikes we'll miss the most" Any star wars fan will know why I mourned the passing of Honda's CX650 Turbo. Because if you got even the slightest thrill out of watching the Millennium Falcon blast into hyperspace, then you intuitively know what's it like to pull the trigger on Honda's 1983-model high-tech wonder, the 650 Turbo. After you hit the throttle, it took a second for things to begin to happen. ("Got to make the time/distance calculations, kid.") Then, as the boost built, a shuddering started deep down inside the motorcycle, continuing outward until the mirrors themselves were almost fluttering, and then K-Pow! ("Punch it, Chewie!") The bike would fling itself forward, turbocharger whistling, and you could easily mistake the blur of passing scenery for the blur of a Doppler shift as you reached terminal velocity. It was high drama every time you twisted the throttle, a kinesthetic delight punctuated by the V-Twin's staccato exhaust beat. There have been faster motorcycles since then, but to my mind, not one of them has made speed so entertaining, so sensuous. And we're all the poorer for it. Especially me.