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View Full Version : 1986 Honda CX 400 economy



nathan.read
14th September 2010, 18:51
Seems to be a current topic on here.

I have just purchased the bike (I think buying it was the cheapest part of owning it)

Have:
New indicators, old ones were broken
Revinned, wof and registered
New oil and filter (old oil was black who knows when it was last changed)
New plugs and choke cable, ok it didnt need the choke cable but its nice to warm it up with the choke out while I shut the garage.

Was getting 7l/100km (14 km/l or 40mpg) so new air filter, now 5.5l/100km (18 km/l or 50mpg) which according to google is what it should be doing.

Broke the clutch cable leaving the service station (end by the lever came off) so stoped, made sure that was all that broke, then started then crash into first, get the rev rights second, then third and road to the Planet Honda in Whangarei (they are good guys so deserve a mention, or maybe they just feel sorry for me as Im in there constantly getting parts) and had a new end soldered onto the cable, no charge, all good to go so rode home.

On the ride I was thinking, its 30kms mostly open road, and my bike is doing 6500 rpm in top gear to do 100km/h

Was this bike was designed around the time the open road speed limit was 55mph???

Is there an easy way to change my gearing to reduce my rpm at 100, changing sprokets will not work as its a shaft drive, maybe a cx650 gearbox / gears or rear wheel??

Any ideas?

xxcbr69xx
15th September 2010, 19:05
A relative of mine has 2 CX400 Customs, reckons that 14/15km/L is about what he gets out of both of them. Fuel economy is not their strong point!

nathan.read
17th September 2010, 19:40
How hard does he ride his cx's, I noticed improved economy by changing at lower revs.

The new air filter also helped

xxcbr69xx
17th September 2010, 22:48
2 up sometimes, longish distance stuff. Gets ridden as briskly as you can for what it is.

I'm sure he said he could get 16/17+ Km\L if he rode with economy in mind, But avg less usually.

nathan.read
18th September 2010, 09:47
The clutch cable broke again last week shop fixed it again so I coud get home, being 25 years old I think it has done all it can...ordered a new one should be here in 10 days, then decision time, ride with the old cable and the new one in my bag together with two 12mm spanners to change it (if it ever fails again) or swap them over and leave the old one at home as a spare.