The Honda CX500 Turbo became the first Japanese production motorcycle fitted with a turbocharger when Honda introduced it in 1982.
The CX500 Turbo was based on Honda’s CX500, a shaft-drive motorcycle powered by a liquid-cooled 497 cc transverse V-twin. Honda added electronic fuel injection, digital engine management and a turbocharger to increase performance while retaining the CX platform’s distinctive layout.
The turbocharged model was part of a short-lived early-1980s trend. Japanese manufacturers experimented with forced induction to produce strong performance from relatively small engines, partly in response to displacement and insurance considerations in some markets. The CX500 Turbo was followed by the larger CX650 Turbo.
It is often confused with later turbocharged machines such as the Yamaha XJ650 Turbo, Suzuki XN85 and Kawasaki GPz750 Turbo. Those motorcycles were important competitors, but Honda’s CX500 Turbo appeared first among Japanese production motorcycles with a factory turbocharger.