Hi Greg, I was only referring to the weight of the actual exhaust system on the CTX, and how people were just criticising it on appearance alone. Many owners or potential owners just want it louder, which of course is illegal. We all do it at some stage, but it brings unwanted attention. I’d be interested in a lighter aftermarket system that looks and sounds the same as the genuine article. Then, should the bike get sold, the original system in new or near new condition, will add considerably to its value. Of more importance, on change of ownership many states now will not register a motorcycle unless it has the original exhaust system fitted. This puts every second bike out there at risk of getting a defect notice. My only experience with Honda exhausts is the CBX, and they rust out fast. Biggest culprit is starting up just to demonstrate the fabulous sound, then shutting down…it’s irresistible. It makes an older bike almost un-saleable unless just for collection purposes. So therefore, you may have to consider an aftermarket system and keep the original as a selling point. When we first got cars (you needed one when girls came along) there was a lot of swapping of wheels at registration time. The streets were quieter then and speeds much slower, so most of us survived. Same may be the way bikes are traded today. That one genuine system may find its way onto several machines at rego time. I’ve never done either of those things of course, but I believe others have.
Your other question is of more interest, namely the overall weight of the CTX. It now intrigues me as to what makes this bike so heavy. It’s within a pound or two of my six-cylinder, 100 horsepower CBX. Thirty years of refinement have seen cars lighter and much safer. Same can’t be said for bikes. Why is that so? What else besides the exhaust is making the CTX so heavy? We know the DCT adds 20 odd pounds and water cooling adds weight, but plastic can’t be that heavy?
Lastly a potted history of motorcycle dynamics. Here is a list of excellent books which are a must for any motorcyclist’s library, and there must be many more.
Motorcycle Chassis Design by Tony Foale ISBN 0-85045-560-X
Motorcycle Chassis Tuning by John Robinson ISBN 0-7506-0798-X
Engineer to Win by Carroll Smith ISBN 0-85045-628-2
Sportbike Performance Handbook by Kevin Cameron ISBN 0-7603-0229-4
Wobble, Wallow & Weave by Mac McDiarmid (A lift-out attached to the April 1992 issue of SuperBike)
Motorcycle Engineering by P.E. Irving (Temple Press, London, but prior to ISBN listing)
Tuning for Speed by P.E. Irving (Temple Press, London, but prior to ISBN listing)
Anything else by Irving you can lay your hands on.
Motorcycle Efficiency and how to obtain it (Temple Press, London, but prior to ISBN listing)
Motorcyclist’s Workshop by “Torrens” of the Motorcyclist (Iliffe & Sons, London, but prior to ISBN listing)
Twistgrip by L.J.K. Setright SBN 04-796031-O (Fabulous & amusing short motorcycling stories)
Anything else by Setright you can lay your hands on.
Honda Production Motorcycles by **** Walker ISBN 1-86126-820-3
Any other books about motorcycling you can pick up at swap-meets
Any other magazines about motorcycling you can pick up at swap-meets
Cheers…Tom