Early CBX's - Ed from Scotland

The first model CBX production run (which commenced with frame #42) was from April to Dec '78. It was called the '79 in the US and the Z elsewhere.

It began appearing on the roads in most countries by summer of '78. In the US all the production versions of the first model had a VIN plate on the headstock clearly marking it as a "1979 model" with the build date (somewhere between 4/78 and 12/78) and other info. The lettering on the VIN plate was white on a black background. The oldest surviving production bike is #43 which is in Canada.

The pre-production versions (#1 to #41) of the first model (as tested in all the magazines in early '78) were produced in late '77/Jan '78. The ones that reached the US had a VIN plate marking them as "1978 model". The lettering on the VIN plate is red on a black background. James Elliott has #32. Some time back (2 years ago?), he distributed pictures to the image list of the VIN plate. If you also look in the '78 and '79/80 workshop manuals (which are virtually identical) you will also see pictures of VIN plates clearly saying "1978 model".

So:
The '78's were the preproduction run of the first model. Only 40 or 50 ever existed and were built late '77 Jan '78.
The '79's were the production run first model CBX, built April '78 to Dec '78. They were on the streets by June or July of 1978.

For the rest of us both the '78's and '79's were Z model's!!!

Ed
Scotland