It was late 1978. I had already attended Honda's 79 model update class, and had prepared for new-bike delivery a few CBXs. Charming bikes, really. Everything the press had to say about the machine was true. It was a masterpiece, and exhibited a til-then unknown level of finesse and fitment from Honda.

One day a CBX appeared at the door of the shop, and I was asked to take a look at it. Looked normal, until I spotted the huge hole in the crankcase directly in front of the number one connecting rod. We called in Honda and the L.A. area rep, Fred Germaine, whom I had met before and with whom I had just the previous week worked with at Honda's L.A. training school. He said something I have never forgotten. He approved the repair and turning, he said to me, "remove the float bowl overflow drain hoses. They're the problem."

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