 | "Ride them, don't hide them!"  The UK Honda Turbo Association is dedicated to keeping these iconic Honda CX500 and CX650 Turbo motorcycles on the road |  |
The UK Honda Turbo Association
Who Are We
The UKHTA is a collection of like-minded men and women from all walks of life, from all parts of the UK (and beyond), all with different stories to tell, and who enjoy modern and classic motorcycling banter. Not all of our members own a Honda CX Turbo, but they all share that common interest in the bikes and their place in the history of motorcycling. Together we help each other keep these bikes on the road, offer advice, share our stories and meet up for social gatherings and rides. The club enjoys a friendly rivalry between the members who own the "original and best" CX500T and those who own the "refined and faster" CX650T, so a sense of humour is required. This makes for fun gatherings, but ultimately we are all dedicated to helping each other keep these bikes going.
The Beginning
The club originally formed back in June 1998 when a group of eight Honda turbo people got together to form the UK Honda Turbo Association. For some time they had been collecting names of fellow Honda CX Turbo owners in the UK. The founder of the Dutch turbo club “Honda First Turbo Club" (HFTC) gave his advice as to how to proceed with forming a UK club dedicated to these iconic bikes. We are grateful to those founder members and since that time the club has maintained a healthy level of members.
Today
The philosophy of the UK Honda Turbo Association can be summed up by our motto, "Ride them, don't hide them". We have 40+ members spread across all corners of the UK, as well as some abroad. The distance between our members makes it difficult to have regular meetings for purely social purposes; however we do try to have a big gathering and ride-out once every year. Each year we also get together to attend the CX Turbo meetings in Europe organised by our friends in Holland, Germany and Norway. These gatherings usually attract around thirty CX Turbo bikes, which makes for an eye-opening sight as we cruise through villages.
Our main opportunity to meet up is at the many classic motorcycle shows held all over the country, which we attend throughout the year. It is a great way to keep in touch with members, help them with any problems they have, and just share hints, tips and stories. As a club we offer any spare show tickets to members and every year we produce two club magazines ("Turbo Lag") with technical articles, members' stories of their travels, as well as details of the shows attended by the club. The magazine also has a section for items and bikes wanted and for sale.
The UKHTA Facebook group (organised and run by TurboTim) is a great place for CX Turbo fans from all over the world to communicate and enjoy banter on a day-to-day basis. Every day someone will ask for help with any issues they are having (normally while restoring old bikes) or simply post pictures of their bike being ridden, not hidden.
In 2015 we launched this website to give our club a presence in the now all important "cyberspace". Here you will find details of news, events and shows, as well as technical information archives in the restricted members area.
The Committee
Show Secretary - Paul Cripps took on the role of Show Secretary in 2002 and has been working tirelessly ever since, taking the club equipment all over the country to display at classic motorcycle shows. He enjoys riding a CX500T and brings his award winning "Shiny One" to display at all the shows.
Magazine Editor - Geoff Mihr took on responsibility for producing the UKHTA Magazine from the Winter 2010 edition and continues to publish details of our activities for our members' enjoyment. He rides a CX650T.
Treasurer - Mervyn Ough has been keeping the clubs finances transparent and in good order since 2011. He joined the club in 2010 and no longer owns a CX Turbo, but does enjoy riding other bikes, including his Yamaha XJ650 Turbo.
Membership Secretary - Mark Devaney only joined the UKHTA in early 2012 but offered to take responsibility for the membership from 2015. He will ensure good communication between the club and members. He rides his CX650T whenever possible and brings it to every show.
Chairman - Mark Devaney, while offering to take on the Membership Secretary role, found himself nominated and elected as the Chairman for the club at the AGM in November 2014. Although new to the UKHTA, his enthusiasm for the club and the Honda Turbo bikes is obvious and he hopes to maintain the hard work put in by TurboTim as well as give the club a fresh look.
UKHTA Ambassador - Although not strictly a committee position, TurboTim Boutle continues to use his wide-ranging contacts in the Honda Turbo world to promote the UKHTA. As the last remaining active founder member of the UKHTA, Tim started as Show Secretary, then took on the Editor role, before becoming the Chairman from 2007 until 2014. This Ambassador role is vital for maintaining our friendly links with the other CX Turbo clubs around Europe.
Founder Members
Our special thanks go to these founder members without whom this club would not exist.
Alan Stanton, Des Baker, Dave McQuade, Terence Tully, Denton Punter, Ad Hoffland (HFTC), Ko Maljaars (HFTC) and TurboTim Boutle
The UK Honda Turbo Association is a not-for-profit club. We have no paid staff and all administration is undertaken by volunteers. Our aim is to promote the rare and iconic Honda CX Turbo motorbikes, ensuring they are kept running and on the road for people to enjoy for years to come. If you would like get involved and help the UKHTA in this quest, or if you would simply like to know more or become a member then please contact us or visit us at one of the many motorcycle shows we attend during the year.