Author Topic: CB500  (Read 5761 times)

Offline britaxcooper

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CB500
« on: March 05, 2008, 01:35:00 AM »
ive just bought a '74 500/4 as my first road bike.

I know of David Silver for spares, but who else is there?

My dad said the 500 is rarer than the 550, i presume hes right as i cant find much on ebay for the 500 (just new model CB stuff) but theres pleanty for the 550/4. Are spares interchangable? I like the 4 into 4 exhaust some of the 550's had etc.

Also is there other forums for them? Again ive only seen one dedicated to the new CB500.

Offline Cleggy

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Re: CB500
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2008, 07:51:03 AM »
« Last Edit: March 05, 2008, 07:55:56 AM by Cleggy »

Offline sono

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Re: CB500 parts
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2008, 09:10:06 AM »
There is also http://www.cmsnl.com/honda_model8286/

You may want to contact the vendors too. They might have the parts you are looking for, but they may not have posted on their web site all about early 70's bikes !

What kind of part are you looking for ? Have you done a compression test on all four cylinders ? What kind of problem did you identify ? Has the engine ever been rebuilt ? What total is on the odometer ?

If I'm not mistaken, you are talking about a bike such as this one http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Honda_CB500

Finding new parts will be quite of a challenge considering it is a rare bird, out of production for over 37 years !

Considering the difficulty of finding critical common parts that will eventually require replacement (ignition, gaskets, oil seals, chains and sprockets, all rubber parts) I don't think planning to ride this bike regularly will be an economical experience. Any engine part that fail may be a death sentence. This bike is made to fly ! but you are likely to burn its wings pretty quickly if the engine has not been already rebuilt.

If it is in near pristine condition, a collector may be interested to buy it to restore, otherwise, it is a very risky project for an everyday bike.

I question your will to ride this as a first bike too. This bike is VERY powerfull (50HP) and the engine weight configuration makes it quite heavy to handle in slow traffic. I'm not sure it is going to be very forgiving for a beginner.

Mine is a Honda twin cylinder from 1980. Despite the fact I just had the engine head, cylinders and piston rings rebuilt to specs, I'm considering buying another one just for a complete spare engine and critical parts.  Mine is a very common model and there are still good spare engines to find. I doubt you can do the same, spare bikes and old new parts are long gone for such a rare bird.

In short, because this bike is on the countdown for running out of available essential parts. It is a better candidate for a collector than to be used everyday as a first bike.
« Last Edit: March 07, 2008, 09:49:45 AM by sono »

Offline Mark1961

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Re: CB500
« Reply #3 on: March 15, 2008, 03:16:52 AM »
I've got one too and mine REALLY needs a lot :)

I've been ebaying for spares for the past two months and it's surprising what is still sitting on dusty shelves somewhere. The bike was a lot more popular in the States than it was here and was almost a common sight in the '70s. I just do a search every day and buy what I can, when I can.

The problem is not just the price of the bits, it's also the price of shipping to the UK that hurts the wallet, so it's best to spread buying the parts over several months anyway.

Mine is a labour of love... some bikes I restore to sell and some to keep and this is definitely one for keeps. I had one in about 1978 (HDD 840N where are you now?), and it was a fantastic bike. It is the only bike I've owned that literally ran differently depending on the weather. On cold, frosty days it ran crisply and was beautifully responsive, probably enjoying the denser air and improved volumetric efficiency of the fuel/air mix, but it made the bike seem almost alive with such little quirks. It had the original pipes that were just starting to rot, so it made a gorgeous muted howling sound when accelerating....Ah...the memories...It's a funny thing, but the CB550F was pretty much identical and yet to me seems bland by comparison.

That said, I've got to agree with Sono , it may not be the perfect bike for a beginner. Tell you what, I'll help you out and buy it off you.... ;)