550k3 kickstart

[3scs]

Hi could anyone tell me how to check if I have the correct kickstart have recently bought the bike when you try the kickstart it hits the foot peg I think it was originally fitted with the wrong foot peg it was a straight peg I got another off e bay which was a more curved shape but the kick start still hits the peg

[Ashdowner]

MIne is a straight peg and there's no way the kickstart can hit it. [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[3scs]

Thanks for that I will compare that to mine tomorrow

[3scs]

mine looks like this

[Ashdowner]

Totally agree with Oddjob. Carbs should be PD46's. k3 brake pedal is circular not a flat. I think my kickstart extends outwards a bit more. My footrest seems to extend further out as well. [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[3scs]

heres a few more photos the clocks are green the previous owner told me the carbs had been changed it came with the carbs in picture, it was also fitted with the 4-1 exhaust. is it possible to identify model from frame and engine numbers

[Seabeowner]

The headstock on mine are actually stamped CB550K and CB550F before the frame nos. Both are US imports though.

[Tomb]

The K3 frame has upswept rear footrest loop to accommodate the four exhausts, 3scs and Ashdowners are like this.

Possibly someone bent the F frame in the past and replaced with a used K3, meaning most other parts would be F. JAT.

[kevski]

My old 500 K3 had green clocks, the rest of the swing arm, brake and footrests were as you guys have pointed out made to enable the four pipes. looks like a possible bitsa that can be sorted out though.

[kevski]

This is refering to the 550K3 NOT the 500K3

Apart from displacement and clocks everything else is the same, my brother had a 550 k3 at the same time as i had my 500 k3.

[matthewmosse]

Interesting, I had 2 cb550 k3 bikes, pretty sure both had green clocks, though one was quite a bitsa, me and my mates reffered to it as 'box of cogs' reffering to the condition of it when bought. Still it is the only 4 piper sohc honda I ever had that had 4 into 4 exhausts still with it.

[3scs]

I think tomb may have hit the nail on the head I have some info off sohc4net it says k3 had green clocks dark up to 76 then changed to lighter green also frame number is a 77 k3 but engine is a 76 f2 the swing arm is from an f I think it was fitted with 4/1 exhaust but had been modified to fit to rear mount so would I be right in thinking it needs a k3 kickstart and brake pedal to make it right

[kevski]

Please don't confuse the 500K3 with the 550K3. Whilst they may share the K3 reference that's really the only thing they do share. Different seat, different tank, different swinging arm, different clutch, different gearbox,  they do have some common parts as both are derivatives of the 500-4, however the 500K3 was really just a continuation of the 500K2, the 550K3 only ever got blue faced clocks, those clocks have a totally different part number from any other bike, they share the same clocks as the 550F2. The 500K3 were green, as were the 500K2 clocks. No 500K3 was fitted with blue clocks to my knowledge.

The problem with the US site is that they hear 500 when they think of a K3, although they did get the 550K3 I don't think it was that popular over there.

I'd agree with Tomb. Looks like it started out an F model and frame was replaced with the K3 frame. Or it could be it started out a K3 and the engine and some other parts were replaced with F parts. For instance, if it was a 76 F2 it would have had blue clocks, unless of course the same accident that wrote the frame off also took out the clocks, not unrealistic to think that.

Probably easier to agree it's a bit of a bitsa bike, no harm in that, so long as it works and is safe it's fine.

There is no confusion my brother had a UK 1978 550 K3 i had a Italian market 500 K3 on a 75 plate identical in every way except clock faces and displacement even the same colour brown, before i sold it i done a twin disc conversion, and earlier on this year it was e-bayed some of you may have seen it on the site.

[3scs]

fitted k3 kickstart and brake pedal, kickstart works now thanks everyone for advise just need to find correct swing arm and a decent set of k3 exhausts easier said than done

[matthewmosse]

I might be able to find a k3 swing arm in my shed, broke one a few years ago....