CB500K2 fork leg lowers

[petermigreen]

Okay, I noticed an oddity with my fork leg lowers, that being I seem to have an additional boss on the right leg that mirrors that of the left leg where the brake mechanism is bolted to the leg.

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It's shown here on the uppermost leg and the boss in question is the closest to the floor.

I think I may have seen this feature on the 550 forks (not sure).

So question is, are these forks a later version/some sort of different spec or what?

Not really worried as they are good functional forks but just curious and wonder if geometry might be affected if a different length from stock.

Or maybe they are correct but just rare?

I welcome any comments/ideas.

Thanks team.
Peter.

[Johnwebley]

I had to buy a set like that when I upgraded to twin Disc,

 possibly later forks fitted after a front ender,or the PO was going to fit twin discs,

 to my knowledge the basic dimencions are the same

[deltarider]

So question is, are these forks a later version/some sort of different spec or what?

The CB500K2 (ED, F, G) 1976 had them standard, I don't know about the CB500K2 (A) that was on the market in 1973.

[toucheturtle]

I've got an Italian K2 import, both legs have brakes bosses and are stamped 341 which is the later leg as fitted to the 550. The yoke pinch bolts are slightly bigger than the K1 and the headlight brackets have seperate indicator holes as well

[Bryanj]

As long as they are fitted as pairs there will be no problems at all

[petermigreen]

I've got an Italian K2 import, both legs have brakes bosses and are stamped 341 which is the later leg as fitted to the 550. The yoke pinch bolts are slightly bigger than the K1 and the headlight brackets have seperate indicator holes as well

I looked for a stamped number and can only find something like '7 J' near the axle clamp. Nothing like 341 that I can see

The bike does seem to be a bitsa so I'm not at all surprised that the forks seem to be from either a 550 or a much later bike.
For instance, the seat/seat lock appears very early K1, even though serial numbers are K2. So either the bike was put together by Honda from left over parts or much more likely of course, parts have been replaced over the years by owners with mismatched items.
Not a problem as it's mostly there and other than a broken clutch push rod, which I now know is common, there doesn't seem to be any major problems with it. I hope I don't eat my words when I get into the nitty gritty!
Thanks, Peter.

[deltarider]

I've got an Italian K2 import, both legs have brakes bosses and are stamped 341 which is the later leg as fitted to the 550.

Can you inform us where that number is stamped? I have an original CB500K2 (ED) 1976, both legs have brake bosses, but I can't find any number.

The yoke pinch bolts are slightly bigger than the K1

How is that? According to the parts lists, the CB500K2 (ED, F, G) has 7 mm flange bolts and the earlier models 8 mm bolts. http://www.honda4fun.com/materiale-documentazione-tecnica/parts-list/parts-list-cb500

The bike does seem to be a bitsa so I'm not at all surprised that the forks seem to be from either a 550 or a much later bike.

Not necessarily so. Honda used the same parts on various models. I you have a partnumber, this site is very useful: http://www.motogrid.com/oempartfinder.htm?aribrand=HOM&arian=MOTORCYCLE Enter the partnumber > click SEARCH > click select model. You'll be presented a list of all models that carried that part.

For instance, the seat/seat lock appears very early K1, even though serial numbers are K2. So either the bike was put together by Honda from left over parts or much more likely of course, parts have been replaced over the years by owners with mismatched items.

This can be useful to determine what is original: http://www.honda4fun.com/home/faq/generali/111-cb500-differenze-k0-k1-k2
I suspect the CB500K2 (ED, F, G) sold in some European countries in 1976-7, was a batch assembled to empty some shelves in Honda factories. I believe that later Honda did the same with the CB500K3, a model identical to the CB550K3 except for the engine of which only some 4000 were assembled.

[deltarider]

Well the Honda4Fun website got the master cylinder picture wrong, the K1 didn't have that fitted, it had the one which was labeled as the K0.

Depends, partslist suggests differences according to 'area code'.

[toucheturtle]

The number is on the inside of the R/H leg between the threaded calliper mounting holes. My bike was built pretty late so I assume it benefitted from a lot of 550 parts, it has the larger tachometer and speedo and the 550 fuel tap. The original tank paint job was the later K2-K3 style.
I replaced the bridge pinch bolts for shiny new ones, I thought I needed the 8X54 bolts as these were correct for the bikes with my paintwork, headlight ears and fork lowers CB550K2, but when I came to use them they were too short and I did need 8X56 bolts.
It seems the later bikes were made up with whatever was lying around.

[deltarider]

Oddjob, the paper CB500 CB500K1 Parts List (Nov. 1 1973) that includes the F4 page is on my desk and I'l study it some more. Touchturtle, great find, I'll check mine tomorrow. Talking about numbers, I seem to remember the original 4-4 exhausts that were on my bike (CB500K2 [ED] the model that shared many parts with the CB550K2 '76) when I bought it, did not have the middle number -323- on them, but... I could be wrong. Would one of you know? Not that it is important, but it would be nice to know my memory isn't so bad as I sometimes think it is.

[petermigreen]

Oddjob, the paper CB500 CB500K1 Parts List (Nov. 1 1973) that includes the F4 page is on my desk and I'l study it some more. Touchturtle, great find, I'll check mine tomorrow. Talking about numbers, I seem to remember the original 4-4 exhausts that were on my bike (CB500K2 [ED] the model that shared many parts with the CB550K2 '76) when I bought it, did not have the middle number -323- on them, but... I could be wrong. Would one of you know? Not that it is important, but it would be nice to know my memory isn't so bad as I sometimes think it is.

Not sure if I understood that statement re exhausts but my K2 4-4 pipes do have 323 in the number.
Peter.

[deltarider]

Yeah they had 374 on them IIRC.
Just looked and my parts book is dated 20 July 1976.

That Part List (CB500K2 (ED, F, G) is also on my desk (actually a scan of mine is on the Honda4fun site btw). I seem to remember just like you that that -374- middle number was on my exhausts when I acquired my bike but like you I'm not 100% sure. The irony is that the 4-4 that's now on my bike, a set that I was able to buy new (and dead cheap) some 25 years ago has the middle number -323-.

Not sure if I understood that statement re exhausts but my K2 4-4 pipes do have 323 in the number.
Peter.

Yes, correct, yours is the CB500K2 (A) that was on the US market in 1973 already and those exhausts were still -323-.
Anyway, I can assure you gentlemen that no SOHC Four model has been so confusing to get the numbers right (think carbs) as the CB500.