New Member - CB 550

[totty]

Hi,

I've just bought a CB550K and found this forum.
I don't really know much about these bikes yet, mines been off the road for the last 7 years but appears to be fairly complete and original, it could do with some general tidying but it looks like it may go straight through a MOT. It starts and funs fine but feels very flat, I'm in the process of downloading a workshop manual so I can check it over properly.

This is my first big bike having ridden a Chinese copy of a Z50 for the last 4 or 5 years. The z50 is quite heavily modified with 125 engine in it for a start, but I currently intend to keep the 550 fairly standard.
I've also got a CF70 that I'm sorting out for my girlfriend, it's lowered with proper front forks, 110 engine and fat rims.

Cheers

Allan

[UK Pete]

Hi Allan , welcome to the forum
Pete

[SteveD CB500K0]

Where are you Allan?

Fill in your location in your profile and it will appear on every post (save all those "where are you?" posts...)

Welcome. We need more 500/550s around here - in danger of becoming a CB750 site!   

[pae]

Hi Allan, welcome and congrats on getting yourself a 550.

Post some pics and shout if you need to know anything, loads of experience and help on here.

Phil

[Spitfire]

Welcome, it amazes me the sheer number of old Hondas that must be out there in sheds, garages or just under covers. Yours sounds like another one.

Cheers

Den

[totty]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm near Durham and I'll fill my profile in now. I don't have any pics yet but I may take some later today. The bike was spotted by the guy I bought it off (who rides a cb750) it was under a cover next to a wall that was being demolished, he persuaded the owner to part with it, got it running with very little work and sold it to me.
I'm sure I'll have loads of questions but I'll wait for the workshop manual arriving in the post and get to know the bike a bit first. (All the ones I downloaded turned out to be for a 2 cylinder cb400)

[Spitfire]

This is a shortcut to the US "branch" lots of info here for you. http://www.sohc4.net/index.php?q=content/honda-cb550-1974-1978

Cheers

Den

[SteveD CB500K0]

Bryan Jones (you'll find him soon) and I have a load of CB500/550 pdfs which I will send you on CD if you PM me (or email me) an address.

Steve

[matthewmosse]

Hi, welcome to the forum, always good to hear from other middle sized sohc owners. The k3's one of the better ones apparently as it's jetted for marginally better fuel economy - worthwhile savings over the 500's fuel econonmy from my expirience running both as everyday transport. These old honda's are pretty solid machines so hopefully yours should work well for you.

[totty]

I've just had my first daylight look at it and spent 3 hours polishing which is far from my favorite activity.
The tank has a small dent and the paint work isn't very good, the wheel rims are corroded worse than I'd realised and the front mud guard damage is also worse than I thought. A fork dust seal is also split (is this a MOT item), the air filter is manky and it wont start.
I'm not overly concerned about any of it though. It ran on Friday, I'll service it and try to get it running again next Sunday.

[Bryanj]

Dust cap is not an MOT item, oil seal is. None start is frequently down to blocked pilot jets as the K3 is cold blooded and needs the choke for quite a while before idling properly

[Seamus]

Have a look here for a Genuine manual and parts lists etc

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=17788.0

Welcome to the group

Seamus

[Yoshi823]

Hi & welcome.

I always found that the Haynes manual for the 400/550F quite a good publication, & readily available from the library or from Halfrauds/Amazon.

[SteveD CB500K0]

I've always wondered about Haynes.

They publish a book on the 350/500 (both different) and the 400/550 (both different...)

I wonder why they didn't do a 500/550 and 350/400 book - surely less work!

[Yoshi823]

Must admit that the Clymer manual for the 400F was excellent.

Maybe Haynes thought that people who owned a 400F would move on to a 550F/K next.