Help needed to identify my CB500-4

[AshimotoK0]

Ashimoto
My engine number shows it was made before the gearbox mods so I definatly need to check this

Here are my pics from the time I stripped mine. I think the oil guides  mentioned and modified clutch cover improved the design but the 550 gained a little trochoidal oil pump to lubricate the bearing better. Initially, I thought my counter-shaft was OK but I checked the surface with a microscope and there was weird pattern of crazing/micro-cracking so I replaced it.

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[B11sey]

Thanks Ashimoto useful information

[Bryanj]

The clutch cover was part of a mod kit incuding neutral rollers, selector drum locator, clutch plates, pusrod and an oil guide. There should be a bulletin in Ashs dropbox or alladins cave

[AshimotoK0]

Thinking about  Ken  .. quite a few Honda models were not sold here until a year after they were launched for sale in the USA like 400/4 and Black Bomber CB450K0 and of course CB750

[Bryanj]

Probably as us was biggest market

[Oddjob]

I thought the 750 was a world wide launch in 69, are you saying the US got them in 68? Or that we didn’t get them till 70?

I’d see Hondas logic in selling a bike first in the US, toe in the water, so to speak, does it sell, yes, then sell it everywhere etc but Europe got the K0 in large numbers, as did lots of other markets, the UK must have been seen in comparison as a piddling little sales market compared to them, plus we had requirements the other markets didn’t like headlamps dipping to the other side etc.

[AshimotoK0]

I thought the 750 was a world wide launch in 69, are you saying the US got them in 68? Or that we didn’t get them till 70?

I’d see Hondas logic in selling a bike first in the US, toe in the water, so to speak, does it sell, yes, then sell it everywhere etc but Europe got the K0 in large numbers, as did lots of other markets, the UK must have been seen in comparison as a piddling little sales market compared to them, plus we had requirements the other markets didn’t like headlamps dipping to the other side etc.

Sandcast 750  launched in spring 1969 in the USA etc ... 1st CB750's (diecasts) imported to UK in Jan 1970 but only a small batch of approx. 20 .. so by the time it was sold  springtime, in any numbers, it was more or less a year from launch to significant UK sales.

[K2-K6]

plus we had requirements the other markets didn’t like headlamps dipping to the other side etc.

Japan, India,  Australia,  South Africa are all drive on left like us, the right side of the road  likely that wouldn't have been a show stopper as native home market bikes would be on that supply too.

Although by all accounts it was USA driven impetus to make a four cylinder anyway, so in all likelihood that was primary target.

[Oddjob]

The other 3 I’d expect as they are British colonies but Japan? Never suspected they drove on the left as well, learn something new every day

Ash, sorry but that makes no sense. Now I don’t profess to know much about the 750, don’t like the bike and never will but I do read the posts on this site and the amount of yes it’s a genuine sand cast 750 I have heard said on here means that you’re statement must be wrong, if they didn’t appear till Jan 70 and were die cast where have all those sand cast 750s come from?

According to the web the 750 launched in Jan 69 in the US and April 69 in the UK Ash.

[Trigger]

All retail sales of bike was 1st August ( British snob Reg ) but, a Honda dealer would of had the bikes in stock and one on display up to 4 months before the retail release date.
I had  Fireblade's in stock in April 1992 and had two registered at that time. One i kept and the other was sold to my mate Clive Spencer. Sold that bike as the first registered UK Fireblade 

[Bryanj]

As far as i know all the sancast 750's, which were just CB750 came from US as imports.

[Trigger]

plus we had requirements the other markets didn’t like headlamps dipping to the other side etc.

Japan, India,  Australia,  South Africa are all drive on left like us, the right side of the road  likely that wouldn't have been a show stopper as native home market bikes would be on that supply too.

Although by all accounts it was USA driven impetus to make a four cylinder anyway, so in all likelihood that was primary target.

Also counties like Cyprus and nearly all of Africa, Most of the Caribbean and so on drive on the same side as us.    

[Trigger]

As far as i know all the sancast 750's, which were just CB750 came from US as imports.

And some sandcasts were French and Japanese 
And the Brighton bike was a sand cast so, UK also

[AshimotoK0]

The other 3 I’d expect as they are British colonies but Japan? Never suspected they drove on the left as well, learn something new every day

Ash, sorry but that makes no sense. Now I don’t profess to know much about the 750, don’t like the bike and never will but I do read the posts on this site and the amount of yes it’s a genuine sand cast 750 I have heard said on here means that you’re statement must be wrong, if they didn’t appear till Jan 70 and were die cast where have all those sand cast 750s come from?

According to the web the 750 launched in Jan 69 in the US and April 69 in the UK Ash.

The only sandcasts officially imported by Honda UK were the two Brighton Bikes . Alan Mountain  and possibly other imported a sandcast and sold it in his shop but it was not sourced from Honda UK.  The 1st official UK CB750 was 1010369 (mine is 1010382) both from the 1st Jan 70 imported batch. The sandcasts you refer too will have all been imported ... probably is the last 20 years.

[Oddjob]

Fairly sure I’ve seen 750s which are G reg so pre August 69, which claim to be genuine UK bikes Ash, not that they interest me at all but the links go up on this site and I do tend to read all the posts etc that go up. AFAIK only one of the Brighton bikes still exist, the other was broken? Correct?

What strikes me as odd about this discussion is that if you’re right that only 2 750s were officially imported which were sandcast, which I believe is a misnomer as they were low pressure die cast but looked like a sandcast finish so the name stuck, yet when the same is done on the 500s where only 3 were imported no one seems to think that could have happened and keeps claiming it can’t be true.