Hi, Everyone!

[tommo903]

Hi all,

Just thought I should do a quick introduction...

Me ending up here came about following a couple of questions I’d asked Julie on Facebook, who recommended I should join this forum, only to discover that I'd already done 4 years ago and had forgotten all about it!  As I recall, I had at the time, been given the chance to buy an early CB750. In the end, that didn't happen, but that's another story.

I've been riding bikes since the 70s and started out on a couple of different Hondas, for no other reason than living near the local Honda dealer, D&H Motorcycles in Hayes, Middx. However, from the early 90s, I developed a taste for Kawasaki Z1s (thankfully, when they were cheap!) together with the odd triple and later Bridgestones, not to mention some old Brit stuff as well.

I have though, always liked the CB500/4, but for some reason have never got round to owning one, even though there were one or two opportunities, but as sometimes happens, the timing is wrong. I’ve never known much about the differences between the various models, or the US and UK bikes but the chat about some of the finer details with Julie recently, has hopefully armed me with enough info to at least help me know what I’m looking at (thanks Julie!). The same goes for this site…I’ve been reading some older threads about restorations of K0 and K1 models and it’s great to see the in-depth knowledge there is out there!

Anyway, I hope one day to own one of these bikes…my preference is for a UK spec model, ideally a K1 in nice original condition. There’s probably not many that haven’t undergone some restoration work at least, but you never know. I don’t mind tidying up a bike but not looking for a full restoration as I have a few of those to do already 

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,
Steve

[Johnny4428]

Good luck with the bike hunt Steve, plenty 550’s come up for sale maybe not so many 500’s but I’m sure as they say good things come to those who wait.

[Nurse Julie]

Welcome Steve, I'm pleased you have joined us, again 😊😊😊

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Welcome to the forum - I suspect finding a bike that is 50 years old will either need restoring or has been restored. Not many left to choose from that are neither.

[SteveW]

Where abouts in Bucks?

I’m just by J5 M40, on the border with Oxfordshire.

[philward]

Welcome Steve, hope you find your 500 - great choice!

[tommo903]

Thanks for the warm welcome! 

[tommo903]

Where abouts in Bucks?

I’m just by J5 M40, on the border with Oxfordshire.

I'm near Princes Risborough Steve, so pretty close to you.

[Laverda Dave]

Welcome to the forum Steve.
I remember D&H very well although I used to go to their other branch in South Ruislip. It was formally owned by a drag racer called Brian Johnson (I think that was his name), he campaigned a Kawasaki based drag bike called Imperial Wizard and the shop was a bike breakers. D&H was later taken over by HGB Motorcycles but closed some years ago.
I still live in Ruislip.
Good luck with the search, a good time of year to go bike hunting.

[tommo903]

Thanks Dave.

That's interesting, I didn't realise D&H had a branch in South Ruislip and certainly didn't of Brian Johnson. I assume you mean the shop down the road from SR Station, near Northolt airport, that later went on to become HGB Tyres in the early 2000s?

Yes, the shop in Hayes closed sometime in the 90s I think, but as you say, the D&H name had already been bought out.

I haven't been over your way in a good while, but just looked HGB up and they are still going I see.

Good to see how you and others on here also, have an interesting selection of different bikes - I like that!