Honda-SOHC
SOHC.co.uk Forums => CB500/550 => Topic started by: Charlie J on December 31, 2020, 01:12:53 PM
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Hi
Just about to order some new rims and spokes for my 550/K1 when I noticed a problem with the front wheel. According to the parts book, the front wheel should be 19 ins with 40 spokes. However, the one fitted to my bike is 18 ins with 36 spokes. I don’t know what to order now. Anybody got any ideas?
Thanks
Charlie
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18" 36 spoke is CB 400/4. Are you sure the front end of your bike is for a 500/550/4🤔. The hub and disk doesn't look 500/550 either.
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Nurse Julie
Thanks for the super quick response. Sorry to cause confusion, I called it a 500 in the title and a 550 in the message. It is, to the best of my knowledge a 500/K1.
I’ve attached a photo of the front forks if it’s any help in confirming I’ve got the right front end. Everything seemed to tie up with the parts book when I refurbed them.
Thanks
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I'm no good at identifying forks but if they are the correct forks, why had someone fitted a small 400/4 wheel?
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Bigger choice of tyre sizes available for 18" maybe?
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I've just taken a pic of our 500 K1 front wheel. 19" as standard, 40 spoke.
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Thanks for the photo. I’ve got no idea why it has a smaller front wheel. It also had a 550 cylinder block fitted which confused me for a while, but seeing as it was abandoned in a shed for more than 30 years I guess I’ll never find the answer.
Do you think if I went to someone like Central Wheel components I could get a 19 inch rim and spokes to go with the hub I’ve got?
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I can't see how that would work, a 40 spoke rim won't fit into a 36 hole hub etc.
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Just wondering if it was possible to get a 19” rim with 36 spokes.
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Just wondering if it was possible to get a 19” rim with 36 spokes.
Maybe if you found a British bike rim but then the spoke angle pattern will be wrong I'm assuming. You really need a 19" wheel with a new / correct size hub and disc etc.
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Hmm. Not straightforward then. I’ll have a ponder. Thanks for your help.
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500 four or twin and 750 all had same front hub and only difference on rim is i think 750 was slightly wider.
Honestly not sure how many front hubs i have (and need) and it would take some time to sort out.
Can you post a better pic of just the top yoke to confirm what that is
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Hi Bryan
Photo of top yoke attached
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That is a 550 F / K3 top yoke and you can see that someone has drilled it out to take a 500 clock mounting bracket :o
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Are these any good to you - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1971-Honda-CB500-CB-500-genuine-front-wheel-DID-19/353265771573?hash=item524047e435:g:rUgAAOSwb4VeIw0O
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Or MickWinf (on here) has reently posted that he has just got a spares stash for 500/550
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Oh oh. It doesn’t get any better. It seems I’ve got a real bitsa here. Bitsa 500, bitsa 550, bitsa 400, bitsa K1, bitsa K3 and lots of bitsa missing. Spent a fortune on the engine so far and have come to the conclusion that this is not going to be a concours restoration. Hopefully, I’ll just keep going and end up with something reliable and half presentable. Still enjoying it so far anyway.
Thanks for all the help.
Charlie
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Yup that top yoke is wrong and that wheel from stratford i have bought from him and he is fair and good to deal with BUT you probably need the disc, speedo drive and spindle as well
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Is it me or do the forks look bent? It looks like the top yoke is bigger than the bottom and making one of the forks sit at an angle.
Probably got a front wheel around somewhere but whereabouts in Wales are you
I've just checked the dimensions of the top and bottom yoke and they are both the same size. It must be the camera angle making them look bent.
I'm located in LLanelli, Carmarthenshire
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i dont have a hub but do have an axle assembly with speedo drive etc if you need one.
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Thanks Mickwinf
I'll bear it in mind whilst I decide which way to go on this.
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Thanks Oddjob. I’ve just checked and everything seems to be straight and true. I think I’ll park the wheel problem for a while until I can get my head around what exactly it is I’ve got!
But just to add to the conundrum, does anyone have any idea what the bolts threaded into the top of the forks might be for? Somebody has gone to the trouble of cutting a thread in a blind hole to insert the bolts. I can’t think of any purpose they might serve.
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Those look like adjustable pre-load caps or they just made it easy to change fluid in the forks.
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Problem is the bolts are in blind holes so you couldn't get any fluid in through them!
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I did a conversion like that to thread an air valve into. Was experimenting with air assisted forks.
That could well be what the threaded holes were for but the job never got finished. Perhaps the PO didn’t have a long enough tap.
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But just to add to the conundrum, does anyone have any idea what the bolts threaded into the top of the forks might be for? Somebody has gone to the trouble of cutting a thread in a blind hole to insert the bolts. I can’t think of any purpose they might serve.
(Attachment Link)
Got some 2-piece sport handlebars/clip-ons that would fit there...
They clamp on the tube, "ears" at the top get bolted to the fork-caps...
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found them, took pics...
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Those look a bit like Dunstalls