Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

Messages - s7paul

Pages: 1 2 3 [4]

CB500/550 / Re: 500/4 for sale in West Sussex

« on: September 18, 2011, 10:05:18 PM »

I'd say that's definitely a Yoshi pipe. It looks identical to the one I had on my first 500/4 back in 1979. And, as mentioned above, I bought my pipes from Dixon Racing in Godalming. I also had a set of K&N individual filters. I recall that it took me a while to get the jetting right.

The Yoshi pipe made a lovely noise, but I remember that the part of the "silencer" that curls under the bottom frame tube reduced the ground clearance on that side, so I ended up wearing a flat spot on it. Happy days!

CB500/550 / Re: Tyres

« on: June 15, 2011, 10:29:57 PM »

I use Bridgestone Battlax on my 500. BT-45F 100-90 on the front and BT-45R 110-90 on the rear. I've found them to be very good, and they give you plenty of confidence when you're chucking it into a corner.

New Member Introductions / New(ish) member - Portsmouth area

« on: May 18, 2011, 11:14:55 PM »

Hi all,
I only joined recently, though have used this forum and others for information on & off for some time.

I bought a new CB200 in 1976 and traded it in 3 years later with 51000 miles on the clock. The bike I traded it in for was a P-reg 500/4 that had covered 12000 miles. In the 2 years I had the 500 we covered a further 34000 miles. The only problems it ever gave me were related to its reluctance to start in damp weather. I eventually traded it in for a new Z550 in 1981, then upgraded to a new GT750 in 1984. When the first (of three) daughters arrived in 1986, the bike had to go.

After many years without a bike, I was yearning for the excitement you get from biking, but without the inherent danger. This led to me building a Lotus 7-style kit car, which I got on the road around 1998 and kept until 2007, when I sold it & bought a 1998 TVR Chimaera 450 (which I still have).

While all that was happening, I started to get the biking bug again. Of the bikes I had owned, the only one I had really regretted selling was the 500/4. A casual look through eBay in 2003 resulted in me winning a "basket case" for

CB500/550 / Re: Cylinder block stuck

« on: May 18, 2011, 10:31:29 PM »

Thanks for all the suggestions. Just to close this off, I tried all the usual stuff - big screwdrivers, hide mallet, etc., and there were no other bolts holding it down that I hadn't already removed. Eventually I used a steel wedge, which I managed to tap into the joint such that it was actually splitting the gasket material (rather than bearing directly onto the metal). A few careful taps each side and it finally started to move. I didn't like having to resort to such methods but there's no damage, so it looks like I've got away with it.

CB500/550 / Cylinder block stuck

« on: April 20, 2011, 09:17:56 PM »

Hi all. I've just removed the head from my CB500 and would like to remove the cylinder block too. However, it seems totally stuck. I've tried using the two pry points but this just results in bending my biggest screwdriver. There's not really anywhere else I'd be happy to apply too much pressure, as I know how delicate the fins are. So, does anyone have any useful tips for shifting a stuck block?