Honda-SOHC
SOHC.co.uk Forums => CB500/550 => Topic started by: Mr Helicop on December 07, 2019, 10:50:32 AM
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I would like a top box on my CB550 so I need a rack, the only supplier I have found is Craven Equipment who do a rack and fitting kit for a CB750 which they say should fit mine although they haven't tried it, they are to far away for me to go and test fit so that is not an option. Has anyone fitted one of these? Is the 750 the same size at the rear end?
https://www.craven-equipment.co.uk/index.php/kits-racks/product/504-cb750-k0-k6-1969-76 (https://www.craven-equipment.co.uk/index.php/kits-racks/product/504-cb750-k0-k6-1969-76)
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Ask them to send you one and you will test fit it for them as, they recon it will fit or buy one and if it don't fit ( when they have said it will ) return and get a full refund ;)
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The topbox has always been and still is a typical British phenomenon. You see thousands and thousands of them. Although they can be handy in city traffic, please realise they - on our bikes - will affect handling considerably at high speeds.
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What a rubbish website/shop. They should be ashamed...
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I fitted a Craven rack and pannier set to my Z750 (what a lovely underrated thumper that was!) back in the late 80s - the panner lids were such a poor fit they rubbed the lower case until the fibreglass wore away, had to make up and fit my own seals. Hopefully they've improved the design in the last 40+ years..... ::)
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The topbox has always been and still is a typical British phenomenon. You see thousands and thousands of them. Although they can be handy in city traffic, please realise they - on our bikes - will affect handling considerably at high speeds.
Back in the day my brother and I both had CJ 250T’s. His had a fairing and a top box. I was riding it one day along the A30 near Sunningdale at about 60 mph and got into a tank slapper which I couldn’t control and I ended up sliding along the road. Always thought it was because of the fairing/ top box.
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Craven racks were all the same but the fitting kits haddifferent brackets, different by lengths and bends that is.
Ask if they have 500 four kits they are deffinately the same.
Way back in the jurrasic when i was full time Craven were the rolls Of luggage kit
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I have a 1974 CB350F and needed to mount a top box. As this a fairly rare bike in the UK there was no source for a model specific rack but (dubiously) I bought a universal rack from eBay and it tuned out to be a good fit. It was powder coated rather than chromed but it did the job till a model specific one turned up on eBay in the USA.
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I've had top boxes or racks on most of my cb550 bikes. No idea of who made them, I think most were universal, one did cause problems with the shock absorbers as it was on the rear shock mount bolts and contacted the top of the shock which was fine in most use but ag some point I geuss the bike was heavily loaded on a rough road and the shock wasn't able to pivot I geuss - anyhow I did notice bent damper rods and leaking rear shocks after a few years. Only them that I really looked closely at the fitting arrangements- the bike had come ready fitted with top box and crash bars, chrome, gone rusty and painted gold - so were the spokes and rims - That was a classy looking bike! Worth the £220 I paid though, leaked oil, didn't like to start if hot and when I investigated the oil leak I found it had no top rings in the pistons and a chewed up head.
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This link may help to a recent discussion we had on here about back racks for CB550/4's
http://www.sohc.co.uk/index.php/topic,20645.0.html
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During November, the Craven rack and fitting kit that I have helped them to develop (through visits to their workshop and letting them take measurements) for the CB750 K2 and similar was fitted to my own bike. It is a very strong rack and I have mounted my modestly sized (around 40L) Givi top box to it. For over a year I have had to make do without a top box, due to my previous rack (Tower from the 1970's) cracking and having been welded once too often. The lack of a box has severely restricted my use of the bike, as I use it to store my jacket etc. on days out, my helmet being held on the hooks provided.
The same problem occurred with my CB500 and I intended to let Craven use that bike for measurements too, however I sold it during the summer so this hasn't happened. I suspect that over some 40 years, metal fatigue might have affected the older racks, perhaps not helped by the poor mounting arrangements which left the platform of the rack relatively unsupported.
The original Craven racks date from the 1970's and the need for adaptations to fitting kits have arisen because instead of using clamps around the tubes to mount the support brackets, the company has now welded a slotted "runner" under the lower tube that provides mounting points for all of the brackets. This is both neater and stronger.
I think that the Craven kit used for the CB750 will mostly fit the 500, although from my own observations there might be a need to use the "L2" rack rather than the L1 that I have on my bike. The L3 shown as recommended for the CB750 leaves a very large (8") gap between the rear of the seat and the front of the rack, the L1 leaves just enough room to open the seat comfortably and looks much neater. The L2 is in between these sizes and due to the 500 seat being located further toward the rear of the bike, I suspect that this will be the one to use.
In addition, there is a lower rail that fits from the rack to the triangular frame tubes on the 750 and, due to differences with the frame on the 500, this might need to be of a different length.
The company are, in my view very helpful (Carl from DS works on their front counter now and has a wealth of Honda experience) and are keen to develop products for Japanese classics.
I am more than happy to send a picture of the finished product fitted to my bike to anyone on the Forum who would care to provide me with an e-mail address (posting directly on here is beyond my talents!) and, if it is of interest and someone has the ability to put the picture(s) up on here that is fine too.
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The original Craven luggage made in London was superb quality rack, panniers and top boxes all. The qhickfit pannier fittings were awsome making panier on/off a matter of seconds to do.
They moved to my area(forest of dean) and after a few hickups got back to A1. I believe sometime after i left the bike trade they went to the wall and have since resurected.
Original 750 F1/2 racks had a "hinged top to the carrier so the seat could be opened.
As a shop bike we had a very early GL 1000 with craven kit and it was not uncommon to kneel on the box lid to close the catches.
Hope the ramblings help!!
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If you get stuck and aren't worried about having a used rack on your bike, drop me a line. I have a rack on my 550, it isn't in great nick, but its sturdy and does the job. I'm going to refit the grab rail to mine and then it will be almost back in standard trim. I'm just debating whether to spend £600 plus on a standard exhaust system (if I can still find one) then my bike will be 99% original.
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Many thanks for all the replies. No easy answer really, I would like the practicality of a top box I mean where do you put your helmet when you park up, but no rack is going to make the bike look better and I am sure the handling would be affected. I suppose I would like to see a 550 with a rack that I can buy that looks okay. Anyway no rush until the weather improves (probably next summer)
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I always put my lid on the helmet lock, which is on the bike :)
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I always use soft luggage on the 750 AND 550 they have always worked for me.
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On long holiday trips I've always used the very thick leather sidebags a friend had given me in 1980. They are of behind the iron curtain origin (like his Jawa was) and they have always served me well. The leather has become very hard now and they are far from waterproof. Even now I can still use them as I pack my gear in plastic (transparent) bags first. I avoid to ride in rain though: gentlemen don't ride in rain. The way I used to pack my iron horse resulted in a rock solid handling. The rack is a perfect fit. I dont know the brand but I remember it was marketed for CB500-550-750s back then. I believe it was German. You could also buy hard shell cases with them, but I did not. When my bike falls over - and this has happened quite some times - there's no damage, when a friends CB550 fell over his hardshell case leaked ever since. Also I remember a test in those days in a motor mag: none of the hard shell cases tested proved to be 100% waterproof. Also in countries like Greece and Turkey, they can repair a leather bag when needed just about anywhere. Hard shell cases can get damaged beyond repair. The advertised advantage of a click on - click off system, I find futile. I just open the lid of the leather bags and pull out the two or three plastic bags. No big deal. As for theft, I always parked my bike like near a terrace with lots of people. On all my trips, nothing got stolen ever.