My old 500 k3 on ebay

[kevski]

Just seen this on ebay, it's my old k3 500, i sold it in 2003 and have always regretted it, looks like it's suffered a bit under it's latest owner who bought it a couple of years ago, i done the disc conversion and the boyer, i also had the valve cover repaired when it was mine, the most reliable bike i have ever owned.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-CB-500-Four-/182747774984?hash=item2a8c9dc008:g:twkAAOSwxw1ZrWID

[hairygit]

What I don't get, is he says manufactured 1977, so how does it have a "P" registration (Late75-76)?

[kevski]

I bought it from the importer, and that's the number it came with.

[K2-K6]

Have you got a bid in for it then? Doesn't look a bad price range for it.

[kevski]

If I had room I would buy it back at full asking price, it's only got 10k more miles on it than it had 14 years ago.

[K2-K6]

I guess that given the feelings others on here have expressed about getting an old bike back it's a difficult one to reconcile.

[Ashdowner]

According to the model guide on SOHC there's no such thing as a CB500K3 (unless the guide is incorrect). It went K0-K2 from 1971 to 1973. It's also quite clearly got a CB550K3 tank on it and P46 carbs which I believe were 550K3 & K4. Also the clutch is CB550 unless someone has used the clutch and actuating mechanism from a 550 (which fits without modification). P registration would make it a 1975 bike. Very odd all round unless I'm wrong.

[Seabeowner]

Ashdowner, this came up a while ago take a look here:
http://www.sohc.co.uk/index.php/topic,12863.msg100137.html#msg100137

[kevski]

Ashdowner, you are wrong, I was the first uk owner of this bike, I bought it from the importer the dating certificate was filled out wrong but got registered anyway, my brother had a 550k3 at the same time identical in everyway except displacement and side panel badges which only difference is the middle zero, I double disked it put the boyer on, put the green clocks on and braided lines, the clocks also had 1050 miles more than the original kph clocks had on them.

[deltarider]

According to the model guide on SOHC

That model guide has a lot of errors. You know how it is on the internet. Things stay there like the plastic soup in the ocean.

[Bryanj]

Also the 550 clutch cover will not fit on 500 cases as its a different shape and if you look at a K3 parts book it states 500/550 K3

[Ashdowner]

I think Seabeaowner has the answer. As for the clutch swap I'm sure someone posted a few months back that they'd done it.

[matthewmosse]

Cb550 clutch operates off a rather different mechanism, so the push rod runs through the output gearshaft on a cb500, but not on the cb550, also the lower crankcase is a different shape by the kickstarter so swapping covers leaves a hole here. It is possible to build a hybrid engine with a cb500 top case and therefore engine number but a cb550 clutch cover and clutch I believe as I have an unfinished example from a cb500 hardtail chop I bought sans any clutch or cover and a cb550k3 job lot of bits where the camchain tensioner had let go taking the whole top end, and the gearbox selectors and dogs with it. It's a fairly involved job and it took me a few attempts to get everything selecting gears nicely though that was my first attempt to do any engine work. Sadly I robbed the intended top end for another k3 that had dropped a valve so the resultant bottom end is sat in a loft with a gauge intention of dropping a cb650 top end on there to build a hybrid engine from discarded spares. Will be interesting if it ever happens.

[Bryanj]

Matt the cb650 top end doesnt add much as the 650 had a longer stroke to get the cc hike