Honda UK registered CB500K0's

[Nurse Julie]

So it is worth saving then if it's rare.

As a USA model imported into UK its not particularly rare as they were a very popular model in USA, unlike the 1st registered UK 500/4 K0 models that were never officially in Hondas UK model line up.... They are the very, very rare ones we are discussing. JamesH has recently sold a very nice example of a USA K0, that will give you a guide to imported model prices. UK models can easily go for double that price due to rarety.
http://www.sohc.co.uk/index.php/topic,24625.0.html

[daz]

It's not showing imported on the V5C, it is showing it was registered in the UK  in 1972.
Does the frame number mean it was never ment for the UK? Cheers for any help

[Nurse Julie]

It's not showing imported on the V5C, it is showing it was registered in the UK  in 1972.
Does the frame number mean it was never ment for the UK? Cheers for any help

A VIN of 103*** fits in with the USA 500/4 K0's. Maybe yours was a UK model but has had a frame change for whatever reason and whoever did it used a USA frame.
Edit..... Is that your 500/4 in your Avatar?, if it is, it's definitely a USA model.

[daz]

No, that's my American import 550 k0

[Nurse Julie]

No, that's my American import 550 k0

👍👍👍

[Nurse Julie]

Daz, this may help or confuse even more 😊😊😊 From VIN 1034121, it shows the 500/4 K0 as being the General Export model, your VIN of 1030582 is obviously just prior to the General Export VIN numbers 🤔🤔🤔.
We do know dealers were bringing in loads of what we now know as 'grey import' K0's from Europe because Honda weren't supplying the K0 to UK but customers wanted them. They were imported and 1st registered in UK. Yours could well be one of those grey imports with the 103*** VIN. The very few proper UK 1st registered 500/4's don't have 103*** VIN numbers.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[daz]

Thanks for looking into it for me, makes more sense,  cheers Darren

[AshimotoK0]

I personally don't see what all of the hype is between UK and US 500K0's and 750 1st model diecasts as the differences are only very subtle (rear lamp, grabrail and RH switchgear). and after all .. they were all made in Japan  . Even the bars on the early UK750's are the same as the USA one. I form my opinion on this, as I have a genuine 1st batch UK 750 and a USA 500K0 built in 3/71 with squared off crankcases and I have monitored sales of these over the past ten years. I have always maintained that the prices people throw around are over inflated and have never seen a bill of sale of actual folding stuff changing hands for these prices. If there is a premium for UK bikes due to this hype (which I cannot really see justification for) then like-for-like examples will only fetch a 20% premium IMHO. Please don't quote Frank at Motorcyce Unlimited's prices to me. My mate from York bought a rare sprint bike from him that he had listed at £1M. When my mate went to see it he was quoted all sorts of silly figures but offered him £10k cash ..no deal was struck so my mate set off back up north ... only to get a call on the way back from Frank saying he would accept £10k.. so my mate hightailed it back and bought it.

At Bonhams (Stafford Show) a few years back,  the hype said that the UK, diecast, Press Bike (from 2nd UK batch) would top £35k and it reached £19k at the auction.

Talking of UK 750's ..  did anyone see the one FreddyTheFatFrog  was selling a week or so back boldly claiming in the listing title  it was a genuine  1st batch 750  registered in December 1969 .... it was actually a 2nd batch registered in May 1970 (so really it was manufactured in 12/69) ... it's sold now ... so some mug is in for a surprise  . 

[Nurse Julie]

Ash, I can show you the bill of sale for Triggers UK 500/4 K0 that I sold and I counted the £9250 of Her Majesties finest pounds that it sold for and that was 6 years ago 😊😊😊

[AshimotoK0]

Ash, I can show you the bill of sale for Triggers UK 500/4 K0 that I sold and I counted the £9250 of Her Majesties finest pounds that it sold for and that was 6 years ago 😊😊😊

I don't doubt you Julie but you are talking about a bike restored by a top restorer to a very high standard,  fitted with NOS genuine pipes...which will always fetch a premium ... a USA K0  (particularly a square crankcase model) restored by him, to the same standard, would doubtless have fetched close to that IMHO .. there certainly would not have been a 50% premium because it was a UK bike ..  more like a 20% figure, as I suggested.

[1234pot]

I’ve just got hold of a 1971 owners handbook with UK wiring diagram. Bit of an anomaly....What’s the deal with the choke lever? Compared to the one on my bike registered March 72 but manufactured June 71 (Thanks Bryan). Is it bad photographic manipulation or am I missing something?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[1234pot]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AshimotoK0]

Honda manuals are often  done from very early photos of the 1st model and sometimes the photo's parts are pre-production even.
For instance the shop manual photos of engine strip are of an early squared off crankcase engine but this engine was only produced up to the mid 1st 2-3000 bikes

[1234pot]

Cheers Ash - Just never seen a hand book before and been looking in to it for some time.  In my case a 72 or a 71? I figured if it’s manufactured 71 that’s the one to get.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk