SOHC.co.uk Forums > CB500/550

What about this price?

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Oddjob:
Mileage is not an indicator of mechanical condition. It depends on how the mileage was done, I’ve seen engines where the owner never went above 3k and it’s scrap and others where it was ran to the red line in every gear and was in good condition. Only by starting it and listening to it can you be even half sure.
It could have done the mileage in its first year and been sat ever since. If so, avoid.

deltarider:

--- Quote from: Oddjob on May 21, 2026, 07:11:55 PM ---[...]
It could have done the mileage in its first year and been sat ever since. If so, avoid.

--- End quote ---
That was what I was asking: what will detoriate after a long period of sitting? I myself have no clue and I like to learn on this.

Then this: over a year ago the owner has invited me to come over to inspect the bike for its originality. This after we had had a phonecall. He was worried that possibly the side panels were not original. I could assure him they were, but that there was something that was odd to me: the cover on the alternator. So I offered to come over to inspect the rest of his bike. I had made a long list of what to inspect and on my trip towards his garage I was actually a bit worried that I had to inform him on some things that were wrong. For 45 minutes I went through my list with all the details to check and - believe me - I know all the details of the CB500K2-ED in Excel Black. Everything was right. Only the coils had HT leads that were not routed as original. Then to that cover on the alternator. It's not on any CB500 I have seen, except for the later K3 model. It's the only thing I had no other explanation for that - seen the engine- and framenumbers - it was obvious that his has been one of the very last of this ultimate serie of the oldstyle CB500s ever built and that Honda had already fitted the new style cover. No damage, everything was how it should be and I could tell by other details that there had never been a wrench on that bike yet. Everything was correct. It started perfectly, idled like new, brilliant response etc. I could conclude by feeling the resistance to remove the side panels that they had not been much of before. Before my arrival, I had been convinced I would find at least something, but... nothing.
About the coils that had its HT leads not routed like original. Maybe coils have been replaced after a mistake made by a PO. If you leave the bike and have forgotten to turn the ignition OFF, the coils may not survive. I had a teacher in school who had this happened to his '60 Opel.
I have tried to persuade him to keep the bike - he had not been riding it as he didn't have his license yet - saying that he would never find another one like this. Now after over a year it seems he has concluded that he wasn't to take riding lessons to get his license and so it is for sale.

taysidedragon:
I would have squirted a small amount of oil into each bore before trying to start it. If it's been standing for so long, the bores would be dry and initial startup not lubricated.

The coils are not an issue, maybe the leads were not routed correctly in the first place or at a service. They could have also been disconnected for cleaning and not put back correctly. 

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