Logic in CB500 model year and K figures?

[TRS666]

Working on my recently bought CB500 object. Previously i had a 1971 CB450 K3. In the 450:s seaching for parts was easy, 1970 was k2, -71 K3, -72 K4 and so on.
Now i have a Swedish sold 1975 Cb500 Four K1. But as i understand the K1 came already 1972 so why is my bike not K4?
I read also the CB500 K2 came 1973 but was that only US market and all euro 500:s were sold as K1:s?
Then the 550 came different years in Europe and US?
Is there a logic in this i just don´t get? Makes looking for used parts difficult.

[deltarider]

It's because the Americans are stubbornly stupid.
1. Identify your model by comparing frame- and enginenumber to those listed in the first 4 pages of the CB500 Parts Lists. They are all here: https://www.honda4fun.com/materiale/documentazione-tecnica
2. Honda did not refer to their models in 'years'. It makes sense: a certain model could run in Europe for more consecutive years in sales.
3. That's unthinkable in the US. It's a different market. Marketing and advertisers like to dominate in years to create incentives, this by the old advertising law: AIDA (in: The Strategy of Desire by the American Ernst Dichter).
A stands for attention an advertiser needs to raise.
I = interest
D = desire
A = action (buy/order)
The market there is organised like a yearly fashion catwalk. Every year manufacturers are expected to bring  something new. Bigger plastic indicators is about the least they should offer.
Realise that the US is for 2/3 a consumer driven economy. So they need customers to droole like labradors. The people there want this themselves. They don't mind being bombarded 24/7 by advertising. They are itchy to spend. Like my teacher English explained us: where Europeans still breath, Americans have already ordered. A day not spend, is a day not lived. So most American wallets are empty at the end of the month and many live from paycheck to paycheck. They buy till the drop. This explains all those garage sales offering things they have hardly used ever (a sign of bulimia so to speak). Where Europeans mistrust advertisements ("I don't need this" and "Why does your product need advertising?"), Americans welcome them ("Hey, that sounds like a good idea").

[TRS666]

Yes, having worked 43 years in quite high positions in car industry so i am familiar of the differences in US and European model year strategy. Even lived in US several years working for this Swedish car manufacturer. No, it was not SAAB!
I know my bike is a K1, both frame and engine number fit that cluster, but it is registered 1975. Was it 3 years old, bult 1972, when registered? I don´t think so.
But still, CB450 had specific K number each year, CB500 Four has not. How to find correct parts? I quess some changes were made during the production of this CB500 Four K1 model. And do all K0 and K2 parts fit?

[Nurse Julie]

Non USA model 500 K1's were in production from 1972 - late 1975, they are all K1's (Edit, except a few oddball countries got a K2). Same as 750/4 K2's, all but USA had the K2 from 1972- late 1975, where at the same time USA had K3/K4 and K5.

[deltarider]

[...] And do all K0 and K2 parts fit?

No, always check the parts list or CMSNL. There is also the 'area code' to observe or you may end up with the wrong cables for the US handlebars. CMSNL has this beautifull function that you - provided you're logged in - are offered a list of which models had the same part. Very convenient.
https://www.cmsnl.com/honda-cb500-four_model14343/
For things on the outside of the bike, here's an overview of what has changed in the looks: https://www.honda4fun.com/faq/generali/400-cb500-differenze-tra-k0-k1-e-k2
The CB500K2-A is not identical with the CB500K2-ED, -F, -G (at CMSNL known as CB500K2 GENERAL EXPORT)*.
The CB500K2-A was marketed in 1973 in US, CB500K2-ED, -F, -G was marketed on the European continent 1976-7.
* https://www.cmsnl.com/honda-cb500k2-general-export_model50441/partslist/?ac_section=model&ac_q=CB500K2

[Bryanj]

As Julie said all uk 500 were K1 with small clocks, US had K2 and at one point Honda were manufacturing 500K1, 500K2 and 550K0 all at the same time.
This causes a problem dating the UK bikes from vin(frame) number as although consecutive they can be years later.
There was a 500K3 which was a 550 with 500 barrells, never oficially sold in UK but there are a couple of private imports about.
The 550K0/1 was basically a 500 with 550 engine fitted

[florence]

in terms of parts fitting, it would depend upon your own taste and adherence to originality.

My K1 has various parts all of which work fine.  CB450K speedo, Lucas headlamp, CB250G5 rear lamp and number plate bracket, CB750K petrol tank and tap, front mudguard which could have come from any of the CBs.  Many parts are interchangeable and identical, such as front mudguards, brake disk and calliper, master cylinder, rear lamp bracket, petrol tank lids etc.

All these minor modifications serve to help keep the machine working and on the road.  When my petrol tank was beyond reasonable repair for instance, the cheapest CB500 one I could find was £500, roughly half the value of my bike.  I managed to find a 750 one from D&K for £100, went straight on with just a simple alteration to the tank rubbers and a re-routing of the fuel pipes.

I understand this approach would horrify a restorer but I am not interested in making mine look brand new, I would be too worried about riding it. 

[Bryanj]

By the way i do have a list of frame numbers against build dates garnered from many US contacts, if you dont have a vin plate on the frame(only US had these all the time) send me a pm with the number and will give you an educated guess on build year

[TRS666]

Bryanj, sent you a PM.
OK, thanks. Then i understand that the Fours did not follow the same Kx logic that CB450 Twin had.
Trying to Google translate the Honda4fun info.
CMSNL is good source, used them a lot trying to find parts to my CB450. Expensive though.

[TRS666]

I want to get the bike look original but within reason. Will not chase OEM washers just for the sake of originality. Good funktion is more important.
But got it running today, first time since 2001. After some warming it run really well, no strange noises or such. The filmclip is first seconds

[Oddjob]

I agree. The way that America knackered the way we identify bikes is confusing. The easiest way to know for sure what model your 500 is is to spot the differences between the models. The K0 has an odd seat lock, like a C50 steering lock. Different switchgear as well and a different seat design and the seat pan is ever so slightly different, no handbook pouch screwed onto the pan for instance. Smaller reflectors on the fork ears are another. After a while they become easy to spot. The K1 came next, almost the same, the gold colour changed, the seat lock changed. The reflectors got bigger. Honda fitted an headlight switch on the bars. Just small differences but easily spotted. The K2 changed quite a lot. Different design on the tank, much bigger clocks to name those which make it easy to spot.