Honda-SOHC

Hotter weather we are going to be getting in the future?

You’re optimistic aren’t you?

We get one heat wave, and tbh not a very good heat wave and suddenly it’s a clear indication that the world is warming up and we should all buy shares in swimwear manufacturers. The summer of 76 was a heat wave, can’t remember a single mention of global warming, it lasted far longer, killed far more people, yet no one blamed the earth for warming up. The 89 heatwave was also worse, again no mention. 13 years apart and it’s been quite a few years since our last heatwave as far as I can recall. Will we get another before next year? Doubt it. Before 2030, doubt it. It’s a blip that occurs every now and then, like floods. Dress accordingly and stay safe by doing so. A period of being uncomfortable is far better than lying in a hospital bed wishing you’d used the car instead.
I missed the small period of good weather we had last July, spent all of July in a coma, I’m missing all this lovely good biking weather right now due to said coma, last time I rode a bike was June 16 2025, am I bitter about that fact? You bet you’re arse I am, but seeing the bikes go past or hearing one going at speed still makes me smile, I always say to myself, stay safe lads ( I say lads but they could just as easily be women) get home safe and in one piece. Wear the right stuff, if it’s too hot for your wardrobe buy a new one better suited.

There is another difference I’ve just remembered but it is only visible when the sprocket carrier has been removed. The Cush rubbers on the 500 are different design than the later 550 ones. Other than those 2 points they are very hard to tell apart.

There may be a problem with that idea Neil. IIRC the 550 brake plate does not fit the 500 brake drum, I seem to recall trying it and being surprised that whilst the drums look identical they were different. It seems to foul on the outside edge. Maybe someone with both hubs and plates can confirm if I’m remembering correctly.

The 550f has the closed end type of swinging arm, the open end arms were fitted to the models with 4 exhausts as you couldn’t remove the wheel spindle to remove the rear wheel for a puncture for example. The 550f also has a slightly thinner o/s spacer than the 500 as well. It has a slightly longer boss on the brake plate to compensate. Your pictures show the wheel completely out of line, the rear sprocket should be almost directly under the chain guard and yours is way off. It wouldn’t run like that, the chain would not be inline enough for it to operate without a severe risk of it coming off. The small top hat spacer you’ve fitted doesn’t belong there. The silver coloured one goes next to the chain adjuster. So why doesn’t it fit? Seems simple if you know both models very well. It looks to me as if someone has fitted a 500 rear wheel in a 550f arm but still tried to use the 550f spacers. Measure the length of the o/s spacer and that should tell us if that’s the case, I think someone bodged it previously just to get back on the road.

That’s fine. Either will do and it’s in keeping with the original method used on that model.

It’s easy if you’ve got the bank apart at the same time Bryan. Just thread on onto the spring dowel, try it with and without the split ring and decide which feeling suits you best.

Had this discussion just recently, F2 and K3, essentially the same bike for different uses, used flanged nuts with no lock washers. 500 and 550f1 used plain nuts with lock washers like pictured. Either or, I’d stay with the lock washers personally. Where’s the bearing retainer btw? Along with the dust seal.

Wrong film Bryan but still funny.

I thought it collapsed after a few days didn’t it.