Honda-SOHC

Mine has always worked and it's how I spot new posts, just lately though it says there are none but there are. There are at least 3 new posts today that I haven't read yet that feature says there aren't there, what's going on with that?

After seeing what the going rate is on these condensers and after hearing lots of reports of really bad ones being fitted and failing very shortly after I decided to try and source some decent ones, same maker as OEM. Buying good condensers is quite a lot more expensive than buying cheap ones, mainly because they last. Buying genuine Honda in a bag with a part number is twice as expensive and it's the same part inside.

I have managed to get hold of 10 pairs, I'll keep a pair for myself and I thought I'd offer them to members here first. These are branded TEC condensers, clearly stamped with the TEC name. So 9 pairs available, priced at £45 a pair inc P&P.

Maximum of 2 pairs per member, I'd like to spread them around not let one person buy them to store them.

If they prove popular I will think about sourcing more. They are currently priced around £30-35 each on Ebay.

Saw this on the USA forum and thought it might be of interest to the UK members. Very well made, good feedback from buyers and means you can ditch the remote oil tank if that’s the look you’re going for.

Called Sump Thing and is based in Holland, a web search should lead you to the website if you’re interested. https://sumpthing.net/

I love mucking about, thinking of ways to make the bike both easier to maintain, or to make it handle a little better or go a little faster or even just last a little longer. It's why all of my bikes are modded, not in your face modifications, just little subtle ones that you may not spot until you're up close, most are missed by most unless you're an anorak on the model (guilty there on the 500).

A little example, whilst working at QPM I had to repair a CBX1000 that had had a turbo fitted and the owner had been stupid and turned the boost up above recommended settings, the CBX at the time had only been out for a few months, so little was really known about the engine, the owner wanted a one off, something people would crowd around in the car park, more money than sense kinda guy, so he went down to Dixon Racing and had this huge turbo bolted on, the result was it blew the head off, snapped all the studs, snapped the camchain and blew the head off so hard it dented the underside of the frame. I was given the job of repairing it, which involved a new head etc. It took me a few weeks to do waiting for parts etc, anyway, on completion I bolted the engine back in the frame and was putting the cams etc back in when I noticed something unique about the CBX1000, there are 4 cams not 2. They are joined in the middle by hardened steel crosses, like raised plus signs on each side of a coin of metal. Really odd setup. The more I looked at it the more intrigued I became, you had the ability to reverse one set of cams so that due to the wasted spark system you could have 2 cylinders firing at the same time, 1 and 6, 2 and 5 and 3 and 4. A sort of double 3. All the mechanics came to look at it and we decided to see what it ran like in that configuration. The CBX had only been out a few months as I said so we must have been the first to do this, so I reversed the left hand cams so they matched the right and started it up, it started no problem like that. It did however sound odd, a really odd exhaust note, quite nice actually, I only ran it like that up and down the workshop just to see what it felt like and it felt more powerful but not as smooth as the straight six did. No tank on, just the petrol in the carbs BTW. After that I changed it back and never saw the bike again after it left the workshop. The owner learned his money can't buy everything.

And so I was idling my time thinking of random stuff, and I noticed I have an opportunity to do a mod that whilst others may have done it they've never had the ability to see exactly what they've done in terms of results. In a short time I'll be replacing the clutch damping rubbers in 2 clutch baskets I have, one is a 500 and the other is a 550. It's not well known but the clutches have different gearing between the models, the 500 has 64 teeth on it's rear gear and the 550 has 63, to accommodate this change Honda fitted a different primary drive gear with the 500 having 23T and the 550 24T.

So it's not possible to change the clutch on the 500 to a 550 one without changing the primary drive gear at the same time and of course the 550 clutch is a lot bigger than the 500 is, having a different way of releasing the clutch, the 500 push rod and the 550 cable operated. In the dim and distant past I'd attempted to graft a 550 clutch onto a 500 engine but the clutch casing is slightly different and as a result the engine oil just pours out. I do know someone on the forum has tried this very mod by blocking up the casing alteration to keep the engine oil in place. It should work in theory. But what difference will that make to the engine besides having a lighter clutch that is. Different gearing gives different results, Honda knew this and also altered the gearbox in the 550 so it has different gear ratios for some of the gears, so IF you change the gearing on the clutch but still run the 500 gearbox what difference will this make in real terms?

So what, I was thinking, is what happens IF I fit a 550 rear gear to a 500 clutch basket, in effect retaining the 500 clutch but running the 550 gear ratios, without having to do the casing mod. What result would that give? better top end speed, better acceleration, no appreciable difference, I'm curious.

It would be a simple matter to test the results, notice what speed at what revs the 500 setup gives and after replacing the clutch with the modified basket along with the primary gear run the same test, does it make a difference, and if it does is the difference worthwhile? If it lowers the speed  it's most likely increasing the acceleration, is this something worthwhile? Would it allow the engine to pull to the redline in top for instance, something the 500 won't do unless it's going downhill.

Am I sad to think of stuff like this?

I've managed to acquire a pair of NOS CB500 fork ears, these are rare as hell and both are in really good condition except I've noticed they both have a dent on the back of the tube part. Seems to be roughly in the same place so I was wondering if they all have that as a way of avoiding hitting the tank for instance.

Can anyone who still has a decent set confirm if this is the case or not. If they don't have the small dent I'll find a way of repairing them from the inside to remove the dent.

I've had a O/S ear for some years now but spotted a N/S for sale over Xmas and decided they are better in pairs even though I won't be fitting them as I prefer the CB550 ears for my bike.

Fairly sure there are a couple but I need some advice.

I've just had to replace one of my storage radiators, the one I removed just had a double pole socket running on economy 7, the new one needs not only that but a mains powered feed as well. Not a big problem as luckily this one is situated right next to a double ring main socket. However the new one has features the old one doesn't. As a result even though I've always done all my own electrics I'm not sure if what the manufacturers are saying is actually needed, I mean by that, it's brand new, surely they are making a safe product, why do they need you to test the insulation with a 500v test voltage? why do they need to check how many Kwh it's consuming on it's first charge for instance?

Here's a link to the installation manual, https://www.electricradiatorsdirect.co.uk/manuals/technotherm/Technotherm-TTB-E-Duo-Storage-Heater-Manual.pdf go to page 9 and have a read, let me know what you think, I've fitted at least 8 storage radiators and they've always been just wire in, switch on and open the windows as the bricks smoke like a bitch the first charge.

Let me know what your thoughts are please.

I've got Max, who used to be a member on here, to make me a stainless steel linkage rod for the 500/550F carbs. The original ones as we all know tend to rust and pit for fun. In the past I've had a few hard chromed and that works well but whilst the first ones I had done cost me about £25 each the last 2 cost me £65 each. I spotted some stainless steel one being made in the USA a few months ago but after contacting the seller to enquire about the cost of making me 6 the first thing he did was increase the price, that didn't sit well with me so I declined that offer.

As I said I then contacted Max to see if he could make a few, with the idea being to fit them in carbs I'll be restoring and selling and also in case any other members wanted one. With Max no longer being on the site I thought I'd see about becoming his go between, he sells them to me and I sell them onwards to members. I may also be doing the 400 clutch basket rubbers as well in case you were wondering, he's just waiting on some more Viton to arrive to make some more.

Anyway, Max sent me a pic yesterday of the new rod and the original I'd sent to him for him to copy. I'll test the new one to see how it fits etc and if it's ok I'll order a few more but maybe after Xmas to defray the cost during what is an expensive season for most

Here's how they look.



If you're interested in one let me know so I know how many to order made. Cost will be approx £45 plus P&P onwards, say £2.

Just wondering if anyone has ever checked or compared the profile of a Cruzinimage piston against a genuine Honda one.

I'm reading some really negative stuff about aftermarket pistons and especially about the quality of Cruzinimage  piston rings, notoriously the 350 four ones which are reportedly very soft and wear extremely quickly. Reports I may add that come from a very experienced mechanic and certified Honda/Kawasaki mechanic trainer, not the sort of person to shout wolf you'd image.

I've seen an image where 2 pistons are joined on the same gudgeon pin, so they sit side by side and it's impossible to get them misaligned as that's exactly where they'd sit on the conrod, the rings were in different positions, the crowns didn't align or even look the same, Hondas are normally flat and the aftermarket was really domed, this would seriously affect the compression.

Another image of Cruzinimage rings after less than 500 miles, both a before and after picture showing ring end gap, it had doubled in less than 500 miles, which is worrying as a lot of members have fitted these kits.

Not trying to scare anyone here, just wondering IF anyone had done a comparison, especially of the piston. Just curious to see how they compare.