Honda-SOHC

General => New Member Introductions => Topic started by: LeCromb on March 01, 2026, 11:57:45 AM

Title: Newbie from North Cheshire, 1976 CB550F UK model
Post by: LeCromb on March 01, 2026, 11:57:45 AM: Hi All, a newbie to this forum, but not to the bike - I bought this CB550F in '93 when I lived in Stamford and commuted each week to London and back for a year or so. It was always a bugger to start.... Sold it to a mate in '96 who kept it in a west Wales for about, ooh, the next 30 years. Latterly he did some work on it, then emigrated to Italy! So I suggested he should let me look after it again, and he agreed. So I have it back again. Still a bugger to start though! Wiring a bit of a corroded mess in places.
I've made the classic mistake of buying a new David Silver main wiring loom recently - total waste of time due to wrong colour wires, as I'm sure many of you already knew, (but I didn't) - does anyone have a link to diagrams showing new to old colours please? I looked on the US forum and found something promising but couldn't download the images for some reason? Or should I just send it back and get something else?

By the way, is anyone else having issues with the verification system on posting? Asks for 'what month is this', and it never works? Then reload the page/go back and it changes to a different question, which does work? Does this need fixing or is it me? Thanks.
Title: Re: Newbie from North Cheshire, 1976 CB550F UK model
Post by: SteveD CB500K0 on March 01, 2026, 01:22:51 PM: Welcome and sorry about the verification system.
It’s there to stop spammers who register and post crap.

It should shut up after you have 5 posts.

In the meantime I’ll try to work out why it doesn’t know the month.

Steve

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Newbie from North Cheshire, 1976 CB550F UK model
Post by: LeCromb on March 01, 2026, 01:35:12 PM: Hi SteveD, thanks, I should have thought about that, but not really used to the Forum format. Do you have an active Facebook group as well?
Title: Re: Newbie from North Cheshire, 1976 CB550F UK model
Post by: Bryanj on March 01, 2026, 02:16:17 PM: Contact Big Al a member on here to ask about looms
Title: Re: Newbie from North Cheshire, 1976 CB550F UK model
Post by: Oddjob on March 01, 2026, 03:46:38 PM: Whereabouts in Cheshire? I have a spare loom for the F model made by Big Al if you’re interested.
Title: Re: Newbie from North Cheshire, 1976 CB550F UK model
Post by: LeCromb on March 01, 2026, 03:53:13 PM: Hi Oddjob, if it would suit a '76 model, then potentially yes please, I would be interested. I'm near Frodsham in Cheshire, are you on Messenger and we could keep in touch that way?
Title: Re: Newbie from North Cheshire, 1976 CB550F UK model
Post by: Oddjob on March 01, 2026, 05:14:53 PM: I’m in Stockport, so not a million miles away. Yes it will fit your F1. It has a label still attached, I’ll need to check it’s the right one but I seem to recall it’s for the F as that’s roughly what I have.

Not on Messenger but am on WhatsApp.
Title: Re: Newbie from North Cheshire, 1976 CB550F UK model
Post by: SteveD CB500K0 on March 02, 2026, 10:47:52 AM: Quote from: LeCromb on March 01, 2026, 01:35:12 PM
Hi SteveD, thanks, I should have thought about that, but not really used to the Forum format. Do you have an active Facebook group as well?
Not really of the Facebook generation I’m afraid. In fact, no social media presence at all

The forum is old fashioned but if you use a smartphone and Tapatalk, is quite easy to use.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Newbie from North Cheshire, 1976 CB550F UK model
Post by: Athame57 on March 06, 2026, 02:03:05 PM: Welcome here, I hope you soon untangle your problems too! ;D
Title: Re: Newbie from North Cheshire, 1976 CB550F UK model
Post by: florence on March 06, 2026, 02:49:19 PM: Welcome. Surprised to hear difficult to start. I'm sure a good all round service will sort that out.
Title: Re: Newbie from North Cheshire, 1976 CB550F UK model
Post by: LeCromb on March 06, 2026, 03:33:00 PM: Thanks to both above for your welcoming comments. Folks have been very helpful even in the short time I've been a member, which is great.
Yes, agree a general fettle and service should sort the starting. I'm glad to have it back really, despite the problems, as it is a great bike, (great engine), and I remember scooting up and down the A1 pretty rapidly with no issues at all, thinking who needs more than 550cc? (oh, that'll be me then, as my other bike is a GPZ900R... ;))
Title: Re: Newbie from North Cheshire, 1976 CB550F UK model
Post by: SteveD CB500K0 on March 06, 2026, 07:03:16 PM: Quote from: LeCromb on March 06, 2026, 03:33:00 PM
…my other bike is a GPZ900R... ;))

Is that with a small r or a big R?

Wasn’t that the world’s first 150mph production bike?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Newbie from North Cheshire, 1976 CB550F UK model
Post by: LeCromb on March 06, 2026, 07:22:30 PM: Big R.... fabulous bike. But I never rode it that fast anyway, (honest officer), that's probably why it's reached 127,000(http://) miles on the same engine in the last 21 years I've owned it... (bought at 43K). I keep thinking of selling it, but can't quite bring myself to do so!
Title: Re: Newbie from North Cheshire, 1976 CB550F UK model
Post by: Bryanj on March 06, 2026, 08:20:10 PM: Biggest thing with all the fours is getting the points gap(0.35mm or 14thou) EXACTLY corrrect whilst the static timing is spot on.

This is not easy to do for the first 50-100 attempts but gets easy with practice!
Title: Re: Newbie from North Cheshire, 1976 CB550F UK model
Post by: Nurse Julie on March 06, 2026, 08:29:51 PM: Welcome to the forum.
Title: Re: Newbie from North Cheshire, 1976 CB550F UK model
Post by: McCabe-Thiele (Ted) on March 06, 2026, 10:22:23 PM: Welcome to the sohc community LC
Interesting boomerang ownership history.

I've only ever owned one vehicle twice, a Mini Cooper from 1974 to 1984, I asked the buyer to give me first refusal when he wanted to sell it. I bought it back in 1989 sold it 6 months later as I was strapped for cash, wish I still owned it.

It still exists on DVLA it was listed as Multi-Coloured now back to the original Battleship Grey.

.(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55133227280_30e84a5a16.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2rZWcE9)Mini Cooper 1275 (https://flic.kr/p/2rZWcE9) by Macabe Thiele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/187487200@N03/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Newbie from North Cheshire, 1976 CB550F UK model
Post by: Laverda Dave on March 07, 2026, 11:44:44 PM: Welcome to the fantastic forum. Interesting story of ownership. Lots of help on here and Big Al is the man to contract regarding the loom👍.