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Author Topic: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!  (Read 3149 times)

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Offline mronegear

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I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« on: July 11, 2012, 01:23:48 PM »
Hey all! My name is Frank and i have a cb 550 F 1976 (Germany) for 3 years now. End of this season
i plan to do a full restauration and rebuild the bike back to its original look. But...
The problem is, that i found out that i ride a cb500 frameset (red frame+fork) with a cb 550 f Motor and parts
(4-1 exhaust, Supersport Tank, Seat, Sidecovers, Carb, Airbox...)
My german title says its a CB550 F  (CB550F1027764)
So i think i will rebuild it like a original 550 F 1976 with a black frame and the Candy saphire blue paintjob.
The engin is runnig great, so i don't want to go back to a complete cb 500 Four with all the K-Model parts.
What are your thoughts about this?
The pic i have attached is a cb 500 with exact the frame my bike has...
Cheers,
Frank
« Last Edit: July 11, 2012, 02:03:52 PM by mronegear »
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Offline Greggo

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #1 on: July 11, 2012, 03:19:39 PM »
The motor in that frame is a CB500.  I can tell by the mechanism embedded in the left engine cover where you adjust the clutch.  The pipes on there are from a K.  The front forks have dust covers, not gaters like the earlier models.  Are those KONI shocks on the back?  It looks like a very nice bike to start with.

If you are going back to original, and planning to sell off the seat, I would like to buy it from you.

EDIT: maybe I misunderstood, and the bike pictured isn't yours, but looks similar?
« Last Edit: July 11, 2012, 03:21:16 PM by Greggo »
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Offline brooze72

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #2 on: July 11, 2012, 03:32:36 PM »
Good eye, Greggo, should also have an ID stamp on the motor casing, I would think.  BTW nice looking bike, but I am not a fan of the red forks, just my opinion..
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Offline lone*X

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2012, 04:47:44 PM »
Frank, we should really see a picture of your bike.  To those who didn't notice he states in the last line that the picture is not of his bike, but of a 500 with a red frame like his.  What you see is not what he has.
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Lone*X  ( Don )

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Offline Tews19

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2012, 05:09:01 PM »
Is that your bike then? I am confused? If it is, and you are restoring, I would be interested in purchasing the seat!
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Offline Greggo

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2012, 05:21:36 PM »
Quote from: Tews19 on July 11, 2012, 05:09:01 PM
Is that your bike then? I am confused? If it is, and you are restoring, I would be interested in purchasing the seat!

Hahaha!  This time Tews, I definitely woulda beat you to it on the seat.  But, I'm really pretty sure that's not his bike pictured.
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Offline Tews19

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2012, 05:26:22 PM »
No #$%*! I saw you respond the first time and scrolled really really slow down to see if you asked !
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Offline TwoTired

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #7 on: July 11, 2012, 05:52:26 PM »
If your bike has the rear peg/exhaust hanger tabs like those in the picture you posted, then it is a K model frame.  The F models have a tubing loop for that mounting function.
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Lloyd... (SOHC4 #11 Original Mail List)
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Offline brooze72

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #8 on: July 11, 2012, 06:02:08 PM »
Was there a 500F model in Europe sometime after '73?  Just asking, as I sometimes see guys listing a CB500F and don't know if they are ignorant or have some kind of overseas (ie not North American) model because I know the 500 continued a number of years past the introduction of the 550 in NA. Would like to be educated.
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Offline Greggo

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #9 on: July 11, 2012, 06:43:31 PM »
Quote from: Brooze72 on July 11, 2012, 06:02:08 PM
Was there a 500F model in Europe sometime after '73?  Just asking, as I sometimes see guys listing a CB500F and don't know if they are ignorant or have some kind of overseas (ie not North American) model because I know the 500 continued a number of years past the introduction of the 550 in NA. Would like to be educated.

Yes, there were 500F's up to I think 1976 in some other countries.  They hit the markets later.
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Offline TwoTired

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #10 on: July 11, 2012, 07:06:00 PM »
Quote from: Greggo on July 11, 2012, 06:43:31 PM
Quote from: Brooze72 on July 11, 2012, 06:02:08 PM
Was there a 500F model in Europe sometime after '73?  Just asking, as I sometimes see guys listing a CB500F and don't know if they are ignorant or have some kind of overseas (ie not North American) model because I know the 500 continued a number of years past the introduction of the 550 in NA. Would like to be educated.

Yes, there were 500F's up to I think 1976 in some other countries.  They hit the markets later.

Really?  I know there was a Cb500K3 in Europe.  I never heard of a genuine CB500F anywhere, at least no credible source.

Cheers,
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Lloyd... (SOHC4 #11 Original Mail List)
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Offline brooze72

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #11 on: July 11, 2012, 07:11:24 PM »
How about it Euro guys, what models & years of CB500s did you get?  What about down under too?
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"Hold on loosely...don't let go
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Offline Greggo

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #12 on: July 11, 2012, 07:14:31 PM »
Quote from: TwoTired on July 11, 2012, 07:06:00 PM
Quote from: Greggo on July 11, 2012, 06:43:31 PM
Quote from: Brooze72 on July 11, 2012, 06:02:08 PM
Was there a 500F model in Europe sometime after '73?  Just asking, as I sometimes see guys listing a CB500F and don't know if they are ignorant or have some kind of overseas (ie not North American) model because I know the 500 continued a number of years past the introduction of the 550 in NA. Would like to be educated.

Yes, there were 500F's up to I think 1976 in some other countries.  They hit the markets later.

Really?  I know there was a Cb500K3 in Europe.  I never heard of a genuine CB500F anywhere, at least no credible source.

Cheers,

Lloyd, I sometimes put the 'F' after 500 so as not to be confused with the CB500 twin.  Whether there was ever a Super Sport with a 500 four cylinder engine, I don't know, so I didn't write CB500K as to avoid possibly excluding it. I am somewhat certain the K1 K2 and K3 designations didn't match model years as they did in the states; a CB500K2 is not necessarily a 1972 bike.
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Offline mronegear

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #13 on: July 11, 2012, 11:53:25 PM »
Sorry for confusing you guys! The bike in the picture is not my bike, i just wanted to show you where my frame eventually must have been take from...
I have the red tubes, the red fork, red swingarm, red side- and centerstand, red battery box and i have also the coni shocks at the back, but these are not red!
Now i see that the triangle for the back footpegs looks a little different...
here are 2 pics of my bike right now...
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Offline mronegear

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #14 on: July 12, 2012, 12:13:58 AM »
Probably one of the pre owner took the frontfork, the swingarm, the side- and centerstand from a red framed cb 500 K and the mainframe and motor from a cb 550 F and just painted the frame red?
My frame def looks different, so its probably an original 550 F frame...

In Europe the cb 500 started in 71 (K0) 72-74 (K1) 75-77 (K2) and in 75 started the cb 550 F1

thanx for your help!!!
« Last Edit: July 12, 2012, 12:48:11 AM by mronegear »
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Offline Greggo

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #15 on: July 12, 2012, 03:36:38 AM »
Almost all Honda frames came black from the factory.  The red ones you've seen have been painted by their owners.  Only different colored SOHC4 frames I believe are the white Police bikes.
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Offline Scott S

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #16 on: July 12, 2012, 04:10:35 AM »
 To the original poster: What makes you think that it's a CB500 frame? The fact that it's red? have you checked the numbers on the neck?
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Offline Fritz

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #17 on: July 12, 2012, 05:30:58 AM »
Hello Frank,

The motor and the frame are definetly of a 550. The kick starter and the muffler are 550F1 or F2. And I think that your frame is a 550F likewise.
(see pics attached)
Your forks might be origal too. The 550F1 had fork gaitors while the 550F2 did not.
Where in the north are you? I've got a 76 550F1 and you might want to have a look at it to consider how much you may need to invest into a restoration to original condition.
I kind of envy your original muffler. Looks like it does not have rust holes in it - mine looks nice but is rusted through at the tip, so I've got a motard on it. The original headers are much more beautiful ;(

Cheers
Carsten
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Offline mronegear

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #18 on: July 12, 2012, 09:05:28 AM »

Yes, the red frame confused me + i found red parts offered via ebay (swingarm, centerstand, koni shocks) from a cb 500 K + i found a few red framed
cb 500 ks on google pics and none cb 550 with red tubes. So i guess i was wrong, sorry.
The Framenumber is cb550F102... so it must be the F1 (75 or 76) Supersport.

@Fritz
i live in Hamburg and i have almost every original part for the bike (Supersport tank, rear Fender, original Backlight + winker, frontwinkers, original bar etc.
I will put everythng back on and paint the frame black and the Tank and sidecovers in candy saphire blue. That's the plan.
I have the sankei muffler and it still in good shape :-)

cheers!
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Offline Greggo

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #19 on: July 12, 2012, 09:15:59 AM »
Sounds like a good plan!
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Offline mronegear

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Re: I've got a 500/550 bike bastard!
« Reply #20 on: July 12, 2012, 09:30:47 AM »
@greggo

yes, and i bet the bike will go much better with the original jets and the stock airbox ;-)
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