Topic: Tell me what you know about a 500t

[grumburg]

One of my "moles" called me the other day about a bike "you may be interested in".  Told me it was a 75-76 500t. Took me to see it tonight and I was pleasantly supprised. Very nice original paint, clean chrome, 8000 miles, even the original brown seat ( it's a 75). Last registered in 04. Only thing I could find wrong was broken starter button and mufflers rusted from inside out(sound familar?) Was not interested before I went (too many cams and not enough cylinders).  Owner was not home, but told my friend "would like to get $250". Probably get it for $200. Appears many parts are the same as my 550s. (wheels, brakes, etc). Is it worth some work and $300-$400 in parts?

[aptech77]

YES YES YES!!!!!!

[bill440cars]

          All depends on who you talk to. Myself, I agree with aptech77. If you didn't know, the 500T is
     a stroked 450 with some changes. I've never ridden one myself but, I have ridden (and own some)
     450s and they are pretty impressive to be only 2 cylinders IMHO. Later on, Bill

[nickjtc]

Even though it was the zenith of development of the original 450 motor, the 500 was maligned in the English motorcycle press as being butt ugly, not least because of the different seat colour and the weird connector box thingy between the exhausts. Also the model was launched just at the time as the across-the-frame-fours were the thing to own, and the 400-4 had just been launched. As such they are not that common. As a foundation for a 'project' I think the one you are looking at would be a good buy. Take pics, before and after, please!

[aptech77]

Rare indead!

[mrbreeze]

I owned one back in the late 70's.It was alright for an in-town comuter. I didn't care for it on the freeway much.When I used to drive big rigs for a living,I used it to comute about 40 miles a day and it used a bit of oil.They had a bulk tank of 10-30 oil that I would use to top it off.This bike #$%* out on me within 6 months of using that oil. It had cam followers that went south & took one of the cams with it. I was going to fix it and even spent some bucks for a valve job while I was in there.I ended up buying a Kawi 1000 LTD and sold the Honda as a basket case for $200!!!!

[JSGAuto]

Hi,
I am a fellow CB450 and 500 owner. 
There is a couple great websites out there.  But if the bike is nice keep it, don't part it out! 

Enjoy,
Jim



http://groups.msn.com/HondaCB450DOHC/

http://www.cb450dohc.com/

[grumburg]

Hi,
I am a fellow CB450 and 500 owner. 
There is a couple great websites out there.  But if the bike is nice keep it, don't part it out! 

Enjoy,
Jim



http://groups.msn.com/HondaCB450DOHC/
Nice sites. No worries about parting it out.
http://www.cb450dohc.com/

[GoatBaSS]

Underpowered for the extra cc's. The 450 was tthe darling and the better performer. I wish I could have my old one back to take another crack at it. You could do worse. Plus its a HONDA AND A TWIN. Smacks of fun to me.

[bill440cars]

         You know, until the 750 came along, the 450 was Hondas big bike. It wasn't any sloutch either. Now I've never ridden the "Black Bomber" but, I had a buddy who had one and it was a pretty good runner. Another buddy bought a brand new 68' model CB450 and told me to take it for a spin one day. As I left out on it, he told me to "get on it" and I cracked the throttle some and it left out pretty quickly I might add. When I returned, he told me to nail it and so I did. I have to tell you, when the rear tire caught traction, it left like I had built a fire under it. The 450, in my opinion, has earned the right ro have a following of it's own. I've never ridden the 500T but, it is a derivitive of the 450 and I've got to feel like it should be a pretty good bike. Don't get me wrong, I've go 1- 76' CB400F, 1-73' Cb500K, 1 77' CB550K, 1-78' CB550K & an 80' CB750K. I like them all. Later on, Bill       

[nickjtc]

Isn't it interesting that the bastard child of the litter, maligned and unloved at it's birth, can become the object of affection after the passage of many years. There are lots of bikes like the CB500 which were poorly received when they first showed up (due to looks, poor performance/reliability, bad timing by the manufacturer), but are now sought after as being 'collectible'.

Ones which spring to mind:

Suzuki RE5 rotary
Kawasaki 750 twin
Honda 650 Hawk (in N.America)
Honda Transalp (very loved in Europe)

Anyone think of any others?

[grumburg]

Isn't it interesting that the bastard child of the litter, maligned and unloved at it's birth, can become the object of affection after the passage of many years. There are lots of bikes like the CB500 which were poorly received when they first showed up (due to looks, poor performance/reliability, bad timing by the manufacturer), but are now sought after as being 'collectible'.

Ones which spring to mind:

Suzuki RE5 rotary
Kawasaki 750 twin
Honda 650 Hawk (in N.America)
Honda Transalp (very loved in Europe)

Anyone think of any others?

Honda CBX, 400f, GB1, CX650 Turbo

[Bob Wessner]

Edsel .

[Jay B]

Wish I could stumble on a deal like that. I really want a 450 or 500 but there just don't seem to be many around.

[Ted Nomura]

I own three DOHC 450s, a stock 1974 CB450, 1968 CL450 and a 1973 CL450 turned chopper and a spare 1976 CB500T engine which I'm planning to switch engines on a chopper. Honda DOHC 450s are pretty reliable, if not bit complicated to tune. CB500T was their last gasp, trying to compete with other 500s until their new 400cc Hawks were ready. CB500T looked even more British. For this reason I wouldn't mind getting one. I'm planning to use the CL450 engine from a chopper to build a CR450. Cheap racers using CB350s and CB450s seem to be pretty popular.

[grumburg]

Well, I have struck out trying to find a SOHC4 for my winter project, I guess I will buy this 500T. Does anyone know a source for an exhaust system and can I eliminate that butt ugly crossover? 

[medic09]

Isn't it interesting that the bastard child of the litter, maligned and unloved at it's birth, can become the object of affection after the passage of many years. There are lots of bikes like the CB500 which were poorly received when they first showed up (due to looks, poor performance/reliability, bad timing by the manufacturer), but are now sought after as being 'collectible'.

Ones which spring to mind:

Suzuki RE5 rotary
Kawasaki 750 twin
Honda 650 Hawk (in N.America)
Honda Transalp (very loved in Europe)

Anyone think of any others?

Yamaha SR500 has a pretty devoted little following...

[bill440cars]

Wish I could stumble on a deal like that. I really want a 450 or 500 but there just don't seem to be many around.

                Jay, Sent ya a PM, check it out.     Later on, Bill

[Bodi]

I think the 500T was victim of bad timing. The four cylinder bikes were what caught your eye at the dealership, and the twin looked a bit "old" beside the fours... maybe the styling or the engine, dunno. Here in Canada they couldn't sell them, I can remember seeing 3 or 4 year old new ones in showrooms. I rode one when they first came out and was underwhelmed, bought a 400F instead even though the 400 has a bunch less power on paper.

[grumburg]

Well, I brought it home today. After going it over again, it's even nicer than my first impression. The inside of the tank is spotless, no scratches in the paint, and the chrome will clean up nice. Took half hour to move all the junk to get it out of the garage. Only thing wrong is the starter button wiring is butchered and the mufflers have some rust holes from the inside out. Guess I will probably stay up half the night to get started. Just wish it was a SOHC4. Any one know where I could find some nice mufflers?

[CBGBs]

I think you could have a cool bike here if you just changed the look a bit. I do like the tank. It is one of few Hondas with knee indentations on the tank. I would consider putting on of these on my CB350 if I know it would sit level. You MUST get rid of the seat and probably the side covers because they fit the shape of the seat. They may look odd with a flat seat. Get rid of those horrid oversized pipes. I don"t know what Honda was thinking when they styled the bike. I tried the MAC exhaust catalog and found nothing, but the bike is heavily based on the CB450 so perhaps you can adapt an exhaust system for your bike from them. The bike must be trimed down. I think it will make a good candidat for a Cafe bike.
I have a maintenance book with some info on the bike if you need some info .

[bill440cars]

         Yeah, it could be a decent looking ride, with a little help. Myself, I'd get a set of 450 exhaust pipes and pickup on a pair of aftermarket mufflers. I know that JCWhitney's has some and Mike's XS
Parts (I know it's a place for Yamahas but, they have stuff that could be used on anything and I think it's actually mikesxs.com, but I'm not sure since I haven't been there in a while) I'm sure there are other places to check for parts. I totally agree on the seat thing and the side covers. After you take care of the seat thing and decide that you want some kind of covers, perhaps you could fab some up out of some aluminum or sheetmetal. The gas tank does look good, in my opinion too, but if you did decide on another, you could ebay the 500 tank and help support the bike. Those tanks don't show up on ebay too often and are usually priced higher than others. Good Luck with your project.

                                                       Later on, Bill

[crazypj]

Hi Bill,
Thought I'd already replied here but I guess not.
I still have the cam chain splitter for CB500T motor, spent too much time inside them
Don't know why but they don't seen as reliable as the 450?
Like all Honda's they can be made to work better but are reasonably reliable stock as long as you don't hold them at full throttle for extended periods.(I've been inside quite a few seized motors, pistons went west)
Just do everything you would to a 450
PJ

[heffay]

oh yes, a beautiful bike... wait, what bike?

[heffay]

Well, I have struck out trying to find a SOHC4 for my winter project, I guess I will buy this 500T. Does anyone know a source for an exhaust system and can I eliminate that butt ugly crossover? 

about the crossover.  unless you can find someone that has done the mod and succeeded in not destroying the rideability of the bike... don't do it.

kawasaki ex500 twins use a crossover exhaust system.  one exhaust pulse from one cylinder helps to pull the next exhaust pulse from the other cylinder by utilizing the negative pressure in the crossover.  i recently rebuilt this bike for the gf and serious running problems put this bike out of commission until i found an un-butchered header system.

[grumburg]

         Yeah, it could be a decent looking ride, with a little help. Myself, I'd get a set of 450 exhaust pipes and pickup on a pair of aftermarket mufflers. I know that JCWhitney's has some and Mike's XS
Parts (I know it's a place for Yamahas but, they have stuff that could be used on anything and I think it's actually mikesxs.com, but I'm not sure since I haven't been there in a while) I'm sure there are other places to check for parts. I totally agree on the seat thing and the side covers. After you take care of the seat thing and decide that you want some kind of covers, perhaps you could fab some up out of some aluminum or sheetmetal. The gas tank does look good, in my opinion too, but if you did decide on another, you could ebay the 500 tank and help support the bike. Those tanks don't show up on ebay too often and are usually priced higher than others. Good Luck with your project.

                                                       Later on, Bill

Bill: You read my mind! Looked on Mikes xs site last night and he has a 17" megaphone with a universal adapter and sliding mount for $46 each. Thanks.

[grumburg]

Well, I have struck out trying to find a SOHC4 for my winter project, I guess I will buy this 500T. Does anyone know a source for an exhaust system and can I eliminate that butt ugly crossover? 

about the crossover.  unless you can find someone that has done the mod and succeeded in not destroying the rideability of the bike... don't do it.

kawasaki ex500 twins use a crossover exhaust system.  one exhaust pulse from one cylinder helps to pull the next exhaust pulse from the other cylinder by utilizing the negative pressure in the crossover.  i recently rebuilt this bike for the gf and serious running problems put this bike out of commission until i found an un-butchered header system.

Guess I don't understand why to 500s had the crossover and the 450s didn't. They are both 180 degree parallel twins.. Must sweep the other cylinder during the odd overlap. Since the headpipes are in good shape and the exhaust is two piece, I have the option of replacing the mufflers only.

[bill440cars]

about the crossover.  unless you can find someone that has done the mod and succeeded in not destroying the rideability of the bike... don't do it.

kawasaki ex500 twins use a crossover exhaust system.  one exhaust pulse from one cylinder helps to pull the next exhaust pulse from the other cylinder by utilizing the negative pressure in the crossover.  i recently rebuilt this bike for the gf and serious running problems put this bike out of commission until i found an un-butchered header system.

Guess I don't understand why to 500s had the crossover and the 450s didn't. They are both 180 degree parallel twins.. Must sweep the other cylinder during the odd overlap. Since the headpipes are in good shape and the exhaust is two piece, I have the option of replacing the mufflers only.

     heffay & grumburg,
                                It is puzzling to me also why the 500 had the crossover (or balance tube), when NONE of the the 450s had them and there have been some folks use the 500 head on their 450s for road racing, and these bikes had no cross over. Maybe I'm wrong but, I don't see why you couldn't do without it. If there was enough  of a restriction in the exhaust system, I could see where it could help.

                                                           Later on, Bill

[CBGBs]

I don't think the crossover is necessary. It gives the motor more power in the lower to mid range without sacrificing much of anything at the top. Some bikes today may have them some don't. I don't think the 500 has any special design that would require it. I would keep them and just add some magaphones. But I would definatly add some pictures.

[crazypj]

You could just make a 'H' pipe to fill in the gap. It doesnt need to be the huge thing Honda fitted, that is also a resonance chamber to quiet exhaust.
In Britain there used to be an aftermarket 'H' pipe for the CB/CM 250/400,and also for CX500. Someone there should be able to get a pic of it to show you whats needed
PJ

[bryanj]

Only big problem with the 500T was the starter clutch going west and if it does REMOVE it before it destroys the alternator rotor.

Also needs a totlly different mind set on maintainance, the one that gave up on a dose of truck oil probably did so because the centrifugal oil filter gunged up, needs cleaning VERY regularly, not the oul as fleet 10w40 diesel oil is exactly the right spec but needs changing every 1500 miles

[grumburg]

Thanks guys. Have started tearing it down for major maintenance. Tank and carbs are dry and spotless. Swing arm had never been greased, almost froze. Only concern was lots of gas in the oil. Didn't smell it in the breather, so I hope it was never run that way. Maybe they just drained the tank through the engine! Many SOHC4 are interchangeable.

[bill440cars]

            Grumburg,
         
                    When you get the chance, browse through this and see what you think.

           http://home.earthlink.net/~toddhenningracing/

                                                        Later on, Bill

[Jay B]

If the performance was down compared to the 450, what changes were made? Carbs, cams, compression ratio? You'd think it would run a little stronger with the longer stroke.

I've come across a nice 500T for $500. Haven't heard it run, but kicking it over it seems to have lots of compression, gas tank absolutely clean, etc. Should run with little or no effort. Problem is, I've also found a '78 750K I want and can't do both. Decisions, decisions.......

[bill440cars]

       Like you said Jay,"Decisions, Decisions. I don't know what to tell you. I do know that there have been some who wanted the 750s and couldn't find them. Then again, the 500T is scarce and, I feel like it could be a good bike because of the ability to use a lot of 450 parts on it also. There ought to be a law against having to make such a decision. It's all up to you though. Others would tell you what they'd do, but they'd be expressing their feeling, not yours. All will say is, weigh it out, think about what you are after, what your goals are and how comfortable you'd be on either bike and try to narrow it down that way. LOL with what you decide Jay.

                                                          Later on, Bill   

[grumburg]

If the performance was down compared to the 450, what changes were made? Carbs, cams, compression ratio? You'd think it would run a little stronger with the longer stroke.

I've come across a nice 500T for $500. Haven't heard it run, but kicking it over it seems to have lots of compression, gas tank absolutely clean, etc. Should run with little or no effort. Problem is, I've also found a '78 750K I want and can't do both. Decisions, decisions.......

Did some research since I bought it. Compression was lowered from 9:1 to 8.5. Was Honda's 1st smog engine. Also, final drive was lowered slightly to lower cruising RPM. The SOHC4 spoiled riders on vibration. Everybody called them heavy, but spec sheet says 425# vs 430# for the K7. Since I tore it down, parts have not been a problem (except finding better mufflers). Just about everything else is 450K7. As for the timing, I have made some of my best bike purchases at the most unopertune times (this one included).

[bill440cars]

            Hey grumburg, What kind of mufflers are you wanting? Also, where have you looked? I'm looking at the Commando style, or the shorter, megaphones myself. What do you think? Now I don't remember the exact size of the 450 or 500Ts pipes but, that's what I've narrowed my choices down to, as far as style goes.


http://www.mikesxs.net/mikesxs-exhaust.php?category_id=5.1