Topic: Just bought a '78 CB500K -- new rider, need maintenance advice!

[kgdavenport]

Hi all -- just bought a 1978 CB550k -- I'm a new rider, will post pics here soon.  My main question now is about normal maintenance.  How frequent to change oil?  What other normal maintenance routines?  Bike has 9,000 original miles and the original 4-into-4 exhaust.  Really nice bike in fantastic shape.  Any helpful hints would be appreciated!

[wowbagger]

Are you certain on the year and model? I believe Honda stopped making the four cylinder K series in 1973. Later CB500s were all CB500T models with a twin cylinder engine.

Post your VIN and we can help identify your bike, it you'd like. Pictures always help as well.

Either way, the first place to start is to find a copy of the user and service manual for your bike. The user manual will have all the dealer recommended service points in it and the service manual will explain the proper method for doing that service yourself. The generally accepted time to change your oil is about every 500 miles. The service manual will also explain all of the steps necessary to perform the 300 mile tune up which includes checking tappet clearance, point, timing, chain tension, wheen bearings and balancing and some other checks I'm not remembering right now.

[Mo]

He says its a 500 in the title and then a 550 in the body. Im guessing its just a 550. You can find a pdf of the manual on this site. Download it, and read/begin the 3000 mile maintenence routine. That should get you started.

Oh, and pics or it didn't happen. 

[wowbagger]

Ah, 550. that makes more sense.

Here's the Motorcycle Manual thread that should have a download for your manual:
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=17788.0

[anparkinson]

I have the same bike - 78 550K3 and do about 3,000 miles per year on it in UK and Europe.

I change the oil and oil filter once a year - run it on fully synthetic 10W-50.
Plugs and air filter every other year.
That's about it. I have electronic ignition.
I changed the fork oil a few years ago just because a I thought I should but didn't notice any difference.
I did the valve clearances about 5 years ago and have never had to adjust the cam chain and it runs really quiet.

The bike is 100% reliable and has never given any trouble. Now at 24,000 miles.

[Bankerdanny]

I just used plain Motorcycle specific 10-40 in my '77 550. Full synthetic is overkill in my opinion, but when it comes to oil there are about 100 opinions and none of them are wrong, just different. In any case by motorcyel oil and not car oil. Car oil doesn't always play nice with the wet clutch system our bikes use.

If you download the factory repair manual available here on the site the service intervals are listed. I generally do oil changes every 1,500 miles or so with the filter every 3,000.

I got my bike with 7k original miles and sold it about 8 months later with 11,500 miles. I never did check or adjust the valves. It didn't make any excessive top end noise and started and ran beautifully. I did periodically adjust the cam chain tension though, which is easy to do and a good practice.

Keep an eye on drive chain adjustment. I found mine needed to be adjusted frequently and a too loose chain is a recipe for a damaged engine case and an expensive engine rebuild.

Since you just got it, I would do an oil and filter change just to know you are starting fresh. Check the gaps on the plugs and points and do the cam chain adjustment and check the drive chain slack. Once all that is done, spend some time riding it. If it starts easily and runs smoothly then I would just ride and enjoy.

[bryanj]

Oil every 1500
Full service every 3,000
air filter 12,000 with plugs

[Duanob]

I change the oil and oil filter once a year - run it on fully synthetic 10W-50.

Uh oh! Time to pop some corn and pour a beer