Topic: different fork spring lengths for different cb550s?

[alacrity]

I am working with the forks off a 78 cb550k.

The HONDA shop/service manual shows standard resting spring length as 451mm and minimum service length as 425mm (on page 142).

Ok... and the springs I have on my bench are 468mm and 473mm respectively.  It may not be somethin' but it's not nothin',  as yogi berra might have said.

any ideas? Did the specs change in the last year and I haven't found/downloaded the TSB or whatever?

[DaveBarbier]

http://goo.gl/A5kP9M

Yours (ours) seem to be the same. I couldn't find a spec for these specific ones so I just ran with it. Unless yours feel bad while riding I would do the same. Let me know if you ever find the real spec!

[RAFster122s]

The springs on one side are 468 and the other side are 473?
Could it be springs from a 750?
I don't know the lengths.   But, HondaMan has said that the original springs and rear shocks didn't hold up for long.  Many will go with Sonic straight rate springs or a progressively wound springs from Progressive or other suppliers. For better performance many looking for superior handling will install Racetech cartridge emulators.
David

[alacrity]

yes, the diff between the two I have is quite small (from a donor bike that had been stored for half of forever and i never rode).

The diff between the ones I have and the info in the manual (that seems to have been last updated vis a vis fork internals with the 1974 model) is quite a lot.  This bike is stock.  Cb550 forks dead match to the ones that came off my previous '77.  But that one had "normal" length springs per book spec.  Maybe the PO had the "brilliant" idea to put in longer springs for whatever reason?

I had progressive springs in the bike I crashed and they worked ok till I went to the dual disk set up.  Adding braking power overwhelmed the spring/damper setup.  I am gonna call racetech on monday.

[bwaller]

RaceTech offers different spring rates depending on bike/rider weight. Their springs are shorter which allows you to set up sag etc. with spacers to tune your forks. They are straight rate springs and alone or together with emulators work very well.

[Deltarider]

I am working with the forks off a 78 cb550k.

The HONDA shop/service manual shows standard resting spring length as 451mm and minimum service length as 425mm (on page 142).

Ok... and the springs I have on my bench are 468mm and 473mm respectively.  It may not be somethin' but it's not nothin',  as yogi berra might have said.

I just had mine out. According to the Parts Lists my frontlegs are the same as used on the CB550, CB550K1 and CB550K2. I measured the springs: left 462 and right 464 which is also longer than the 451 in the book. I'd say nothing to worry about.
After at least 10 years I've changed the forkoil because I want to experiment with 7,5 weight and less oil (a tad over 140cc). Surprise: the oil came out clean, didn't smell and IMO could have served a lot longer. Never understood why Honda's manual prescribes a change every 6000 miles or 12 months.
Just for the record: what do your springs look like - progressive or not - and if so, where the tighter coils up or down?