Topic: seat/cover for CB550F 1976 (brown!)

[Stev-o]

I question the need to buy a full 1000 m roll.   I've bought vinyl many times and they typically will sell you whatever you need.   It's a given that a partial roll will be higher priced, but we're not talking a lot of vinyl for a single seat. 

Maybe we should contact cover maker Gumtree?

[flatlander]

the way i read it is that he doesn't get vinyl in this shade of brown from his usual supplier(s) and can't be bothered to source some for this small group. but if we get some ourselves and send it to him, he'd be willing to make some covers from it. i doub't he'd need a full kilometre of it in order to do it.

i'm sure the gumtree covers are good as well but less stock looking with the stitching.

i won't pursue this actively as i'll be getting a black one now. if anyone can source the vinyl and wants to go ahead with this then i'll get them in touch with russ so that he knows where it is coming from.

[jlh3rd]

Hi
   Sorry, this doesn't help with your seat, but, when I see a statement that is wrong I try to correct it. The 1975 550f also had the brown seat, so the 76 was not the only year.
    Keep looking , I had one show up a while back from CMS...

[Stev-o]

 The 1975 550f also had the brown seat, so the 76 was not the only year.
   

First time that I've heard that, where do you get your info?

According to this, it's '76 only....

http://www.sohc4.net/cb550-model-guide/

[flatlander]

the point is that it's the F1 which is associated with the year 1976, when most of them were delivered. i guess some F1s may have rolled off the assembly line late in 1975. but certainly not all Fs made in 1975 had the brown seat.

[Stev-o]

the point is that it's the F1 which is associated with the year 1976, when most of them were delivered. i guess some F1s may have rolled off the assembly line late in 1975. but certainly not all Fs made in 1975 had the brown seat.

Good point...I believe mine was manufactured in '75....

[jlh3rd]

Yes they were. Your info doesn't give the seat color for 75' , and says that 76 had a brown seat, not that only the 76 had a brown seat. I have an original, unrestored, 75 super sport, brown. I ordered a seat cover for a 1975 f model around 1998 from a Honda dealer here, it is brown, didn't have the logo on it, go figure. Was browsing CMS a few years ago and they had an original seat cover for a 75 f model, ..brown.
    Go look up the part numbers for the seat assembly and/or the seat cover for 75' and 76, ( either was available) same part number. Look up part numbers for the k's, they are different.
     Look up the seat part number for a 77 f model, different....

[jonda500]

 The 1975 550f also had the brown seat, so the 76 was not the only year.
   

First time that I've heard that, where do you get your info?

According to this, it's '76 only....

http://www.sohc4.net/cb550-model-guide/

yep, I've never seen a 75 with a brown seat and think new member jlh3rd is flogging a dead horse here, wait, is jih3rd really Jwilde with another new user name?
John

[jlh3rd]

Cycle magazine, September 1975, report, "Honda CB550F SS". In the article, "gets a new seat"
     Big bike magazine, November 1975, on the cover, " NEWEST & BEST SUPER SPORT" ......PG 34.  "Honda cb550 super sport" article.
     Pg 35, middle, left hand side , picture, "the 550's seat (brown this year) is much more comfortable than one would expect"...

[jlh3rd]

You wanna get smart with me, you'll lose....don't call me a liar...how many bike shows have you been too, how many old Honda dealers do you know.
   It's amazing the info that some people either absorb through here say and because of their ego present it as fact.....that is ignorant....
     Instead of bluster, go look up what I just posted, no, I'm not flogging a dead horse, but tell me, how does that crow taste ?

[jonda500]

well actually, I love losing an argument - it would mean I've just learnt something I didn't know before
John
sorry if my attempt at light humour offended anyone

[jlh3rd]

It's all good....

[flatlander]

jlh, i wish you also a warm welcome to this forum and crowd.  i am sure you have already found your way to the parts list and can educate us with the numbers as they relate to frame numbers. maybe even with some ancient japanese zen formulas that let you deduce which frame was built on what day or night of the lunar calendar.

[jlh3rd]

I can't tell if that's an attempt at sarcasm, humor, or actually a legitimate question. My 75 550f frame appears to be made in late 74.
    Zen formulas?....your right about that. Honda's record keeping, parts books, etc. can be an interesting maze..

[jlh3rd]

And, if you want factual information including zen formulas, contact bob's Indian in etters, pa. ,and ask to speak to Robin. He is an unquestionably qualified Honda expert (and Indian)...

[jonda500]

so out of curiosity were the light green gauge faces also used in both the '75 and the '76 550F in your neck of the woods? (I have never seen the light green gauges so I have no idea!)
John

[PeWe]

Other seats here. The CB750 version I asked them about can use std seat hinges and locking device
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/daytrader-07/CB500-CB550-/_i.html?_fsub=1417509519

[jlh3rd]

Dark green for a 75 f....light for a 76 f, there are 3 nos for sale at CMS....
I believe they went blue for 77.....

[jlh3rd]

I am talking USA exports...

[flatlander]

I can't tell if that's an attempt at sarcasm, humor, or actually a legitimate question. My 75 550f frame appears to be made in late 74.
    Zen formulas?....your right about that. Honda's record keeping, parts books, etc. can be an interesting maze..

yeah it's a bit of a mess, or maze. when i gave honda my frame and engine numbers they said they had no way of telling me when exactly they left the assembly line. the whole method of identifying models by year doesn't really hold for them. i guess it comes from american automotive culture, based on the practice of the american car manufactures but doesn't transfer too well to the model history of these bikes.

usually changes within one model series range (such as 550F1) are indicated in the parts list with a serial number range. but for the seat of the F i can't find that which seems to indicate that they were the same, or maybe an uncontrolled change. this is the reference i'm using: http://www.honda4fun.com/pdf_parts_list/pdf_spac550/CB550-F/CB550-F_5.pdf

the model guide here http://www.sohc4.net/cb550-model-guide/ mentions  the dark brown seat for the F1 (1976 model) but does not give seat colour of the F0 (1975) which of course means they could have been brown or anything else... maybe pink?

in the end, the purpose of this thread was to find an as-close-to-original-as-possible  seat or cover for the brown model 550F seat. so in a way, this whole model/year/colour discussion is idle theory and doesn't help the sourcing question.
i found a guy who has the right press-in pattern. if you have vinyl in the right colour and texture, you're in business with him.

[jlh3rd]

You're right, but I did say I stumbled across a 1975 Honda seat cover nos from CMS of holland a few years ago , it had the Honda stencil as it should. At least try a search. You might be surprised what they have in stock. That's got something to do with the thread..