Topic: Need your help: letter to Honda re: parts

[HondaMan]

Since Covid, Honda's support of critical parts for these SOHC4 bikes is dying. I intend to 'remind' them of Sochiro's [much-repeated] promise that "All the critical parts for these bikes will ALWAYS be made available by Honda". This worked in 2005-6, but recently I am not getting much response form them. Please review the attached document(s) and provide some critique, or else print one off and send it yourself to both addresses. This method worked in the past, needs to work again.

One copy is in Microsoft Word 97 .DOC format, the other is in universal .ODT form (LibreOffice will let you edit it).

[BenelliSEI]

Will do. John D.

[fizzlebottom]

Man, I just want the crankshaft bearings and cam chain tensioner & guide for my CB650 available when I need to rebuild. If split the cases this winter and anything is toast, I'm done. It isn't reasonable to have to sit on eBay or pay CMSNL a 20x markup because they have the only unopened bearing or tensioner in existence and no one in the entire world makes pattern parts. So many 650s from 79-82 have been parted out and destroyed already because the platform was forgotten.

I'll ride til it tears itself apart. I really hope someday I'll be able to confidently get the parts needed for a full motor rebuild. Won't hold my breath til then though.

So, with that, I would appreciate if you'd include the CB650 in your letter. It always gets looked over and I feel like it deserves some attention with the rest of the lot.

Thanks for taking this on.

[HondaMan]

Man, I just want the crankshaft bearings and cam chain tensioner & guide for my CB650 available when I need to rebuild. If split the cases this winter and anything is toast, I'm done. It isn't reasonable to have to sit on eBay or pay CMSNL a 20x markup because they have the only unopened bearing or tensioner in existence and no one in the entire world makes pattern parts. So many 650s from 79-82 have been parted out and destroyed already because the platform was forgotten.

I'll ride til it tears itself apart. I really hope someday I'll be able to confidently get the parts needed for a full motor rebuild. Won't hold my breath til then though.

So, with that, I would appreciate if you'd include the CB650 in your letter. It always gets looked over and I feel like it deserves some attention with the rest of the lot.

Thanks for taking this on.

The bearings are the same as for the 550: the 650 is essentially a CB550 with a CB750K0 cam profile and pistons somewhere in-between the 550-750. CrusinImage makes good piston kits for them. The tensioners are certainly a taller order, as they only fit one bike AFAIK - and Honda had an early/late version of them, from unanticipated wear issues with the Hy-vo style cam chain. But, the carbs are the biggest issue I know of with the 650: the rest of the engine holds up well to 50K+ miles even with using incorrect oils, etc. With good oils those should reach much higher mileages.

When rebuilding the top end on this one there is one thing that MUST happen but is often overlooked: the head MUST be milled flat and the cylinders MUST be decked down 0.010" to fit the modern head gaskets. The bottom end is almost bulletproof unless the bike was sorely abused somehow: with the cam it has the RPMs were/are usually kept higher for power reasons, and the tranny is like the 750's version: much oversized and beefy. Mostly it is neglect and poor oils that take them down: they were essentially re-designed SOHC750 designs done by the same guys who created the CBX - legendary reliability. I can only 'fault' their dynamos (alternators) for having brushes, and their carbs for having to meet ridiculous DOT rules of the time, which made them very complex.

[fizzlebottom]

Funny enough, I think I've worked on my VB44C carbs enough that I could rebuild them with my eyes closed. No clue on the 79-80 PD carbs though.

Are you 100% positive about the crankshaft bearings being the same between 550 and 650s? They're different part numbers from Honda. Rod bearings seem interchangeable, but crank bearings are listed different. Let me know what you know in case I need to hunt any down this winter.

[M 750K6]

Great letter @Hondaman.

I will adapt it a little, so it's coming direct from an owner. Think I might add a paragraph about the 'halo' effect these classic bikes have for the Honda brand and sales of new modern bikes. I know I am thinking about an Africa Twin, because I'm smitten by my CB750K6.

[newday777]

Since Covid, Honda's support of critical parts for these SOHC4 bikes is dying. I intend to 'remind' them of Sochiro's [much-repeated] promise that "All the critical parts for these bikes will ALWAYS be made available by Honda". This worked in 2005-6, but recently I am not getting much response form them. Please review the attached document(s) and provide some critique, or else print one off and send it yourself to both addresses. This method worked in the past, needs to work again.

One copy is in Microsoft Word 97 .DOC format, the other is in universal .ODT form (LibreOffice will let you edit it).

Mark
My phone won't open or download either. I'm not a techie either. Maybe I'll take a ride today to T-MOBILE to see if there's something they can do.

I've talked recently with Dexter the parts manager at South Sound Honda about the growing number of parts getting fewer in the past month or 2, parts that were showing availability in big orders, then getting an email a day or 2 later of parts NLA. It's very discouraging to order stock throttle cables and not be able to get them among other special chrome bolts that make a difference in restoration of our beloved bikes.

[MauiK3]

It would seem that Honda is a large and healthy enough firm to keep the parts coming, they could sub them out with their quality control, much like they always have.