Topic: Here’s my ‘72 CB500 project

[Cevan]

I’m back in the Honda four club as I just picked up this ‘72 500K1  Hoping Mass lets me title it.  The bike seems like it’s never been messed with.  Has been sitting for about twenty years.  It has compression and I’m certain I could get it running but tires and brakes are shot.  Figured this would make a good winter project.  Hoping to be riding it sometime next year.

I’m been disassembling it and two pieces are broken (so far).  I’m looking for a good used top fork bridge and a left side engine case.

The fork bridge is broken where it clamps to the fork.  The factory spacers where there so not sure what happened.  There’s a broken tab on the inside of the engine case that secures a spring for the clutch mechanism.   

Thanks for your help.

[BenelliSEI]

Nice find. I’ve replaced broken tabs by drilling and tapping a small hole and then lock a screw in place.

[Oddjob]

Pic of the broken tab area?

I might have some sprocket covers I'm throwing away due to massive corrosion, one I even sanded a hole right through the casing to see how deep it went. So I could maybe cut off that tab and you could get it welded onto yours?

[bryanj]

Top tree gets broken when overtightened and another case needs to have a decent, moveable clutch adjuster

[MauiK3]

Welcome!
Nice bike, following.
Too bad Yamiya does not go after the half liter bikes and make parts for them.

[jlh3rd]

The fork bridges are the same for the KO - K2, (according to cms) so the model doesn't matter. But you need to check frame/engine #'s to be sure as to what model you have.
Honda did not designate "year" until 1974, regardless of other publications...including CMS and titles.
The KO was sold from 6/01/71 - 03/31/72, for example. The KO had starlight gold , The K1 had candy gold, for example.
So knowing what model you have can save time/money down the road.

[Cevan]

Bike is a K1 per the VIN and engine number.

[newday777]

I’m back in the Honda four club as I just picked up this ‘72 500K1  Hoping Mass lets me title it.  The bike seems like it’s never been messed with.  Has been sitting for about twenty years.  It has compression and I’m certain I could get it running but tires and brakes are shot.  Figured this would make a good winter project.  Hoping to be riding it sometime next year.

I’m been disassembling it and two pieces are broken (so far).  I’m looking for a good used top fork bridge and a left side engine case.

The fork bridge is broken where it clamps to the fork.  The factory spacers where there so not sure what happened.  There’s a broken tab on the inside of the engine case that secures a spring for the clutch mechanism.   

Thanks for your help.

Welcome back to the forum Cevan
I was the one asking if you bought it from Geoff on your fb post.
I checked with him to see if he had a top tree available but he said he is holding on to the one he has.

I checked the Honda fiches and the 71 500K0 through the 74 550K0 use the same top tree.
Original part number 53230-323-010,  superceded to 53230-323-305 (both discontinued)
There is a New Old Stock 53230-323-305 on ebay but they want $695! For it!! Unbelievable!
I sold a NOS last year for $150. Unfortunately, a year late for you.....

[Cevan]

Welcome back to the forum Cevan
I was the one asking if you bought it from Geoff on your fb post.
I checked with him to see if he had a top tree available but he said he is holding on to the one he has.

I checked the Honda fiches and the 71 500K0 through the 74 550K0 use the same top tree.
Original part number 53230-323-010,  superceded to 53230-323-305 (both discontinued)
There is a New Old Stock 53230-323-305 on ebay but they want $695! For it!! Unbelievable!
I sold a NOS last year for $150. Unfortunately, a year late for you.....
[/quote]

Thanks for checking Stu.

[jlh3rd]

cms shows the top tree available....just expensive

[Oddjob]

Shame, I have a nos top yoke but it’s for the 550f, ignition under the yoke not the tank.

[Cevan]

@Oddjob Here is a pic of the broken tab on the left side engine case.  The clutch adjust also seems to be pretty frozen in place.

If anyone has a good used one for sale, please PM me.

[Oddjob]

The clutch adjuster is buggered, it's got it's outer lip broken off and whilst it still may work the seal which fits around that lip will no longer seal even IF it stayed in place with such a large piece missing. Find a socket the same size as the hole and knock it out from the outside to inside. The outer clutch adjuster is still available NOS but not cheap and quite rare I'm afraid. DS does a repro I believe but currently out of stock.

I can certainly cut that lug off flush with the casing, you'd need to get it welded into place of course. Is that a possibility, happy to help out if it is. It may be cheaper and easier though just to source a different case, secondhand of course, NOS would be very expensive.

Just some info, when you go to fit the new outer clutch adjuster there is a cutout in the lip, position this so it points to the grease nipple as that's the access point for grease to enter the inside of the adjuster. Some people don't realise this and fit it 180 degrees out, making it hard for grease to get to where it's needed and causing the adjuster to wear fast and fail.

[Cevan]

The clutch adjuster is buggered, it's got it's outer lip broken off and whilst it still may work the seal which fits around that lip will no longer seal even IF it stayed in place with such a large piece missing. Find a socket the same size as the hole and knock it out from the outside to inside. The outer clutch adjuster is still available NOS but not cheap and quite rare I'm afraid. DS does a repro I believe but currently out of stock.

I can certainly cut that lug off flush with the casing, you'd need to get it welded into place of course. Is that a possibility, happy to help out if it is. It may be cheaper and easier though just to source a different case, secondhand of course, NOS would be very expensive.

Just some info, when you go to fit the new outer clutch adjuster there is a cutout in the lip, position this so it points to the grease nipple as that's the access point for grease to enter the inside of the adjuster. Some people don't realise this and fit it 180 degrees out, making it hard for grease to get to where it's needed and causing the adjuster to wear fast and fail.

Thanks for the response. I may have a buddy who could weld that. Going to wait to see if Massachusetts issues me a title first before I spend any money on parts.