Author Topic: Fork lowers length - help please  (Read 593 times)

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Offline Nasher

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Fork lowers length - help please
« on: February 21, 2026, 05:21:30 AM »
Hi,

My Honda RC181 replica has unknown fork lowers - the base bike is a 1972 Honda CB500 Four

Standard CB500 fork lowers are slightly shorter

Attached are pictures showing measurements

Can anyone please help identify model/part number of my fork lowers (stanchions are 35mm diameter)

Thanks in advance for any assistance

Offline newday777

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Re: Fork lowers length - help please
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2026, 05:43:07 AM »
Do yours have 341 stamp on them?
Stu
Honda Parts manager in the mid 1970s Nashua Honda
My current rides
1975 K5 Planet Blue my summer ride, it was a friend's bike I worked with at the Honda shop in 76, lots of fun to be on it again
1976 K6 Anteres Red rebuilding project, was originally my brother's that I set up from the crate, it'll breath again soon!
Project 750s, 1 K2, 4 K6, 1 K8, 1 F1, 1 F3
2008 GL1800 my daily ride and cross country runner

Prior bikes....
1972 Suzuki GT380 I had charge of it for a year in 1973 while my friend was deployed and learned to love street riding....
New CB450 K7 after my friend returned...
New CB750 K5 Planet Blue, demise by ex cousin in law at 9,000 miles...
New CB750 K6 Anteres Red, to replace the totaled K5, I sold this K6 at 45k in 1983, I had heavily modified it, many great memories on it and have missed it greatly.....
1983 GL1100A, 1999 GL1500 SE, 1999 GL1500A

Offline bryanj

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Re: Fork lowers length - help please
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2026, 06:19:49 AM »
If both sides have disc caliper mounts could be 550
Semi Geriatric ex-Honda mechanic and MOT tester (UK version of annual inspection). Garage full of "projects" mostly 500/4 from pre 73 (no road tax in UK).

Remember "Its always in the last place you look" COURSE IT IS YOU STOP LOOKIN THEN!

Offline newday777

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Re: Fork lowers length - help please
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2026, 07:26:48 AM »
If both sides have disc caliper mounts could be 550
The 550 uses the 341 lowers(same as 750) 14" length top of case to bottom of the bolt)
BTW 341 is stamped on the back side behind the brake mount plate.

I don't have any CB500 forks to measure, the parts fiche say they use a different part number than the 550.
« Last Edit: February 21, 2026, 07:29:45 AM by newday777 »
Stu
Honda Parts manager in the mid 1970s Nashua Honda
My current rides
1975 K5 Planet Blue my summer ride, it was a friend's bike I worked with at the Honda shop in 76, lots of fun to be on it again
1976 K6 Anteres Red rebuilding project, was originally my brother's that I set up from the crate, it'll breath again soon!
Project 750s, 1 K2, 4 K6, 1 K8, 1 F1, 1 F3
2008 GL1800 my daily ride and cross country runner

Prior bikes....
1972 Suzuki GT380 I had charge of it for a year in 1973 while my friend was deployed and learned to love street riding....
New CB450 K7 after my friend returned...
New CB750 K5 Planet Blue, demise by ex cousin in law at 9,000 miles...
New CB750 K6 Anteres Red, to replace the totaled K5, I sold this K6 at 45k in 1983, I had heavily modified it, many great memories on it and have missed it greatly.....
1983 GL1100A, 1999 GL1500 SE, 1999 GL1500A

Offline newday777

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Re: Fork lowers length - help please
« Reply #4 on: February 21, 2026, 07:28:03 AM »
K7/K8 use a longer case that measures the same as your picture above
Stu
Honda Parts manager in the mid 1970s Nashua Honda
My current rides
1975 K5 Planet Blue my summer ride, it was a friend's bike I worked with at the Honda shop in 76, lots of fun to be on it again
1976 K6 Anteres Red rebuilding project, was originally my brother's that I set up from the crate, it'll breath again soon!
Project 750s, 1 K2, 4 K6, 1 K8, 1 F1, 1 F3
2008 GL1800 my daily ride and cross country runner

Prior bikes....
1972 Suzuki GT380 I had charge of it for a year in 1973 while my friend was deployed and learned to love street riding....
New CB450 K7 after my friend returned...
New CB750 K5 Planet Blue, demise by ex cousin in law at 9,000 miles...
New CB750 K6 Anteres Red, to replace the totaled K5, I sold this K6 at 45k in 1983, I had heavily modified it, many great memories on it and have missed it greatly.....
1983 GL1100A, 1999 GL1500 SE, 1999 GL1500A

Offline bryanj

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Re: Fork lowers length - help please
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2026, 09:45:37 AM »
500 has one plain slider and look shorter but never measured them
Semi Geriatric ex-Honda mechanic and MOT tester (UK version of annual inspection). Garage full of "projects" mostly 500/4 from pre 73 (no road tax in UK).

Remember "Its always in the last place you look" COURSE IT IS YOU STOP LOOKIN THEN!

Offline jonda500

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Re: Fork lowers length - help please
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2026, 05:19:29 PM »
My 750/550(341's) and 500 fork bottoms both measure 12.5" from the top to the bottom of the cases not including the end caps or studs...
John
Remember that an ignoramus is only someone who doesn't know something you just learned yesterday!

A starter clutch thread:
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,122084.0.html
1972 CB500K1 original 4 owner bike
1972 CB500K1 returned to complete/original condition
1975 CB550F built from parts - project thread:
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,149161.msg1711626.html#msg1711626
197? CB500/550 constructing from left over parts
1998 KTM 380 (two stroke) recent impulse buy, mmmm...

Offline Nasher

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Re: Fork lowers length - help please
« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2026, 03:27:43 AM »
Firstly,  thanks to everyone for taking the time and effort to reply - much appreciated, im sorry for my belated reply

[/quote]7
Do yours have 341 stamp on them?

I've checked and there are no stampings

If both sides have disc caliper mounts could be 550

 Yes, they do have mounts on both sides

[/quote]
K7/K8 use a longer case that measures the same as your picture above

Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee - you're a star!

Honda CB750 K7/8 it is


Once again, thanks to everyone




« Last Edit: February 26, 2026, 03:35:29 AM by Nasher »

Offline Don R

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Re: Fork lowers length - help please
« Reply #8 on: February 28, 2026, 11:42:42 PM »
 750 F0 and F1 also use that fork case.
No matter how many times you paint over a shadow, it's still there.
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Offline Nasher

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Re: Fork lowers length - help please
« Reply #9 on: March 01, 2026, 10:40:31 AM »
750 F0 and F1 also use that fork case.

Thank you