Topic: Benelli parts on cb500/550

[ieism]

I found a ribbed engine-cover (the one that sits on top of the motor) that was advertised as being a cb500 part. It said Benelli on the inside, so after searching a bit here, I found out this is most likely from a Benelli 500 Quattro.
The thing is, this part fits perfect and looks better than the original. And it makes me wonder if there are more parts would fit.

There is little to be found on the internet about the Benelli Quattro, so does anybody here have one? There are still parts available for these bikes. The Benelli may not be much better than the CB, but it does have a nice fork and some Brembo diskbrakes.....

[puppytrax]

I found a ribbed engine-cover (the one that sits on top of the motor) that was advertised as being a cb500 part. It said Benelli on the inside, so after searching a bit here, I found out this is most likely from a Benelli 500 Quattro.

Can you post a pic?? I'm looking at this pic -



And it does seem to be a clone of the Honda...with some differences...Could Benelli have licensed the design from Honda?? Look at that points cavity...that's Honda... 

More pics here -

http://www.benellimotoclub.com/competicion/ems1.htm

[puppytrax]

Here's some more quick pics of the benelli 500 Quattro...Looks like a Honda, except that the engine is tilted like the 750 Honda...

[bryanj]

It was usually Honda parts used on a Bennelli as the Honda parts cost a lot less, dont think it was licenced--just ripped off!

[SteveD CB500F]

Beat me to it Bryan.

The Benelli boys in Europe scour the Honda boards for spares!

[turboguzzi]

the benelli 500 comes from the "de tomasso" days, a truly dark period for benelli and guzzi too

the guy simply told his engineers to copy the honda!

I live in milan and can tell you that quattros are very rare on the ground even here, the model was quite a flop and parts availability is pretty bad too. I frequent the autojumbles and CB500 parts are 10 times more common.

many parts are interchangeable but I would stick with honda quality.... unless they are external items like those covers. those grimeca drum brakes are cool though!
TG

[ieism]

Well i did notice the engine cover was slightly thinner than the original Honda. It's a different type of metal, looks cheaper. But I thought it looked cool so i'm putting it on my 550 anyway

Although most of the Benelli is probably not as good as the Honda's, that fork and frontdiskbrakes look pretty good to me. It's iron, not stainless steel like Honda's. It's also a lot bigger than Honda's and has Brembo calipers and master cylinder.

But those drumbrakes are pretty easy to find for classicracers right?.... I have a guy here in Amsterdam that sells them if you need the adres...

[turboguzzi]

thanks, but I am not really into re-importing grimeca brakes back to italy :-)

got menani round the corner who makes true GP Fontana replica drums in magnesium too (in case I ever get rich)

The brembo "small calipers" and cast iron discs are good stuff indeed, many of the CB500 racers here use them and they are cheap too. These were used also on all of the Guzzi "small block" i.e. V35, V50, V65.

didnt know you were in 'am. Got a good friend there that rides a Hornet and is always looking for riding budies.

Two years ago he rode over to italy and I took him to the dolomites. He said that some people in NL would sell their sisters for this kind of roads....

cheers
TG

[ieism]

I have a V65 Lario myself, my girlfriend rides it now. Guzzi's are fun, but I prefer the cb550 most of the time.

I'd be very interested in a decent frontbrake conversion. I have no problem finding Guzzi parts here, but i suspect i need to swap the entire front-end? Any info on this would be really welcome.

I'll be riding in Italy this September probably, so I hope the roads are really that good.....

[anparkinson]

I've been thinking for a while what the 6 cylinder 900 Benelli engine would be like in my 550K3. It looks just like the 550 engine with 2 more cylinders. One day.....

[nickjtc]

I've been thinking for a while what the 6 cylinder 900 Benelli engine would be like in my 550K3. It looks just like the 550 engine with 2 more cylinders. One day.....

The original Sei, the 750, was the continuation of the Benelli copy-it-because-the original-is
-OK philosophy. Take a 500-4 and add two extra cylinders. It got rave reviews when it first came out (pipped Honda to the post) but I'm not sure how well it sold.

[Raul CB750K1]

I read an apocryphal comment by Alejandro de Tomaso when he was asked about the "similarities" between the 500 Quattro and the CB500 four. He said a proverb in italian that has one the same in spanish and I guess there is something similar in english, in the line of "there is no crime in stealing from a burglar", in turn accusing the japanese from copying. Well, he was not totally wrong though two wrongs never made a right....



Raul

[nickjtc]

Well, he was not totally wrong though two wrongs never made a right....
Raul

....although three lefts do.

[turboguzzi]

hei ieism

if you want any tips for good roads in Italy, send me a private message and I'll be happy to help. You are also welcome to our vintage racing events, plenty of nice CB's there.

next event (after this coming weekend's race) is 15 of july in Franciacorta, next to Brescia, great wines area BTW

Regarding braking, gotta say that with Ferodo platinum pads and a different master cylinder my CB500 produces nice stoppies now..

The racers that do go brembo here usually mate them to a ceriani fork

TG

PS Tell your girlfriend to keep the revs on that lario down. those 4V heads had the nasty habit of dropping valve if pressed hard....