Topic: I might be buying a CB550... What should I look for?

[Jonesy]

I got a line on a nice looking and cheap CB550 and I wanted to know if there are any particular things I should be on the lookout for, such as recalled items, design changes, etc. In other words, what are some 550 "quirks"- what should I watch out for and what is normal for that bike?

Here's a pic. Looks like the speedo is missing and I was told there is some road rash (on the muffler and candy dish) on the other side. My buddy is taking more pics of it tonight, and then I'll decide if I want to go and see it myself....

Thanks!

[Tim.]

What year is it?  I think you should buy it for the mud flap on the front fender    Seriously, what is that thing?

How many miles / owners?  I think the major thing that changed on these bikes over the years was the carbs in 1977 or so.  Aside from that, most of the changes were color options.

Is it feasible to do a compression test?  Does it run?

[Jonesy]

The sign (Your "mudflap",  a chunk of vinyl siding with the price and phone # tucked behind the front fender) says it's a running, ridable bike. It's a 1976 model (I know, I know... should said that straight off!) If the speedo is gone, the mileage is currently unknown.

[TwoTired]

The most serious wear issue for the 500/550 is the cam cover. Until sometime in mid 76 there were eight rocker shafts allowed to float in the cam cover.  If the rockershafts turned with the rockers instead of the rockers tuning on the shafts, then the aluminum of the cover wore away, usually unevenly.  This can change the geometry of the rocker so it no longer rides evenly on the cam, accelerating cam and rocker wear in the worst case.
You can check for this wear at four of the sixteen points where it can occur fairly easily.  At each end of the cam cover is a single crosspoint screw in a small cover.  Each cover has two oringed dowels that plug the rockershaft installation holes bores.  When these are removed, you can see the ends of the rocker shafts.   The shafts are drilled and threaded for dissaassembly purposes, but that hole is also useful for comparison to the cover end holes/bores for concentricity.  If the holes are off center, usually toward the top of the cover, the bike has a problem.  A new cover from Honda is about $300.  Then, perhaps new cam followers and a cam would be needed as well.  But, the cover has to come off to check for that.