I did notice the blue color of the speedometer. It has the original green on the outside. I was weary of the miles so I asked him about it. He said it probably became faded at some point and the original color can be seen on the outer edges.
Be very wary, he is lying. I have original instrument faces from 74, 75, 76, 77, and 78. When the faces fade they fade in the exact same way. The only explanation for them to not be the same color is that they came from different bikes. This puts serious doubt as to the accuracy of the odometer.
According to the Honda Motorcycle Identification Guide, Published by Honda, the 1975 CB550 K1 should have Dark Green instrument faces. My 77 and 78 Cb550s have Dark Blue faces.
The side cover on the seat is an extra which he said he would give me. The 2 side covers that are on it appear to be in excellent condition. Are you talking about the covers that are on it. They looked good as compared to the tank, but I am no expert.
The paint on the side covers is far more vibrant than the paint on the tank. Maybe the tank is a faded original and the side covers were purchased in the same color scheme. Maybe the original The Flake Sunrise Orange was damaged or rusty and replaced with the Candy Jade Green that was also offered in '75. Maybe that's how he came to have a "spare" orange side cover? Either way, if he is representing both tank and side covers as original to the bike, he is lying about that, too, though they are original style.
I don't care a lot about the "extra" side cover color. The spare side cover sitting on the seat adds, at most, $50-$75 to the sales price, and good luck finding a matching non-faded color for it, along with a tank. Buy, how much are you willing to pay for it to sit on your shelf instead of his?
It does have original manual and tool kit in pristine condition.
I will ride it like is. I prefer it to look original.
I am aware of the seat problems. I have that problem with my CB 125S.
Then you may place a higher value on a bike that is close to stock condition. But, do NOT pay for this bike thinking it is in original condition. Be wary of the "salesmanship, gilding the Lilly" aspect.
How can you tell that the rear shocks are worn?
The stock rear shocks weren't very good when new. The expected useful life is only about 5000 miles, 10,000 miles at best. The springs last quite a long time. But, the shock absorbing aspect just sort of goes away, even if they don't leak.
Make sure the number stamped into the headstock steel on the left side, matches the number on the riveted tag on the left side, and that those match the title and registration data.
Cheers,
