Topic: 1978 CB650 I thought 79 was the first year?

[Hush]

Hey 650 fans, check this out..it's a 1978 CB650 which must have been about the first model out of Japan for Honda.
The seat is different although it's hard to tell weather that's because it's been re done or not, the side covers look slightly diff as well.
It has the specs of top speed rated at 182 kph or 113 mph.

[Shenanigans]

Pretty sure thats a K7 or K8 550. Someone must have mislabeled it.

[Jay B]

That's a '78 550. A buddy of mine has one, the same right down to the paint. 550 motors and 650 motors don't look at all the same, at least the heads anyway.

[Hush]

Dang you guys are so right!
There are so few 500 and 550 machines left in New Zealand I have nothing to compare it with but looking again at the cam covers it's def not a 650.
I better tell BIKEZ.com that they have a ringer ha ha.

[Ryan 550k]

I knew it!  I looked at this post an hour or two ago, no one had responded yet, and I said to myself, "man that looks just like a 77 or 78 CB550k."  I didn't respond though.  I just gotta listen to that gut!

[cb650]

The haynes manual does list 78-84.   Who knows if its right though.  Some  markets did get the "luxury custom" (nitehawk) untill 84.

[Hush]

A photo of the right side would have been a dead give-away, no kickstart makes it a 650, with kicker makes it a 550.

[Soos]

The head is what did it for me.

WAY different.



I have read there are prototypes of the cb650 motor in a 550 frame.
In '77 and '78 I believe.
But those are more likely very limited in their #'s (under 5 each year I would guess).




l8r