Topic: how to lower a CB500

[frito]

Recently picked up a nice '73 CB500/4 for both myself (6'2") and my wife (5'6") to ride.  She hasn't really been on it yet, but one of her problems is touching the ground.  I glanced through the manual last night and did some searching on here, but didn't find much.  Is there a way to drop the bike about 1-2" to fit her better?

[lone*X]

another thread that could help.  http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=72636.0

[Hush]

I've got the same problem (shorter partner) and looked at a lot of solutions.
Lowering blocks tend to muck up your cornering and handling so even though I had a set of those I quickly discarded that idea.
One of the girls on here used "shortie shocks" which are available in U.S. and finds them good.
Unfortunately I have been unable to secure a set so I removed all the rubber bushings from under the seat and lowered the mounting points which dropped the seat height by at least an inch.
Best of luck with this problem, as you can see...you are not alone.

[Gordon]

One of the most overlooked hinderances to being able to flat-foot these bikes is the seat width.  The seats are fairly wide which keeps your legs angled out.  If you remove the cover and cut off some foam where your inner thighs contact you, even just a small amount, it makes a big difference in how low you can place your feet. 

Aside from that, push the forks up in the triple trees an inch or so, and get some shorty shocks.  Lowering blocks are available for the rear, but as Hush said they mess with the ability of the shocks to do their job well because it drastically changes their angle.  I have them on my 550, but I'd take them off if it were my main bike.

[bluezboy]

  Gordon, just leave that bike alone and tell your wife to  get used to leaning the bike to one side when she's stopped. She's an inch taller than me and I'm riding a 750 which is a little taller than the 550. It's not that hard to lean to one side, I also can get most of my feet down on the ground, so I alternate between both feet or the lean, which is handy when you're on a hill and you need to use the foot brake to hold the bike in place.  She'll catch on to it in no time.

[Gordon]

  Gordon, just leave that bike alone and tell your wife to  get used to leaning the bike to one side when she's stopped.

My wife doesn't ride, unfortunately.  I tried to teach her but she just wasn't into it. 

[camelman]

Take a cue from Italian fashion (granted... old Italian fashion), and get her a pair of platform riding boots.  She'll be stylish and comfortable all at once.

If you drop the front end by raising the forks in the triple trees, and also put on shorter shocks, then you shouldn't affect the handling too much.  This, in combination with a narrower seat, should make it very easy for her to put her feet on the ground.  The other option is to pick up a CB350 twin for her.  The CB350 had a more narrow seat from the factory, and is an altogether smaller bike.  They are pretty cheap these days too.

Camelman

[brianzenk]

http://www.bikesalvage.com/
I was taking parts off a cb500 in bike salvage bobs bike bone yard and the bike had a seat on it that that was cut really low. It might have been an after market seat. I sat on the rusted bike to see what the seat felt like and it was alot lower then the stock seat and for me it would not have worked because my legs are to long. Give Bob a call and see if the seat is available. This might solve your seat problem.   

[Alan F.]

I'll agree with previous posts, get her a lower seat and throw the stocker back on for yourself .....or get her some tall boots.
Either way both are good to have.
-Alan