Topic: Is there something special about CB500 fork caps?!?

[Tugboat]

Last weekend I replaced the missing crush washers at the bottom of the forks to stop them from leaking. When I tried to remove the caps from the tops of the forks I couldn't get them off!! They would loosen - and eventually I was able to pull them up and create a gap big enough to fit a McGuyver'd funnel into - but I was never able to remove them completely. This is on both forks. Manual was no help. I know there's a lock washer of some sort under there, but for the life of me I can't figure out how you'd go about actually taking the caps completely off. Good news is that I was finally able to fill them with the requisite amount of fluid. But it still bugs me - is this normal for a '71 500?

[MoMo]

There is a nut under the fork cap, similar to this  http://www.mrcycles.com/fiche_section_detail.asp?section=122911&category=MOTORCYCLES&make=HONDA&year=1973&fveh=2937  ...Larry

[Tugboat]

Yeah - I know there's a nut. But how the h3ll do you get it off?!?

[MoMo]

You need to let the weight of the bike bring the rod up far enough so you can gain access to the nut after the cap is loosened.  I usually have a hydraulic jack under the bike to raise and lower as necessary and help avoid the rods from coming all the way up. Open end wrench on the nut and socket on the cap...Larry

[brooze72]

The internal rod has a thread on the end that goes into the "cap" bolt, there is also a nut on that rod to lock it against the cap bolt. How I got mine apart was to remove the fork from the triple tree, once the cap bolt is loose, slide the chrome fork leg down into the aluminum lower and then the rod & lock nut are visible for work.  Strange design & not fun to service, mine fell apart or the PO didn't reassemble correctly, so I had to strip it all down & figure it out Photolar's method will also work, probably easier than mine, wish I had known

[Tugboat]

OHHHHHHHHHHH. *DING*

So if I had lowered the front of the bike and let its weight push the rod up this would've all made (a little more) sense. How counterintuitive! So I guess the short answer to my question is: Yes, there is something special about these fork caps

Are there other bikes that work the same way? And are all the CB500's like this?

[DavePhipps]

To my knowlege all the 500s had the same fork.  I think they're a PITA.

[brooze72]

+1 Why the hell did Honda do this on the 500s anyways, are the early 350s like this too?

[MoMo]

Some of the dohc 450s used the same system.  Once you do one, the subsequent ones go a lot faster.  As an old flat rate Honda mechanic I had to figure the fastest and usually easiest method...Larry

[chickenman_26]

+1 Why the hell did Honda do this on the 500s anyways, are the early 350s like this too?

These are cartridge forks. They did it because it works better than garden variety damper rod forks. A lot of modern sport and sport touring bikes use the same type design. The 500 four and the 350 twins used them through 1973. The 450 twins through '74. 500 and 450 use the same fork caps, but the 350 caps are smaller diameter.

Stu

[brooze72]

Thanks for the info, Stu, won't badmouth the design anymore