My 2nd CB500

Hello all
I'd a grey and yellow rear disk model as my first big bike.
I was a member here on the old domain but can't seem to recover my account although its certainly still here, dormant somewhere, inaccessible as it says my email input is not the one registered to the account... Cheesepiece1 is born.
I got my big bike licence in 2011, and picked up the aforementioned '97 plate RBZ7438 in Northern Ireland where I currently live.
Before it were a raft of sub-125cc bikes starting with a 2000 Aprilia Rs50, an '04 Honda XR125 and then an '09 Yamaha YBR125.
When I sold the CB500 to move up in the world to 4 wheels I missed the bike greatly and within two years I was back on two wheels.
A '97 Honda VFR 750 pre-vtec replaced the car and I was back in the land of the living.
It made way once again when life dictated I needed a car and couldn't really run two vehicles. I went without a bike for around 3 years when I went German and started knocking about on a BMW Boxer - a '98 R850R.
It really was a chore getting that big thing out of the "garage" or what serves as a garage these days and after 2 years of ownership I was fed up with it. It sold last week.
I started looking for something light - I fancied an XR200, a DRZ400 or anything in or around the 250cc mark.
Then a light went on when I saw an ad for a '94 - Japanese built rear drum brake Cb500.
I'm going to see it tonight. And I can't really imagine, unless it's a real dog or the current owner has a ridiculously high expectation about its value, how I won't be a Cb500 owner once again.
Maybe it's just nostalgia but that effortless handling, smooth engine, and no fuss sound coupled with the understated looks and utilitarian, does-it-all capability make me wonder why I ever parted with the Cb500 in the first place.
Delusions of grandeur most likely. The vfr was a lovely bike but too much for what I need. The cb500 should really suit me nicely.
Anyway, glad to be back.

Beresford wrote:Welcome back. NornIrn eh? Where are you located. Holywood me.

I'm in the Four Winds, not too far. Holywood is a lovely spot.

Home empty handed.
The bike was a beaut. Green. Scotoiler fitted. Small chip in the top of the tank was about the only fault I could find. The fork stanchions looked their age but tubes looked fine and seals appeared good.
Original end can. Original rear shocks (must be due replacement). Stainless d/pipes. Wheels nicely painted. Wrapped in Bridgestone Battleaxe, BT45 on rear with plenty of tread and not at all square.
2 keys. Stamped service history to '09.
Being a '94 it was a rear drum brake, not the best but guaranteed as built in Japan on the plus side.
No luggage or rentec. Aftermarket handlebars - looked ok but owner had no idea when or what had been fitted, the brand, or the reason why.
Clean and tidy. 26k miles.
1 month left on MOT.

I went in at what I thought was a fair £1100 cash offer.

Flat refused - owner has listed at £1600 which I feel is over what it's worth. And as I understand it most listings on gumtree expect a lower sale price than the actual listed asking price. 6 previous owners.

I said I'd sleep on it and I wasn't prepared to offer any higher today.
Is it worth more? I'm not sure. It's in good nick but it's old, those rear shocks will need replaced, if not now, soon.
A rentec is a must. The bars are a little discomforting and did put me off.

Yeah, I think I'd pay up to £1300 for the right one but this one had higher miles and the rear drum brake and the owner wouldn't entertain an offer that I thought was a fair one.

I'll wait it out. Bide my time. See what happens.

Well... Good things come to those who wait.
48hrs have passed since I went to see the '94 CB500

Just at the very moment I'd posted a wanted ad on the local gumtree site I refreshed the page of listed motorbikes and to my surprise I saw a new listing for a Red '99 CB500 Sport just 33 miles away.
Fewer than 20k miles on the odo, motad pipe, Hagon springs, rentec rack, datatag and immobiliser already fitted, Oxford heated grips too (not a fan personally). Full MOT history back to its first in Newcastle Upon Tyne.
£1100 asking price.
I called the owner there and then. He explained it was a good honest bike, just the original owner and himself as former keepers. I asked if I offered full asking price if he'd consider dropping it to my house. He landed in an hour later with wife in the car behind.
A once over by eye and quick up down the gears in the street and he was counting the cash. He passed a twenty note back to me to fill the tank! He insisted. He really shouldn't have. I am chuffed to bits.





I stuck my Kappa base plate to the Rentec rack tonight once I got it parked up and that's it all set for my Givi top box and right about how I'd like it set up.
The other would have required a bit of spending to get to this stage - Hagon springs, Rentec, rear disc brake, end can, immobiliser.
Only things I'd be thinking about changing would be the downpipes but 1) not essential and 2) hardly a priority and the fairing to naked but the more I look at the bike in profile, the more the fairing is growing on me.
Full summer ahead to enjoy as is.
I'm back in Club 500!

Yeah, thanks. I've just finished reading a great thread by Szabi on one such conversion and while all the photos had expired and it was text only it has made it quite plain I'm not at all interested in changing from the half fairing to naked.

Swapped the indicators on the CB500 today, the two pairs were mismatched, both long stem with orange lenses but the front pair were "schmarbon fibre" and the rears were black.
I replaced both sets with clear lens versions in black, long stem on front and short stem at the rear. Went without a hitch and looks far better. £18 well spent.
https://www.mandp.co.uk/products/mini-short-indicator-black-clear-536732
https://www.mandp.co.uk/products/mini-long-indicator-black-clear-536733

Rear tyre puncture 1 September.
Front to be replaced. So...
Wheels off. Bearings out. Cush drive rubbers out.
Tyres off. Wheels to powder coaters.
Bearings ordered. Cush drive rubbers ordered.
Went to collect wheels from powder coaters - not finished. Urgh
Had a good look at the chain, chain slider and checked the sprockets.

Ordered new DID X chain and sprockets and new Avon Roadrider MK2.

New stuff arrived and still waiting on wheels coming back from powder coating treatment.

Thought I'd make a headstart and attach the new front sprocket (without double checking the manual for the torque setting) having watched a quick yutube video on the same.

Sheared the front sprocket retaining bolt nicely in half, luckily it came out in one piece, must have been hanging by a thread.
New retaining bolt and washer have been ordered from wemoto at a cost of £11 and I have now checked the torque settings...

Wheels painted. New back tyre and the freebie from a kind forum member on the front. New bearings fitted. New sprocket fitted. Discs re-fitted. Just need the wheels balanced now and the rest can bolt back on.

Looking fantastic keep it up

Stay safe!

JT

And we're on.
Wheels and alignment sorted.
Gold DID Chain, JT sprocket set.

Fantastic colour combo
Credit to you fella

JT

Looks great with the white wheels.  Not sure I could get away with them on my bike as I wouldn't keep them clean and they'd look bad with a coating of grot...

Well, the new season is upon us. 1st March, spent the morning power hosing the rear flags and getting out the garden furniture.
Afterwards I thought I'd best give the CB500 a once over so I pulled the battery off the trickle charger and stuck it into the old girl. Also gave her a quick wash.
Took a few attempts to get it going but a 10 mile blast from mine out to Moneyreagh and up to Carryduff for refueling was the first test of my self-fitted front and rear bearings, sprockets and chain. The front tyre from a member here and a matching roadrider on the rear felt good. I've only ever run Bridgestone up to now on my old and new CB.
Zero wobble through the bars at any speed I did today, on acceleration or deceleration. Definite improvement there.
Gratuitous photo:

Problem at startup persists.
It fires then acts as though there no fuel, dying almost immediately.
I don't know much about this kind of thing but my bike has an inline fuel filter so I've ordered a new one of those to see if that's the issue.

By the look of it, the filter was at least partially but hopefully wholly to blame. It fired up straight away today once changed. Hopefully that's it. Rare for me that the resolution that costs a fiver is actually effective but it certainly appears to be resolved. Time will tell I guess.
Also, the bike was parked up for just shy of a week there after the problem on startup ran on to become a recurrent problem. In that time a bird decided to build a nest beneath my instrument cluster. Serves me right parking with the steering locked to the right rather than left.

Result, fingers crossed

Quick ten mile outing round Malone, Drumbo and home and happy to report no fuelling issue, startup was fine, idling from cold was not hit and miss, no splutter or lumpiness going closed to open throttle or vice versa.
Speedo cable jumped out a couple of miles from the house, I can't have seated it correctly when I replaced it after doing the front wheel bearing about 45/50 miles ago.
Chain seems to have lost a bit of tension but I'll check that tomorrow in daylight.

Great news
I always struggle with bearings, cant seem to line them up correctly  so all round great result