Prospective owner!

Hi all, 

I’m going to have a look at a CB on Saturday and I wanted some thoughts on the bikes. What are they like to ride, can you change the exhaust sound etc. 

Here’s a pic of the one I’m looking at. 

Any advice on what to look for damage wise would really be appreciated!! 

Ryan

Rjeary wrote:Hi all, 

I’m going to have a look at a CB on Saturday and I wanted some thoughts on the bikes. What are they like to ride, can you change the exhaust sound etc. 

Here’s a pic of the one I’m looking at. 

Any advice on what to look for damage wise would really be appreciated!! 

Ryan

They're well made - the Visordown review says they're hewn from Neverfailium, but that may be stretching it a bit.
They're easy to handle. Proof is that the CB has been used in riding schools.
Aftermarket cans (and downpipes) are available that will change the bike's sound & look.
2 versions of the naked bike exist; japanese-made with rear drum brake and italian-made with dual disc brakes. The one on the picture looks to me like a cafe-racer modded disc-brake-model.

The one you're looking at has been modded, and for that reason I personally wouldn't buy it. But that's me. It looks well-kept.

Things to look out for. Hmmm.
Rattling cam chain tensioner; the Honda-achilles-heel...
Depending on mileage, perhaps a rattle from the clutch on cold start.
Seized-in motor mounting bolt; front of motor across near the oil-filter. Seizes in the aluminium.
Note the clutch cable's condition. We have National Clutch Cable Awareness Week for a good reason.
All the usual suspects; notchy steering, old fork oil, worn-out rear shocks.
Dings, dents, bent forks, scratches and other obvious signs of neglect or unlovedness/stupidity/bad luck.

Welcome to the forum.
CB500 is as solid as a rock, reliable to the point of ridiculous, good handling, torque is not a problem. Not the fastest bike on the road, but it doesn't hang about having said that. Good engine braking, and in addition (looking at your pic) the brembo brakes are excellent.
In the 14 years I have owned one, all that I've had to do is replace oil air/and oil filters, 2 sets of spark plugs coolant, fork oil, brake fluid (all normal consumables) a new rear brake disc due to the previous owner being a ham fisted chimp and last year replace the steering head bearings which had gone "notchy".
Reports say that the engine is good for milages of up to 100,000 if oil and routine servicing is done properly. Mine has only done 50,000, so at this rate the bike will be longer lived than I am......
Stormbringer has summed up very well the known common issues, but most not really serious  if you can live with them.

Hello! Best of luck on buying a CB500!

Did you go and look at that bike? From looking at the picture it's been quite heavily modified, so for me, it might well depend on how well those modifications had been carried out.

From the picture I can see that the rear has been, erm, 'adjusted' and I suspect that if you were to ride it in the rain (or even when it was just water on the road) you might well get a good covering of mud from the rear wheel, as, essentially, the rear mudguard assembly has been removed.

This may or may not be a problem to you, depending on what kind of riding you want to do.

Anyway, if you don't get the bike pictured, then I would certainly keep your eyes peeled for a CB500 - you'll not regret it!

Guys…I bought the bike!!

It lasted 17 miles before breaking down! Haha! I was able to get it running again though, whoever had done the (botch job) seat mod had screwed the earth to a painted surface so just scratched off the paint (under the seat which had been just bolted to the frame!) and off I went.

It has a fuelling issue I think as when trying to give it a fistful it just bugs down and won’t accelerate but if you then roll off it will slowly continue to accelerate so I’m thinking it’s a carb issue.

I rode it 105 miles home so all in all, not bad for a £750 project bike!

Oh and one of the rear shocks is leaking! Lol

Can't help you with the shock issue, but as regards the bogging down problem :
Blocked main jet in one or both carbs?
Crap in the fuel?
Mucky air filter (would make the bike run rich)?
A spark plug on it's last legs?
Possibly ignition timing?

Thanks mate, 

I’m going to take the carbs apart and give them a clean in the week so I’ll have a look at those other suggestions too. 

Ordered a new set of shocks from TEC for £69

chromedome wrote:Can't help you with the shock issue, but as regards the bogging down problem :
Blocked main jet in one or both carbs?
Crap in the fuel?
Mucky air filter (would make the bike run rich)?
A spark plug on it's last legs?
Possibly ignition timing?

Not a full disaster I guess but the grounding to a painted surface has probably given you an idea as to the level of skill / knowledge employed in doing the modifications.
I personally like the look of your cafe style bike, however unpractical it might be in use. I only have to look at it; I don't have to ride it but you do.

Yes exactly, I’ll be on the lookout for more stuff as I take it apart and clean it, see if there are any more little gems in there! 

cheesepiece1 wrote:Not a full disaster I guess but the grounding to a painted surface has probably given you an idea as to the level of skill / knowledge employed in doing the modifications.
I personally like the look of your cafe style bike, however unpractical it might be in use. I only have to look at it; I don't have to ride it but you do.

Let the forum know the final cost of the service/repairs.
These are great bikes and as reliable as the grim reaper.
Enjoy.

I will do, I’ll keep a running log and update with pics etc if anyone is interested  

cc1085 wrote:Let the forum know the final cost of the service/repairs.
These are great bikes and as reliable as the grim reaper.
Enjoy.

Right.

Got started on it today and I’m going to start another thread I think but here’s the highlights.

I started a note of what I needed to rectify as I went along…I stopped writing by note 8…made having only removed the fuel tank. Basically, most of the hoses, securing fittings and screws/nuts/bolts have either been sheared or bodged to fit (cable ties anyone?) so need replacing.

I took the carbs out and found one quite mucky. Took it apart and found worse inside then discovered that the main jet was completely unscrewed and just sat in the bowl!!! (See pic)

Outstanding start to things

Thought I'd seen mucky carbs in the past, but these...... wow!  
Judging by the corrosion on the metals, they spent years with nothing but air inside I think.
And I was *ahem* kind of right about a problem with one of the main jets, but not in a good way.  
Couldn't help noticing in your pic though, that the secondary jet on the top left seems to have been screwed in with a cold chisel. 

Agog to see what other little masterpieces of mechanical genius you encounter. Not a bike to make assumptions about, and to check EVERYTHING as you go along.

Is it still the bargain that you thought it was?

Rob the dog wrote:Is it still the bargain that you thought it was?

Well for £750 initial outlay, and stated that it was for a project bike, suppose it wasn't too bad. Fine..... some money will have to be spent on it, but it looks like this was expected anyway.

Think it says something about the model that RJ was able to get it home with a carb which looks like a cesspit internally.

This is exactly right guys.

I was looking for a new bike having been off the scene for a couple of years (previous bike was a Speed Triple) but I wasn’t sure if I wanted new or a project as I had never undertaken a project before. 

I had the choice of getting a new Royal Enfield Continental GT650 for £6.5k or something else so when I saw this bike I thought it looked like something I could work with and took the plunge. 

I expected to have to spend a bit on it, I hoping to keep that cost down below £2.5k including the bike and have something that I am really happy with at the end. 

chromedome wrote:

Rob the dog wrote:Is it still the bargain that you thought it was?

Well for £750 initial outlay, and stated that it was for a project bike, suppose it wasn't too bad. Fine..... some money will have to be spent on it, but it looks like this was expected anyway.

Think it says something about the model that RJ was able to get it home with a carb which looks like a cesspit internally.

It’s good that you have a realistic budget and no doubt you enjoy tinkering (it’s a bloke/shed thing) I myself am ok with anything that bolts to the frame but too afraid to touch anything within the engine itself, same applies to my classic car. There are plentiful spares on eBay and some reasonably good breakers dotted around the country . . . . I bought a few items new from a dealer in the Netherlands. The best thing we all need is time and patience.....

Today’s life lesson is a simple but crucial one. 

It is possible to put the incorrect float bowl cover on the incorrect carb. Result? You cannot reach the drain screws without (again) removing the carbs from the bike! 

Also, for some reason my brake lights have stopped functioning!

Rjeary wrote:Also, for some reason my brake lights have stopped functioning!

That's an electric gremlin. Whack it before it gets a chance to summon its friends!

I'm surprised to learn how much is wrong/bodged/knackered. Happy you're not discouraged, but my own takeaway from your experience will be that bikes modded by unknown/untrusted people are to be avoided if your primary aim is to go places and see things.

On the upside, you're clearly in the process of saving a CB500 from a sad fate. Brilliant!

stormbringer wrote:

Rjeary wrote:Also, for some reason my brake lights have stopped functioning!

That's an electric gremlin. Whack it before it gets a chance to summon its friends!

The brake light (by the look of it) is one of those after-market add on ones, so I would suspect if you trace it back to where it has been wired into the original loom you might well find your problem there or on the way there, assuming, that is, it has blow a fuse (which will still mean you need to find the problem, but...).

At least you were aware of what you were getting into. Sometimes it's best for these problems to come out ASAP, otherwise they can tend to sneak up on you.

Plus one on ET's post. Always start from the last known change, process of elimination from there. The wiring loom interfaces are worst for bodgers. I could tell you horror stories about some I've had to look at, but then I'd have to have a lie-down in a darkened room.

Most likely it's an earthing issue, as it so very usually is.

chromedome wrote: The wiring loom interfaces are worst for bodgers. I could tell you horror stories about some I've had to look at, but then I'd have to have a lie-down in a darkened room.

Yes, in my experience it is often horrific - bits of wire twisted together and wrapped in sellotape? (tick) lots of 'scotchlock' connectors? (tick) inappropriate value fuses to cover up the problems (tick) etc etc  (I won't go on)

I'm quite fond of horrible bodges that are, somtimes, dubious, but my bodges are generally a way of ending up with working bike, not one that goes wrong more than not...