new comer

hello everybody !!!

I'm new member in the forum but old rider.
I own a CB500 MY2000, the bike was bought at 04.2001, it's my 13th bike the very first brand new and the only street bike I have now
The bike has 153.000 and something Km and I use it all year.

• Complete Delcevic oval SS 350
  
• Wilbers fork springs, 10W oil
  
• Ikon suspension 
  
• Tomaselli handle bars 
  
• Honda valve shims, drive sprockets, clutch and bearings (wheels, swing arm and steering)
  

the bike runs perfect !

all the best for the new year,
Panagiotis

Very good! How have you managed to stay off the forum for twenty+ years and 153000 Kms?
I'm sure your knowledge of the bike will be very helpful to others here.
A few aftermarket bits on yours. In your ownership are there any mods you would avoid?
I have the same delkevic system as you, I think but its only been on a short time. How long have you had yours, still all ok?

I read the forum the last, at least 15 years, I was a member also form my beginning in the forum.
I use my office PC, then the company changes hands, thus mail address, and there was a mess to reenter the forum as a member.. I was and a bit lazy to try since the system was dropping me out, finally succeed to reenter somehow....... 

I live in a village so the bike rides only country side roads, never high ways or cities. I became 53 years old, nothing to do aby more in cities and high ways ! I ride the bike all year.

the Delkevic in the begging gave high vibrations on the handlebars at 5000 rpm, exactly where I drive the bike...
after a lot of adjustments/trials I saw that:

• inserting of a SS mesh from a car exhaust upstream the baffle (the sound changed also to better for my opinion, not so loud)
  
• perfect crabs cleaning & balance
  
• pilot screws slightly above 1 1/2 open, say 1 5/8 (brand new pilot screws, washers, O-rings, springs..then I saw the difference)
  

and it's OK
of course the fuel quality and ambient temperature affect the bikes performance. Summer time 1 1/2 open is OK.

I tried the Hagon springs, but I didn't like them, the Wilbers springs are far better. Wilbers gives 7,5W oil, didn't work as I would like, so went back to 10W

The Ikons are OK, the should be installed rotated 90 degrees so you can reach the rebound adjuster somehow (needs long fingers) above the rear wheel without removing the complete cowl (took me some years to understand/do it....)

Brake hoses are changed also to high pressure ones.  and one front disc, by Honda (expensive..!)

what I want to is to improve the response between 4 and 6000rpm, I have ordered #40 slow jets from UK, they are here but I have to do the custom stuff....for the known reason..
I added washers, 1mm, bellow the needles  but there was no change, so I removed them, maybe need more than 1mm..?

main concerns:
didn't succeed to remove the upper race of the lower steering stem bearing, all the rest are changed except this bearing race. I think I have to weld something on it, and bit the welded part from above, any idea ?

drive chain slider, not existing nowhere !

That's I think

Hi panagiotis,
You certainly have experience on the CB that many of us will never get to, every credit.
Try this for the chain slider:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/384379181730?hash=item597ec8daa2:g:JGkAAOSwuhNdg0ak
I have just fitted one, not quite OEM but not far off!

china aliexpress

you can always rivet Teflon pieces and hope & wish that the rivets will last....

You might be able to use some kind of metal chisel to split the upper race of the lower steering bearing - although I suspect this would require some skill and bravado in the use of a hammer!

I suspect that even just welding a bead of MIG wire to it might cause it to buckel sufficiently that you could get it out - sometimes the heat from the welding helps as much as anything else.

I don't really know how 'Mr. Honda' intended us (or anyone else) to get the bearing race out...

I fear that most of the options involve a certain amount of 'danger', if not to your self then to your bike!