1971 I'm 18 and own a 68 CL-350. My Dad asked me what I thought of the CB500-4. I said it looks nice but why would you want that when there's the 750. Months later when out of the blue, he offered to finance a new 500 for me to which I immediately said yes. He said I thought you only wanted the 750, I replied it's easy to aim high when you can't afford either. He was wise in the idea of gradually progressing up in size as your skills grow. 50+ years of riding and almost as many bikes - it's still one of my all-time favorites '72 CB500 K1 Gold
I had a '73 in candy olive, my first street bike after growing up with dirt bikes. Bought it in great shape in '79. After a handful of bigger, lighter and newer bikes the 500 Four will still always be my favorite for all around riding fun. Thanks for the great video.
1976 CB550 K2 Brown -- that's my baby! short handle bars, kerker, K&N, dinky front fender -- sporty look, sounds great, super fun bike for New England back roads. Rumor she's still tooling around California...
Own a 1974 Boss Maroon CB550. It's great! Performance is just slightly less than the CB750, but the lighter weight makes it easier to handle. Great trade off of power to weight ratio.
At 3:26 it shows the exact bike my dad had...an orange '75 550 super sport. These weren't the fastest bikes in their class, but they were incredibly smooth and beautifully built bikes. Super reliable and a joy to ride! By comparison, my '70 Kaw H1 would fry this Honda in a drag race, but it was loud, finicky, and didn't turn worth a crap....you couldn't get two bikes that are more opposite in the same class...
I had a 1976 550 four f1, in orange, bought used in early 1979. My only transport for over 2 years, great bike, stored it for a few years after but had to sell it on. Thanks for the video👍
1977-78 the CB550 K wears its best design - for me. Very similar to my CB750K, but not so heavy. The bigger one has a 4.50“ rear wheel and a massiv 3/4“ chain. - The handling of the 550 was much more easier, good in woman hands too.
Cool bikes Im glad my dad got into honda's as a kid and then later me, 150 restored honda bikes wouldn't be on the road today if it was otherwise. I do cafe racers and brat style bikes now and can vouch that honda's are the Best!
Wow! In 1988 my dad purchased a '77 550 Four that was in showroom condition. It sickens me to watch this, and to know that it sits in a scrap heap at the old farm now.
Great video. I bought a brand new black cb 500 four in 1974 from peter hammond motorcycles in cirencester gloucestershire. I loved the machine, but smashed it up well on holiday in the isle of wight. I hit a mk3 ford cortina head on. Lucky to survive, i rebuilt her and kept her for another 2 years. I often wonder if she,s still on the road now. Reg was oad 90m. They dont build bikes with style like that anymore!
I had a 71 that I raced it was an awesome bike! Also had a 73 Orange in colour. Put a clutch into it from a CB 450 and it didn't slip a great clutch put on a set of rear shocks and springs and firmed up the front suspension. With good tires would that bike go around corners. It was a real sleeper of a bike on the track.
Early 1977, Nick Woods’ 550 out side my parents house; that funny salmon pink coloured one and the first of the four into one models. “Can I have a go Nick?” Sure he says. “I’m just going to take it down to the bottom of the road and thrash it back up to the house.” Fine by me he says. (Interlude - isn’t Google wonderful I’ve just checked on Google maps the distance from where I ran down to the bottom of the road and then back to the house. 500’ to within an inch. Then the run past my house to the T junction with the main road past my house was a further 120’. So that’s 206 yards all in or 188 metres.) So back to the bottom of the road. Well the bike’s not mine is it? He said I could thrash it... Now bear in mind this is 45 years ago and there are about three cars in the road. The area is now a blanket 20mph speed limit and cars can’t pass with out passing spaces - the city is full up. Into first gear, have a look for any traffic coming round the corner from another road. Fingers crossed the two cul-de-sac’s on my left don’t have any traffic coming out. Wind up the throttle and drop the clutch..... My recollection is no wheelspin and just a very light wheelie. Hold it pinned in first and just before it’s about to explode (remember it’s not mine) flick it up into second. I passed the final cul-de-sac and wasn’t t-boned (ahh the impetuosity of youth) looked down and saw 60mph and hit the brakes. Skidding to a halt past my house and rather too close to the main road t junction I turned round and gave it back to Nick. “Thanks mate” I said. “Goes well” I said. Again I can’t recall Nick’s words of wisdom but I think he was impressed with his own bikes performance and my lucky choice of braking point. About three months later I went out and bought a brand spankers GS750DB. It was great fun but it never howled like that little Honda. So that’s a reality laid alongside this great slide show of our youth. And Nick, if you’re reading this: thanks for a great ride that day. I’m far older and wiser but still on two wheels (ABS, Traction Control, Auto blipper, gear shift assist, crap nav - where does it stop.....).
I've got an early KF, orange - didnt see that straight colour in your vid. 4:1 pipes. Tank is single colour. Was a smooth as and beautiful ride, Now in the back rusting away but I loved it more that my more powerful motorcycles.. it was predictable. Cheers from New Zealand.
Had a candy sword blue 550 with gold stripe on tank a 1979 model.it had 96.000 miles on it when I swapped it for a xt500 straight swap.should of kept the 550 best honda bike ever made .
my first street bike was a 73 500k in that hideous candy olive that i affectionately called "baby shit green metallic". i rode the wheels off that little pony with a 60 mile daily round trip commute, then switched to a 550k motor i bought with a huge assortment of spare parts from a newspaper classified ad. i had a bogus crash bar on the front, and those lousy late 70s vintage injection molded plastic panniers on the tail (and they always leaked like they were made of gauze, lol). i think i had a grand total of about 500 bucks invested in her including the replacement power plant. all that said, i honestly miss it just about daily, it was as reliable as the sun, and pretty much indestructible
At 4:12 => 1977 cb550k3 = CANDY KENT BROWN. Not candy garnet brown. Furthermore most examples are from repainted bikes and don't match the original colours.
were not slow. now if you want super fast you need a 750 or biger, now if you want a fun bike the 400/4 500/4 550/4 were good bikes and got great mpg and were smooth runing
I thought the K3 model was the last of the 550 fours. At least in Uk. I bought a new one in 77 straight after passing my test. I was 17. Nice bike but after riding a my mates Z650 i part exchanged it for silver c model Z650. As nice as the 550 was the Kwack did everything better.
These were very good bikes and as you say, possibly the best of both worlds in their time. I restored a 1975 CB550K and published a series of videos about the project. here's the playlist link: ruclips.net/video/FXQAsv792aw/видео.html
+Steve Linville Hi, there i no 1971 CB550 - the first 550s have been build in 1975. I've got a1977 F1 in candy sword blue. I really like it so much that I don't want any other bike. I doubt that I would mind a crippled/chopped one, though....
the 71 is a 500, the 550 came out in late model year 74. the way to tell the difference is the clutch adjuster, the 500 has the coin slotted adjuster on the left cover for the chain sprocket, the 550 the jam nutted screw on the clutch cover on the right side. both are "good bikes", the main difference of any real merit is the 550 has forced oiling in the transmission shafts, while the 500 is all splash lubricated in the trans. i had both engines in the same bike, and there was honestly NO perceptible difference between them. either engine bolts right into both frames (which are basically identical as well). i commuted daily 60 miles round trip on mine for a few years, and neither engine was ever any less than perfectly reliable, predictable, and well behaved. you can do FAR worse in choices of bikes, lol
Hello from Rome, Italy. Good job but I can't see here the K2 Black and light blue... Please check i.ytimg.com/vi/2S3Q5FAQnpc/hqdefault.jpg for blue and img2.stcrm.it/images/17444531/1000x750/annunciomymoto.jpg for black I rode a black K2 for 22 years, then sold in 2003 and bought back a mint one 3 days ago... Long live CB 500 Four !!! One of yhe best and sexiest looks in the motorcycle world!
1971 I'm 18 and own a 68 CL-350. My Dad asked me what I thought of the CB500-4. I said it looks nice but why would you want that when there's the 750. Months later when out of the blue, he offered to finance a new 500 for me to which I immediately said yes. He said I thought you only wanted the 750, I replied it's easy to aim high when you can't afford either. He was wise in the idea of gradually progressing up in size as your skills grow. 50+ years of riding and almost as many bikes - it's still one of my all-time favorites '72 CB500 K1 Gold
My father had the 500 four 45 years ago. I was ten years old and i thought that this is the most beautiful bike ever. I never changed my mind!!
I had a 550/4 in the ‘80s and still have dreams of getting another one.
Yes
Thanks for the video and I had a 500 and a 550 four! Rode it 15 miles to work rain or shine!😊 never let me down excellent bikes 🏍️!😊
Are you selling it😊
I had a '73 in candy olive, my first street bike after growing up with dirt bikes. Bought it in great shape in '79. After a handful of bigger, lighter and newer bikes the 500 Four will still always be my favorite for all around riding fun. Thanks for the great video.
1976 CB550 K2 Brown -- that's my baby! short handle bars, kerker, K&N, dinky front fender -- sporty look, sounds great, super fun bike for New England back roads. Rumor she's still tooling around California...
That was fantastic. I had a '73 500-four that was an excellent bike.
Absolutely beautiful SOHC 4 cylinder with amazing style that you do not see in this days.
I've owned 2 '77 CB550Ks, both Excel Black. 😍🏍
Own a 1974 Boss Maroon CB550. It's great! Performance is just slightly less than the CB750, but the lighter weight makes it easier to handle. Great trade off of power to weight ratio.
At 3:26 it shows the exact bike my dad had...an orange '75 550 super sport. These weren't the fastest bikes in their class, but they were incredibly smooth and beautifully built bikes. Super reliable and a joy to ride! By comparison, my '70 Kaw H1 would fry this Honda in a drag race, but it was loud, finicky, and didn't turn worth a crap....you couldn't get two bikes that are more opposite in the same class...
I had a 1976 550 four f1, in orange, bought used in early 1979. My only transport for over 2 years, great bike, stored it for a few years after but had to sell it on. Thanks for the video👍
Love this video!! I have a 77 550 4K all original. Beautiful condition. I will never sell this bike. They’re too beautiful
Yes so very smooth on the highway as well as neighborhood cruising. Just a lovely machine.
1977-78 the CB550 K wears its best design - for me. Very similar to my CB750K, but not so heavy. The bigger one has a 4.50“ rear wheel and a massiv 3/4“ chain. - The handling of the 550 was much more easier, good in woman hands too.
Excel black?
i had a honda 4004 back in d 90s what a bike also had the pleasure of a 750 honda heavy bike beautiful to ride honda back then were brill .
I wish Honda would bring the 550 back . I had one it was a great bike .
Mine was a 74 Sunburst Orange, bought new for $1400.00. It was so smooth and had a great sound from the factory pipes.
They were nicer looking than the CB750.. I always thought.
Don't know how many times I have watched this video... LOL
I have a 1977 CB550 F, Candy Presto Red.
I have a 1981 550 four blue in colour in mint shape plan to ride it this year
I had a 1976 Honda 550 Super Sport(blue) and hell of a motorcycle. Brought the bike in Uniondale, NY. It was the only motorcycle I own.
Mines a green 72 500 ss with the original 4 into 1 exhaust. Paid $1000 cdn back in 2000 it came with a helmet and 2 riding jackets
Cool bikes Im glad my dad got into honda's as a kid and then later me, 150 restored honda bikes wouldn't be on the road today if it was otherwise. I do cafe racers and brat style bikes now and can vouch that honda's are the Best!
You make a man's head spin around. Thank You for this upload.
I love all the Honda CB line. I wish I knew who the band was as this music ROCKS! ... Great Video, Thanks 3:)
Original tunes by my brotherWes!
NICE! That's my kind of history lesson! Thanks!
My 1977 Cb 550 is being restored back to the original specifications.
I managed to rescue it from a failed café racer project. ...
Wow! In 1988 my dad purchased a '77 550 Four that was in showroom condition. It sickens me to watch this, and to know that it sits in a scrap heap at the old farm now.
Great video. I bought a brand new black cb 500 four in 1974 from peter hammond motorcycles in cirencester gloucestershire. I loved the machine, but smashed it up well on holiday in the isle of wight. I hit a mk3 ford cortina head on. Lucky to survive, i rebuilt her and kept her for another 2 years. I often wonder if she,s still on the road now. Reg was oad 90m. They dont build bikes with style like that anymore!
Thanks a lot for this compilation - very informative!
I had a 71 that I raced it was an awesome bike! Also had a 73 Orange in colour. Put a clutch into it from a CB 450 and it didn't slip a great clutch put on a set of rear shocks and springs and firmed up the front suspension. With good tires would that bike go around corners. It was a real sleeper of a bike on the track.
Early 1977, Nick Woods’ 550 out side my parents house; that funny salmon pink coloured one and the first of the four into one models.
“Can I have a go Nick?” Sure he says. “I’m just going to take it down to the bottom of the road and thrash it back up to the house.” Fine by me he says.
(Interlude - isn’t Google wonderful I’ve just checked on Google maps the distance from where I ran down to the bottom of the road and then back to the house. 500’ to within an inch. Then the run past my house to the T junction with the main road past my house was a further 120’. So that’s 206 yards all in or 188 metres.)
So back to the bottom of the road. Well the bike’s not mine is it? He said I could thrash it... Now bear in mind this is 45 years ago and there are about three cars in the road. The area is now a blanket 20mph speed limit and cars can’t pass with out passing spaces - the city is full up.
Into first gear, have a look for any traffic coming round the corner from another road. Fingers crossed the two cul-de-sac’s on my left don’t have any traffic coming out. Wind up the throttle and drop the clutch.....
My recollection is no wheelspin and just a very light wheelie. Hold it pinned in first and just before it’s about to explode (remember it’s not mine) flick it up into second. I passed the final cul-de-sac and wasn’t t-boned (ahh the impetuosity of youth) looked down and saw 60mph and hit the brakes. Skidding to a halt past my house and rather too close to the main road t junction I turned round and gave it back to Nick.
“Thanks mate” I said. “Goes well” I said. Again I can’t recall Nick’s words of wisdom but I think he was impressed with his own bikes performance and my lucky choice of braking point. About three months later I went out and bought a brand spankers GS750DB. It was great fun but it never howled like that little Honda.
So that’s a reality laid alongside this great slide show of our youth. And Nick, if you’re reading this: thanks for a great ride that day. I’m far older and wiser but still on two wheels (ABS, Traction Control, Auto blipper, gear shift assist, crap nav - where does it stop.....).
what great motorcycle this was my first Street bike my bike a 73 got it for free from my older brother best bike have ever owned
buena historia y recopilacion de la honda cb 500 y 550 saludos
I had a beautiful 1974 CB500 and man I loved that bike.....it really was a perfect everyday rider..I kick myself for selling it.
Ich habe eine blaue 500 K2 1977 seit 23 Jahren ,ich werde sie für immer behalten
I had a 76 550 in 77, quite a great bike. I always liked the 500four over the 550four.
I've got an early KF, orange - didnt see that straight colour in your vid. 4:1 pipes. Tank is single colour. Was a smooth as and beautiful ride, Now in the back rusting away but I loved it more that my more powerful motorcycles.. it was predictable. Cheers from New Zealand.
These become rarer by the day
Had a candy sword blue 550 with gold stripe on tank a 1979 model.it had 96.000 miles on it when I swapped it for a xt500 straight swap.should of kept the 550 best honda bike ever made .
Had a friend who had a green one. Nice bike 👍.
最近CB400fourを買うならこっちの方が良いと思い始めました。
Wish I still had my 73 500 Four.
Thank you much
Beautiful ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I have three 1973 500's that I ride. My Harley never gets out much.
Get rid of it then, they are heaps of shit anyway
@@dutchy777 no kid, they are true classics
My '72 is green with stock 4=1 exhaust, her name is Vera I love her.
Perfect design, in my opinion.
thank you so much for sharing. I had my first one, on 1978 ( see my avatar )
my first street bike was a 73 500k in that hideous candy olive that i affectionately called "baby shit green metallic". i rode the wheels off that little pony with a 60 mile daily round trip commute, then switched to a 550k motor i bought with a huge assortment of spare parts from a newspaper classified ad. i had a bogus crash bar on the front, and those lousy late 70s vintage injection molded plastic panniers on the tail (and they always leaked like they were made of gauze, lol). i think i had a grand total of about 500 bucks invested in her including the replacement power plant. all that said, i honestly miss it just about daily, it was as reliable as the sun, and pretty much indestructible
i like the green one !
Cool . just reminiscing about my old 550 four and I come across the picture at 5:11. it is a picture I took my actual bike in my driveway
The Bimota version with a red frame and the white tank is really cool.
What is the model called?
Love those 70s bike wish I could find one in mint condition japanese only
Ach ja.....😊
CB550買いましたー研究しないと。
👍登録します。😊
Would love to have a 550F.
Top! Música show...
1978 is beautiful
Slideshow doesn’t cut it.
750はでかすぎるっていう理由でこれに乗ってる人結構居ました👋
Muito legal, relembrei de quando era garoto.
These are original paint job or are resprayed ??
CB750はデカ過ぎるからという理由で500or550を選ぶ人が結構居たみたいですね🧐
At 4:12 => 1977 cb550k3 = CANDY KENT BROWN.
Not candy garnet brown. Furthermore most examples are from repainted bikes and don't match the original colours.
is the freedom green metallic cb550 a real thing? I have never seen it anywhere!
Moto storica andava sempre bene
I have a Suziuk GS850 running no need help were do I start shop?
Where is the factory UK spec all black model?
Those bikes looked good but were slow. The performance was much improved when they went to the 650 and added constant volocity carbs.
were not slow. now if you want super fast you need a 750 or biger, now if you want a fun bike the 400/4 500/4 550/4 were good bikes and got great mpg and were smooth runing
Honda must have loved brown a lot
É muito linda
Stunning motorcycle, how much?
Lindíssimas
I thought the K3 model was the last of the 550 fours. At least in Uk. I bought a new one in 77 straight after passing my test. I was 17. Nice bike but after riding a my mates Z650 i part exchanged it for silver c model Z650. As nice as the 550 was the Kwack did everything better.
MickyMoz I read in the USA the original SOHC 750 (and I guess the 500/550) CBs sold for a year more till 1978
Cheers Jordy. I didn't know that. I noticed the American versions always had the higher handlebars and looked better imo.
These were very good bikes and as you say, possibly the best of both worlds in their time. I restored a 1975 CB550K and published a series of videos about the project. here's the playlist link: ruclips.net/video/FXQAsv792aw/видео.html
Not keen on the high handle bars versions , they detract from the overall beauty of this magnificent machine .
The UK bars are lower
My best friend was killed by a CB500 in 72....😥
Boss Maroon is purple, not the brown they showed here
ive these bikes for years,im a bit disappointed as the title says a history not a fucking slide show?
i know i was wating to see the desiners
Somethings not right. The 71 cb500 was the only year with the small tail light. These seem to be all over the place.
I will I had a 550 four.
A minha paixão é a 500 o ronco dela parece quê ela tá falando comigo.
I got a 1971 Honda cb 550 chopped anybody know if that's a good bike?
+Steve Linville Hi, there i no 1971 CB550 - the first 550s have been build in 1975. I've got a1977 F1 in candy sword blue. I really like it so much that I don't want any other bike. I doubt that I would mind a crippled/chopped one, though....
the 71 is a 500, the 550 came out in late model year 74. the way to tell the difference is the clutch adjuster, the 500 has the coin slotted adjuster on the left cover for the chain sprocket, the 550 the jam nutted screw on the clutch cover on the right side. both are "good bikes", the main difference of any real merit is the 550 has forced oiling in the transmission shafts, while the 500 is all splash lubricated in the trans. i had both engines in the same bike, and there was honestly NO perceptible difference between them. either engine bolts right into both frames (which are basically identical as well). i commuted daily 60 miles round trip on mine for a few years, and neither engine was ever any less than perfectly reliable, predictable, and well behaved. you can do FAR worse in choices of bikes, lol
Had a71 500 right out of high school , gold paint , the first cb 500 in Detroit that year, loved it, can't beat a Honda four
Where is the 500 K3
Peccato che originali davvero non ce ne sono. Sauro.
k-modell are great, but the F-Modell....oh god no go !!!
For sale
Let's talk
Hello from Rome, Italy.
Good job but I can't see here the K2 Black and light blue...
Please check i.ytimg.com/vi/2S3Q5FAQnpc/hqdefault.jpg for blue and
img2.stcrm.it/images/17444531/1000x750/annunciomymoto.jpg for black
I rode a black K2 for 22 years, then sold in 2003 and bought back a mint one 3 days ago...
Long live CB 500 Four !!! One of yhe best and sexiest looks in the motorcycle world!
Note: the black K2 in the second link is my latest purchase
suzuki gs 550e much better...
For sale