My pal bought a 500T new in '77, I bought it off him a year later as I wanted a reliable mount, I was a London motorcycle courier late 70s -mid 80s The bike and I did many thousands miles together, untill the gearbox failed, While it was off the road I bought a '77 honda 400f 2 in '81 as a back up bike, The 500T gearbox repair was easy job, took the bottom off one Saturday and was back working on Monday, a pal gave me an engine out of one he wrote off so lot of spares parts, I sold the bike with many tens of thousands on the clockin '91 Wish now I had kept it, I still own and run the 400F2. and a few others bikes. Mine was the same colour, I beleive you could buy the in Orange. yuk! The centrifuge filter worked well I was all ways amazed how much sludge it collect inbetween oil changes (2,000 miles), Love the big roller bottom end and the tosiom bar valve gear, it wasa bored out black bomber after all.. Just put a new Morgo pump and cartridge oil filter on my ancient Trophy TR6 hopfully this will keep the oil clean.. thanks for posting, bought back a few a memories.
What a beauty Paul 👍. Sensible and civilised. Had one exactly the same back in the early 80's and loved it to bits. Comfy on long trips, effortless cruising even 2 up.....and no leaks. Sad to sell it on but it funded my next purchase - my brother's 3 year old Kawasaki Z650C2 in Moondust Silver, definitely an all time classic ; in fact, my brother still has the Z650 to this day having sold it back to him some years later! Thanks for rekindling happy memories of the 500T 👍Stay safe 😷. ATVB from sunny Malaysia 😎😷🇲🇾
Thanks for the ride-nice Brought back memories of riding one in the late 80s I moved on to touring mainly on my BMW r80rt which I sold last year after 28years and over 200k miles but my back after an injury (and age) said it was too heavy for me Now it's just an RE C5 and day trips for me Keep these great videos coming I love them Thanks Paul
I have dear memories (and maybe a little sore too, because I had no chance to own anything then) of those times - when cb350 was a REAL bike and cb450 already a really powerful machine... And then it went like it went, came the almighty Yamaha xs 650, ferocious Kawasaki H1 500 and the Honda cb750 that we called already a supersport! Today, I think where on earth are we... Well, maybe a bikeaholic thinks too much is not enough.
Hello Paul, the old Honda bikes will always be a bit special to me as when I first became road legal my first bike was a CB125S. Your bike is a nice original example, with the tulip pipes, lovely! I just watched your 1hr trip on the bike, where everyone was out to get you it seemed, we have all probably had days like this. My bike, a NC25 is currently off the road as some reckless driver slammed into me when I stopped at a roundabout. Still bruised and sore. Well stay safe and keep putting the videos out, much appreciated. Cheers Kevin.
They are a great bike and all-rounder, I owned a 450 in the '70s and bought a brown 500 about 10 years ago that had been restored by a member of the Crossley Car Company of Hollywood and had a lot of money spent on it. If I'm honest I wasn't keen on the styling of the 500 thinking the 450 was so much nicer styling, but this is a personal opinion, and the 450 was due an update, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That said both were great bikes and both mine were very robust though also well maintained. The last outing about 8 years ago before selling it after much persuasion from its new owner as I rarely sell stuff, along with a 73 CB350/4 included a motorway stint from Swards to Belfast about 80 of those miles rarely dropping below ?0mph. You certainly have a nice bike and even in the day rarely seen so a good memory and great vid. Thanks.
Bringing back happy memories there, thanks :-) I had a couple of these around 1980 (when you could hardly give them away). We toured the country several times, two up and all our camping gear. Always very reliable, and we always thought the more it was loaded up the smoother it got. Lovely example you have there.
Thanks Paul for the nice 500T ride. Always liked this model and have been looking but haven't been able to find a good example. I have a 75 Cb550k which I enjoy but still wood like to find an original twin. Yours is a beauty. Sure you don't want to sell ? haha. Cheers, 👍🇨🇦
I know, but it is a bit of guess work to set it up, as I cannot see the view the camera picks up until afterwards and the riding position varies from bike to bike too. Good job we couldn't see the clocks today - they might have landed me in trouble!
I'm sure it is a competent and reliable machine but Honda have a knack of leaving out the elements that stir the soul. A bit like asking your mother to design a bike.
Really liked the look of those back in the '70's, but thought they were a little small. Then again my first bike was a 350, so what was l thinking.....who knows. So Paul are they a bike with a 180 degree firing order? And are they over square or under square?
These machines have a 180 degree crank [some sources say 360 degree for the Japanese home market] and, although the 500 is over square, the CB450's stroke alone was increased to make the 500 engine.
That's a nice old "No Drama" beater. The fact that you chose to kick start it makes you kind of a rock star. Nice that you held onto it.
Thanks Bill, the electric starter went west in the mid eighties - RE's are not the only ones to have sprag clutch problems!
She's from the period when Honda was stunning the world with torsion bar valve springs, DOHC, etc.
My pal bought a 500T new in '77, I bought it off him a year later as I wanted a reliable mount, I was a London motorcycle courier late 70s -mid 80s The bike and I did many thousands miles together, untill the gearbox failed, While it was off the road I bought a '77 honda 400f 2 in '81 as a back up bike, The 500T gearbox repair was easy job, took the bottom off one Saturday and was back working on Monday, a pal gave me an engine out of one he wrote off so lot of spares parts, I sold the bike with many tens of thousands on the clockin '91 Wish now I had kept it, I still own and run the 400F2. and a few others bikes. Mine was the same colour, I beleive you could buy the in Orange. yuk! The centrifuge filter worked well I was all ways amazed how much sludge it collect inbetween oil changes (2,000 miles), Love the big roller bottom end and the tosiom bar valve gear, it wasa bored out black bomber after all.. Just put a new Morgo pump and cartridge oil filter on my ancient Trophy TR6 hopfully this will keep the oil clean.. thanks for posting, bought back a few a memories.
Thanks - in actual fact the CB500T is the same bore as the CB450, but has a longer stroke. Unusual for a Japanese manufacturer to do that.
What a beauty Paul 👍. Sensible and civilised. Had one exactly the same back in the early 80's and loved it to bits. Comfy on long trips, effortless cruising even 2 up.....and no leaks. Sad to sell it on but it funded my next purchase - my brother's 3 year old Kawasaki Z650C2 in Moondust Silver, definitely an all time classic ; in fact, my brother still has the Z650 to this day having sold it back to him some years later! Thanks for rekindling happy memories of the 500T 👍Stay safe 😷. ATVB from sunny Malaysia 😎😷🇲🇾
Thanks, Razif!
Thanks for the ride-nice
Brought back memories of riding one in the late 80s
I moved on to touring mainly on my BMW r80rt which I sold last year after 28years and over 200k miles but my back after an injury (and age) said it was too heavy for me
Now it's just an RE C5 and day trips for me
Keep these great videos coming I love them
Thanks Paul
Thank you!
Can't blame Paul. Hope you get to ride that beauty more often. Just the right size for some leisurely trips. 😀
Great to have a long ownership bike running well again sounds really gutsy
Couldn't agree more!
I have dear memories (and maybe a little sore too, because I had no chance to own anything then) of those times - when cb350 was a REAL bike and cb450 already a really powerful machine... And then it went like it went, came the almighty Yamaha xs 650, ferocious Kawasaki H1 500 and the Honda cb750 that we called already a supersport! Today, I think where on earth are we...
Well, maybe a bikeaholic thinks too much is not enough.
Hello Paul, the old Honda bikes will always be a bit special to me as when I first became road legal my first bike was a CB125S. Your bike is a nice original example, with the tulip pipes, lovely!
I just watched your 1hr trip on the bike, where everyone was out to get you it seemed, we have all probably had days like this. My bike, a NC25 is currently off the road as some reckless driver slammed into me when I stopped at a roundabout.
Still bruised and sore.
Well stay safe and keep putting the videos out, much appreciated.
Cheers Kevin.
They are a great bike and all-rounder, I owned a 450 in the '70s and bought a brown 500 about 10 years ago that had been restored by a member of the Crossley Car Company of Hollywood and had a lot of money spent on it. If I'm honest I wasn't keen on the styling of the 500 thinking the 450 was so much nicer styling, but this is a personal opinion, and the 450 was due an update, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
That said both were great bikes and both mine were very robust though also well maintained. The last outing about 8 years ago before selling it after much persuasion from its new owner as I rarely sell stuff, along with a 73 CB350/4 included a motorway stint from Swards to Belfast about 80 of those miles rarely dropping below ?0mph.
You certainly have a nice bike and even in the day rarely seen so a good memory and great vid. Thanks.
Thank you!
I remember mine. Yours looks and sounds great. If you ride as sympathetically as that, she'll last forever. Happy days/
Bringing back happy memories there, thanks :-) I had a couple of these around 1980 (when you could hardly give them away). We toured the country several times, two up and all our camping gear. Always very reliable, and we always thought the more it was loaded up the smoother it got. Lovely example you have there.
Thanks, Dave!
Had one in the early 80’s. Sold it to get a Bonneville. Am really looking for another now!!
Go for it!
Well here’s one I had for a short while: www.classichondamotorcycles.co.uk/bikedetail.aspx?bike=4965
i owned one many years ago, if i remember rightly there was a special way of adjusting the cam chain, got to say it wasnt a bad bike at at all
I had an orange one, did a lot of camping weekends on it.
Back when the Honda badge meant quality and reliability. I've just bought a 2020 CMX 500. Short answer is don't.
Thanks Paul for the nice 500T ride. Always liked this model and have been looking but haven't been able to find a good example. I have a 75 Cb550k which I enjoy but still wood like to find an original twin. Yours is a beauty. Sure you don't want to sell ? haha. Cheers, 👍🇨🇦
Thanks, Dan - I think this one is a keeper, after 37 years!
Wow lovely bike .. good
Thanks!
Sorry to say Paul but your camera is still pointing too high, it's nice to see the rev counter and speedo on your rides.
I know, but it is a bit of guess work to set it up, as I cannot see the view the camera picks up until afterwards and the riding position varies from bike to bike too. Good job we couldn't see the clocks today - they might have landed me in trouble!
I'm sure it is a competent and reliable machine but Honda have a knack of leaving out the elements that stir the soul. A bit like asking your mother to design a bike.
Not so with these - they are very un-Honda, with bags of stump pulling torque and fairly high maintenance - I love this model!
Really liked the look of those back in the '70's, but thought they were a little small. Then again my first bike was a 350, so what was l thinking.....who knows. So Paul are they a bike with a 180 degree firing order? And are they over square or under square?
These machines have a 180 degree crank [some sources say 360 degree for the Japanese home market] and, although the 500 is over square, the CB450's stroke alone was increased to make the 500 engine.
Did you buy it new?
No, it had 6 or 7 owners before me, when I bought it as a 6 year old machine!