1972 HONDA CB500 FOUR - RESTORE PROJECT
On Monday (2/10) I came across a 72' Honda CB500 Four that appeared to be in good condition and was reasonably priced, so I went ahead and added it to my collection as I think it will make a nice pair to my 71' CB500 Four I purchased last month. This one is Green and it's all there with the exception of the plastic chain guard, which I will most likely be able to find on EBAY. I'm excited to pick it up Wednesday night and get it running and back on the road. It only has 13.8K miles on it and all original paint. I'm going to have to go through the old VIN verification process because there's no paperwork on it, but I've done this dance before so I'm not too worried. While I was looking it over I called AAA to make sure there weren't any back fees and they confirmed it was clear but no longer in the system. I think she will clean up real nice! As I mentioned in my other post, these CB500's were only made for 3 years and their predecessors were the CB550 and then later the CB750. If I ever decide to sell them, it will be nice to have two different color options both with low miles and in great condition. That won't be happening any time real soon though.
I never thought I would have 5 motorcycles but after talking to all these bike collectors that I've come across they all say that's how it happens…you wake up one day and you have a garage full of them. Only difference is, I don't have my own garage. I may need to look into renting a storage space for the ones I'm going to put on NON-OP. I will most likely put a few miles on this one but will definitely be working on cleaning it up first with a fresh battery, carb clean/rebuild, newly laced wheels and maybe some matching tires. The inside of the tank looked great and it shifted freely through the gears and turned with a push of the kickstart. The front brake lines will need to be flushed or replaced but luckily the caliper wasn't locked up or anything so I'll have no trouble moving it.
One feature I really liked about this bike was the crash guard. My other CB500 Four didn't have one, but it looks pretty rad, especially with those extra foot pegs to prop my boots up on while cruising down the freeway. As if it weren't already a great deal, it even came with its own fairing/windshield accessory. How cool is that?? It cleaned up really easily but needs just a little touch-up paint around the headlight area. If I want to get really serious with it, I could have it painted a matching green color but that will need to be down the road since I have other projects that are going to require finishing first. It will give me some time to think of some design options.
There were one or two holes in the exhaust which can be expected with these old bikes, but overall I was impressed with the condition of their entirety. I could probably find some replacements online but I know the OEM versions will be priced ridiculously so I may consider leaving them as is or just picking up some aftermarket ones.
Ultimately, I'm stoked. It's a great find and I'm grateful to the owner that is passing this piece of history on to me. I think he knows that I will treasure it and treat it right. The biggest message here is that I'm NOT going to turn this into a CAFE RACER. I only like that as an option if the bike is in disrepair, or has lost all of its originality, or is not 30+ years old. Then it's okay to give it a fresh outlook on life. It would be a crime to ruin this gem. Let Restoration Project #2 commence!
This bike will definitely be making its debut at the March Vintage Bike OC event for others to view. Like I said, I haven't seen many CB500's cruising around town so I know they will appreciate it.
More updates to come!! Check back soon.
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