Honda SOHC/4 owners.

[Bonez]

Show us your kit and share stories on your CB350/4 though to CB750/4 SOHC bikes. Also usefull links/resources for other owner to use.

I've had a few- 500, 550, 650 and 750. Still got a '76 550F in reasonably good nick, had it 23 years (it was 10 years old when I bought it) and parts to keep her going for a few more years yet. Comes out every now and again as Gerble has taken over the slot as daily ride. Did my first Napier/Taihape winter a run on a ratty, leaky old 500/4 with 550 tank and Saga 4 into one exhuast many moons ago.


http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=4378&d=1097999896

[toycollector10]

On the Summit Road a couple of years ago. My son with his Mitsubishi Galant 16L from 1973. My bike, a '69 K0.

Here is the resource: www.sohc4.net

<a href="http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c130/toycollector10/?action=view&current=summitroad1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c130/toycollector10/summitroad1.jpg" border="0" alt="summitroad.jpg"></a>

[Paulo]

Toycollector , were you the guy from christchurch who picked up the 2 cb750's for $750 about a week and a half ago on trade me. If so good on you You beat me to it by about ten minutes. Bugger.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Toycollector , were you the guy from christchurch who picked up the 2 cb750's for $750 about a week and a half ago on trade me. If so good on you You beat me to it by about ten minutes. Bugger.

No, that was me. :) The guy was a real gentleman to deal with, too. The parts have arrived in Christchurch, I just have to pick them up.

i have had a bunch of them over the years mainly 750's but 400's as well.

My plans for the current ones (once I see what I have bought... I really have no idea) is a cafe racer style 750: Like jonbuoys one, or one of Carpy's ones... or any manner of others. I am fizzing at the bung about it to be honest:

Clipons, long tank, bum stop seat, rearsets. either a flyscreen or bikini fairing.

Oh, and I have the colour scheme sorted too. White with the rising sun flag.

anyone got either a 75-78 GL1000 front end lying around? (with triple clamps, wheel and guard) or a set of Ohlins RWU forks (with maybe some 18 inch Dymags.... and AP racing brakes)... oooh errrr.

[Tone165]

In case anyone is interested or planning a Oz holiday soon......

http://www.hondafourrally.com/

[Paulo]

No, that was me. :) The guy was a real gentleman to deal with, too. The parts have arrived in Christchurch, I just have to pick them up.

i have had a bunch of them over the years mainly 750's but 400's as well.

My plans for the current ones (once I see what I have bought... I really have no idea) is a cafe racer style 750: Like jonbuoys one, or one of Carpy's ones... or any manner of others. I am fizzing at the bung about it to be honest:

Clipons, long tank, bum stop seat, rearsets. either a flyscreen or bikini fairing.

Oh, and I have the colour scheme sorted too. White with the rising sun flag.

anyone got either a 75-78 GL1000 front end lying around? (with triple clamps, wheel and guard)

Lucky bugger!, well glad they went to someone who appreciates it, I've been doing my own Cafe project with my cb750 F1 I sent out a pic before but I'll bung it in this thread. cheers

[HenryDorsetCase]

Lucky bugger!, well glad they went to someone who appreciates it, I've been doing my own Cafe project with my cb750 F1 I sent out a pic before but I'll bung it in this thread. cheers

The F1's are the underappreciated and undervalued SOHC Hondas IMO: slightly more HP, factory 4 into 1 etc

Yours is coming along, looking cool. I will dig out some photos of mine if I can find any.

[R6_kid]

I have an 85 CB650 Luxury Custom with a Sage 4-1. The more i work on it the more I realise how it's been mistreated. Starting to seem like customising it will be MUCH more easier than trying to put it back to standard.

[HenryDorsetCase]

I have an 85 CB650 Luxury Custom with a Sage 4-1. The more i work on it the more I realise how it's been mistreated. Starting to seem like customising it will be MUCH more easier than trying to put it back to standard.

23 years of muppet wrenching can be hard to rectify!

[Bonez]

Good stuff guys. Keep it coming. A bit about my old girl.

Bought it in 1986 as a project bike. I'd just bought my CB750FC2 Integra so needed something to play with. I'm the third owner IRC and it had 72,000kms on the clock when I bought it. The guy I bought it off was a follow serviceman, wanted to get rid of it so I handed the princely sum of $1500 over for it. It had one of those large crash bars and was the original orange at the time. The seat pan is a heavy metal afair obviously the original had rusted as they did. The crash bars were the first things to go.

Rode it for a few years before deciding to pull it down and fit new rings, chains and bearings. Probably could have done a few more years riding but at the time I had a ton of disposable income and had finished the R65 I was tidying up, which I consequently sold. I then had one of the aircraft painters paint it black and added gold pin striping. Bought a spankers OE exhaust for it as well. Did another 70,000kms and then cut down the riding on it quite a bit for various reasons.

Riding was mostly long runs. Around the north island one christmas break. Rallies down south. One memorable run was catching the Wellington ferry after work, riding down the east to Queenstown. Attend the rally then ride, up the west cost then catch the early morning truck ferry back across the ditch. At work on the Monday. Buggered if I could do it now.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Here is a pic of the 400/4 I sold last year. (for some reason....)

[xwhatsit]

Here is a pic of the 400/4 I sold last year. (for some reason....)
You're mad :no:

I could look at that bike all day.

[Paulo]

Here is a pic of the 400/4 I sold last year. (for some reason....)

Ha Think I thought long and hard about buying that bike but reality kicked in with the bills. (it was on trade me if it's the same one) Lovely.

Nice writing Bonez always enjoy your newsy posts and updates on your bikes.

[HenryDorsetCase]

You're mad :no:

I could look at that bike all day.

I remember at the time I had a good reason, but I look at the photos and think "What the hell?"

I think my others all predate our digi-cam so not sure I will have any photos. My 750F1 was in the yellow colour scheme and we did a lot of happy miles on it. It was affectionately known as "the custard tart" My better half still says it had the best pillion seat she had ever used, and everything else sucked. (Including, apparently, the Scrambler)

[xwhatsit]

The CB750F1s look very attractive (especially in yellow, you have wonderful taste), but I think the weight and size would get to me, being such a weed.

I'm a Honda SOHC/1 owner, am I one-fourth as cool as you guys?
<img src="http://www.honda.co.jp/factbook/motor/CB250RS/19800300/image3/012-002.jpg" />

[Bonez]

Ha Think I thought long and hard about buying that bike but reality kicked in with the bills. (it was on trade me if it's the same one) Lovely.

Nice writing Bonez always enjoy your newsy posts and updates on your bikes.Nice 400/4 alright my brother had a same model, pillion pegs on the swing arm. He use to pillion has mate and pack all over the country side with the odd hunting excursion thrown in.

Cheers for the kind words. I only know enough to be dangerous afterall :eek:, motorcycling on mediocrity has its benefits :yes: You can quote me on that :whistle:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=24352&d=1137744355

[98tls]

Sadly no pics of my old 500/4,great bike in the day and many times ive wished i still had it.As a sidenote when a young fella my old man had a guy from Kaikoura working for him that had a 750 with from memory a Dunstall tank and seat unit,4 into 1 etc,nice looking bike it was,strange thing really as otherwise it was bone stock,the guy didnt really seem to think of it as special in any way and just neglected the thing somewhat which looking back was bit sad,he was a terrible bloody rider,we lived at Fernihurst at the start of the Hundaless,great bit of road,in those days i had an old silver XL350 and on trips up to Kaikoura i would give up staying behind him and carry on,he just hated corners:oi-grr:

[HenryDorsetCase]

one of the funniest things that ever happened to us was when we lived in Wellington we were two up on the custard tart, beautiful sunny still day, off to Masterton for a pie.

So we get our uniform on of leather jacket, me with my Bell Star 3 helmet, my gloves with the rubber strips over the knuckles, jeans and Doc Martens, and fang it over the Takas, ate the pie, (mmmmmm pie) and cruising home afterwards just near teh top of the hill I thought to myself "Shit, my left foot is all hot......" Looked down and blimey there's oil all over my boot. Pulled over right sharpish, and sat turned the thing off.

On inspection we had managed to drag the alternator cover on the road until it wore a hole in it........ doh.

I always maintain to my other half its because she had a custard square AND a pie that day. Especially if I dont want to have sex for a week or so.

...... This would have been ~83 or 84? the custard tart was a '77, so it was just an old POS then, but all I could afford..... and it went bloody well. I had mates with new CB900F rolladoors and GPZ Kwakas and I could keep up mostly....

Oh, and xhatsit, I am not a big guy either... they are a BIG bike (750's are what, 210kg dry?) but you dont really notice it unless you are underneath it trying to get it off your leg (another story....)

[Bonez]

Seen as Gerble has let me down Ronda has been pressed back into service. Whilst getting a WOF the lady at the testing station mentioned she own a '74 400/4, which was good to know. and the chap that did the testing owned a 550/4 back in the day too.

Being an early riser I'm just about to pop into work (with the foremans permission of course) to modify a set of GSX 400 engine guards I was gifted to fit to Ronda. They're the only ones I've come across that clear the oem headers on the RHS and not look like a jungle gym (old people remember these) sticking out the side. Just need to flip the bars upside down cut a few tangs off, add a bit of to extend the whats now the upper bar, drill some holes and a few U-bolts and "hey presto!" job done.

Why fit them? Shes 33 now, parts are getting harder to find and I want to keep her as long as I can.

[Voltaire]

First big bike I had was a very tidy candy apple gold/black 1972 Honda 500/4 with 2 into ones.That was in 1984, and my wire and I went on a South Island tour...at a time when the South Island was like a different country.
We were at the base of Mount Cook when some hard men on a Moto Guzzi and a Triumph got talking to us...." Auckland.....!!!! thats a long way to come on a 500/4"
Maybe for an old Guzzi and Triumph but not for the 500/4.
Only had it for 6 months when Kawasaki's Z1000's caught my eye.
Loved that Honda 4 growl under throttle, rattly cam chain annoyed me....changed it....rattle came back.

[robinm]

had a few over the years, first one was a '75 Goldwing ( not really a sohc honda 4 I know), then a year or two later I bought a CB750F2, only one I have ever seen, basically the same as a F1, SOHC but came with comstar wheels and twin discs on the front. I think they only made them for 1 year as a interim model before the rolladoor came out. Also had a very nice 400/4 about the same time, this is all back in the late 70's and early 80's so have no photos of any of them.

[Dadpole]

On the subject of 500/4s. I have found a gasket set for one if you are interested Bonez. Head & base gasket, clutch, alternator and one other (?). I can't remember if the head gasket fits the 550.
All at the best price of all - free to a good home

[Bonez]

On the subject of 500/4s. I have found a gasket set for one if you are interested Bonez. Head & base gasket, clutch, alternator and one other (?). I can't remember if the head gasket fits the 550.
All at the best price of all - free to a good homeI'll grab them alright. Cheers. Buy you a beer/drink at your favourate watering hole maybe?

[cheshirecat]

I've had two sohc's. The first a K1 750 which I toured all over France and UK on a regular basis. Added a second front disc, koni rears and SW progressive fork springs - oh and some drive lights. The next was a 400 with a yoshimura stage one cam which added about a thousand reves without loosing any mid range. Honda should have done this themselves, it made the bike much perkier. Next bikes were a Goldwing and a CBX (an interesting beastie) All my bikes have been used on a day to day basis winter and summer and they've proved amazingly reliable.

[MrZxp]

Have just stumbled across this thread..... :doh:

I am the proud owner of a '74 CB550K. Had it for 24 years now, bought it for the princely sum of $1350 on behalf at my local Yamaha bike shop. Paid the guy 400 bucks up front and the rest at $50 a (fortnightly) pay - (I was a poor young married man at that point in time!)

It is a Japanese domestic market model, has a 80 km/hr warning light on the triple tree along with a buzzer (disconnected of course!) and I believe it to be the original colour albeit with some customisations, namely the white stripes by a PO.

Up until April this year I also owned a '78 CB750F2.

Thoroughly recommend the SOHC4 site too, a real boon to anyone who owns and maintains these bikes.... :Punk:

[MrZxp]

had a few over the years, first one was a '75 Goldwing ( not really a sohc honda 4 I know), then a year or two later I bought a CB750F2, only one I have ever seen, basically the same as a F1, SOHC but came with comstar wheels and twin discs on the front. I think they only made them for 1 year as a interim model before the rolladoor came out. Also had a very nice 400/4 about the same time, this is all back in the late 70's and early 80's so have no photos of any of them.

75 Goldwings are SOHC aren't they? And they are 4 cylinders? Makes 'em a SOHC4 in my book!

The F2's were available for the '77 model year - and, with minor modifications, for 1978 in the US, and were known as F3's there, everywhere else as F2's....

[Bonez]

Finally got around to getting those gaskets off Dadpole. Basicly got a complete set now less the button seals between the rocker box and the head stud holes.

Been eyeing up a 650 Custom, but have been given the hard word by she who must be obeyed to get rid of something else first. Oh well.............

[HenryDorsetCase]

75 Goldwings are SOHC aren't they? And they are 4 cylinders? Makes 'em a SOHC4 in my book!

The F2's were available for the '77 model year - and, with minor modifications, for 1978 in the US, and were known as F3's there, everywhere else as F2's....

Gosh that's a minter!!

there's one for sale in Te Anau presently for $2700!! I reckon they're underrated (F1's and F2's) and underpriced especially compared to earlier ones.

[Willdat?]

The '79 CB650 for sale in Nelson on trademe is owned by a keen Honda man. Has been replaced by a CX500 with 'factory' sidecar (or at least fitted from new).

I'm still hanging out for my Father in-laws 7000km GB400, but otherwise I might join the club in the next few years!

[short shins]

Meet Ermintrude :wavey:
Mainly a 1977 K7 with elements of F1 added, non standard so I can modify it to my hearts content and not offend the purists.

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j367/ShortShins/SITripNov2010024-1.jpg

[Bonez]

Hey if you're happy with the changes who really gives a rats rectum what others think. Main thing is you're out riding it.

[James Deuce]

Meet Ermintrude :wavey:
Mainly a 1977 K7 with elements of F1 added, non standard so I can modify it to my hearts content and not offend the purists.

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j367/ShortShins/SITripNov2010024-1.jpg

I thought the Stuka was called Ermintrude until I spotted the bike. I bet the Jumo in that Stuka ain't a SOHC IL4.

[BMWST?]

I thought the Stuka was called Ermintrude until I spotted the bike. I bet the Jumo in that Stuka ain't a SOHC IL4.

nope that would be an inverted V 12......

[roadracingoldfart]

When the CB400/4 came out i used to wander to the shop and just stare through the window for ages, i finally got a 76 model in late 1980.
Rode the thing through 3 rebuilds and after 200,000 kms turned it into a better racebike (it was a weekend racer till then) .
Powroll 455 high comp pistons
Yoshi F1 cam
S/S valves with 3 angle face
Much head porting and polishing
Yoshi valve springs and collets
Altered ratio box from a few diff Hondas to lower the overall gearing
Custom built 4 into 1 pipe
CB 650 electronic ignition and coils (i hated the points failing at 14000rpm)
Twin disc front from CB400/N
28 mm slide carbs for Kwaka Z1000
Lots of little bits of kit to many to list with no memory like me.
Used to manage a 1.09 round Wanganui (old layout) and a 1.20 at Manfeild .
Sold it to a guy that was going to put it back after a very bad crash caused by a motor blow and he just stuck it in a box and never touched it.
The only bike i ever really regret selling.

Paul.

[popelli]

never owned a honda 4 however I have ended up acquiring some ex mot shoei panniers & rear crashbars of a police /traffic CB550

if anybody is interested in them contact me