Hello! Looking for a first bike and could use some help!

[WTA]

How's everybody doing?

Looking at getting into my first motorcycle after being into the whole car thing for a while now. As a student, I have a somewhat limited budget, but I have access to tools and help, so I have some background resources to help out as well. So far, I have mainly been looking at the Honda CB 500's and 550's as a starting point, just because they are widely used and referenced model with enough power to keep things interesting while I am still learning. This site has been a great resource so far, and I would just like some clarification on a few of the things I have come across.

-Firstly, I have read some topics about transmission issues with the 500 versus the 550. Is this issue a deal breaker or just more of a nuisance? Are there any other real issues between the 500 vs. the 550?

-Secondly, I'm finding it hard to find figure out ballpark estimates on prices for these bikes. I have found some decent non-running examples in the $400 region, but am not sure what some average prices should be.

Other than that, if you have any other suggestions or help, I would greatly appreciate it. I look forward to using this site in the future! While I'm at it, here is a picture of my car that got me into the whole restoration/fixer-up projects. It should help me with some base knowledge when it comes to carbs and bodywork, dual Weber 40DCOE's are always a fun time!

Take Care!

 

[noahdog]

Sweet car you got there. I had a 1972 BMW 2002 similar to it back in college. It was a fun little car.

 

[WTA]

Sweet car you got there. I had a 1972 BMW 2002 similar to it back in college. It was a fun little car.

Thanks, they are fun and being easy to work on is always a bonus too. Only difference is yours had the nicer round tail-lights, mine's a '76.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

Ya know..
An airhead Beemer, 'bout the same vintage, painted the same color, would be friggin sweeeeet sittin side by side.
Just sayin...

 

[Tim]

No big deal transmission-wise between 500 and 550. I'm not sure exactly what improvements Honda made, but I never really noticed a difference riding either bike (I've owned both).

Aside from that, there is little to no difference mechanically. 500's are a little more rare and possibly more collectible.

Golden rule is $1/cc on old UJM's (Universal Japanese Motorcycle) for a runner, but that's an older rule With inflation, $2/cc for a running bike is still reasonable, if you like it.

I paid $450 for a non-running 550F a while back. But, it was complete, rust-free and could've been up and running pretty cheap. You want decent compression, clean spokes/rims, good electrical. The rest is cleaning/tuning.

4 cylinders = 2x the cost to rebuild as 2 cylinders. Don't forget that. I've gone from 4 cylinder Honda's to 2 cylinder BMW's and XS650's, and now also have a single SR500.

Lots of good choices - Honda 500/550 4 cylinder bikes are awesome bikes, and highly regarded. Tons of parts, technical info (PDF manuals etc.) and the SOHC4 Honda forums (forums.sohc4.net) are a wealth of info.