1971 Honda CB500 K0 Restoration - Done!

Is it the original exhaust system or an aftermarket system?

I thought it was Bo Derek. Not sure why I thought that though!

I know I had the Bo Derek Cycle mag but all I could find was this. October 71.

Here's a real crappy picture of my "71". I thought the warning lights looked like jewels- I was really proud of my first bike. My brother borrowed it to go to Colorado one summer. I went all over Texas but never crossed the state line with it.

Been a few months with no progress, but got in the garage yesterday and today and got it to this point.

Looks good.

I have a 73 I need to restore one day. Mine's a barn find, just over 9,000 miles and runs good. I need to do some little stuff over the winter but nothing crazy yet. I wish my chrome was as good as yours. I'm going to have my work cut out for me when I start tearing into mine. For now I'm just going to find a stock airbox to replace my pod filters and ride it though.

Trivia Time.....

Who was her father? (Clue: He rode.....fast)

I wish this one I'm working on had fewer miles, but that's what I got. Good luck on your rebuild whenever you get around to it. As I think I said, this project has no deadline, so it's slowly progressing.

This was a complete 71 CB500 a few months ago. The whole motorcycle is in this picture.



Grayghost - I dunno??

I'm pretty sure her Dad was Russ Collins (Inducted into the AMA Hall of fame in 1999) the drag racer who piloted his "Sorcerer" twin 1,000cc engined (CB 750cc SOHC engines bored out) dragbike to many wins in the 70's.

I could be wrong...I often am....but this is what I remember.:eek1

It that true...Bo Derek?

Here is my mostly original KO. Great bike! Never sell it. Love it so!

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So says Peter Egan in his book Leanings that this is Bo Derek.

And here is what is in the actual magazine for This Month's Cover: " ...No Sorry, we don't know who she is. Eat your hearts out."

That's yours in the video? Nice! I didn't think I liked the green color, but the more I look at it the better it looks.

For those rusty nuts and bolts or anything that's chrome try Evaporust you can get it at Harbor Freight. Let the parts soak for a couple of days then just brush them with a stiff nylon brush. It won't hurt rubber so i soaked my rear shocks on my CB 350 and all the rust came off the inside the springs. It will clean up the inside of gas tanks also. For cleaning up the motor you can use a Soda blaster also available at H/F, I used one on my Norton that I just finished and it cleaned the cases, head and other parts great without tearing them apart and fitting them in a blast cabinet. Next bike I restore will be a CB 500/550. I think they are probably the best looking bike Honda ever made. Yours will be fun to watch.

Thanks for the tip Doug. I've heard of Evaporust, but not used it. I have a gallon can of Berrymans Chem Dip (carburetor cleaner type stuff) that I soak things in. Works great. I've also had luck soaking parts in a gallon or so of regular carburetor cleaner. When I restored the GS1000 the fork legs had old clear coat that was yellowing and peeling. Two weeks in that stuff and it was gone!

A GS1000S with a Bassani, dude, I'm jealous. What else is hiding in that garage ?

Not to mention a wife that not only supports, but partakes in your passion.
Good for you !

Bassani was a good call, but actually, it's an old Yoshimura exhaust, from about 1981 if I remember correctly. Probably just as rare now. It was 10 years ago that I took that GS1000 down to the frame and did the same thing that this 500 is going through. Here's what it looked like then, still looks much the same.



And, Mrs. Skowinski slowly creeped into the garage, watching, asking questions, and one day about 3 years ago made an announcement. "I want a motorcycle!" she said.

I realize that this is a total thread jack but looking at your rather eclectic collection of motorcycles in the background you need to look at my CB-1.5 post in the Fleamarket.

As penance for the treadjack I offer up this picture:



Let me know if you would like that copy of the magazine, it's a mere $3500, and I'll throw that CB-1.5 in for free,
In all seriousness, pm me your address if you would like the magazine or a scan of the article.

Hey Kai Ju, I saw that CB1.5, and the naked superhawk a while back. Very cool builds. But, another bike in my garage? No no no no... I already spend more time working on these things than riding them it seems.

Yeah but mine is ready to ride..........
But it's obvious you enjoy the therapy of working on your own stuff at least as much as I do, can't blame a guy for trying...
I was serious about the magazine, I picked it up at the local swapmeet for a buck. If you want the paper version or a scan, let me know and I'll get it to you.

Sweet Vega, too! I had a '72 & miss it quite a bit (the V8 probably had something to do with that.)