1974 Honda CB

CB5501014958

Clear

Up for auction is something I never thought I’d sell. This is my 1974 CB550 K0 Honda. I have owned this bike for almost 20 years and at some points in my life it was the only transportation I had! My reason for selling is that I have had less and less time to ride, and last year I only got this particular bike out to move it around and keep it running. Since I have accumulated a large collection of Honda motorcycles, I just can’t enjoy them all anymore so I decided to sell off the majority of them. They include several CB400F Supersports and a couple 350 twins, an XL70, and a couple other bikes. There are no 750s, 500s, 450s, 305s, 200s, 175s, 100s, 90s, or 50s. This bike was purchased locally and I believe it has been in this area since new. I had to rebuild the carburetors when I got it due to a couple plugged jets, and I took my time to ensure that everything was replaced exactly as it was built. If you haven’t ever tried that, it isn’t an easy task! Since then the only things it’s needed were tires, batteries, points, and a couple front brake O rings with many oil changes in between. Currently the bike needs a battery and front brake O ring, but it starts easily with the kickstarter. Because I have nearly 20 motorcycles to sell, I won’t be replacing any parts on them as I’m trying to avoid new bills instead of creating them. It’s unfortunate, but if I had time to do each thing that every bike needed I wouldn’t want to sell them all. Every once in a while I have a plug gas foul when starting, but it’s not always the same cylinder so I have never done anything about it because it’s so random. The condition is good and original. There are no major areas of rust or damage. However the bike is NOT perfect. The paint has some minor scuffs and scratches and is slightly faded on top of the tank, the pipes have some scrapes and pin holes from moisture inside (not running long enough to evaporate the condensation), and the tank has a couple minor dents which are not easy to notice. There is also a slight dent on top of the rear fender which could probably be easily removed but I never had it looked at because it didn’t bother me. I will be adding a link to more photos if I can’t add them to the auction and I also have a video to upload for it, so check back later to see them. The condition is good enough that I’ve left it alone all these years and simply enjoyed it, and if someone wanted to restore the bike they could do it piece by piece while still riding that summer. Please keep in mind that this vehicle is 36 years old and has been used. It is being sold as is where is and there’s no warranty expressed or implied. It is however a great bike from days gone by and I’ll be sorry to see it go, but I just can’t keep everything. Please review the photos and ask any questions you have before you bid, but please don’t do that during the last few hours of the auction and expect an instant response. I'm located in PA near Pittsburgh and can help with local delivery but please discuss that with me before the end of the auction. I will ship the bike if: 1) You make all the arrangements, 2) The date/time it will be picked up is arranged with me several days in advance (the truck driver can’t call me out of the blue when he’s 30 minutes away), and finally 3) The bike is paid in full with everything free and clear. I will tell the shipper to hit the road if the payment isn’t completed or clear, or if I’m at work and they call me in the morning demanding to get the bike within the hour. Yes, I have had experiences like that before! Also, we have a local AAA, bike shop, and several notaries if you’d like to transfer the title while I am present. That’s no problem at all. If you are local and want to see it this week that would be great; contact me through Ebay and give me a number to call you. I waited until Sunday evening to list this so you can see it on Saturday and make a decision before bidding. Payment is to be made in cash in person when picking it up, or by POSTAL money orders from a US post office only. Contact me IN ADVANCE for other types of payment, but I will not accept cashiers checks or regular money orders. Any other type of payment will be returned, the bike relisted, and negative feedback made. Payment and pickup are to be done within 2 weeks of end of auction. Note my 100% positive feedback - I've sold everything from Matchbox cars to motorcycles and silverware to motorhomes and not had a problem. Thanks for looking and good luck bidding.On May-02-10 at 18:47:34 PDT, seller added the following information: I forgot to add that I may have a front brake O ring somewhere in the garage, so if I find it this week I'll either include it with the bike or go ahead and put it in the caliper.On May-08-10 at 06:44:45 PDT, seller added the following information: On May-08-10 at 09:10:31 PDT, seller added the following information: I forgot to add that this bike has the caliper mounts on the right fork leg, meaning a second disc could be added just by bolting on the parts. I'm not sure if this was an early bike or if all the K zeros had that, or ?? But I've seen 550s that didn't have this feature, and remember reading that most SOHC Hondas had to have them welded on if you wanted to add another disc.On May-08-10 at 12:40:17 PDT, seller added the following information: I've found the o-ring for the front caliper. I'll include it with the bike, and I should be able to put it in before the winner picks it up but won't make any promises just in case. Also, I've had several people ask if this would be a good beginner's bike. My answer is absolutely not. It's very long, heavy, and not forgiving if you even lean it over when stopped. This bike is nearly the size of a 750, with a wide engine and pipes that will burn the heck out of your ankles if you're worrying about something else and forget. The seat isn't comfortable unless you love the bike more than your butt too. I could ride for about 45 minutes before I had to take a break, and it was almost time to gas up then anyway. When riding with friends on newer bikes you'll also be left completely in the dust (which may not be a bad thing if you're learning, but I thought I'd mention it). Parts are getting harder to get and more expensive, so if it's crashed you will have some downtime and a hit to your wallet while it's being repaired. Most bike shops don't even want to work on stuff like this anymore. I recommend it more for the collector who is already familiar with older Hondas and is probably looking at this one to ride while keeping the low mileage, museum type examples in their living rooms. That's just my honest assessment of what type of bike this is; if you're looking for your first motorcycle and have a ton of cash in your pocket and just have to have it I'm not going to argue - just don't want to see you disappointed or the bike ruined for nothing, that's all. Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions.