Honda CB550K 1979

This CB550 has to have one of the best histories you will find! Purchased new in the UK, May 12th 1979 it was sold to its only other registered keeper in April 1983. He used it as his every day bike, even doing what a lot of us did back then, painted the frame red!! Eventually, around 2012 he decided to take it to pieces to restore it. Unfortunately that like so many of these projects, this resulted in it being in box’s in his loft, which is where it stayed until last year when he mentioned it to his cousin,who himself had worked for Honda back in the 80s, he purchased it and set about putting it back together starting with a freshly powder coated frame. Engine was stripped to be inspected, everything was good but a new set of piston rings were fitted, re-seated the valves, new gaskets through out etc. The paint work had suffered so a fresh paint job was carried out with new side panel badges. The original exhausts had long since given way to the usual 4 into 1 so a set of original pipes were sourced. Brakes were over hauled, the work just went on until you have the bike we see here today. The really nice thing is its paperwork, this dates right back, even having the bill of sale from 83. There is every MOT certificate, this shows a speedo change back in 2006 at 548 miles so add the 41368 from the previous MOT to get its true mileage. There are pictures of it from back then with its lovely red frame and he had also painted the engine black, which according to the man that’s done all the work, was a “bast**d” to get off as now all polished. All its old style V5s are there along with a stack of old invoices etc. All in all its now a very very nice example of the model .“But” isn’t there always one, I now have to point out what to me is the obvious. These bikes are now pushing 50 years old, the will have their own foibles, maladies etc .They are not new, nor will they ride, or behave like a new bike. If you cant understand this, then maybe a classic bike is not for you? G