After 10 years of ownership I have reluctantly decided to sell.
I had a 500/ 4 from 1974 to 1978, and this bike, imported from Italy in 2003 has brought me much satisfaction, not least in the form of enormous help from the sohc forum, as well as the usual admiring comments from people at shows like Brooklands etc. My last long run was to Sammy Millers, 81 miles each way.
The 1 & 2 carbs initially leaked after the bike was left for 2 months but it was just the float valves sticking, and after draining and refilling the 2 bowls, now all good. Ideally the carbs might benefit from a proper rebuild, although I have cleaned jets etc. The bike is not like new showroom but is very presentable and most importantly rides very well, pulling cleanly from low revs and changes gear sweetly.
The OEM pipes are very good and only 4# has a tiny almost invisible mark at the angle of the trumpet end.
I have carried out loads of work, including:
New DS headlight. Front brake caliper, hoses and master, and disc shroud. New clocks. New matching 3 locks with 2 keys. NOS original paint tank, POR-15 lined. New fuel tap. New coils. New used points plate and cam. Low miles TT100 tyres. New front wheel bearings. New correct pattern seat cover. Superb Hondaman transistorised ignition. New clutch rod and cable. New clutch rod and gearshift seals. New 5 oil pump seals (no drips bone dry). New chain. Motobatt AGM battery. Engine bars. New throttle cable. Smooth throttle and clutch. Correct repro tool kit in tray. Fuse and holder in tray. Owners manual and Haynes manual plus some spares. Looking for offers over £7, 000
I have put the bike back to as correct original as possible with some useful additions like Hondaman ignition. This bypasses the condensers, virtually eliminated points wear and keeps the system as simple as possible. It draws admiring looks and regular thumbs up!
