QuestionHi, Bill. First off, can I comment about the very high score that I am witnessing next to your name? There are a LOT of non-Honda questions that you have responded to in a polite manner. My highest regards for your professionalism. Almost 4000 responses makes you a saint in my book.
My 1979 Honda CB 650-4 needs clutch attention which I will give as soon as I find used parts that will work. Unable to locate a cross reference tool. Probably, my success rate is related to my lack of real smarts (I complemented you, didn't I?).
Here it is: Will a 500cc assembly from the same era work for me?
Thanks from the Great White North. I'd waste an hour reading your solutions any day, any time. Rick
AnswerRick, thank you for your kind comments. I hope that what I have shared stays out there to further the education of many more in the future. There's not much benefit in having what I know locked up in my head, alone.
There aren't any real "cross-reference tools" for motorcycles, other than some that exist for the benefit of motorcycle salvage yards. When trying to determine compatibility, it is best to compare the part numbers of the two bikes, using online sources like CMS in Holland.
http://www.cmsnl.com/honda-cb650-1979-usa_model472/partslist/E++08.html vs
http://www.cmsnl.com/honda-cb550k-1978-usa_model7222/partslist/E++08.html
The first apparent thing I noticed is that there is a 6 plate vs 7 plate clutch in the 550s. The 650s had a good boost in power/torque, so they increased the number of clutch plates to handle the extra power. Any 426 code parts are CB650 specific. The clutch is made up of a mix of parts from numerous models. If you aren't aware of Honda's parts code system, know that the center three digits of the parts numbers are referencing to a specific model application. The actual friction disks are sourced from the Honda CB250-350 twins of the 1968-73 era. 286 is the base model CB250, while 350 parts had a 287 code.
The 650 was born from the 500-550 series designs, so a lot of the parts will interchange to some extent. In this case, the whole 550 clutch assembly MAY drop into the 650 motor, however it won't have the same capacity to handle the 650s power.
Check the www.sohc4.net site for more clues as to whether people have tried this swap, but for most it would seem a backwards move. Usually Ebay is a good source of misc used parts for most all Hondas, so shop around there to see what current listings are and if they ship to the Great White North.
Keep warm up there.
Bill Silver
