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Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #1  
Old 14 May 2009
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Question Prepping a CB500 for a world tour
I'm preparing for a monster tour on my trusty old CB500. Along with a whole host of replacements (brake discs, front forks, rear suspension, chain, sprockets, new front tyre), full service, fit engine bars, etc. I want to get it a bit more prepped for poor tracks/basic off-road: sump guards, fork gaiters and lever guards to start off with...

So...

1. Sump Guard: I want to find a sump guard that will fit onto the bike. I'm thinking it would best fit onto the engine bars and am curious as to whether anyone's had any experience specifically with a CB500.

2. Lever guards that fit a 2002 CB500S.

3. Tank panniers that could allow me to get a little more weight further forwards on the bike.

4. Fork Gaiters: Are these pretty much standard across all front forks?

Any thoughts?
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Old 14 May 2009
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Not the most common bike but overlanding but it will do the job.

They are very reliable. What year bike are you using ??

Fork gaiters should fit pretty much any bike. Get universal ones off ebay and fit them with zipties.

Lever guards (better known as brush guards / hand guards) are obtainable pretty much anywhere too. Get universal ones. "Acerbis Rally pro" are the best known and "should" fit your bars ok with some fiddling.

Sump guard... I dont think anyone will make one specifically. The pipes are exposed on the CB so maybe you can make something out of checker plate ????

Givi should do a hard plastic luggage system for your bike (I think they are just as good as TT tin boxes) and with a large tank bag, you should be ok.
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  #3  
Old 14 May 2009
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Just to add - tank panniers. I looked here when preparing my TTR250:
Tank Sets & Tank Panniers > Winding Roads Ltd
But they were too big.
Luckily a family member was in the US and brought these back for me after I'd ordered them on the internet:
Aerostich Tank Panniers :: Tank Bags :: Packing It In :: Aerostich/RiderWearHouse Motorcycle Jackets, Suits, Clothing, & Gear
Not cheap, but I've been carrying ballast in them for the last 6 weeks, diving weights and half-gallons of water, about 15lbs on each side, and they've been brilliant. Only on tarmac so far though. And weight is lower than in a tank bag.

And I'd agree with TedMagnum about plastic boxes. Pretty damn tough in my experience, including in nasty crashes.

All the best.
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  #4  
Old 14 May 2009
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ditto about the acerbis brush guards - if they are a tricky fit maybe get some renthal or similar handlebars - bit wider and straighter than the CB500 barsso should improve control off-road
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  #5  
Old 12 Jul 2009
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Sorry for the late reply.

We have 15 to 20 CB500's (rider training school) at any one time and they're fairly bulletproof. The oldest bike on our fleet has 90k miles on it and no sign of giving up just yet. We have some spare engine bars (used condition from bikes we've broken up) but I would need to check with the boss about selling them. PM me if you're interested.

Worth taking a couple more sets of spark plugs than you think need as they're usually the cause of poor starting.
Cheap aftermarket brake pads don't last anywhere near as long as genuine Honda pads.
The earth mounting point for the cooling fan is located above the radiator and is prone to corrosion. Find an alternative earth before you discover that out on the road.

Good luck
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Old 16 Dec 2009
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Question
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Originally Posted by Charlie_Chalk View Post
I'm preparing for a monster tour on my trusty old CB500. Along with a whole host of replacements (brake discs, front forks, rear suspension, chain, sprockets, new front tyre), full service, fit engine bars, etc. I want to get it a bit more prepped for poor tracks/basic off-road: sump guards, fork gaiters and lever guards to start off with...

So...

1. Sump Guard: I want to find a sump guard that will fit onto the bike. I'm thinking it would best fit onto the engine bars and am curious as to whether anyone's had any experience specifically with a CB500.

2. Lever guards that fit a 2002 CB500S.

3. Tank panniers that could allow me to get a little more weight further forwards on the bike.

4. Fork Gaiters: Are these pretty much standard across all front forks?

Any thoughts?
Hi Charlie,
myself & friend are attempting a round the world trip in a few weeks (feb 2010?)
It might be useful to both of us if we compere notes?
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