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1982 CX500C
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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
1982 CX500 Custom

Good to order shorter rear shocks? Possibly 305mm? Thoughts? Recs?
Or better to modify and cut/weld the stands longer?

Previous owner modified the frame, currently has the std 320mm (i think) rear shocks - they are a little too long so now the center stand AND kick stand are too short and almost worthless - i'm just waiting for a big wind gust to knock it over.

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10 mm difference would be about right.

I get a length of 295 mm on my C and 300 on one of my standards with a tape measure but the C is sitting on a sheet of cardboard that the stand has pushed into so 10 mm is likely close to correct

This is measured from the pivot centre to the ground.
 

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You have gone to the underside, I went to the centre of the pivot pin on the left side.
 

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1980 cx500
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I have longer shocks on my bike. I bought an adjustable cbr kickstand which i modified and made a little longer. I’m also planning to bend the single kickstand bracket to decrease the leaning angle. Center stand…not sure, I took mine off for the same reason you have. Cut and reweld longer or put shorter aftermarket shocks on 🤷‍♂️
 

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Had a similar problem with a chain driven bike....a little bit of (welded) flat bar maybe even 5mm to the feet could solve it..you can always place some wood /metal of known thickness under the centre stand to see how much more metal is needed...
Even as a temp measure til you source another...

Are both tyres std size??
 

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1982 CX500C
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Discussion Starter · #12 ·
Had a similar problem with a chain driven bike....a little bit of (welded) flat bar maybe even 5mm to the feet could solve it..you can always place some wood /metal of known thickness under the centre stand to see how much more metal is needed...
Even as a temp measure til you source another...

Are both tyres std size??
Yeah they are the std tires - its from the frame mod the previous owner did - I think i'll go with the weld fix on the stand, if it works out i'll post some pics next week!
 

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'84 CX650E that is evolving into a GL500
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I would be very concerned about a frame modification that changes where the pivot for the stand is. Can you please post some pics that show what he changed?

Welcome to the forum. Please add your location and your bike's model and model year to your profile so that you don't have to remember to tell us every time and we don't have to keep asking when you forget (see Forum Settings link in my signature).

And welcome to the world of antique vehicle ownership (they own us, not the other way around). Your bike is about 4 decades old and may or may not have had all of the maintenance necessary to keep it safe & reliable so it is highly recommended to download the Factory Shop Manual for your model (available through the CX Wiki - link in my signature) and go through all of the service procedures, regardless of whether your bike has reached the specified mileage.
I also recommend looking on all rubber parts with suspicion because rubber does not age gracefully. Check the date codes on your tires and replace them if they are over 5 years old no matter how good they look & feel (old rubber simply cannot flow around the irregularities in the asphalt well enough to grip, especially if it is cool or wet). If your bike still has the original rubber brake line(s) (should be replaced every 2 or 3 fluid changes = 5 or 6 years) I recommend shopping for modern stainless braided ones (they last practically forever and double the life of the fluid). And don't forget things like the rad hoses and the boot between the engine and swingarm (they can crack on the bottom where you don't see it).

The best advice anyone can give you about customizing any vehicle is to get it safe & reliable in more or less original condition and use it for a while before you start making any changes so that it can tell you what changes are needed to make it do what you want/need better. That approach almost always results in something you actually want to keep and use but making changes based on style or on what someone else (who may or may not really understand how the changes affect the way it works) has done often results in a piece of expensive yard art that you can't stand sitting on for more than a few minutes and might even be dangerous.
 

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The stand from a standard model should be 10 mm longer than that for the C.
According to the parts websites, the centre stands on the Standard, Custom and the Deluxe models are exactly the same - part no. 50500415000. The side stand on the Standard is a different part number to those on the Custom and Deluxe (which are the same).
 

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I can't agree, both based on my own measurements and the two different part numbers...

The standard gives a 415 part number and the custom a 449.

I have 2 Cs here. Both have shorter centrestands than my standards.
 

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I can't agree, both based on my own measurements and the two different part numbers...

The standard gives a 415 part number and the custom a 449.

I have 2 Cs here. Both have shorter centrestands than my standards.
Well I've looked on more than one website (one being CMSNL, many people's got-to website for parts). Could they be wrong? So what is the full part number for the Custom's centre stand? I'll have to dig out my parts book from wherever I've put it...
 

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From Partzilla it appears that there are two centre stands, one for the '81 and 82 customs and one for the earlier customs.
 

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The middle three digits of the part numbers refer to the bike the part originates on.

The 415 number in the middle of part numbers refers to the original CX500.

The 449 numbers refer to parts altered or developed for the C and D models.

The part numbers in this instance will not change without the part being altered in some way.

My measurements tell me the C stand is shorter though the change in number could also have been generated if the kicker was changed to fit around a different muffler.

Both of my Cs have shorter centre stands than my standards.
 

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Maybe some part lists like cmsnl show "compatible"parts??....rather than the inital part no... ??
Early std centre stands do come up as "505" on cmsnl..but didnt go thu all the years....
 

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I've never encountered a 505 part number on these - though some parts like the special clutch plate originate in other machines and are numbered as such. In the case of the plate 286 refers back to its first use on a cb450 dohc.
 
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