HONDA CB550K (1973-1974) Specs, Performance & Photos

The Honda CB550K was a standard motorcycle part of the CB series in Honda's range, a series known for its reliable motorcycles of different displacements. The bike was manufactured from 1974 to 1978 and was set in motion by a 544cc SOHC engine.

The CB550K was a development of the earlier CB500 and packed the same four exhaust pipes, four mufflers, and wire-spoked wheels. Also, the 550K shared some visual similarities with the CB750 and was much smaller and lighter.

In addition, the Honda CB550K came equipped from the factory with standard features, such as wire-spoked wheels, a one-piece dual seat, a wide handlebar, an analog instrument panel, a round headlight with a chromed ring, a center stand, and a black-finished steel frame.

The bike was built around a double-cradle tubular steel frame that housed a 35 mm telescopic fork on the front and preload-adjustable dual shock absorbers on the rear for optimum suspension performance.

In the braking department, the Honda CB550K packed a single 270 mm disc with a hydraulic caliper on the front wheel and a drum braking unit on the rear wheel that offered optimum stopping power.

As for the power figures, the 1974 Honda CB550K took its muscles from a 544cc four-stroke four-cylinder air-cooled engine fed by four Keihin carburetors and delivered an output power of 50 hp with maximum strength at 8,500 rpm and 43 Nm (32 lb-ft) of torque available at 7,400 rpm.