Someone if trying to sell me a "CB550 cosworth", but I can't actually find any information about them anywhere, the only visual difference to the bike apart from a normal CB550 was that if has "cosworth" cast onto the cylinder head, anyone know anything about these? 

Cosworth were mostly associated with motor car racing a lot of work with Ford in the 70s and 80s. Many of us older chappies will remeber the sierra cosworth/escort cosworth etc. Wasnt aware they worked with the bike manufacturers

Probably means that the cams weren't manufactured from the Honda-Cadbury alliance of the late 70s - early 80s.....

cosworth worked for Norton, so they are pretty clued up on bikes.

 

3 hours ago, neversaydie said:

Cosworth were mostly associated with motor car racing a lot of work with Ford in the 70s and 80s. Many of us older chappies will remeber the sierra cosworth/escort cosworth etc. Wasnt aware they worked with the bike manufacturers

Yeah I'm familiar with Cosworth, just didn't have a clue they made a factory performance model by them, even after looking I've found sod all on them, can't imagine they where very common if so little about them is on the web now

 

3 hours ago, drewpy said:

cosworth worked for Norton, so they are pretty clued up on bikes.

Yeah as far as I can find they just added mild performance parts, no evidence on what they added though, I'm imagining something like a cam and maybe mildly higher compression, also, really interesting they worked with Norton, I didn't think the men in charge would have allowed it. Not sure I'm interested in buying it if it's got a significant number of rare top end parts, and from what I've heard the CB550 has some minor issues with lubrication on the top end. 

Maybe a quick email to Cosworth them selves may give you a bit more information, they may still have someone working there that was involved.

It means your bike has Cosworth pistons! http://www.cosworth.com/products/performance-parts/forged-pistons/honda/

I've put the question on VJMC facebook page, so far a blank

Cosworth also worked on the xz550, maybe not such a good example

can you get him to send some photos?

 

a few peeps are interested at the VJMC page

13 hours ago, drewpy said:

can you get him to send some photos?

 

a few peeps are interested at the VJMC page

Too late pal, he sold it, had a load of missing bits so I didn't want it, wrong wheels and bars, missing half it's exhaust, and to top it off the engine had a really hard spot that it was hard to get it to turn past, which as far as we could figure was a stuck valve, it was too far gone for me but the guy who bought it lit up like a little kid when he got his hands on it, if he still has some photographs I'll get them up asap! 

 

On 22/11/2016 at 10:16 AM, slice said:

It means your bike has Cosworth pistons! http://www.cosworth.com/products/performance-parts/forged-pistons/honda/

I didn't get it in the end for the above reason aha, kinda regret it, but tbh I don't have a few hundred quid to drop on what was almost a basket case, also it's really cool that Cosworth still makes parts for this bike!