[bmwfreak]

still new to this, but I seem to see the same K designations given different displacements and different years

how does one know what K designation their bike is?

specifically my friend has a '73 CB350 and is trying to buy parts for it from Sirius Consolidated Inc in Ontario but when he does a Honda CB350 search there are points for 350G, 350F, 350 and K2, K3, K4 points, condensers, coils, even seat covers!

some of the parts have the same parts numbers for the different designations even though they are listed separately and then some of the parts have many different bikes listed for compatibility (probably a problem with the site layout more than anything), but to be on the safe side he wants to know what designation his bike would be

any help greatly appreciated

 

[66Sprint]

K0 is the original example of a particular model (Say CB350 for instance).... Enough upgrades or changes for the following PRODUCTION RUN would make the upgraded bike be designated a K1....Drastic changes COULD cause Honda to "skip" some "K" designations and jump from K0 to K3... The CL175 did that...In 1969, you could buy either the backbone framed, sloper engined CL175K0, or the cradle framed vertical engined CL175K3 ........Could be changes as minor as different paint scheme and/or a pleated rather than a smooth seat, OR (as with the CB450) It could entail an engine redesign (the 450K1 had valve angle changes, got a 5-speed trans, slightly different carbs, different fuel tank, frame and bodywork, etc) ......
Go to this site: http://www.motorera.com/honda/index.htm ... and you'll get the idea...
Confusing, but the "K" of your bike is what determines which replacement parts will fit.
The "K" of a bike is determined by the serial number, not the year.....