:lol: Jiggles, I know I know. Your ninjette is a monster.

You realize this was posted way before we started arguing in my video thread lol.

My post was made the same day as yours.

Seems nice. But the KTM Duke 390 is gonna be better!!

:amen:

Has anyone checked out or test rode the New honda 500s?

Do 500s appeal to a different market share? I mean CB 250 and ninja 300 have a defined market (informed weekend warriors on a budget / beginners to the sport)

Honda has three Sport bikes in the 500 pool? is anyone else offering 500s?

Cb500F Naked/streetfighter style

CBR500R Full fairing sport bike

CB500X Adventure Bike?

My take on it is that they have very competitive prices
parallel twin 500 cc fuel injected!

And the X looks very nice (styling cues from the BMWs)
The CB500F is very aggresive for a naked bike

- What would Kawasaki's most similar competition be ?
CB500x - Versys?
CBR 500 - Ninja 650?

Does Kawa even have a naked ?>

what about other manufacture s

Throw in your two cents

I commend Honda for trying to bring the under 600cc sportbike market into the US, but the 500R falls flat. I would LOVE to see a true super sport styled and ergo'd bike with about 60rwhp and weighing in at 400lbs or less. But another 'regular' sport? Meh.

/merged

Has anyone checked out or test rode the New honda 500s?

Do 500s appeal to a different market share? I mean CB 250 and ninja 300 have a defined market (informed weekend warriors on a budget / beginners to the sport)

Honda has three Sport bikes in the 500 pool? is anyone else offering 500s?

Cb500F Naked/streetfighter style

CBR500R Full fairing sport bike

CB500X Adventure Bike?

My take on it is that they have very competitive prices
parallel twin 500 cc fuel injected!

And the X looks very nice (styling cues from the BMWs)
The CB500F is very aggresive for a naked bike

- What would Kawasaki's most similar competition be ?
CB500x - Versys?
CBR 500 - Ninja 650?

Does Kawa even have a naked ?>]

what about other manufacture s

Throw in your two cents

ER6n, what the Yanks call a ninja 650 but with half fairings

http://images.motorcycle-usa.com/PhotoGallerys/er6n_side.jpg

ER6n, what the Yanks call a ninja 650 but with half fairings

http://images.motorcycle-usa.com/PhotoGallerys/er6n_side.jpg

We call that a streetfighter, but they don't sell it here anymore.

ER6n, what the Yanks call a ninja 650 but with half fairings

:lol: we yankees call that an ER6N also. They just stopped making them for us a while back

We call that a streetfighter, but they don't sell it here anymore.

Well you'd have been f*cked if I called it a Er6f without the fairings...

Streetfighters here usually involve a chopped tail, twin spot headlights & a dodgy paint job on a crashed I 4 thou...

The Er6n is petty popular here, it's up there with the fazer in terms of reliable naked semi sports bike.

Anyone else think honda stole kawasaki's headlight style?

http://s3.visordown.com/uploads/images/medium/50703.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y245/synernut/Ninja%20300R/photobucket-43447-1355088429801.jpg

No.

Anyone else think honda stole kawasaki's headlight style?

If by "Kawasaki's" headlight style you mean "headlight style for pretty much every modern sportbike", then the answer is still no.

Honda wouldn't steal anything from such an inferior machine

Looks different to me.

MCN has a full review in their February 27 issue if anyone has access to it. You can also find a YouTube vid where Phil West discusses some highlights. There are also a number of French reviews out there.

Was looking at the CBR500 for sure as my first bike. I thought 500 cc's in Canada to get under the 600cc insurance bracket, cheap but still fun bike.

After reading about the 47hp and 8.5k red line I am less inclined to pick one up. I was expecting it to perform atleast as well as the old ninja 500 or better =\ Honestly, wish Yamaha would just crank out a 400 or 500cc sport bike similar to their R125. Something that looks extremely sexy, puts out about 55-65hp for around 7k new, now that would be HEAVEN.

Until then, I think I will pick up a 300 to learn on since I'm on a budget for the time being and then just upgrade to a 600 later. CBR500 seems like kind of a tease. It's like an ugly girl you settle for because atleast you think she has big ****. Later when you go under the shirt for the first time, you find out she has a padded push up bra and what you think was going to be a redeeming quality, isn't at all.

We need chone here to tell this guy its not all about power, I don't want to steal his job lol. Why not just get a Ninja 500 then if the extra 15 or so horsepower is that big of a deal. You're probably gonna drop it and mess up the body work anyways so saying the n500 is ugly is kind of redundant. They're a hell of a lot cheaper than a new bike too.

We need chone here to tell this guy its not all about power, I don't want to steal his job lol. Why not just get a Ninja 500 then if the extra 15 or so horsepower is that big of a deal. You're probably gonna drop it and mess up the body work anyways so saying the n500 is ugly is kind of redundant. They're a hell of a lot cheaper than a new bike too.

Warrenty, looks, fun and price. Believe it or not some people want a combination of these things.
Ninja 500: fun, cheap, ugly as sin

CBR500r: meh looking, meh fun, and expensive (I've heard 8 to 8.5k otd here)]

Ninja 300: moderately fun, good looking, and 6k otd here in Canada.

Honestly, a used 600 is 2k cheaper than the 500, way sexier, way faster. Only draw back is insurance on the 600. I find it hard to drop 8.5k on a 500 if it's only marginally more fun and more ugly than a ninja 300 while being so expensive :)

A 250/300 will be a lot more fun on the streets than a 600 if you know how to ride it. A 600+ is too much for a beginner to handle properly

We need chone here to tell this guy its not all about power, I don't want to steal his job lol. Why not just get a Ninja 500 then if the extra 15 or so horsepower is that big of a deal. You're probably gonna drop it and mess up the body work anyways so saying the n500 is ugly is kind of redundant. They're a hell of a lot cheaper than a new bike too.

A 250/300 will be a lot more fun on the streets than a 600 if you know how to ride it. A 600+ is too much for a beginner to handle properly

I've taught you so well. :)

but really AYB, fun and power are not directly correlated. aka more power =/= more fun, and less power =/= less fun. All motorcycles are fun. They're motorcycles.

If you think that 600's and 500's are similar enough that the only difference is the cost of insurance, go ride on the back of a 600 with someone who know what they're doing. Then go ride a 500/300/250.

Ninja 300: moderately fun...


:eek:

Unless your definition of 'fun' is 'going from 0 to there-goes-my-license in no time flat', I'm having a hard time figuring out how the 300 is 'moderately fun'. The 300 is one of the most fun bikes I've ever ridden.

Anyone else think honda stole kawasaki's headlight style?

The headlights are more reminiscent of the 1000rr to me. I felt like the 600rr (pre-2013) had a sleeker headlight design than the 1000rr's. Still waiting for someone to go buy the 500 and give us a review :p

Haha sorry for the moderately fun comments. I ride 250 two stroke dirt bikes and 700 tripple snowmobiles so I love speed :D

I want to pick up something cheap to learn on instead of hopping straight to a 600, thats why it's between the 300 and 500. Honestly though riding IS riding, just pumped to be getting anything to get out there on. :) I guess what I was trying to say is that the 500 doesn't appear to have enough of a performance upgrade over the 300 to warrant the price difference. Now if it had the performance of the duke 390 I'd prolly jizz right in my pants.

Was looking at the CBR500 for sure as my first bike. I thought 500 cc's in Canada to get under the 600cc insurance bracket, cheap but still fun bike.

After reading about the 47hp and 8.5k red line I am less inclined to pick one up. I was expecting it to perform atleast as well as the old ninja 500 or better =\ Honestly, wish Yamaha would just crank out a 400 or 500cc sport bike similar to their R125. Something that looks extremely sexy, puts out about 55-65hp for around 7k new, now that would be HEAVEN.

Until then, I think I will pick up a 300 to learn on since I'm on a budget for the time being and then just upgrade to a 600 later. CBR500 seems like kind of a tease. It's like an ugly girl you settle for because atleast you think she has big ****. Later when you go under the shirt for the first time, you find out she has a padded push up bra and what you think was going to be a redeeming quality, isn't at all.

Unfortunately the big 4 will probably all keep their sub 600cc machines at 47bhp, thank you EU safety nazis :rolleyes:

There's no real market for a high powered 400 any more, bit of a shame really.

I'm completely alright with 47 hp, and I'm already on a license that would allow me to ride a ZX14 (which I did take for a demo ride, just for snorts and giggles)

Just to clear the air. The ninja 500 makes 50 give or take rwhp with intake, jetting and exhaust. Supposedly the cbr 500 will be "unrestricted" for North American markets. It probably will make 47 to 45 rwhp. It's a 470cc engine bike. A 100hp per liter is what should be expected out of a modest performing engine in motorcycle land. The ninja 500 is what the crf230 is to the dirt world. It is great for what it is but it's a beginner oriented bike that isn't really a huge step over the 250.

AYB if you're so concerned about having power and getting it at a lower price point there are a lot of options on the used market. Sv650, ninja 650, older 600s all can be found for under 4 grand. If you're looking for a stepping stone buy a cheap used bike and sell it when you are ready for something else.

AYB if you're so concerned about having power and getting it at a lower price point there are a lot of options on the used market. Sv650, ninja 650, older 600s all can be found for under 4 grand. If you're looking for a stepping stone buy a cheap used bike and sell it when you are ready for something else.
:whathesaid:

Just to clear the air. The ninja 500 makes 50 give or take rwhp with intake, jetting and exhaust.

Wrong. The Ninja 500 makes 50 or so rwhp STOCK and if you jet it or mess with the exhaust or anything the bike will run like garbage and maybe if extensively tuned will have a slightly higher peak horsepower but will run like garbage at any given rpm except wherever the powerband ends up being happiest. All I've seen for the CB500 is 47 crank horsepower, which is something more akin to a GS500 than an EX500. I don't understand why people say the Ninja 500s are just a small step up from the 250 there's a pretty big power gap there. Recommending a 100hp bike to a newbie seems like something that wouldn't fly on this forum, it seems like most people are even against 500s for a first bike here.

I was waiting for kawikid to pounce lol...I've never ridden a ninja 500 but I felt like if I could just have a tad more power on my ninjette it would be ideal. So imagine the 500 is a great all rounder. The looks just don't jive with me though...

Recommending a 100hp bike to a newbie seems like something that wouldn't fly on this forum, it seems like most people are even against 500s for a first bike here.

No, it's just people are tired of you flogging your @&#*(@*(#& (* 500 here. There are quite a few 500 focused forums, where you can share your love for that generally unloved machine. What happened to you over there?

Recommending a 100hp bike to a newbie seems like something that wouldn't fly on this forum, it seems like most people are even against 500s for a first bike here.

There's a thing against newbies hopping on a supersport. There are other more suitable bikes to start on, including some of the more street focused 600s.

Lol wow I've never seen you so upset. Of all the stupid stuff on this forum and you're mad at me because I like to share my opinion about my bike? I apologize if I annoy you but damn. No it really seems like people who start on the 250 have this 250 only mindset and anything bigger isn't good for starting. That was my point. I also participate on the forum for my "unloved machine" as well as a large local forum. I enjoy ninjette because it's a pretty great site, when the guy who created it isn't getting all pissy at me. Yeah I post about my bike a lot it's the only bike I have. If you didn't notice we're in a topic for a competitor 500cc bike.


*sigh* I probably do talk about my bike too much and even when I'm joking it's probably annoying so I apologize. I'll try and do better so the forum doesn't hate me.

^ lol. I love this forum. I'll bite. Not all 600s are fire breathing monsters. Katana 600, think a pumped up sv650. The guy is talking about loving the performance of a 250 two stroke motocross bike. Which makes the same power as a ninja 500 with literally half the weight of one geared to go 65mph. Compared to our bikes those things have crazy acceleration. I'm just trying to help a dude out. I wouldn't pay 8 grand for a cbr500r. I wouldn't pay 8 grand for car haha... For most people a motorcycle is quite the kick to the wallet. Feeling like one has made a decent fiscally irresponsible decision is important. :thumbup: O and I wasnt wrong. The 500 sees minimal gains , if any at all, with bolt ons. Which is around 50whp. Excuse me for not being specific.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVWnxQ9wClc

Looks pretty decent in action, kind of like a big eyed cbr with a little bit of older vfr thrown in. Hate those type of gauges though, I like a big analog tach with a digital speed readout. Video said only a 8500 rpm red line? WHAT IS THAT?! I mean, I knew it was a torque based motor... but damn.

Just took a little test drive on a CB500R. It was a very short ride (I had to get back to the office) but here is my impression:

Fit and finish - typically Honda.

The bike feels narrow and felt surprisingly similar to my pre-gen ergonomically, just bigger. The controls are non-adjustable. The bike fired right up as any injected bike will and was pretty smooth and not vibey. Nice torque down low and the bike has a reasonably throaty sound. Braking was solid (non ABS) and fork dive was well controlled.

The 500 seemed pretty flick-able and pretty neutral in terms of center of gravity. Maybe just a titch top heavy.

Too short of a ride to comment of comfort, seat wise, and I did not take it on the freeway. However, I did take it up to about 55mph and the airflow was pretty smooth.

I believe the CB500R or any of the other variants will prove to be good all-rounders.

Jeff

Good info, thx Jeff!

Aww man Jeff I was hoping you would say it sucks lol. Sounds like it might be the perfect street bike for me. I just got an email from contra costa powersports about them getting these in. I watched a video of a track test and they basically stated exactly what we all thought it would be. Only complaint being experienced riders will hate the weak brakes. I imagine cbr front ends would bolt right up to the thing since its using 43mm fork tubes. Perhaps it'll more sv650 esque than the red headed step child the ninja 500 was. Alex I might move to the ex ninjette lair in four or five months.

Only complaint being experienced riders will hate the weak brakes.

I didn't push very hard regarding braking in my short ride. For regular street riding the brakes seemed fine. In the canyons or on the track :idunno:

Jeff

Aww man Jeff I was hoping you would say it sucks lol. Sounds like it might be the perfect street bike for me. I just got an email from contra costa powersports about them getting these in. I watched a video of a track test and they basically stated exactly what we all thought it would be. Only complaint being experienced riders will hate the weak brakes. I imagine cbr front ends would bolt right up to the thing since its using 43mm fork tubes. Perhaps it'll more sv650 esque than the red headed step child the ninja 500 was. Alex I might move to the ex ninjette lair in four or five months.

Even with a 500 I'm still going to leave your ass in the dust so you should just go by a CBR600 and be done with it :D

Pfft cbr600, try rvt 1000. I need the torque so I can give you the bird while I wheelie past you. :thumbup:

i sat on a cbr500 yesterday. Looks like a great bike. Not sure what they were asking for it though. It was sitting next to a 300 and i must say i like the looks of the 300 better. But with the 500 you are getting a solid bike but unfortunately it is a middle ground bike for me. By that i mean it does not have enough appeal for MY LIKING to justify it over a 250 or a 300 for a significant price increase. Not different enough...for me, i would want something more different, sure there are power gains but in the bike world 20 hp on a 400lb bike isn't all that much IMO say what you want.

LIke the one poster was saying he rides 250 2stroke dirtbikes which can be >40hp on a 210lb machine with a crazy hit. the cbr500 would still feel tame in comparison if he is looking for that rush and that is kind of how i feel. But unfortunately i know that i can not trust myself on a 600ss which is what i would really like but i am mature enough to know the difference between wants and needs and that i would not be able to keep it under 130mph on any given day and potentially dead and or in jail is not something i can risk at the moment. So the 250 stays in the stable, there is no reason for me to get another bike, logically, or financially. If something happens to my 250, i will probably look into a 300, love the SE colors. That or if a faired duke 390 makes its way over, but will have to ride one first. Curious how the thumper will feel at highway speed and obviously price tag as well.

End notes, if you have the cash to spare and are looking for a few extra ponies the cbr500 looks like a solid bike and would be perfectly fine for a beginner IMO but, only as long as you plan on keeping it for a while, otherwise get something cheap, used, sell it after 4 months when you have become a pro and get an R6 :thumbup:

I bought a CB500F on July 8th, and now have a bit over 500 miles on it. Time for first service & valve adjustment, soon. I've been without a bike for around 30 years and decided it was far past time to ride again. My impression of the bike follows.

Ergos - Pretty good, just a bit more forward leaning that a classic clubman position. At 5' 11" I wouldn't mind if the bars were swept back a tiny bit, it would help me get my butt back onto the wider part of the seat instead of being on my "sit bones" on the narrow part. As it is, it's a two-hour seat for me, but a slight change of bars would fix that, I think.

Power - Like a sewing machine from idle to wherever you rev it. I was surprised at how much torque it has for a 500cc street bike.

Handling - I'm not the best judge of that as I'm a pretty conservative rider. Small sharp bumps like the transition from asphalt to a concrete bridge that don't meet properly will jolt you a bit, but it's not a big deal. I did take it into some very tight twisties in the mountains here in east Tennessee (part of what's known as "The Snake") and pressed a little harder; it was very easy to ride even in tight esses. I came into two decreasing radius turns a little hotter than I intended, and just holding steady and leaning harder brought me through them without a fuss.

Brakes - Front brake is pretty good at highway speeds, it's pretty progressive up to a point then tightens much more quickly. I'd advise caution until you're familiar with it. The rear brake is OK, the problem is that it takes a lot more pressure than I expected. They held up well in the twisties for an hour or so's riding, I have no idea whether they'd fade if you flogged it - but it isn't really that kind of bike.

Weight - At a stop is feels a little heavy, even a bit top-heavy. Once you're rolling that feeling disappears.

Most of my riding is around town at 30-45 and it's really enjoyable. Faster than about 55-60 the wind on chest and head shows up, and it really needs a windscreen. I'll get one as soon as a decent one hits the market. I suspect that because the headlight/instrument housing is shaped a bit like a fairing that it is the culprit. Little to no buffeting below mid-chest gives me that suspicion. I put soft side bags and a tail bag on it so I can use it around town for getting groceries, running errands, etc. While the side bags I chose clear the pipe well, I'll probably add side and tail racks eventually. Until then I'll just make sure I don't load them heavily.

Some pictures with bags on it:

http://redweeds.com/motorcycle/roan_mtn-field1-med.JPG

http://redweeds.com/motorcycle/roan_mtn-field2-med.JPG

http://redweeds.com/motorcycle/roan_mtn_overlook1-med.JPG

Good looking bike! They look like a little CB1000R, love it!

I sat on the CB500 and CBR500. Still gotta give it to the CB. It feels just about the right size, if they had just kept the weight down......
Honda is king of Mass Centralization though! My bike feels like a 400cc. I can't imagine how flick-able that thing feels. I would love to ride one!

Torque is always a good thing! Street bikes should have more of it, I don't think I could ever go back to something gutless.

Funny you mention the seat and bar issue. That is the exact same way I feel about my CB1000R.

I bought a CB500F on July 8th, and now have a bit over 500 miles on it. Time for first service & valve adjustment, soon. I've been without a bike for around 30 years and decided it was far past time to ride again. My impression of the bike follows.

Ergos - Pretty good, just a bit more forward leaning that a classic clubman position. At 5' 11" I wouldn't mind if the bars were swept back a tiny bit, it would help me get my butt back onto the wider part of the seat instead of being on my "sit bones" on the narrow part. As it is, it's a two-hour seat for me, but a slight change of bars would fix that, I think.

Power - Like a sewing machine from idle to wherever you rev it. I was surprised at how much torque it has for a 500cc street bike.

Handling - I'm not the best judge of that as I'm a pretty conservative rider. Small sharp bumps like the transition from asphalt to a concrete bridge that don't meet properly will jolt you a bit, but it's not a big deal. I did take it into some very tight twisties in the mountains here in east Tennessee (part of what's known as "The Snake") and pressed a little harder; it was very easy to ride even in tight esses. I came into two decreasing radius turns a little hotter than I intended, and just holding steady and leaning harder brought me through them without a fuss.

Brakes - Front brake is pretty good at highway speeds, it's pretty progressive up to a point then tightens much more quickly. I'd advise caution until you're familiar with it. The rear brake is OK, the problem is that it takes a lot more pressure than I expected. They held up well in the twisties for an hour or so's riding, I have no idea whether they'd fade if you flogged it - but it isn't really that kind of bike.

Weight - At a stop is feels a little heavy, even a bit top-heavy. Once you're rolling that feeling disappears.

Most of my riding is around town at 30-45 and it's really enjoyable. Faster than about 55-60 the wind on chest and head shows up, and it really needs a windscreen. I'll get one as soon as a decent one hits the market. I suspect that because the headlight/instrument housing is shaped a bit like a fairing that it is the culprit. Little to no buffeting below mid-chest gives me that suspicion. I put soft side bags and a tail bag on it so I can use it around town for getting groceries, running errands, etc. While the side bags I chose clear the pipe well, I'll probably add side and tail racks eventually. Until then I'll just make sure I don't load them heavily.

Some pictures with bags on it:

http://redweeds.com/motorcycle/roan_mtn-field1-med.JPG

http://redweeds.com/motorcycle/roan_mtn-field2-med.JPG

http://redweeds.com/motorcycle/roan_mtn_overlook1-med.JPG

Nice bags. I have been trying to find ones I like. What brand are those and where did you get them?

Nice bags. I have been trying to find ones I like. What brand are those and where did you get them?

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/ogio-saddlebags

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/ogio-saddlebags

Thanks!

I've been trying to sit on one of these since they came out. The local dealership had one for 4 hours and then it was gone. Dx

Between prepping the XRF250L's and the CB500's I don't see how my local dealer's mechanics get anything else done. I've been in there a couple of times since buying mine and there's still a waiting list on the dual sport, and never more than 1-2 of the CB's on the floor.

I've been thinking that the cruiser fad is about to die down, and maybe Honda is thinking that, too. Both these bike series (I rode an XRF a little in the MSF school and had actually gone down to buy one ... then the CB caught my eye) are good machines for both new and older riders. They're both great for town/city and light commuter use, and they're both a ton of fun to ride. From what the dealership owner told me (even after he'd made the sale), he can sell a lot more of both than he can get from Honda. There were 6 people ahead of me on the XRL he had in the showroom. That sealed the deal on the CB, I didn't want to wait until summer was over to get back on the road. You know how it is when you get the itch, you gotta scratch it soon.

I'm not sure how I feel about the 8500 rpm redline :(

I'm not sure how I feel about the 8500 rpm redline :(

The bore and stroke is still square and the bike pulls all the way through the rev range. Not even your stock 250 does that. After 11k a stock 250 practically has asthma to redline, a pipe and jetting, completely changes that.

A low redline just means that you won't be riding around in the 6 to 7 k range normally. What concerns me the most is that front brake. One disc is going to fade fast. On the street the 250 lacks the braking ability I'd prefer.

Yeah, redline has nothing to do with it. I don't get why people hate on bikes based on where the redline is :confused:

I still want to test ride one of these.

Yeah, redline has nothing to do with it. I don't get why people hate on bikes based on where the redline is :confused:

I still want to test ride one of these.

If you're expecting some cammy boost in the power curve like many 500's, you'll be disappointed. The power curve is more of a straight line. However ... it has more torque than you'd expect in a 500, the power is almost linear. From about 2500rpm, just roll on the throttle and shift as necessary.

The last 500 I rode was a c1972 OHC 500 Yamaha which had a an obvious peak fairly near the max rpms, so this bike threw me a curve. You don't have to wind it up, just roll on throttle and shift. Ride it if you can get a test drive (not likely at the dealer, but maybe a friend has one), it's a fun ride but much different than you might expect from a 500.

Took the CB500F into the dealer today for the 600 mile (first) service with some trepidation over the cost, I've most commonly seen it reported as $300-600. Eek! When done it was $227.16, which includes TN and local taxes of 9.75%, so around $200 for the oil and filter change and valve adjustment. Not bad, the next dealer service isn't due until the $16k mile mark. It went in around 10am and they were done by 4pm of the same day.

I'm not sure how I feel about the 8500 rpm redline :(

That, and the 430lb weight of the CBR model really turned me off.

You pretty much have to ride one to appreciate it. The weight isn't at all noticeable unless you lean the bike over a lot while stopped, once it's rolling you can just flick it wherever you want it to go. The max RPMs don't really matter for power, because it has no power peak and starts building torque and hp quickly from idle, it's surprisingly torquey for a half-liter bike. I've had mine to 80mph to escape being boxed in by semi-trailers on the slab and it had ample headroom left. I'd note the rpms but I was concentrated on keeping from getting squished, and I seldom ride that fast.

Not trying to sell you on the bike, just saying it is its own machine and can be hard to compare to other bikes. If you can get a ride on one you can make up your own mind. If possible, find something tight and twisty during the ride. I'd be interested in hearing the opinions of some Ninjette riders after they've ridden it, as I haven't ridden a Ninjette or 300.

I've been warming up to the CBR500. Seems like the best step after our ninjette

I'm really mad at Honda. I was all set with my plan to replace the 250r with the 300r (when she eventually dies), but then Honda has to come and upset the apple cart! Now I'm lost and confused again. :(

I've always found the CBR250R to be hideous. I can't stand to look at them. Same goes for the Ninja 300 albeit for different reasons.

I've been riding the F pretty conservatively since it was new, but now that it's broken in and I've had the 600 mile service I thought I'd run it a bit harder yesterday. Coming out of town in 30mph traffic into a 55mph zone, I finally managed to break out of traffic and wound it up to about 7,500 rpm to see what it had. Woah! When I figured I'd hit 55 and let off I looked down to see I was doing 75. You can lose your license on it really quickly without using 5th and 6th gears. It's plenty happy bogging around in the 3-4k rpm range, but it smoothly changes into a different bike if you want to rev it a little.

I've had my eye on a Triumph Tiger 800 XC for a while and I bought the F (thank you Honda for some good financing rates) to tide me over until my house sells and I can afford the Tiger. However, the longer I ride the 500 the more I like it. I'm glad the Tiger vs. CB500F decision is one I don't have to make right now.

I just heard about this bike (yeah, I'm under a rock) specifically the dual sport version. Need to find one to sit on it and see if my tiny little legs can support the weight of it on that 31 inch seat.

If I can, this is a heck of a lot cheaper than the BMW I was looking at!

Teri,

I have crappy knees so the bike's weight can be more of a problem than you'd suspect from my size advantage (5'11", 170#) over you. The only time the slight top-heaviness at very low speeds bothers me any isn't really because of the weight - it's because I learned to ride slow on a Bultaco Alpina which is essentially a trials bike with bigger tank and seat, and will turn almost a full 90 degrees. Doing the super tight and slow maneuvers like in the MSF course there have been a couple of times that, just as I was about to crank in tight and complete the turn, I hit the fork stop a bit sooner than expected and bobbled. I'm just going to have to remember that I'm not on a trials-type bike and quit trying those super-tight turns. However, I have a lot of fun clutch-slipping along with my feet on the pegs behind cars that won't simply pull up to a light and stop but instead constantly creep until the light changes, so it isn't the bike's fault, but rather mine for at times trying to ride it like something it isn't.

TL;DR - Try it, you'll like it. I doubt you'll get a ride at a dealer but maybe a friend has one.

TL;DR - Try it, you'll like it. I doubt you'll get a ride at a dealer but maybe a friend has one.

Thank you for this, reddit! This should be used on all forums.

Thank you for this, reddit! This should be used on all forums.

Bah humbug, I've seen that lame thing on posts only three sentences long. If you want cliff notes, go to Twitter. I like full descriptions and complete sentences, even if my own grammar leaves much to be desired.

TL;DR - deal with it.

:lol: :p

Bah humbug, I've seen that lame thing on posts only three sentences long. If you want cliff notes, go to Twitter. I like full descriptions and complete sentences, even if my own grammar leaves much to be desired.

TL;DR - deal with it.

:lol: :p

TL;DR - Deal

Yeah, redline has nothing to do with it. I don't get why people hate on bikes based on where the redline is :confused:

Because as any Ninjette owner knows, 12k is pure music.

Because as any Ninjette owner knows, 12k is pure music.

Yeah, but so is 6000 rpm coming from an LS7... ;)
38mNZMcPYXI

Max rev limit has nothing to do with it. It all depends on the engine and how it's tuned. I'm sure the Honda has its own wail at 7000-8000 that sounds lovely as well.

Because as any Ninjette owner knows, 12k is pure music.

Coz it sure as hell cant pull the skin off a custard at anything less.

Dunno about music though, more like a godawfull racket.

Wind up one of the 2013 CB500 R/F/X's to about 6,500 or so, you'll get a nice howl out of it. Definitely no "NEEEEEEENNNNNGGGG!" sounds.