[visordown.com] - More Honda CB500 derivatives expected

[Ninjette Newsbot]

YOU can already buy Honda’s 500cc parallel twin in naked CB500F form, dual-sport CB500X guise or sport CBR500R get-up, but the firm may be planning even more variations on the idea.

We understand that further versions, potentially including a more off-road-style machine and a big scooter, a bit like the, ahem, controversial, NM4 Vultus, could be on the cards. Such bikes may yet not get the green light, but engineers at Honda have been working out how to create them while retaining as many of the key shared components common to all the CB500 models.

One idea, we understand, is to move the airbox to a new position, splitting it into two sections and putting it at the front of the fuel tank, so it wraps either side of the headstock. This would work well for a Vultus-style machine, as it would clear the area below the seat that’s currently filled with the airbox. That means the seat could be lowered and luggage space freed up underneath it, while the pannier-style front-mounted airboxes would easily fit into the bodywork either side of the headlight on a Vultus-style design.



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