Honda CB500

[KawiKid860]

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.

[CycleCam303]

^ 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. 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.

[fleemos]

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

[KawiKid860]

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.

[JeffM]

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

[Alex]

Good info, thx Jeff!

[CycleCam303]

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.

[JeffM]

Originally Posted by CycleCam303

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

Jeff

[rojoracing53]

Originally Posted by CycleCam303

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

[CycleCam303]

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

[subxero]

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

[Thorgrim]

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:

[Broc]

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.

[gibtzumich318]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

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:

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

[Aggrotech]

Originally Posted by gibtzumich318

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

[gibtzumich318]

Originally Posted by Aggrotech

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

Thanks!

[Daks]

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

[Thorgrim]

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.

[rasta]

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

[CycleCam303]

Originally Posted by rasta

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.

[choneofakind]

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

I still want to test ride one of these.

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

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

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.

[Thorgrim]

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.

[ninjamunky85]

Originally Posted by rasta

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.

[Thorgrim]

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.

[rasta]

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

[headshrink]

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.

[Rugby Winger]

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.

[Thorgrim]

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.

[NevadaWolf]

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!

[Thorgrim]

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.

[headshrink]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

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.

[NevadaWolf]

Originally Posted by headshrink

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.

[headshrink]

Originally Posted by NevadaWolf

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.

TL;DR - Deal

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

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

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

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by adouglas

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

Yeah, but so is 6000 rpm coming from an LS7...

Link to original page on YouTube.

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.

[Aufitt]

Originally Posted by adouglas

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.

[Thorgrim]

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.