Revised CBR500 finally unveiled

[TheRoadWarrior]

This is the world’s first sight of the updated Honda CBR500R which was unveiled today at the AIM Expo motorcycle show in Orlando, Florida

The bike gets revised styling for what Honda says is an “edgier look”, it now has adjustable preload for the front suspension, a larger fuel tank, adjustable brake levers, shorter exhaust silencer for a better engine note and a “wave” style ignition key.

The CBR500R is aimed at being a sportier offering in the A2 licence category.

The CBR500R of 2013 was designed to maximise the new 47bhp regs while at the same time being both attractive and affordable. Top speed is limited to 112mph – more than enough for the road – but there’s fun to be had in getting up to speed and the CBR's handling exceeds expectations. It's an engaging, fun, and satisfying bike.

Upgrades for 2016 include:

- A complete new look based on a design theme of 'Aggressive Speed Shape', whatever the hell that means. Sharp and edgy character lines flow from its new front face - featuring steeply-angled dual LED lights – through to the upswept tail equipped with LED lighting.

- Front suspension upgraded with adjustable pre-load

- Larger fuel tank with new hinged fuel cap (the old one just came off in your hand).

- Adjustable brake levers

- Honda's 'wave' style ignition key

- A new shorter exhaust muffler for enhanced mass centralisation, with internal structure tuned for a satisfying low, crisp exhaust note.

- A range of new colour schemes.

[TheRoadWarrior]

really like the new headlight design... they look much more modern than the previous version.

the ugly exhaust is easy enough to change.... and of course that box swingarm still looks terrible.... but overall its a great improvement over the somewhat boring current model.

id consider one but i wish it wasnt so damn heavy for what it is

[TheRoadWarrior]

[TheRoadWarrior]

eh, in typical honda fashion, the color schemes are totally boring 55555

[Happy Grumpy]

Looks like they've mashed together a hybrid of the R3 (front and sides), CBR600 (rear) and the Ninja 300 (exhaust).

It's alsmost like something one of the japanese magazines chop and stick together.

Does it still redline at 8,400rpm?

[taninthai]

Looks like they've mashed together a hybrid of the R3 (front and sides), CBR600 (rear) and the Ninja 300 (exhaust).

It's alsmost like something one of the japanese magazines chop and stick together.

Does it still redline at 8,400rpm?

The CBR500R is aimed at being a sportier offering in the A2 licence category.

The CBR500R of 2013 was designed to maximise the new 47bhp regs

its aimed at a specific license holding group ,not in competition with the super bike category.

[Rhys]

Thanks for the photos.. I am between the CB 500 X or the CBR 650R. Currently on the CBR 300R I like the better seating position of the CB 500 X and the option to go off road. However, i want the HP of the 650..

[Happy Grumpy]

Looks like they've mashed together a hybrid of the R3 (front and sides), CBR600 (rear) and the Ninja 300 (exhaust).

It's alsmost like something one of the japanese magazines chop and stick together.

Does it still redline at 8,400rpm?

The CBR500R is aimed at being a sportier offering in the A2 licence category.

The CBR500R of 2013 was designed to maximise the new 47bhp regs

its aimed at a specific license holding group ,not in competition with the super bike category.

That has what to do with it redlining at 8400rpm?.... Or anything to do in my post?

[Nickymaster]

Thanks for the photos.. I am between the CB 500 X or the CBR 650R. Currently on the CBR 300R I like the better seating position of the CB 500 X and the option to go off road. However, i want the HP of the 650..

If you want the hp of the 650 and a better seating position than a cbr, you should buy the cb650f because you can't really take a cb500x of road.

[Happy Grumpy]

Thanks for the photos.. I am between the CB 500 X or the CBR 650R. Currently on the CBR 300R I like the better seating position of the CB 500 X and the option to go off road. However, i want the HP of the 650..

If you get the 500x you will probably regret not buying the 650 more than you would regret not buying the 500x if you bought the 650.

[bramds]

Does this new LED taillight fit in the old model?

[mark131v]

Looks good and will be well built no doubt at all, however if you want the bike to feel sporty when you are riding as well as looking sporty then in my opinion as the owner of a Honda 500 X and an R3 I would go with the R3, they are both good bikes but the CBR 500 engine just aint that interesting when ridden after the R3

[Happy Grumpy]

Looks good and will be well built no doubt at all, however if you want the bike to feel sporty when you are riding as well as looking sporty then in my opinion as the owner of a Honda 500 X and an R3 I would go with the R3, they are both good bikes but the CBR 500 engine just aint that interesting when ridden after the R3

It really taking the Honda trait of sticking boring non-sporty engines into bikes designed to look like edge of the line sport racers.

Nothing wrong with non-sporty engines, of course, but don't stick them into a sports-bike lookalike.

A low revving 471cc that redlines before 8,400, put it into something that looks like it does that and stop calling it sporty. It's embarrassing.

[Happy Grumpy]

BTW, I saw the first photo of the red model on another site and it had 'European Model Shown'.

Perhaps it was different in some way, or that they will be the only region to get the red model.

[BBJ]

Does this mean more people will be buying the Benelli in Thailand!

[GARYZX6R]

Yet another boring bike from Honda . Sure will sell, hopefully without it burning oil like the last model did.

Benelli by the way are selling stacks in Udon shame the Kawasakis z300 and Honda CBR300 are gathering dust in the showrooms

[Happy Grumpy]

Yet another boring bike from Honda . Sure will sell, hopefully without it burning oil like the last model did.

I forgot about that.

Great Honda quality, of course.

Remember some of the reports of how the dealerships here dealt with the customers?

Benelli by the way are selling stacks in Udon shame the Kawasakis z300 and Honda CBR300 are gathering dust in the showrooms

See that everywhere I go, outside of BKK.

4 or 5 Benelli's to every one z300/ninja300/cbr300...

I think it's only the naive farang bikers that have blind faith in the Honda dealerships here. The Thais obviously know......

Edited October 17, 2015 by Happy Grumpy

[BSJ]

The black one looks ghastly! And that swing arm......

Thank goodness the red one has a bit of sparkle!

But I won't be buying one!

[Nickymaster]

Yet another boring bike from Honda . Sure will sell, hopefully without it burning oil like the last model did.

Benelli by the way are selling stacks in Udon shame the Kawasakis z300 and Honda CBR300 are gathering dust in the showrooms

LOL, then I must have the most boring bike because it is all red (without fancy stickers). Benelli?? I have never seen one of those on the road. Maybe they are only popular in certain areas. I can only assume that people one a tight budget buy them, not realizing that you lose a lot of money trying to sell it again. Second hand Chinese bikes are not that popular.. Edited October 17, 2015 by Nickymaster

[English_M_in_Bkk]

Yet another boring bike from Honda . Sure will sell, hopefully without it burning oil like the last model did.

I forgot about that.

Great Honda quality, of course.

Remember some of the reports of how the dealerships here dealt with the customers?

Benelli by the way are selling stacks in Udon shame the Kawasakis z300 and Honda CBR300 are gathering dust in the showrooms

See that everywhere I go, outside of BKK.

4 or 5 Benelli's to every one z300/ninja300/cbr300...

I think it's only the naive farang bikers that have blind faith in the Honda dealerships here. The Thais obviously know......

Funny how Honda are now the number 1 seller for big bikes in Thailand - and I have seen 1 or 2 Benellis at the most when I am riding out of Bangkok.

And before you talk shit, I am not a Honda lover, and I hope Benelli do make some good bikes, but time will tell on that. Just think you guys talk <deleted> sometimes

[Lampang2]

Looks good and will be well built no doubt at all, however if you want the bike to feel sporty when you are riding as well as looking sporty then in my opinion as the owner of a Honda 500 X and an R3 I would go with the R3, they are both good bikes but the CBR 500 engine just aint that interesting when ridden after the R3

It really taking the Honda trait of sticking boring non-sporty engines into bikes designed to look like edge of the line sport racers.

Nothing wrong with non-sporty engines, of course, but don't stick them into a sports-bike lookalike.

A low revving 471cc that redlines before 8,400, put it into something that looks like it does that and stop calling it sporty. It's embarrassing.

A bike without USD doesn't look sporty.

[maykilceksin]

Looks good and will be well built no doubt at all, however if you want the bike to feel sporty when you are riding as well as looking sporty then in my opinion as the owner of a Honda 500 X and an R3 I would go with the R3, they are both good bikes but the CBR 500 engine just aint that interesting when ridden after the R3

It really taking the Honda trait of sticking boring non-sporty engines into bikes designed to look like edge of the line sport racers.

Nothing wrong with non-sporty engines, of course, but don't stick them into a sports-bike lookalike.

A low revving 471cc that redlines before 8,400, put it into something that looks like it does that and stop calling it sporty. It's embarrassing.

it is a sporty bike.

a sporty bike does not mean it needs to rev to the moon. your definition of sport is very shallow and makes me think you do not have any idea on what you are talking about.

plus it is mostly how the bike handles than hitting the redline on a straight! low down torque,chassis, suspensions brakes and many other factors make a bike sporty or not.

and have you ever ridden one?

honda did a good job one the design of cbr500r. it looks a lot better and less blend and not very aggressive teenage looking too. like kawasaki designs.

Edited October 18, 2015 by maykilceksin

[maykilceksin]

Yet another boring bike from Honda . Sure will sell, hopefully without it burning oil like the last model did.

I forgot about that.

Great Honda quality, of course.

Remember some of the reports of how the dealerships here dealt with the customers?

Benelli by the way are selling stacks in Udon shame the Kawasakis z300 and Honda CBR300 are gathering dust in the showrooms

See that everywhere I go, outside of BKK.

4 or 5 Benelli's to every one z300/ninja300/cbr300...

I think it's only the naive farang bikers that have blind faith in the Honda dealerships here. The Thais obviously know......

i think you are hallucinating or you need better spectacles if you see every bike as benelli:) no way there are 5 benellis for every kawasaki or honda 300 series.

Thais obviously know what they are doing that is why Honda is no 1 motorcycle seller in Thailand, funny you:) some like to talk just to talk.

Edited October 18, 2015 by maykilceksin

[AllanB]

- Honda's 'wave' style ignition key

- A new shorter exhaust muffler for enhanced mass centralisation.

Well what more could you want?

and what is so special about a Honda Wave ignition key?

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

[JaseTheBass]

Good to see Honda continuing in their crusade to made reliable and affordable bikes for novice riders so they don't have to buy cack like Benelli to learn on.

[speedtripler]

Yet another boring bike from Honda . Sure will sell, hopefully without it burning oil like the last model did.

I forgot about that.

Great Honda quality, of course.

Remember some of the reports of how the dealerships here dealt with the customers?

Benelli by the way are selling stacks in Udon shame the Kawasakis z300 and Honda CBR300 are gathering dust in the showrooms

See that everywhere I go, outside of BKK.

4 or 5 Benelli's to every one z300/ninja300/cbr300...

I think it's only the naive farang bikers that have blind faith in the Honda dealerships here. The Thais obviously know......

4-5 benellis to a Honda or kawasaki ... Lol

You must be in the benelli showroom when you see this ratio...

I clock up a lot of miles every day and its very very seldom I see a benelli

[taninthai]

a fine bike and offering for those who want to use it as a step up to bigger machines does what it says,......bennilli who gives a <deleted> about them.

[AllanB]

Good to see Honda continuing in their crusade to made reliable and affordable bikes for novice riders so they don't have to buy cack like Benelli to learn on.

Actually bikes like Benelli are much safer that this sort of thing..............at least you won't fall asleep riding it.

I know the Honda Wave has been around for years in exactly the same format, but that is the bread and butter, for this money and class of ride, is the only flavour jam on the table mixed zzzzzzzzz fruit?

...and it is the same story throughout the range, no change just a couple of trendy buzzwords for the sales walla.

[Happy Grumpy]

You must be in the benelli showroom when you see this ratio...

This is in Central Thailand, when using Phitsanulok as a base.

[fullcave]

I surprised after only 2-3 years they would make a revision.

It's a pity for the poor fools that have made a recent purchase..