Honda CB500

Honda CB500

Overall user rating Honda CB500 9 reviews | Write a review | Add product to list

Honda CB500 a great little machine. I got my CB500 after a 'dry' spell because I had my license taken away and wanted something to get me back into riding. From the moment I first sat on it we just connected somehow and so the relationship began. The bike was a unfaired 2000 W plate and ... Read review





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1-6 of 8 reviews    
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CB500 a great little machine
A review by killcar5nbike2 on Honda CB500
November 26th, 2007


Author's product rating:   

Comfort Good 
Handling Excellent 
Looks Satisfactory 
Features Satisfactory 
Fuel consumption Good 

Advantages: Cheap, Reliable, Forgiving
Disadvantages: Not the best looker and lacking on power compared to other bikes .

Recommend to potential buyers: yes 

Full review
Honda CB500 a great little machine.

I got my CB500 after a 'dry' spell because I had my license taken away and wanted something to get me back into riding. From the moment I first sat on it we just connected somehow and so the relationship began.

The bike was a unfaired 2000 W plate and had been used as a race bike and had then been put back onto the road only to be involved in a front end crash which resulted in the following damage. Twisted yokes, bent forks, broken clocks, dented tank, scuffed plastics, broken mirors, broken indicators and a smashed headlight.

Now being such a popular and reliable bike cheap parts were in abundance, the only hard part to come by was the instrument cluster. Honda sell them for over £600 new but you can get a second hand one for around £100. Scuffed plastics can be rubbed with wet/dry paper and a splash of paint added to restore colour. Headlight mirrors, indicators and yokes come to about £150 for the lot. The forks were straightend out with a hydroulic press and she was ready to go.

So how did it ride? Well the first thing noticed was the crisp sound of the left side exiting Micron exhaust system that someone had fitted that gave the bike such great personality. The low riding height and small low engine means that even short small framed riders can ride round town with little effort. Round town riding is also helped by the low down torgue deliverd by the 499cc parallel twin engine that only needs a small twist of the throttle and little revs to pull away (unlike small revy inline 4 engines fitted to many small bikes).

The single disc front brake is not overly grabby but more than capable of stopping the bike at high speed without over heating and fading. The riding position is an '80 mph' position (80 mph is not overly windy and is easy to maintain) but not so sporty that weight is put on your wrists and shoulders until you get up speed. As for speed if you let the revs get up in each gear 100mph is quickly reached with about 120mph top speed if you fancy trying it. Another good point is the high 6th gear allowing 60mph to be achieved at a little over a low 5000rpm, it will actually go as fast in 5th as 6th it just revs higher in 5th (ie just hitting the red line).

I took mine from Skegness in Lincolnshire across to the east coast then up to Scotland, first day we (friend riding on YZF-R6) made fort william, second day John-O-Groats, third day Berick upon Tweed and fourth day home. I am 6'3 and weighing 15 stone, the bike had a set of saddle bags containing a two man tent, clothing and a pair of shoes making it just wider than the handle bars. The bike was happy with the extra load and never missed a beat (rained solid for about 6 hours one day). Fuel consupmtion worked out to about 10p per mile with a range of 180-200 miles per tank (I liked to fill it after 160 miles). My only complaint was the seat was a bit hard and by the time fuel stop was getting near my ass was really hurting and had gone numb to the touch. Apart from that I can't fault it.

The CB500 then became my work commuter for the rest of the summer doing the 28 mile round trip each day (commuted on her from may-october) then got put in the shed and cleaned ready for sale as my re-introduction into biking was completed. When she goes I know I will mis her as It is honestly the best bike I have ever owned (iv'e owned alot). A fact sheet I was reading said Honda tested the engine for 200,000 miles and after dissmantling decided that there was still life left in it. It also holds a record as being the only model of bike to compete in 24 hour endurance races at Le-Mans and never suffer a breakdown.

An easy to ride, forgiving, cheap reliable bike that can still be made to get a shift on that is just damn brilliant at doing everything (apart from off road). Sounds like a Honda to me. I now have an XRV750 Africa twin and a 27 year old Suzuki GS250t for winter (refuse to own a car now) but miss using the little CB500 on that trip to work in the morning. 
More Reviews
It looks big and fast, then you get closer.
Review of Honda CB500 by galbak

Advantages: economical, comuter, cheap insurance
Disadvantages: slow-er than some other pocket rockets

...it needs adjusting. It?s 499cc Honda say it does 140 mph, other owners ive talked to say 120 is closer. It?s a parallel twin, (two cylinders, side by side), with the cylinder heads hidden under the petrol tank, changing spark plugs is fiddly, but ok when you know how. It takes standard 10w30 engine oil, semi synthetic, change it when a) it gets white, b) when it gets runny, c) during its service d) when you feel like it, The oil change is as ...
...most large towns have a honda dealer, and scrap yards always have stuff knocking around. http://www.hondapart.co.uk/ are supposed to be good also ebay has stuff even cheaper. Dimensions and weights Wheelbase: 1430mm (naked models) 1435mm (half-faired 'sport' models) Seat height: 775mm Max height: 1050mm (naked models) 1160mm (half-faired 'sport' models) Max width: 720mm (but you can squeeze through a standard two-foot doorway! - push dont ride) ... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
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very helpful

24.05.2004
(17.07.2005)
Top learner bike
Review of Honda CB500 by harding173

Advantages: Cheap, forgiveable, good learner
Disadvantages: Apart from the 'S', no screen

...look no further than the Honda CB500. It does everything that you want it to do, mega cheap to run on both fuel and insurance, handles well, forgives mistake(and you make a few in your first year) and it gives you a thrill. I purchased mine from a friend for 800 after being advised that it was an excellent bike to start off on and gain the all important years no claims. I was easy to ride after doing my DAS on a heap of a Yamaha Diversion and I've ...
...I've commuted almost every day throughout the winter and the only drawback is the lack of screen as you do get quite a buffeting. I could have added a screen but I feel that the after market detract from the looks so I didn't bother. By far it best attribute is the power band above 6000rpm. Between 6000 and 9000rpm it flies and overtaking is no problem at all. Being a paralell twin it sounds quite meaty too and Honda's rep for building bulletproof ... Read review

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27.07.2006
Extremely practical commuter
Review of Honda CB500 by MEMSman

Advantages: Reliable, economic, exciting over 7000rpm
Disadvantages: Tyres slightly odd size, no fairing

My CB has now done almost 53,000 miles, with very little problem. Others I know of have done even higher mileage. It handles well on twisty roads, blasts down the motorway at illegal speeds and has a powerband above 7000 that has made some people describe it as a modern RD350LC. It is well built (especially the older ones that were made in Japan - more recent ones were built in Italy and tend to rot more). Earlier versions have rear drum brakes, ...
...I must confess, it makes very little difference to me as I almost always use the front brake. The few times I have used both brakes together, the back end has been skipping around the road like a rabbit in springtime. The bike is small enough to get through lanes of traffic on the motorway, but powerful enough to beat most things away from a standing start (especially when the revs get over 7000). It has built up a loyal following of die-hard bikers ... Read review

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14.01.2003
An ideal machine.
Review of Honda CB500 by hawkeye

Advantages: reliable, economical, sporty, light weight, tank range, simple.
Disadvantages: very minor corrosion, one front disc.

Having not been a motorcyclist for 18 years, I decided that I ought to go back to biking cautiously. Also, I wanted a machine that would provide reliable, economic commuting with the bonus of being able to enjoy some more sporty leisure riding. Having considered all the options in the 500cc to 750cc class, I chose the CB500 because of its reputation for reliability, 60mpg and its good sport retro looks. I am not a heavy person and the acceleration ...
...up to 100mph without any screen. I would like to fit a café style screen to make 80mph cruising more comfortable and enable me to taste the 125mph top end that is possible, without lengthening my long arms anymore! I could have bought the sport version with the half fairing, but prefer the naked looks. I’m 6 foot tall and find the bike comfortable. The tank range is a good 200 miles, which is important for commuting and touring. I soon got ... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
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03.11.2000
(08.06.2001)
An absolutely cracking allrounder!
Review of Honda CB500 by Netballman

Advantages: Cost, flexibility, reliability
Disadvantages: None really!

If you're looking at a bike like this then chances are, you want something which is an all-rounder, cheap and reliable. Well - congratulations, you've found it! The CB500 is a cracking "little big" bike, which although down on power on most of its more modern bretheren is still quite able, in the right hands, of keeping up with most modern 600s - certainly on normal roads. It handles really well (it still has its own race series, the CB500 cup), ...
...economical commuter giving 65mpg and 200+ miles to the tank at lower revs, or become a great little throw-around scratcher if you buzz it up to its real powerband of 7-10k. Thin enough to filter through traffic with ease,and with a nicely slightly-canted riding position which is a comfy compromise between l sports and upright , it's also got a low seat height for the shorties but isn't too cramped if you're bigger (I'm 6'1" with a bad knee and I ... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
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09.05.2008

Reviews which might be of interest for Honda CB500    
More than a commuter?
Review of Honda - CB500S by  stufree

Advantages: Cheap, cheerful, simple
Disadvantages: Common, used by couriers

...Being another of the born-again biker breed I got my CB500S a few months ago after reading rave reviews on MCN's website. I've not been disappointed. OK it's not a superbike but it doesn't hurt your wallet like one either. Running costs are low with 50mpg and reasonable insurance; mine hasn't needed new rubber so far. With 59bhp for the half-faired S version and a top wack of 120+ it won't worry the Ninjas or Blades of the world but the twin cylinder lump - after an initial flat spot below 3,000 revs- is as sweet as a nut and sounds the business too when you get near the redline of 10,500 revs. Most of the wind blast is kept at bay by the fairing (which incidentally has an annoying little plastic tray thing inset for earplugs, the top of which always blows open at 40mph and above), the seating is generous and an upright position saves... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

helpful
06.07.2000
This is a sports bike
Review of Aprilia RS125R by  Weakboy_uk

Advantages: Looks fantastic
Disadvantages: Not a great first bike and very heavy maintenance

...and sixth. The flipside is this bike will put a smile on your face everytime you ride it. It can be used everyday as a commuter bike (i did it for 9 months) but it doesn't like it much, buy a honda CB500 for that. It likes smooth roads with lots of bends and with practice it is possible to slide the back wheel into and out of corners but thats not easy or recommended. If you use it on a track day it is possible to get your elbow down let alone your knee. The handling is superb and the sound is gorgeous, especially when compared to Honda's NSR125. If this is your first bike after passing you CBT or bike test i can't recommend it, but with about 6 months riding experience it is the perfect start. All the young boys in their Nova's will be breathing your blue exhaust smoke while you are preparing to carry as much speed as possible... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

helpful
06.03.2003
aka VFR800FI
Review of Honda Interceptor by  oedipus

Advantages: see text
Disadvantages: see text

...Returning from Thailand after pottering around on the ubiquituous Honda 125s, I resolved to learn to ride a bike (as opposed to mastering the art of hanging on while it moved). I signed up with Westfield Motorcycle Training in Redditch - top boys, though their jokes needed carbon-dating, who got me from a 125 to a Honda CB500 in no time. Paradoxically, the 500 is easier to ride (I'd insert a bit of physics here but I think you'd see through it, so just take it as read that it is) and aside from a hairy moment decking the bike ten minutes before my test (a u-turn - get it wrong, and that perfectly balanced machine becomes 200kg that wants to smooch up to the tarmac real bad) I passed first time. Buoyed with enthusiasm I scoured the bike press looking for a suitable machine to exercise my newfound prowess. Rather like those game... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

helpful
30.08.2001

Related tags for Honda CB500
cb 500 honda honda 125 honda 2000 honda accord honda cars honda cbr honda civic honda hornet honda jazz

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