Honda CB500

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, ...
...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 ...

killcar5nbike2 26.11.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Honda CB500

...with a small pair from Honda that make it look a little more modern (£20). Replaced mirrors for an OEM pair at around £20. Added a black plastic shield designed for the US Night Hawk model (looks real good on it and was easy to fit) £50. I removed the box carrier and swapped it at the garage for a rear handle (which the bike had been missing). I removed and repainted the crash bars, then sprayed the entire engine block with HT Al paint and hand painted ...
...including a wasted trip to Honda in Chiswick who, it seems, cant fix their own bikes). I have commuted daily on it, in all weather, since (6 years), doing a total of around 15000 miles. And have had to replace the chain and sprockets on it twice (possibly due to a faulty rear wheel bearing causing the first chain to only last 3000 miles) at a cost of around £100 each time including fitting, the front brake pads 3 times (around £30 each time with ...

BigBiker11 30.03.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Honda CB500

...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) ...

galbak 24.05.2004 (17.07.2005) · Read full review
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Review of Honda CB500

...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 ...

harding173 27.07.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Honda CB500

...125cc with 13bhp to my honda cb500 with 58bhp, the bike masters all conditions-city,open roads and motorways. UPDATE 1 iv owned my cb500 for just over 2 months now, and im happy to report that she's fine and reliability is second to none, i did have a few moments when i thought she had broken down on me the first was when she ran out of fuel and i thought it was dodge carb's but i put the reserve tap on and she fired up instantly, the second was ...
...a massive electrical fault, noe of these were the bike's fault and completely mine (i should know better i'm a motorbike mechanic student). anyway here's what i think now- the powers still nice and crisp and enough to give me a rush,but not crap my pant's like some bike's, she stays warm for age's and rarely needs the choke to be used after the moring start,( some bikes go cold quickly and need choke every time you leave them for more than 10min's), ...

dancb500 27.01.2009 (26.01.2009) · Read full review
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Review of Honda CB500

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 ...

MEMSman 14.01.2003 · Read full review
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Review of Honda CB500

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 ...

Netballman 09.05.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Honda CB500

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 ...

hawkeye 03.11.2000 (08.06.2001) · Read full review
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Review of Honda CB500

I think that this bike gives new riders a good grounding as it's not too fast, looks good and doesn't have lots of plastic to get damaged when you drop it! Trust me I speak from experience!!! All in all I think it's a great bike, will go for years as well (it's a Honda). It's a sort of middle of the road, it's pretty lightweight compared to other bikes I have ridden, the acceleration isn't exactly fast but it gets there. Braking could be better as ...
...of abuse without complaining and very economical on petrol. There is little weather protection so get some good waterproofs. A reliable, trustworthy bike that doesn't make you saddlesore! When you pass your test it would be a useful bike to ride to get some miles under your belt before rushing off to get a sportsbike to wrap around a tree or worse! ...

03042004 19.04.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Honda CB500

CB500 is an ideal starters bike. It is a 'hardy' bike, damage is minimal and cheap to repair when it is dropped. It is a good bike for the shorter people and females, like myself. I am only 5ft 3", with a 29" inside leg. The seat height of the CB is 31". Lowering the height of the bike is cheap and easy. You only need to lower the handle bars and replace the rear shock absorbers, these can be bought via mail order catalogues. Not forgetting ...

Grumbler 06.10.2003 · Read full review
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Review of Honda CB500

I owned my CB 500 for 4 years and apart from a couple of critisisms it was a good bike. The first problem was the short front mud gaurd which meant that the appearence of the engine will deteriate after a couple of years if you use it all year round and the second problem was the price and availability of spare parts.I got a puncture and my local dealer was unable to fix it and apparently it would take 3 days to get a replacement tyre. As the bike ...

Dragonet 07.03.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Honda CB500