Honda CBR500R Review | LAMS Motorcycle Test

Honda CBR500R Overview

I’ve had quite a lot of nostalgic moments on the little pink CBR500R these final couple of weeks as I’ve been placing it by means of its paces. It introduced again recollections of a few of my very own previous rides. Two of my street going CBRs had been pink. So sitting on board trying by means of the tinted display with the Honda emblem on it did give me the feels and a little bit of deja vu.

And whereas this incarnation doesn’t have the outright efficiency of a few of my outdated CBR sports activities bikes, there’s nonetheless a lot to love in regards to the 500R with its Fireblade impressed color scheme. Before everything is the dimensions and experience place. It feels so low. And tremendous gentle. Wheeling the bike about at standstill might be a breeze for anybody of any stature.

Extra skilled riders can simply neglect simply how nerve-wracking wheeling your satisfaction and pleasure round was after we first began out – the worry of over overbalancing and dropping it’s actual. There’d be no such issues right here I don’t suppose. That seat top of 785 mm has your ft flat and firmly planted with a lot to spare.

Newcomers will even love the ergos. They’re skewed extra in the direction of consolation than efficiency. The seat in all fairness comfy with out being a settee – and the attain to the bars is okay with out a lot weight on the wrists in any respect. I had no difficulty sitting on the freeway for an hour.

Then there’s that peach of an engine. What a stunning little factor it’s. Exquisitely fuelled, it’s rattling close to carburettor-like easy in the way in which you’ll be able to roll on and off the fuel.

Positive, that’s at all times going to be simpler on an engine that’s not a closely tuned excessive efficiency unit. However even then, evidently nice fuelling is getting rarer today as emissions legal guidelines pressure producers to squeeze more durable.

So whereas it’s not precisely a stump puller, the 471 cc parallel-twin pushes out a straightforward to make use of 47 hp and 43 Nm of torque. And does so effortlessly. Tremendous forgiving and simple to make use of.

Backside finish to mid-range is the place it’s at with this one – it doesn’t notably profit that a lot from revving the ring off it. Not essentially the most inspiring exhaust notice although. I’d be taking a look at slip-ons for positive…

Eagle-eyed punters will discover that these figures are about the identical as the brand new Aprilia RS457, although the Priller pokes its nostril forward within the energy to weight stakes by being round 17 kg lighter – the Honda coming in at round 192 kg moist.

The gearbox is stable if not the slickest shifting on this planet, however I don’t recall lacking a shift. It’s not clunky, however the shift itself feels fairly agency. Provided that my take a look at bike had all of 4 kilometres on the odometer after I picked it up – that’s completely comprehensible and I’m positive it might loosen up with a little bit extra time.

The clutch is nearly unbelievably gentle and all switch-gear is often Honda. Nothing sudden to distract from the experience itself. Good up to date five-inch TFT sprint on the ’24 bike, with a straightforward to learn structure and a fast toggle set-up to view completely different data like journey meters and gas utilization.

Experience high quality is sorted by Showa at each ends, with Huge Piston Forks up entrance and a Professional-Hyperlink shock on the rear with adjustable pre-load. I’m working shut sufficient to 90 kg at present and had no purpose to tweak something.

Fairly first rate bump absorption at each ends, I used to be fairly impressed with the stability of consolation and cornering suggestions functionality.

Certainly the bike feels fairly succesful on it’s facet, perhaps not fairly a match for the RS457 however within the ballpark. Although I’d undoubtedly advocate giving the OEM tyres a little bit of time to come back as much as temp. The afternoon of the photoshoot I famous that they weren’t soopah doopah grippy whereas nonetheless chilly. It did make me marvel what it is perhaps able to with some stickier rubber although.

Talking of… It’s attention-grabbing how two bikes that on paper aren’t miles aside in specs can have such a unique really feel. The little Aprilia felt like a little bit of a uncooked hooligan machine just about as quickly as I bought on it.

The little Honda CBR500R feels fairly the other. Probably the results of these few extra kilos, however by comparability this bike feels refined, easy. Dare I say, elegant and restrained.

Not that it’s not succesful. And with a devoted button on the left swap block to show TC off, it’s up for a little bit of enjoyable. However the CBR500R’s not shouting that it’s a sports activities bike both, which will certainly enchantment to some.

Fairly first rate on the peepers too. I believe it’s properly styled general and that Grand Prix Purple color scheme is a winner. Very good within the late afternoon Daylight. Come darkness, the LED lights are a bit bizarre nevertheless. Excessive beam is sort of tight in its throw and never the best for recognizing wildlife on the street’s edges. And the place of the entrance indicators and mirrors may have had some extra thought.

The indications double as working lights within the sense that they’re at all times lit when not indicating. And at night time time you’ll be able to see their orange glow each from the symptoms themselves but additionally mirrored within the mirrors. That was a little bit distracting and never nice for letting your eyes absolutely modify to the sunshine thrown out the entrance…. They’re not the one producer to do that by the way in which. I’m not a fan of utilizing indicators as auxiliary lights…

The one different space that I’d take a look at could be placing some brake pads on the entrance with a little bit extra chunk. They want a superb squeeze to essentially begin working onerous, however in any other case the efficiency is okay. They really feel according to the remainder of the bike, within the sense of it not being an out and out sports activities bike.

All in all, it feels very Honda. Construct high quality seems good, supplies and end appeared greater than the price-point instructed and there’s at all times going to be one thing to say for Honda’s reliability. These little 500 twins are well-proven and rattling close to indestructible.

Worth-wise you’re taking a look at ten grand experience away which appears rattling good worth to me. I’ve stated it earlier than… New riders have by no means had it so good.

Honda’s CBR500R Hits

• Pretty, confirmed 500 cc twin engine is a little bit peach
• Low seat top and small general measurement is tremendous usable
• Fairly properly specc’d suspension – a superb mixture of plushness and management

Honda’s CBR500R Misses

• These excessive beam LED headlights are a bit garbage and the always-on auxiliary indicators are annoying at night time
• Brakes may have a little bit extra chunk
• Exhaust notice is a little bit underwhelming (however simply sorted with a slip-on)

Honda CBR500R Specs

Honda CBR500R Photos

Photos by RbMotoLens