Honda CB500F Review & Why It Just Got BETTER! 

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I love my 2023 CB500F. 18k miles in the past 7 months. I typically ride it at 90mph on a weekly 360 mile interstate ride. I'm 5'11, 225lbs. 23 years riding experience.

I'm in my fifties, been riding for almost 40 years. I have a ton of experience in club road racing, with several championships. I own an '88 FZR400, a '17 Ducati Scrambler Cafe Racer, and an '07 KLR, and I've owned dozens of other bikes over the years. I can say without reservation that the CB500F is the best all-around motorcycle I've ever ridden.

Everything is so expensive now, new and used bikes, cars everything. Hard for beginners to get into this without making that $ commitment.

Just got my 2022 CB500F as my first bike and I couldn’t be happier. Clutch is super forgiving and the shifting is effortless. Yes there is a lot of shifting however I don’t mind that at all. Great fuel mileage and super nimble to operate. I’m a bigger guy myself, 6’2 right around 300 - no issues with fitting on it. Can’t wait to ride on it more.

I've been riding motorcycles for over 40 years. And this motorcycle is the most fun. I live in the UK and it's a great bike for filtering through traffic and for filtering on motorways too. (Commuting from London to Brighton can sometimes have 40 miles of bumper-to-bumper traffic and on this bike it's easy peasy to ride in between the cars...) It's also great on country lanes... I just smile every time I ride it...

Bought a 2021 CB500F in April and this past weekend I rode from Minneapolis to St. Louis, about 560 miles each way. It wasn't an easy ride. My knees were killing me (long legs) and my ass started going numb after 6 hours, but I had no issues with speed, power, or anything other than some discomfort and bugs as I don't have a screen. As I returned to MN, the last 100 miles, I did no less than 80 the entire final stretch. Point being, this bike has usable power, it's a great commuter, and had absolutely zero issues at high RPM's for 8-9 hours each way. It's a great bike, although I do admit, I wish it was a little taller and the seat was softer, but that I can rectify.

I had a VFR 1000 when I was younger and have always had dirt bikes. Mainly owned Hondas most of my life. Bought a 2019 CB500F 2 years ago in great shape, with 800 miles on it for $5,000. It has been a great bike to get back into riding and explore the mountains where I live. Yes, it is a little under powered - I weigh 220 pounds. Thankfully my girlfriend is a lot lighter and yes, the second seat is as hard as a rock. I have swapped out the exhaust/muffler, deleted the CAT, raised the license plate and added a windscreen. Nice review 💯.

I ride one in NYC with 50/50 city and highway. There's a reason the CB stands for ''city bike''. This was a perfect beginner bike with ABS. The short gear ratio and light-weight is perfect for narrow lane filtering and insane NYC traffic. with the Puig windscreen it makes highway cruising way more tolerable. The logical upgrade would be a XSR700 or FZ-09 but after 20,000 miles, I'm still keeping mine for sentimental value

Nice review and I like your staccato delivery style. I'm not so sure about the short gearing. Ok, first is very short, but second has a wide range which is ideal for controlled riding around the city streets, while third will give you about 30kmph at 3000 rpm right up to 80kmph at around 6000 rpm. It gets a bit buzzy at that stage so that's where fourth comes in. Fifth and sixth then are for the big roads, the highways. I can't take off in second on mine without it stuttering. I have to be doing about 18kmph for a smooth change into second. It's my first 'big' bike and I can relate to a lot of what you say about it, both pros and cons, but I think it's only fair to mention it's also a very good looking bike and has flair. True, it may be vanilla, but vanilla ice is the most popular ice for a reason and then you have that Honda reliability going on. Happy biking and I hope you have a great summer on your bike. I can't wait to putting some nice chunky mileage on mine this year.

I had a new 15 V-Strom 1000 and I took a 500F for a good long test ride . The 500F was so easy to ride for this senior rider; so fun and effortless in the twisties I realized I had made a mistake. EBC HH pads, really sticky sport touring tires , reducing the preload on the front and reducing the PSI to 34 Front and 38 Rear turned it into a backroad weapon. So much fun and not just for beginners. Unlike many smaller bikes which are peaky, the CB500 has a wide spread of power. I remember thinking to myself on the test ride: "This is a small bike that rides like a big one". Absolutely awesome handling motorcycle.

I think the CB500F is the quintessential beginner bike or possibly a great city bike for someone that lives in a high populated area. Excellent review! Eric

Hey Adrian! Hope all is good your way! I've been gone a few months and you have been killing it and putting out some great videos brother! I love the videos, Keep them coming! Cheers and safe riding!

I got this bike new in 2013 for my wife but I use it as a commuter bike also. I put a 16 tooth front sprocket on the front and now it's way better on the interstate and actually great in town too.

I love my '17 CB500F. I'm 6'1", 175 lbs. It rips on corners, and it's too slow to race sports cars on the freeway so I don't become soup

I have a 2018 showroom model since 3 years. Same color scheme as the one in the video. It is my second one after a 125cc Mash. I use it mainly if I need to be in the city centre of Antwerp (free parking) and now for classes in Mechelen (same reason). But if you ride it on the highway for longer than 30 minutes, your butt will have issues. For highway use, I mounted a windscreen and handprotectors, wich makes its more comfortable with higher speeds and especially in colder wheathers at 120 Kph.

Lots of good thinking in this Adrian, people gotta know what their intent is. Best days to you 👍

Well said review. I feel the same way. I own a 2022 CB500F, and I want to get something with more power, but when I go to trade it in, I just can't do it. There is something to love about this bike, how easy it is to handle, and how you have so much fun just wringing it's neck and nonstop shifting at 8,000 RPM's! It's the bike you shouldn't buy because you won't want to let it go, and you should buy because it's too much fun not to. Cheers!

Thanks Adrian, great review. Curious to know where you rode in this video? Cheers Dave

i have suzuki gs500e 94* now for about 10 years and im looking for an upgrade and i dont really care about speed. i rather want a comfortable fuel efficient motor which can ride highways a bit normal too. i think this cb500f or the cb500x is perfect for that. my preference is going for the X though i think. i always want to be able to take someone at the back too and the x seems to have ab better seat for both riders. what are your thoughts ?

This was my first bike and it treated me very well as a new rider. I don't live near too many highways so it was always nice on the back roads. Top speed I got on it was 87 MPH and that was full crank in 6th gear on flat highway lol.

Excellent review. Greetings from England.

love your review boss

Thank you for the video I’ve been looking at one for my first bike but I’m also 6’4 250 so I’m I think ima pass and look into a 650

Funny Lad...In the beginning I had to monitor my laughter at work ahahah

Wait, how the front wheel appears as stalled at 3:05? What happened there? If the wheel's rotation matched the camera sampling speed, shouldn't the back whell appear as stalled too? If the front wheel had blocked for what appears to be almost 2s, you would have fall down. Really weird.

I managed to get a CB400 Super Four around 12 or so years ago when I was going into college as my first bike past a dirt bike. Sadly, I sold that bike when I finished school to get the gear I needed to start my own business. I haven't really ridden on a highway for 8 or 9 years now and wanted to get back into it. I would love to have another Super Four, but saying they're rare is an understatement. Highway speeds are still 60-65 where I live in the sticks with 70 on the interstate that I don't go on all that often. I've been debating between the cb500 just to get around to interesting sites for photography or just going up to the 650 to get back the inline 4 that I loved. There's a 96 CBR600F3 near me for dirt cheap that's mechanically fine with minor scratching on the fairings that need repainted anyway. I may just buy it, ride for a bit as is after a complete service, then if I like it those bikes are easy enough for me to tear down, refresh/rebuild everything, and put what needs painted in my booth. More bike than I need, but I've just about given up on getting another Super Four.

I'm a new rider, and I love my CB500F ❤. Perfect first bike. ABS and Slipper clitch has saved me from dropping. Pro tip, get a small windshield and bike looks a lot better.

I bought this thinking I’d upgrade it quickly . That was 5 years ago. It’s just so annoyingly good for my work commute, cheap and reliable. I just haven’t found a reason to spend extra ££$. Wish I’d bought something a little crazier now .

9:45 Do I understand correctly: You're recommending more teeth on the front sprocket or less teeth on the rear sprocket for an easier time in towns & traffic? Sacrificing some of the wheel power/torque? My 2014 comes with 15-41 if memory serves. What would you recommend for this bike for a better experience in traffic? I do ride the hilly country around my home a lot and enjoy the occasional power burst but am willing to do a bit more shifting for these phases if I can make slow riding through city traffic and or small villages less awkward and annoying. I ride highways rarely and only to get from a to b quicker, don't need high speeds and quick overtaking power at high speeds. Street tires. No active off-roading.

Looking to get one in 6 months time. Are they the better choice than MT-03 or KTM DUKE 390??

I own one, it is by far the best motorcycle Honda have ever built.

I'm getting a used one this weekend. It'll be my first, and I'm looking forward to having something which is tame enough for a novice but still perfectly capable.

Wow, what a nice home and lawn at 4:18!

Nice video, How long are you, would it fit a 5.9 feet person? Thanks

What really counts today, is MPG and this bike excels. I started motorcycling in 1977, I've ridden loads of suicide speeds in a blink of an eye motorbikes and to be honest if you want to reach old age old and enjoy motorcycling 500cc is perfect.

its been a couple years but im like really new to riding bike and i didnt ride one or own before. I got cb500f as a gift and ill probably get my license and ride around practice areas for like maybe 2-3 months? In comments people usually start scooter or 125, is it okay for me to start at 500cc? and plus note im not going in traffic unless i really figure out how to drive in practice areas or low-traffic areas.

I love my 500! It's easy to ride and zero stress. It's more than adequate for commuting and even on the back roads. I also have a zx12r Ninja, so it's great to have the little 500 for it's fun factor.

Is the 2014 model any diferent that that one?

Ive got a 2018 cb 500f in the same color 😊, and i love it

Should I start with this or a cb650r I'm a bigger guy about 6'1 250 lbs I would like something that would last a fee years

Best review

I appreciate a video talking about its downsides for once. I'm looking for my first motorcycle.

Im in the uk and on the cb125f because A1 restrictions, looking to get 500f now and idc how low the acceleration feels to ppl used to more, its gonna be better to what im used to with 10bhp lmao

I lime mine its not bad but you can do any wheelies really not enough power or speed for me but easy to zip around town on

I’d probably opt for a 650 to give a lil room for growth. This video had me rolling man, very well done.

Looking for my first bike. I'm 6'3", so afraid this bike might be a bit too small, but where I live, this is by far the most saturated bike on the used marked, so it's quite a lot cheaper than others in the same class. Any ideas?

What do you mean by brinjal?

Ughh I just wish the front light didn't look like this now. I HATE the ant head design, why couldn't they continue the old round headlight :(

I normally don't know if people just want to critique or for comments or what,even my 2015 Honda CBR250R still performs on highways how much more 500cc.Sometimes I get shocked.

Got a CB500X and for me it's the better out of the 3, the reason is simple. I'm about 6.2 and I often take my girl for the ride. I've learned how to ride on a CB650R and the wrist on my right hand started to hurt after about 10 minutes + riding with a passanger was a pain, the bike feels very small for me. Can't imagine how the 500F would be.

Nice review. I can't decide between the cb500f or rebel 500.

it's a good video but the constant annoying like and subsribe buttons just made me turn it off. Terrible

Now take that nifty engine and bring back an economical tourer like the Silverwing. I’ve been riding since I was 16, back in 1962. I haven had a naked bike since 1969. No chains since the same time. The Shadow line proves it can be done. Single seat, well thought out luggage and shaft drive would still be light enough for a 76-year-old wh hates sitting at home.

Just ordered a 22 modle waiting from delivery

Keep bike in preferred power zone 4-6 k. . It’s a bit breathless in top end

Very nice

how tall is the rider, looks like you are trying to make the bike look small.

bang on

When you say toy you mean it is not a gutteral feel. Honda makes bikes that make people feel safe, not noticed. Bikes are designed for personalities, not the road. A lot of people want to ride a bike and just not be noticed and not to feel too much. They just want to go forward, gently.

I would get the X model... You get the windscreen lol + if you need to ride a trail or 2 🤷

What would be a suggested bike. I feel this review has a lot of backhanded compliments.

I can get one with 17k miles four 4500 cad 2017 good deal 🤔

So the Honda cb300 is almost same bike I should keep my 300 then

I’m upgrading from my old 125cc bike to a 500cc - 650cc motorcycle.

man, the first gear is so short

Rider size

I dont know if he needed to keep harking about cheap "feeling" components this many times. Otherwise a good review.

That's what she said

Im looking at a cb500r

Trust me.....There is NOTHING WORSE than a"vanilla" wife. Borrring.

I normally don't know if people just want to critique or for comments or what,even my 2015 Honda CBR250R still performs on highways how much more 500cc.Sometimes I get shocked.

I normally don't know if people just want to critique or for comments or what,even my 2015 Honda CBR250R still performs on highways how much more 500cc.Sometimes I get shocked.