I have a 2022 model and can tell you it's a great everyday rider. Comfortable, great had mileage, and exciting enough to have fun. You can't go wrong with it. That's coming from an older guy who had 3 Harleys. It's a little heavier than some others, but the extra weight is much better on the interstate.
I have a '19 500R with 15,000 km on it here in Ont. Canada in two riding seasons. It's my 4th bike (following ZZR250, FZ6, FZ6R) so I'm not a new rider, but missed having something a bit smaller and really wanted ABS (which none of those had). It came down to this and the Ninja 400 -- which I would choose if performance were my primary goal (ie. track bike). Off the track, this is more comfortable, gets about 20% better fuel economy, has much cheaper insurance ($700 vs $1100), feels more upscale/substantial, and is way better for 2-up riding. The extra weight makes it feel more stable in the wind and on dirt (even light off-road). I average 3.1 L/100km in normal riding but it drops to about 3.5 if doing 120 km/h freeway riding (typically 450 to 500 km between fillups), but can go as low as 2.2 in town putting around. Love that the engine puts out linear power and will pull away happily from 2k RPM. Taking off the small intake snorkel really helps with the WOT sound. I only have a few complaints about it, of which most are addressed by this new model... 1: the wind protection was awful for my height as it directed off the front of the bike and into the bottom of my helmet. 2: the suspension was undersprung, though comfortable for the most part. 3: while the headlights are very good, the high beam is too narrow (common to all bikes with LEDs) so you can't signal drivers that aren't perfectly ahead of you. And 4: the stock Dunlop tires were awful and sketchy. Looks like they've addressed the main issues with Road 5 tires, new windscreen, and improved suspension. For me this bike does pretty much everything on the road or light dirt quite well. It's quick enough to be fun up to about 130 km/h (then rapidly falls off to a top speed of about 170 km/h indicated), as the engine isn't all too rev happy. Definitely not what I would want for the track, but then a track bike has compromises I wouldn't want for the road. Fuel range is incredible which is great for touring the Ontario back country. I even got a 46L top box and rack for more storage for camping, commuting, and errands. Two-up riding is perfectly fine though the passenger seat isn't very comfortable (we use an inflatable seat pad). While Honda reliability is a near given, these are particularly understressed motors (much like the NC750X), so people get over 200,000 km on them without much beyond regular maintenance. All I've done is 3 oil changes and 1 chain tighten in 15,000 kms of mixed riding. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a second-hand one as far back as the first (2013) models). If you just love to ride and don't want to spend a fortune, this (or the 500F/X) are excellent. Just don't buy it expecting a sport bike because it really isn't, just a fully-faired standard bike -- still tons of fun but be reasonable with expectations. I'm tempted to replace mine with the 500X just to go further off the beaten path without risking damage to the plastics.
@@MrTwille The first mod you should try is removing the little 90-degree air intake snorkel (under the seat) -- it's free and makes the bike sound a lot better under full throttle (no change to idle/cruising sound). You can always put it back in after if you don't like it. Otherwise just replacing the Dunlop tires that came on the 2019 model made a huge difference. I got the dark smoke Puig Z-Racing windscreen that mostly fixed wind issues. White front reflectors (no orange on red for me). I also got a Shad top box for mine which didn't look good but was super handy for light touring with a passenger and commuting runs. You could try changing the gearing although I don't really think it makes it any better. I didn't bother with any "performance" upgrades like exhaust because it just isn't really the kind of bike that benefits from it, in my opinion.
You can have a lot of fun with 40 to 80 horsepower. I think my first 30 years of riding was with 40 to 80 horsepower. I tried 200 horsepower for the street and found it uncomfortable, right now 80 to 100 is my sweet spot.
For me the Triumph Street Triple RS is the ultimate daily street bike. Fast, comfortable, looks fantastic (at least in my opinion), and let's not forget the sound that comes out of that glorious triple cylinder engine.
Honda seem to have really upped their game on the fit and finish front, and seem to be going for quality over quantity, practicality over flashy numbers. I would certainly be tempted by any of their recent mid sized offerings.
I've got a 2018 cb500f, and the only thing I could complain about the bike is the 180 crank, if it had a 270 crank it would be the perfect street bike. The bike feels solid, nothing rattles (except the chain) and it's enough power to get off the line quick enough whilst not having so much that you can still use most of the revs. Been riding mine since 18, have no real desire to get something else. Except maybe that the R7's got the ideal sound signature for a twin and maybe abit more punch, but dealers over here are asking for almost 14k for those things.
@@Daniel-dj7fh There are pros and cons associated with both the 180 and 270 crank configurations, neither is really 'better' than the other, just different. A 270 crank parallel twin engine is trying to replicate the far more complicated 90 degree V twin. A 180 crank engine should give a more linear and grunty feeling engine, and that is probably what Honda are aiming for.
Had one of these a few years back. Great bike. Fantastic range (got up to 420 km on a single tank). Reliable. Looks great. Biggest downside is the sound, which is the same issue for all 180 degree parallel twins. Doesn't matter if you put on a slip on or not - it'll always sound bland and uninspired. Give me 270 degree twins or nothing!
Got a Mivv Gp slipon on mine, after it burnt in abit the bike sounds really nice. Sure a 270 would sound better but I wouldn't say the 500 sounds bad. And to the bland bit, if you ride it with abit feel you hear the intake sucking air in at around 5k rpm which is pretty nice and around 8k it even gives off abit of an i4 sound (because technically the sound of an i4 is just two parallels or a parallel doing double the rotations).
@@tref1013 If Honda swapped the crank on a new 500, id trade my current one in for a new one. Wouldn't have to bother thinking about which bike to get which isn't too fast. Unless Kawasaki releases the zx25r or zx4r in Europe 🌚
Great video. I recently bought a 2019 model and up to yet can't fault it. Having just passed my full bike licence it's ideal first bike . Plenty of power and so easy to ride. Keep the great vids coming. Thank u
@@bennyg-rides I'm still loving it. Really can't fault it Plenty of power . Just done 1700 miles across Scotland doing nc500 and it was great. Kept up no bother with my mates on much bigger bikes. With it being so light feels much bigger engine. You won't be disappointed
Congratulations on your choice of road and background for your video! The visual depiction of the difference between radially mounted and axially mounted calipers was also nice.
I started on this bike ('19), moved up to the 650R for the i4 and more uhmpf. Rode the R3 and Ninja 650 too. For normal street, sporty street, and the twisties (done it all bar the track) I never noticed the weight... 500 was so much fun on non-highway round with up to 110kph speeds. Never had mechanical issues with any, fit and finish was always superb. Quite comfortable for what they are, I've done 7-8 hours rides on both the 500 and 650 without ergo troubles (Pillion did complain tho :D)
Hi Ivor, is the 650R a noticeable step up in ride feel and performance? Would it be something you could lash some panniers on and head off touring, or is it more of a racey machine? I ride a CB500F, same engine as this bike here. Cheers.
@@martinrea8548 considerably more power yes - for me personally I don't think you need more. It'll pull and keep 150-170 on the highway effortlessly and solo you can push 240 when you feel the itch to open it up. B-roads it'll do 5l/100km, highway and towards the pure city it won't go over 6.5l/100km meaning you can get 250-300km between fill-ups. It is most definitely touring capable solo with luggage, and with a pillion for shorter runs (90min max). After 90mins even with an airpad/seat cushion and footpeg extenders the pillon will feel the fatigue and discomfort - myself solo I did a 700km 8hr run and hopped back on the following morning with no issues. My bike has 22.000km trouble free at the moment and I ride year-round. I'll be getting a more touring oriented machine as a 2nd bike so we can travel with luggage 2-up for longer hauls. I thought about and dropped the idea of selling the 650R I love it too much so I'm becoming the 2-bike person :) From my touring mods the only thing besides luggage I'd recommend is a taller bubble screen (I got PUIG) to get almost full cover when half-tucked. I'm 175 and have no issues with ergonomics (I find the 650R slightly comfier on longer trips than the 500R)
@@Valks-22 I appreciate the effort you took to write that, thank you. It's definitely on the next bike to buy list. Triumph's Street twin features there too, as does Honda's NC750X. Happy motorcycling!
@@martinrea8548 no problem, you won't go wrong with the 650R! If you go that way - go red - just saying. It has that magical ferrari or mx-5 feel. And every single 'kid' 3 to 35 y.o. looks at it with a smile and a nod. My next is due to be the 1250RS I can't stand ADV's and it ticks the right boxes (if not the budget friendly one)
im looking to get my first bike but will be doing lots of highway riding. i want the 650R but theyre hard to find/pricey in canada. but have a really nice option for the 500. does it still hold its own on the highway. rev/spped wise? and over taking traffic when needed?
Seems like a pretty fine package. Should be considered by all those looking at a Royal Enfield 650 for it's easy entry price point. Quite certain the CB500R would eat any Interceptor's lunch while also offering much better performance as well as a whole better world of reliability and finish.
@@izzydangerous6990 Well, thtat's total bull shit. The RE 650 isn't even as fast as my 45 year old 1976 Yamaha XS650! I discovered that when I tested one in Boise last summer. Admittdly my XS is in showroom condition with only 8,000 miles; with upgraded Metzler tiers. But you'd expect more out of nearly a half century of advanced tech. The old XS is better at everything; particularly fit & finish, reliability and of course price. A pristine used vintage Yamaha for $4-$6 grand is a much better investment than a new RE for $7.
Good and fair review . As always ! I had a test ride on a 2017 version a couple of years back. It was pretty good, I can see the appeal, especially to 20 something "youngsters" . The seating position was still too extreme for me, being a fat middle aged old fart. I really wanted to test ride the CB500F ! (but that wasn't available)
the fact it's heavier is actually not that bad. it's a lot more stable in high speeds, gets less affected by small accidental movements. it also stores a lot more fuel than its competition
@@AevenSong they’re very offset clipons. There’s at least a 2 inch drop from the grip to the mounting point. Imo they are more like a 2-piece handlebar than standard clip ons.
nah would not really say it has more power than most people can handle. specially considering it's a new bike and not an old one so it's gona be really stable. but it's good enough for people who just want to ride and are not that in to the whole speed thing all the time. people who just ride normal and som times maby do som faster driving just to experience it a little
And atm only Kawasaki has the balls to do that, but they don't want to sell the zx25r (and zx4r, but not sure if that one's out yet) in Europe and America
@@Daniel-dj7fh It is, took a little while for the orange to grow on me, and even though mine is an 03 it doesn't really look out of place with today's bikes, it was a good fit for me.
As a short rider ,i lowered rear 25mm but found cant lower front forks because they are recessed at top , still handles fine thow'' but would be nice to lower the front 10 mm.
This bike is really all the bike that anyone needs... Fast enough but not so fast as to be a widow maker. I mean who needs more than 47bhp on public roads on a bike?!
So I held off to purchase something else but here I am drooling over the 2024 model and it’s time. Honestly I do wish they would have kept the bronze engine casings I liked that but that’s an easy fix if I’m so inclined. Or I may just forget about it. Does still need an entire exhaust upgrade but that’s not the manufacturers fault that’s always an issue of regulations ruining our fun.
I've owned dozens of Hondas over the years. I stopped buying them when they quit making V4s. The upcoming NT1100 with DCT looks pretty enticing tho. A bit porky but at my advancing age the DTC is really appealing
Well if you only look at track performance, N4 is better yes since not only is it lighter, but it also revs higher than the CBR. But the CBR has always been marketed not as a track bike, but a road bike, and that is where the Honda shines. Heavier means that your bike is more stable, especially at higher speed. Better suspension and brake means that you'd feel much safer and more comfy when dealing with situations on the road. Honda also has better fuel mileage and a bigger fuel tank, so it's better for longer distance riding. Build quality and reliability is also better on the Honda (because it's a Honda kekw), so you won't have to worry much about anything else. And the CBR just looks much better than the Kawi (looks is subjective though). The only place the Honda loses out on is the track, so any wannabe racer would look at this bike and gives it a hard pass because of it.
Insurance for me on this, full licence and a few years NCB is 1.2k or the next up is £3k. Don't think insurers want this on their books. Shame it looks a great bike
Wow... that is crazy, insurance+road rax+MOT all together for me as a fresh motorcycle (A1 here = unlimited) 26 y.o. was under 200€ (year). The bike was extremely economical to daily and maintain
@@davidg2116 sorry to hear, sounds like hell for bike owners (both due to crime and the ins. Rates). Had a friend from Birmingham showing us his bike pics (very nice R6) - seeing a chained up bike in the city centre felt weird to us, we just park ours and leave the helmet on it - the tiniest strap more for it not being knocked off than anything criminal
You're gonna look abit too big for the bike, but it'll be worse on the 400 because it's physically smaller. The 500's from Honda are pretty big, I've had my 500f next to an mt07 altho similar in size the Honda was still bigger. From all the sub 500cc bikes, adventures excluded the Honda is probably your best bet. If the budget and interes is there I do recommend looking into the adventure segment (cb500c is alot taller) or the Supermotos like a KTM smcr or Honda crf300 (Jake the Garden Snake's got an insanely cool build on one of those).
Altho, just googled 6'3 is arouind 190, I'm 183 and sit well on a cbf, the cbr should be fine for you. You could also get a lift for the rear whichwould help out and make the bike look more sporty.
It cost almost as much as a ninja 650 and performs almost as well as a ninja 400… it’s a great looking bike though. The only person this makes sense for is some A2 restricted with money to blow
@@sandroamador1354 Its a good bike and it looks great, its just overshadowed by other things. If you get it, I hope you enjoy it and don't worry about what some dudes on the internet say
"you'd be absolutely forgiven for mistaking it for the real deal (fireblade) at a distance" - am I the only one that thinks this bike looks... quite wrong? Its proportions, its posture, it just looks strange to me. I know its for a more relaxed riding position, but from a purely visual POV it doesn't work at all for me. Rear end too squat, looks like a sports bike with a broken rear spring!
Yea important to remember that its an A2 bike so cant take it over 48hp. With the CB650R and CBR650R they can get away with being 20kg heavier because its also 20hp over the competitors. But when you are limited by 48 hp, then you really cant justify being so much heavier than the other A2 bikes. It looks great though
depends on who you are as a person. normal person sure good enough but for an actual sport bike fan the cb650r is better. specially sins you can just register the bike as a A2 and then remove the restriction.
Worst thing about the 500r is the exhaust. No front end feel whatsoever. I had a 2017 and had to put a lighter slip on on it. Changed the front end feel massively. Also the fittings, nuts, bolts etc would corrode so easily. Even the abs ring was corroding. Glad to see it's got two front disks now. Other than that I'd say they are great sport style commuters.
Don't get me wrong but I think both mt07/R7 and cb650r's make more power and handle better and should be more stable too because they seem to have better suspension.
Can anyone confirm if the new 2022 CBR 500r is running 15T/41T sprockets w/a 520 chain like the honda website says in the specs, or is it using 15T/44T with a 525 chain like they list in the downloadable pdf brochure (also on the website). This would be a meaningful upgrade if IMHO if it is true......
Too heavy (and expensive) for a "small" sports bike. Too powerless to compete with the 650cc class. I love the cb500x but the engine isn't good for a sports bike. Rc390 or cbr650r all day long
yeah this is not a sports bike no Mather how much people want to call it that. it's a normal bike that looks like a sports bike. this bike is like saying you want blue berry's but don't like the color blue so they should be orange.
there are not really many small cc bikes in it's class. the others are more like actual sport bikes rather than just a commuter bike in sports bike clothes.
