The Honda CB500 range is slated to arrive in India and we have reported that earlier as well. The Honda CB500s will bring a much-needed diversity in Honda India’s portfolio. Honda India recently launched the Hornet 2.0 but it doesn’t cater to the demands of people who want their motorcycles to be more powerful and capable. Honda has recently updated its CB500 range to meet the Euro5 standards.
The motorcycles are now BS6-compliant!
That translates to the fact all the three motorcycles which bear the CB500 nomenclature including the CB500X, CB500F and CBR500R will now be able to comply with the BS6 standards too because they are based on Euro norms. Bring the festivities here already, Honda India!
CBR500R
The CBR500R borrows styling cues from its elder brothers like the Fireblade and CBR 650F. The CBR 250R was styled more in line with the VFR but the CBR500R justifies the ‘CBR’ tag, at least when it comes to the overall styling. It is powered by a 471cc, liquid-cooled, 4V, DOHC, parallel-twin motor. The engine churns out 47 hp @ 8600 rpm and 43 nm of torque @ 6500 rpm. the CBR500R has remained unchanged and hasn’t received any new colour scheme or feature whatsoever. The only change is the Euro5-compliant engine. For 2021, the Japanese brand didn’t have to do a lot of work to update these motorcycles and it was easy for the engine to get Euro5 certification.
Now, the performance might not sound a lot on paper considering the engine configuration and the fact that KTM’s 373.2 cc single makes around 43 hp but the CBR500R is known to deliver power in a linear and smooth manner.
Honda CB500F
It is basically a streetfighter version of the CBR500R. The CB500F’s main focus is to be tractable, peppy and comfortable. In order to achieve the same, Honda has eliminated the fairing and have tweaked the riding ergonomics a little while the engine remains the same and delivers the same amount of power and torque as the CBR500R.
It gets wide handlebars instead of clip-ons like the CBR500R and the footpegs too, are more forward set as compared to the CBR500R. The 2021 CB500F is now available in Matt Gunpowder Black Metallic, Candy Caribbean Blue Sea, Candy Moon Glow Yellow – the latter two colours are all new.
Honda CB500X
The one bike in the range that looks the most different from the previous generation is the CB500X. The subframe is now painted in red and it brings it closer to the Africa Twin, at least in terms of looks. The 2021 version is available in Grand Prix Red, Matt Gunpowder Black Metallic, Pearl Metalloid White. The CB500X is an adventure tourer and retains the same 471cc, liquid-cooled, 4V, DOHC, parallel-twin motor.
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The engine’s characteristics match this motorcycle in a perfect manner. It comes with a taller seat height at 830mm which grants the rider a commanding riding position. To suit the character, the suspension gets more travel as compared to the rest of the motorcycles in this list. To provide optimum wind resistance, it also gets a half fairing and a windscreen. The CB500X shouldn’t be considered as a hard-core off-roader but with its 19-inch front wheel, it could take some beating off the road.