Honda CBR500R: All You Need To Know

Honda’s upcoming 500cc sportsbike decoded

If you’ve been following BikeDekho for a while, you may know that Honda plans to bring its 500cc lineup to India. Among the range is the CBR500R, a smaller, simpler and more accessible alternative to Honda’s other mid-capacity sportsbike, the CBR650R. Here’s all you need to know about the upcoming sportsbike. 

It comes with a parallel twin motor:

Honda’s 500cc range shares the same 471cc motor but comes in different states of tune. The CBR500R’s parallel-twin unit delivers 47.58PS at 8500rpm and 43Nm at 6500rpm. According to Honda, the motor offers good performance between 3000rpm-4000rpm range. Claimed fuel efficiency is 28.6kmpl and with its large 17.1-litre fuel tank, the CBR500R should be able to offer a range of around 480km. The CBR500R gets a 6-speed gearbox with a slip and assist clutch. 

Also read: 2020 Honda CBR250RR Likely To Launch In July 

It comes with premium features:

The CBR500R is equipped with twin LED headlamps, an LED tail lamp and LED turn indicators. Its digital instrument console includes a speedometer, tachometer, dual trip meters, fuel gauge, average fuel consumption, digital clock, and gear position indicator. For safety, the CBR500R gets an engine immobiliser and dual-channel ABS. 

Also read: Honda CB500F: 5 Things To Know

It gets adjustable suspension: 

The Honda CBR500R gets suspension in the form of preload-adjustable front fork and monoshock. However, Honda could drop the adjustable front fork for the India-spec version to reduce costs. It sits on a diamond type frame with the motor acting as a stressed member. Braking is via a single 320mm front and 240mm rear disc. The CBR500R comes with 120/70-ZR 17 front and 160/60-ZR 17 rear radial tyres. It 192kg kerb weight is slightly on the heavier side but should be accessible to most riders given its low 785mm seat height. The low 130mm ground clearance could be an issue while navigating speed breakers. 

It could be priced below Rs 5 lakh:

Like the CB300R, Honda will get the CBR500R to India via the CKD route. We expect the mid-capacity sportsbike to be priced around Rs 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom). Now Honda plans to completely localise its 500cc range in India in the future. This could drop prices of the CBR500R substantially. We expect it to drop down to around Rs 4.5 lakh. Honda could launch the CBR500R in India by the end of this year.