All modern motorcycles are built for a purpose.
Sports bikes are designed to go as fast as possible around a race track, tourers are meant to go for miles and miles on end with comfort and style, while good scooters get you around town quickly and conveniently.
But one motorcycle, or should that be range of motorcycles, emerges as being the most purposeful on sale in the UK today. We’re talking about the Honda CB500.
Yep, you read that right. The Honda CB500 range may be modest, but it’s also one of the most focused range of bikes on the market today. Years ago we had no idea what an A2 licence was, but these days it is one of the most important categories of bike for the mainstream manufacturers.
Restricted ‘A2’ licences first came in back in 1997, with the introduction of the direct access scheme, but the current, Europe-wide, regulations came in just seven years ago, when new rules came in to restrict riders under 19 years old to 125cc machines, while those between 19 and 24 must spend at least two years on an A2 ‘restricted’ licence – meaning that they have to ride bikes limited to 47bhp.
Some A2 bikes are restricted versions of popular middleweights, like the Triumph Street Triple, Kawasaki Z800 and Yamaha MT-07, but the regulations have also led to a range of small but sporty machines emerging in recent years. Bikes like the Kawasaki Ninja 300 and 400, KTM Duke 390 and Yamaha MT-03 are all newcomers to the scene in recent years and have doubled up as range topping sports machines in the huge emerging Asian markets like Thailand and Indonesia.
Honda’s approach, however, has been to develop a range of bikes especially for the regulations – the CB500. Unlike the aforementioned competitor models, the Hondas come in bang on the 47bhp limit. The three bike range consists of the CB500F, CB500X and CBR500R. These all share the same engine and basic cycle parts, but have been developed in a way that gives them each a distinct personality. The CBR500R is sporty, with a full fairing and lower bars, the F has modern streetfighter styling and the X is a mini-adventure bike, complete with taller suspension and more rugged styling.
The result is a range of bikes that takes full advantage of the A2 licence regulations and which not only make great entry level bikes, but also brilliant day-to-day commuters for more experienced riders.
Of course, there are areas where you can see that the CB500s are built to entry level specs. Basic, right way up, suspension, single front brake discs and basic instrument packs all distinguish the 471cc parallel twin powered bikes from their more powerful four-cylinder engined brethren (and the mighty Africa Twin adventure bike in the case of the CB500X).
But despite being at the budget end of the market, what’s so good about the Hondas is that the feel like ‘proper’ motorbikes, whatever that actually means. While some of the 300-400cc class bikes can feel a little bit like pumped up 125s, these 500s feel far more substantial and not just a bike to serve your time on.
Top speed on all models are over 110mph, meaning they’re not mucking around, and there’s more than enough power to keep up with traffic, even with a passenger on board. The CB500 range has been developed precisely to maximise the A2 regulations, and because of that you get a bike that makes the most of your licence.
Don’t get us wrong. In many ways lighter and revvier machines like the Kawasaki Z400 and Yamaha YZF-R3 are sportier and more fun to ride, but as day-to-day steeds the Hondas fill their roles with aplomb.
History is unlikely to remember the Honda CB500F, CB500X and CBR500R as classic motorcycles. They’re not poster bikes to be found on teenagers’ walls but when it comes to building a clean sheet A2 motorcycle, they fulfil their brief perfectly.
For that, we’ll raise a glass!
What’s in a name? History of the Honda CB500.
Honda first introduced the CB500 name in 1971, with the CB500 Four. CB was, and remains, Honda’s designation for its regular street models and the CB500 Four was essentially a smaller version of the famed CB750 Four superbike – a machine which changed the face of motorcycling when it was first introduced in 1969.
That four-cylinder model ran until 1978 and, between 1975 and 1976, it was joined by the two-cylinder CB500T – a long-stroke version of the venerable CB450 commuter machine.
The name was revived in 1994, when Honda introduced a humble new 499cc parallel-twin commuter bike. Pitched against workhorses like the Kawasaki ER-5 and Suzuki GS500, the Honda remained a popular choice with commuters, riding instructors and couriers in its 10 year lifespan. The 57bhp CB also proved to be an unlikely race bike, with championships designed for these basic commuters remaining popular at club racing level even today.
The latest CB500 range was introduced in 2013, to coincide with the introduction of the new A2 licence laws. The 471cc engine is a new design and the bikes are assembled in Thailand to keep costs down (previous CB500s were built in Japan or Italy).
