Nimble middleweight from Honda

The CBR500R has a distinct feel and character and features a riding position, covering a range of uses from commuting and touring to sports riding. The CBR500R is easy to manage, and delivers all-round practicality matched to excellent efficiency. A true middleweight, blessed with lightweight agility and an engaging power delivery, above all, enjoyable to ride in every scenario.Fast, affordable and fun, the CBR500R offers a great entry point to the world of sports motorcycles, with high a buid quality.

Its DOHC twin-cylinder fuel-injected engine produces 35kW and returns an impressive 27km/l (WMTC figure). Honda’s engineers see it very much as an “accessible CBR engine,” and worthy of the name.

The steel diamond frame and high quality suspension 41mm telescopic front forks provides confident, precise handling as do 17-inch cast aluminium wheels with wide 120 section front, 160 section rear radial tyres.

While it may feature the styling of the four-cylinder CBR1000RR, the CBR500R’s similarities to its big brother are more than skin deep, and it will be found on racetracks in 2013 as the motorcycle used in the European Junior Cup.

The CBR500R’s 35mm diameter steel diamond-tube mainframe is light and strong, and has a tuned degree of yield that gives plenty of feedback to the rider as the road surface changes. The shape and position of the engine mounts as well as the frame’s rigidity have been carefully balanced to reduce vibration.

The kerb weight of 194kg with a seat height of 790mm, makes the CBR500R very easy to manage and its sporty riding position will comfortably accommodate riders of varying heights thanks to a relatively high handlebar position.

Overall dimensions are 2075mm x 740mm x 1145mm, with 140mm ground clearance. The fuel tank holds 15.7-litres, including reserve, and combined with the engine’s excellent fuel economy gives great range of 420km.

The comprehensive display features a digital speedometer, digital bar graph tachometer, odometer, dual trip meters, clock, plus digital fuel level gauge and fuel consumption. HISS (Honda Intelligent Security System) is built in to the ignition, and the headlights feature two 55W H7 Halogen bulbs and multi-reflectors.

The CBR500R’s engine is a next generation power unit, looking to the future in both performance and environmental terms. The DOHC, 8-valve liquid-cooled parallel twin layout was chosen because of its light weight, all-round ability and flexible usability.

The crankshaft pins are phased at 180° and a primary couple-balancer sits behind the cylinders, close to the bike’s centre of gravity. The crank counterweight is specifically shaped for couple-balance and its light weight allows the engine to spin freely, with reduced inertia. PGM-FI fuel injection provides superb throttle response and peak power of 35kW arrives at 8500rpm .

The six-speed gearbox also mirrors that of its RR cousins, allowing for a short engine and uses the same gear change arm structure and link mechanism. The oil capacity is 3.2-litres.

The engine itself acts as a stressed member, reinforcing the frame’s rigidity with four frame hangers on the cylinder head and the matt axis grey metallic finish on the crankcase and cylinders adds depth, complementing its taut overall styling.