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The 500 perspective

4K views 22 replies 15 participants last post by  ExTex 
#1 ·
Good friend I've been riding with for years who loves bikes with 100 pus HP. HE won't even buy a bike unless it have a 100 HP or more.

He told me yesterday after riding the 500, that he would like to buy one, only he can't allow to be seen on a 500cc motorcycle. LOL

HE went on to say it's a step backwards and he's never understood why I purchased this bike since I was always a superbike nurd. LOL
 
#4 ·
Riding a "slow bike" fast is a lot more fun than riding a fast bike "slow".


IHHO the CB500 hits the sweet spot.
 
#10 ·
I see it as a step in a different direction as opposed to a step backwards.
I only used to have big V8 engines in my cars. If it had a six cylinder when I bought it I yanked it and stuffed an eight in there. Now I have a four cylinder car and love it. Great gas mileage and handling and comfort. Easily goes the speed limit.

How many riders can utilize a 200 HP bike on the street?...None.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I've had some powerful bikes with 100 plus HP, and really you can't use all that power except for a short burst up the freeway ramp. I can't say it ever made me feel safer on the freeway, other then maybe a little more reckless passing trucks going up hill. Then you end up dealing with the crap MPG all the time.

I made some changes to the Bonneville, and I'm probably pushing close to 75 HP up from the 66 or so from the factory. But the MPG went down from 47 to 39. Sucks when I'm looking for a gas station every 115 miles on that bike. I should have just left the **** thing alone.

This little bike I've left alone, and probably one of the few bikes I have not torn into the intake and exhaust. I'm enjoying this bike for what it is, not what it could be, or what I think I can turn it into, in other words, screw up the works which often what I end up doing with bikes. Most of the changes turn out to be more my imagination then actual gains with performance. Same with suspension changes, now that believe me, can turn into the dog chasing it's tail.

I've noticed that most issues I've had with bikes, always something to do with something I did to the bike. True story. You don't want me working on your bike.
 
#14 ·
This.

I think if you've ridden more powerful sport or touring bikes and then ride one of these Honda 500's, the flickability, comfortable riding position, smoothness and just overall balance of these 500's, it catches your attention and you just think - wow, what a great bike. They remind you of earlier, more simple Honda standards and good times.

Cheers,

Snade
And this.

The more experience I gained on bikes, the more I came to respect the abilities of my first "proper" motorcycle, a VF400F. In nearly thirty two years of riding on the road, chasing "bigger", "better", "cheaper", "more reliable", "less awkward in town", "better on the motorway" or whatever the latest idea was buzzing around in my head, I never did actually find anything that was better in any of those areas without being fatally compromised in one or more of the others. Until, on a whim, I bought a 1994 CB500 twin and rediscovered that the balance between them all has a greater overall effect on riding pleasure than any one single criteria. When that CB started to show signs of age I decided to try the modern version and was very pleasantly surprised to find that it was, genuinely, better in every respect.

I'll not lie; the CBR650F was very tempting and if the upcoming revisions had been available last year I might have been swayed, but I'm confident my CBR500R was the right choice.

Enjoy your new bike for what it is, and for what it can do, don't focus on what it can't.
 
#12 ·
I think if you've ridden more powerful sport or touring bikes and then ride one of these Honda 500's, the flickability, comfortable riding position, smoothness and just overall balance of these 500's, it catches your attention and you just think - wow, what a great bike. They remind you of earlier, more simple Honda standards and good times.

Cheers,

Snade
 
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#13 ·
Thanks guys, very interesting read so far. I too have had my share of powerful bikes. I am awaiting 1st march, which is the uk year reg date. i.e. Anyway, I went without a bike for 2 years and last year decided on the cbr300r. I always felt I should have bought the 500' but when riding it, I was adamant that this was all I needed. Honda then recalled the bike due to a crank fault. Riding home from the dealers with my new crank installed, I was not 100% confident. Poor bike had only done 1600 miles but I knew it had to go.
Now thanks to you, I am convinced my new cbr500r is more than up to the job of doing everything that I require, without killing me in a blink of an eye.
Super excited and can't wait, shame the uk is not quite basking in sunshine, but we are not doing to bad lately.
 
#16 ·
I sold my cb500 to buy a cb650.
I'm heavy guy and ride with my wife. The extra power is good to have.
But... I really miss the 500 when I ride solo. The light weight bike, more smooth twin engine, so much better mpg.
I used to do gas stations every 360 km. On the 650 it's every 220km.
Not to mention the 500 never overheated.

Sometimes I think if should've kept it, and save my money...
 
#22 ·
And, your 500 does not have a 14K rpm red line. How hard are the VTR250's carbs to synchronize?
 
#23 ·
I got my VTR250 in 2010 from a man who got it as a barn find.
He rebuilt the carbs and synced them. I haven't had to do any work on the carbs so I don't have an answer.
But it is just 2 carbs and with the 90° V, there should be room to access them ok.

All I have had to do was clean and coat the rusty gas tank, replace the petcock, tires and chain.
Oops, and I had to replace both wheels because the tire sealing surfaces were falling apart in chunks.

But I did get it painted Red/White & Blue!

Yes, I do enjoy the high revving RPMs! Even better than the SL175 I had in college.

Ride Safely,
 
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