HONDA CB500 (1994 - 2003) Review

Year: 1995

Bought this bike because I wanted to learn how to wrench. Based on the specs I thought this would be a boring bike...until I rode it. The bikes give an instant familiar feel. The engine has loads of character and has a punchy top end. I always thought a bike from the 90's would brake badly but the brakes are strong (for this power). Moreover with 58bhp and an engine that wants to you to rev it the riding style becomes very playful. You can really ride this bike, don't hold it back. I stopped being a motorcycle snob after riding this bike (Need a 1000 to be cool, fuel injection only,..).

Version: cb 500s

Year: 2001

the best feature is it's versatility. worst feature for me no second tripometer or fuel gauge. only a small problem i know but when you do high mileages like i do you have to keep resetting the clock

Buying experience: I bought from a dealer, special advertised price £3775 on the road instead of £4110

Year: 1998

Annual servicing cost: £50

It's so well built and always starts, totally reliable, sporty yet comfortable riding position, great handling, maybe need more braking power. I've been touring abroad on this and it's surprisingly good on the autoroutes, and loves the twisty roads in the Ardennes and Auvergne.

Buying experience: £850. Bargain 11 years ago - still got it - keep thinking about trading it in for something else, but it's so good to ride, I'll keep it.

Version: CB500-02

Year: 2002

Annual servicing cost: £150

It's an all-round brilliant bike.

Version: S

Year: 1999

Annual servicing cost: £50

Unbeatable

Buying experience: Private purchase. £900 with 9k on the clock..

Year: 1994

Annual servicing cost: £100

Had a 900 diversion which I totally love ( but heavy) getting arthritis in one knee got cb 500 Honda so much easier to pull about as lighter Honda cb500 1994 love it to bits marks out of 5 it’s a great 10 yes that good !

Version: Cb500w

Year: 1998

Annual servicing cost: £100

I would recommend the bike to anyone, especially someone on an a2 licence, I’ve ridden the new CB500 and much prefer the older one, the handling is heavier but I’d say far superior, it can corner for fun and is so smooth, easily repaired, cheap for parts and so so much fun, it’s surprisingly comfortable aswell, it has under seat storage which is also handy

Buying experience: I bought mine privately, close to where I am staying, it was advertised at £1250, the seller was fantastic, a fair amount of spare parts came with it, as it was a road going track bike, I paid the full asking price, had a full service history and a bundle of receipts

Year: 1995

Undestructuble bike and well built machine

Year: 2002

Annual servicing cost: £30

When all the CBRs, ZZRs and Fireblades have gone to the knackers yard, my CB500 will still be tootling about the back roads and twisties... I believe Jesus rides one, I think he got it for Xmas off his dad.

Buying experience: I bought the bike off my mate's dad for £800 8 years ago !! Best investment I’ve ever made.

Version: its a pc32 but like pc26 (rear drum brake); made in Italy

Year: 1997

its my 1st bike, so I have only little comparison. But it seems inexpensive, reliable, does have very good ergonomics for 5'10'' person, good analog displays, is easy to ride; forgives small mistakes, suspension can and should be upgraded with better springs (its a much different bike then!), brakes are ok but far from greatness, engine wants to be revved/pushed to be fun, it does have enough power to overtake cars on country roads easily (if you revv it high!) and is fast enough for the Autobahn, the little Honda is not a showbike and not really good for cruising but nevertheless very versatile... I use it for commuting and for fun rides, also travelled the distance with full camping equipment,... yes, there are probably better allround bikes out there now - but I cant think of none for the money. Its a good 1st bike for safe and fun learning (without being lame) before deciding for s.th. more expensive with that experience (or sticking to the little one). Also I can recommend it as a everyday workhorse or as a budgetbike/ secondary/backup. 4 out of 5 only because of the just ok brakes and because sometimes I d like more punch at low/medium revs...

Buying experience: Bought it for a very reasonable price from an acquaintance, who opted for a different kind of bike. No regrets

Version: T, naked

Year: 1996

Annual servicing cost: £50

My first bike, had it for 6 years not, not planning to sell yet. Must learn how to wheelie with it first. Rusts with time, but it's what to expect from a 21 year old bike. Needs some work to get it running smoothly every now and then. Perfect for short riders and women as it is low and light.

Buying experience: Private seller. Got it for 1200 euros in year 2011

Year: 1999

Superb bike, so cheap to run ,milage 200,000 miles no problems just change the oils 120mph just keeps on going.

Version: Naked

Year: 1999

Annual servicing cost: £300

Just coming up to 100 000 miles and still going strong with over 7 000 miles ridden this year so far. Everything about the bike is perfect for me, the other bikes I have owned at the same time as the CB [955i Speed Triple, 900 Hornet, XJR1300, CB500X and Gladius] are at best 4/5 compared with the CB500s 5/5.

Buying experience: Bought new in 1999 from John Lee in Higham Ferrers for £3600

Version: CB500S

Year: 2002

Great first bike, big enough to put a nice sized box on the back for work gear etc.

Buying experience: Bought privately through a mate. €1600 in 2015.

Year: 1998

need to know specifications

Version: v

Year: 1997

I bought this bike as my first "big bike" (Thanks eu licence restrictions) Overall the bike is great! I bought mine for £1200 and fitted a few extra's such as heated grips and a full luggage system. I'm currently averaging at least 250 miles each week and the only part that lets the bike down is the organic bit that sits on it (me)! So far I've put on about 5K miles in the last 4 months and she hasn't missed a beat. Overall I'll never have any intentions to sell this bike.

Year: 1997

Annual servicing cost: £100

I brought my Honda CB500 last year for £1200, and with only 6k on the clock it was an absolute bargain because over 50k miles is pretty normal! So far I've used it for both work and fun on the weekends and its not had a single problem. Its a great first big bike or just a great bike in general. The performance is good and it handles very well. I personally like the brakes because they are very linear and strong when you want them to be. Handling is very good in all conditions and servicing is easy for anyone. I've had it a year and I'm not even thinking of upgrading because its so good for my commute and so reliable.

Year: 1997

An incredible bike, I paid £500 in 2013 with 23,000 Currently 38,000 and performs like a dream. I was knocked off my bike in early 2014, resulting with the bike being reluctantly sidelined to the back garden. A year later I returned to the bike with a new battery, two attempts later the bike started without any need for the choke!! Incredible! that same day I spontaneously rode the bike from Birmingham (Home) to London (University) with no issues and bearing in mind the petrol had been sat in the tank for a year! A month later I rode the bike around Europe, two up with luggage restricted to 47bhp, through mountains, motorways, rain, sunshine and 3000 mile later we returned home without the bike missing a beat! I would not only recommend the Honda, i'd make a mandatory law stating everyone should at least ride the little CB, I however realise, I may have been absurdly lucky with my bike but its the Best £500 I have ever spent and strongly recommend a CB500

Year: 1997

Annual servicing cost: £120

Superb 500. The best I have ever ridden. Really responsive, very easy to manage, all in all a really great all round bike.

Buying experience: Purchased privately. Paid good money - but very, very good example.

This bike is a brilliant all rounder that is really rewarding to ride - it has great performance at 'real' roadspeeds and the twin engine is really torquey making it feel a lot more powerful than it would suggest on the engine spec - it really flys once you get the revs up! I have loved every minute of riding it whether commuting/fast A road riding, even camping trips - it can keep up with all but the fastest bikes if you really give it some and the handling is great. My only criticisms are suspension is a bit bog standard which comes to light on rougher roads, and it is a bit too lightweight for very long distances and sustained highspeed riding ie motorways - its a bit vibey at high speed plus light front end, say over 85mph. my first recommendations are: get a givi screen and a tail rack plus heated grips and it'll really work all year round in any conditions, I easily get 55-60mpg (sometimes higher) even when riding fast/mixed conditions which gets over 200miles before hitting reserve. if you need a cheap bike to do it all and not ever let you down get one of these, you'll not regret it - the scores of london couriers who use them can't be wrong!! my only other comment is what a shame they stopped making them..

Doesn't break, does the buisness! Relativly lightweight, goes and stops well, cheap to run, insure and service, lots of parts available. I found the following website very usefull: http://www.cb500club.co.uk

I bought this bike after five years away after a big accident. I love it and cant bring myself to trade it in for something bigger. Had it for three happy years now. Its fast enough for the streets of London. The engine is smooth and powerful enough to comfortably cruise at 90mph on the motorway. I have had it up to 120mph but this is not its forte. Much better to take the A roads and enjoy the corners. 200 miles to a tank. Above 8000rpm it can move along nicely and can surprise a few other bikers when they haven't shaken you. Others of course fly on by! I ride this thing come rain, hail or snow. It always starts, never breaks, tough as nails. The alloy on the engine is corroding due to the year round riding. I wash is about once a couple of months so am definitely not religious about it. The bike is 14 years old now so its gotta show a few signs of age for a year round bike hey!? Suspension has its limits but have replaced the front springs and oil to stiffen it up as well as replaced the crappy Hagon shock someone put on it. Bought it for £1250 three years ago with 10k on the clock. Cost £110 a year for insurance. It just doesn't make sense to get rid of this little beast!

Absolutely love this bike, it hardly breaks, and if it ever does you can guarantee that you (the rider) is most likely to blame. The bike is so forgiving, if you thrash it about it just gets on with it. MPG is brill, even in heavy traffic.

I have taken this bike two up touring (with all camping gear) into the alps and it has been completely reliable. I use it for a 100 mile round trip commute twice a week in all weather and to bust traffic in London. It is cheap to run, enough fun on smaller roads to make you grin and holds its value very well, there are always people wanting one after their test. BT45s are the best tyres for it. Frequent oil changes will see the engine last forever. 180 miles / tank cheap spare parts cheap insurance cheap servicing loads of mpg BUT I still can't wait to get a bigger bike after 5 years!

I've done 15000miles on it and its only done just over 480000! Seen some people with over 100,000 "!"""!!! Best tyres I have found to be are bridgestones bt 45's. It's so trouble free only gotta replace the clutch cable but tht can wait and i like to race the couriers lol I can beat most :). It's been to bout 140 and I've got 130 with my mate on the back on the motorway. 0-60 I've had it over in less than 5. I love it and can't wait to get a cbr600f next April. Strengths: Engine its a Honda!. Petrol consumption is wicked, at least 50mpg or bout 100miles per £10. Weaknesses: The brakes could be a bit better, but better than my old 250 wetdream lol.

I bought my CB500s the day after I passed my test. I did think about getting a 600 but common sense kicked in and I parted my cash and bought it. After a year's ownership I haven't looked back, it's economical, servicing is cheap and it's mega reliable. OK, it's not the fastest bike in the world but for a 500cc it's great. I've shocked some bigger bikes quite a few times! I've never had any problems with it. It's fun to ride and a great bike to learn your skills on as it's really forgiving. I recommend it to anyone! Strengths: It's fast for what it is, economical, reliable, brilliant bike. Weaknesses: Brakes could be a bit sharper (but they're fine) Gearbox is a bit clunky in 1st and second.

Great introduction to larger bikes. Easy to learn and very forgiving. Quick enough round town and M/ways, nippy on the twisty stuff too with gr8 handling. Feels like its never going to trip you up other than a slight run in with some black ice and a mini roundabout. Brakes could be better. Corrosion on downpipes is a bit quicker than expected although it was ridden all thru' winter. Buy one !!

First bike since passing my test. Good solid handling machine, found this out during my bike training course with MAC. Good powerband. A bit blustery at the higher speeds requiring you to hang on.

This is my first proper bike and it is excellent. It handles well. The only thing I dont like is the exhaust. I think I will change this in the future.

I bought this bike as my company vehicle and as such it was used for eight months commuting to and from Macclesfield to Milton Keynes (250 mile round trip). With a weeks worth of clothes in the topbox and a laptop bungeed to the seat . The bike did suffer power wise on the bends and twists - but once on the motorway it was fine. Cruising at any speed between 70-100 is no problem and gives over 55 MPG. The only (big) problem I find with this, is severe hand numbing vibration - tightening the bar ends didn't have any effect. It's a great bike to ride in the wet (and snow) as the power in both quantity and delivery is very mellow, while the handling is great. The finish isn't great, but regular spraying with WD40 seems to keep most of the corrosion at bay. I don't really use the bike for 'fun' as I also own a Triumph Speed Triple, but the CB is great around less than perfect, bumpy little lanes and is probably faster than my Triumph in quite a few situations (don't tell anyone..). Easy predictable handling and power is often overlooked these days in the pursuit of power, but it's these very traits that make some bikes a lot quicker round the bends than their spec says they should be. The CB is one of these... It would be good to see the CB updated with a CC/Power Increase and maybe a more protective fairing - but I guess this is then getting into Deauville territory?

Feels very stable, very reliable. Has just about enough oomph with no passenger on board. fuel efficient, cheap to insure. Not enough oomph, especially with a passenger. Jittery engine at low revs.

Very reliable bike, toured abroad (France) and in Southern Ireland on it. The finish holds up well if you look after it during the winter although I have had a new exhaust under warranty after the paint started flaking off it. The mirrors and vibration are the only problem. OK for day to day work and I can scratch with the best of them on track days but if you're touring then it becomes a pain. That is only if you're doing 500 or so miles a day.

Perfect for riding all year round any weather bike . Has been 100% reliable despite having a noisy gearbox, hasn't got any worse in 3 years though. Had a new cam chain tensioner at 12000 miles (common fault I've been told). I do all own servicing no problems at all. Only wish I had a faired one.

Smashing little bike.Will commute all week and then stay with the fast bikes on the twisties with the bike club at the week-end. Loves to rev and the real action lives above 5000 to the redline (10,500) with a little additional powerband at 8000rpm. Corners with real confidence and screams when overtaking at speed. The seat is comfy for 100 miles at a time and fuel is required after 170 miles or reserve chimes in. Being a twin there is a little vibration but this is minimal and gives a bit of character. To sum up a cheap really good all rounder and quite exclusive-a well kept secret.