HONDA CBR500R (2014 - 2016) Review

Cracking round the bends. I’ve had two 2006 bandit 650s and an older GSXF600 before and thought it was me not having confidence meaning I’m slow round the bends but they were actually buses in comparison! Suspension good for the bumps and front brake is strong rear is adequate. More upright riding position than the bars suggest but perched seat means you can crouch down a bit behind the screen.

Have to wring it but that’s all the fun. All you need for the road kept up with Ducati’s on the road no problem and keeps you in sensible speeds while delivering fun. Would be pants on track I’m sure on the straights but great for the road. Flat power delivery but in a good way - novice friendly and entertaining.

It’s a Honda! Starts on the button no problem and only the usual consumables so far. Not bad for a 35,000 mile 6 owner machine when I got it and not showing any significant wear just the usual.

£2,500 for a cracking road bike. Official MPG figures way off (probably due to my aprocovic!) but I still get 55-60 MPG and welcome the additional noise (not intrusive but a bit more throaty). Insurance is a lot for a 28 year old with no no claims but that’s the insurance companies who are to blame!

Fuel injection and ABS as standard small LED screen but sensible layout very legible at a glance with all the info you read and MPG read out. Just about 190 miles range excellent for £2,500.

The ride quality for me is bob on, bearing in mind I am only 5' 7" and 11 stone (71kg), the seat is comfortable and I did a good 5 hours riding with a couple of quick stops for fuel and had no issues. Brakes, they're adequate, I could easily fit better pads without spending lots of money and maybe braided brake lines even but to be honest, if you use front and rear together you can get by.

The engine is smooth and responsive, it likes to transit from tick over to full out revs rather than labouring at mid rev point which can be annoying if your trying to ride nicely through a little Welsh village for example but the solution seems to be to drop to second and use that until the road opens up again.

For a 2014 bike I was both surprised and pleased with what I found on the strip down, forks in good nick, chassis all ok and free from rust, tank and fairings as new, seat etc also very good, wheels no sign of oxidisation, bearings all free and smooth, the chain and sprockets were all good as well but could have been changed recently. The one bad thing I found is that the side stand doesn't return quickly, it might be the spring but I suspect a worn bush or pin.

The bike is not demanding in consumables, mine already had good bridgestones front and rear but having changed oil, plugs and filters for quality kit this bike looks like it will be cheap enough to keep in good condition for quite some time. MPG is amazing, over 60MPG for sure and looking like 70+.

Well you can't have everything can you. Equipment ermm I don't really class lights and indicators as equipment, their part of the bike, the lights light, front head light not too badly actually, and the indicators indicate. The clock is a nice feature but a gear indicator would have been useful, I can't be arrised to fit an aftermarket one though.

The ride quality is good in terms of it being a Jack of all trades, not too firm so as to break your spine over long distances (having done 650 miles in one day) it's the perfect small tourer. It's not so soft that you can't push on and find the limit of the bike easily in the very best way. I felt like Mick Doohan or Vale scraping pegs on every bend and maxing out the engine, the GSX-R just doesn't bring that much joy unless you're on a track.

I did 35,000 miles in two years, I did all servicing myself and I'm still on the original battery. It's bulletproof, nothing can stop it apart from the 125mph barrier... that's a struggle unless you're heading downhill. It's pushy, but not nearly as fast as a 600cc bike. It makes up for it with the sheer delight of getting everything out of it.

It's Honda, don't let the smaller engine fool you. It can go for miles and miles, I did nearly 40,000 on mine and got it written off as a CAT D and you'd never know it had done 1000. I would take it around the world with me now without even changing the oil.

The Honda has a good ABS system but without TC and anti-slide. It doesn't need it due to the power but it just makes you feel like you're completely in control which is why I moved on to the GSX-R. I fitted some Bridgstone S21 tyres and it transformed the ride.

In the dry it's nicely planted although too soft at the rear which makes it squirm in such a way that it affects the handling overall. In the wet it's spinning up with hardly any extraordinary throttle input and the front will slip if you are not careful - in this respect I would not put my worst enemy on this machine as a new rider.

Mopeds will blow you away in first and second, 3rd up is good for a buzz in the dry but my god do you have to work it.

First, the petrol cap seized up within the first year and had to be replaced alongside the ignition barrel, was replaced under warranty luckily otherwise expect a £600 bill. Head bearings were shot within the first year, never experienced this on any other Japanese bike. I'm sure they never greased it up properly in the factory. Out of mileage warranty (£250). Passing filter switch not working within 13 months although this was down to Dobles mechanics damaging it when replacing the clutch cable then they denied it. Clutch cable shot after 13 months - never experienced this again on any other Japanese manufacturer. Chain and sprocket were shocking after one year and needed replacing (£200). The ABS disc looks ten years old after one year.

Looks are good but the bike is too skinny and needs a bigger petrol tank and overall dimensions. This bike has cost me more to maintain than a K9 GSXR600!

Using single front disc brake to stop a motorcycle of this weight is barely acceptable. Ride quality is fairly comfortable

Reasonable power & torque. Running very smooth.

Overall quality is good. Nothing rattle or vibrate so far. Just disappointed by the cheap looking swingarm.

Annual service cost is acceptable, not much different with other model or brand. Fuel economy is fairly good.

No gear position indicator, spool adapter. Badly design storage compartment, water gets in every time, as well as dust or grime come in from below.

Plush ride is a real surprise for what could be a budget bike, handling is very good to about 8/10ths, with the new updated suspension. Brakes very good, 2 finger stopping. Rides to Germany and back, no problem with the effective fairing.

Very good torque for a 500cc, only thing wanting is a little more top end, but then it wouldn't be a 500cc A2 bike. More power than you need to get out of cars, especially below 120kph. Very smooth engine for a twin. Honda like.

Zero issues, nearly a quality looking as a VFR800F!

Very inexpensive 1st service vs 4 Cyl bikes, long maintenance intervals. Simple, bullet proof.

+ Finish is high quality, like the bronze engine finish, LED headlamps, adjustable suspension and levers etc. + Added available Heated grips, nice, and USB plug. - Could use a Gear indicator and Outside Temperature Gauge, otherwise complete.

Ride quality is superb although i find that at low rpm's trying to keep a steady 30 mph can be feel quite jerky sometimes, this may be due to my exhaust i've installed and haven't yet re-mapped. I've ridden a inline-4 and found it much smoother so perhaps this is just a trait of a parallel twin engine. Single cylinders seem to be the same. Going through the rpm's and gears though is lovely. It just seems it want's to get up and go. Brakes are not as strong as i like especially the back, never having an abs bike before i'm not sure i like it as i feel the abs kicks in quite early.

Engine runs sweet as, throughout the rev range. As mentioned before holding a steady 3-4000rpm is slightly jerky but other than that the engine is perfect. It really has some go between 5-8000 alothugh i often keep it between 3-4000 for town & city riding. The engines surprisingly doesn't start to cut out and stall until as little as 1500-2000rpm. You really have power throughout the rev range which is really good for new riders. it doesn;t take much effort to ride this or get it going compared to a nija 300 which you need to rev the beans of to get it moving. However, personally i think i prefer if the engine did have a higher rev liit as the 8000 comes a little too soon.

Reliability 5/5 never had a problem, quality i'd give it a 4/5. The gear box can be quite clunky at times. Overall the finish is really good for the price.

Just a service via the recommended miles. Chain and sprocket have done fine, the standard tyres needed changing at 5000 miles.

Standard tyres are okay along with sprocket and chain but when changing i would upgrade to something better but it's not something that i would rush to change.

Front brakes does the job but by no means are the best but come with ABS as standard. Ride quality in the twisties are good and where the bike is best. You cannot really ride pillion (Unless you are both light and you are very friendly with the rider). It is a really good all round bike for one. If you are tall then you need an aftermarket screen otherwise prepare to freeze in winter or get neck ache.

Very good for a twin, power is smooth across the rev range. One or two gears out there is more than enough torque to get good power delivery. Compared to the 650F you have to ride it a bit harder to get good progress but i feel you get to use more of this bike on UK roads.

It's a Honda but i have only covered 1500 miles

I average about 76mpg with a mix of riding. Very cheap to insure, servicing i guess is about average.

Getting aftermarket parts can be difficult for the 2016 model. There is no gear indicator. ABS is standard. Really dislike the rear number plate assembly so think a tail tidy is needed also a radiator guard is probably needed as after a week the front radiator had a few stone bends in the fins.

The ride comfort is excellent. I'm over 6 foot tall and can ride for 3 hours with no discomfort thanks to the low seat (785 mm) and relatively high bars. Standard screen and fairing does a really good job of deflecting air.

The engine pulls smoothly from as low as 1500 rpm, has perfect fuelling on bog-standard petrol and can hold a steady speed in built-up areas without any snatching (unlike my previous KTM 690 Duke), Even running-in has sufficient power and torque to hold its speed uphill and into a strong headwind.

Too early to say but build quality appears to be excellent

Over 250 miles, 92 mpg checked brim-to-brim. Running-in at maximum of 5000rpm.

It has everything I need without switchable maps and riding modes. If I am picky it could do with a gear indicator but a previous 2010 Fireblade didn't have one either.

Great ride quality, but would benefit from double front brakes when dealing with speeds of 120mph, the chassis loves hard corners, but braking with one brake means earlier braking and a slower ride.

Great motor, would benefit from a high rev limit as 8.5k redline is reached reasonably quick.

Although in 2015 I had two recalls on my CBR, they were quickly taken care of. The bike feels the same as when i bought it 7000 miles ago.

£28 per month service plan is good value.

Great, easy to modify or adjust. Replaced the large Dunlop rear

Numb Bum syndrome, but then it's 20 years since I rode, and I'm a tad on the old side (60)

Smooth and enough power for an old fart

It's a Honda, enough said

So far, 3.5 - 4.0 L/100k......impressive eh?

Gear indicator!!!!....5000 rpm and 100 kph equals 6'th gear, anything else is guess work

okay

Solid if a little unspectacular. You soon get a bit bored of it. Maybe I can take the A2 restrictor kit off... oh no I can't it hasn't got one. this is it.

Furry nuts and bolts after a while.

First service is pricey because it needs valve clearance checking/adjusting. Okay after that little shock

Basic - you get what you pay for. In this case, not much!