A must bike for anyone. Experienced or not
Nothing has gone wrong at all.
As an inexperienced rider, I found this bike a dream to get used too. The handling is great. Very responsive. A great bike to start out on.
Only drawback is the vibration through the mirrors - it's hard to tell what's happening behind you.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 12th June, 2005
Superb, Fun and Reliable
Nothing has gone wrong since I have owned it. Had new rear brake pads and new rear tyre just before I bought it, but these are wear and tear parts, so not a problem.
What a great bike, It's sticking to Honda's reputation for reliability and build quality.
The acceleration is superb for a 500 twin, and compared to my previous bike, a 250, it feels really fast and capable. Its smooth and comfortable, maybe a bit clunky when engaging 1st from neutral, but that's it. Obviously, being unfaired the wind blow is quite noticable at high speeds, but that's the price you pay for having a 'naked' bike.
She certainly gives you confidence, and is very forgiving should you make a mistake. The handling is spot on too.
The fuel consumption is pretty good, returning an average of 55MPG, but I'm sure it's capable of better if you refrain from riding hard. There's a superb power-band when you hit about 7,500 RPM, and it's so tempting to take it there as often as possible.
The riding position is comfortable, and the seat is as comfy as I would expect. She always starts and I've never heard the engine even splutter, but Honda have tested the engine to 200,000 miles, so at 12,000 I wouldn't expect her to.
So, for an all round exceptional bike that's capable of scratching, commuting, touring or more-or-less anything you care to ask it to do: Buy one!
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 18th January, 2005
Hi. As an owner of a 1998 CB500, I would like to say the review I read on your site was spot on. This is the first time I have driven anything bigger than a 125cc bike, and getting up on this machine was just a bit scary. But after a short time, I felt like I had ridden one for years. It was very forgiving as you mentioned, yet had a great sense of power.
As my bike has full fairing, the wind factor does not really come into it. The only drawback may be the vibration in the mirrors makes it difficult to tell what's happening behind you, but with the acceleration as responsive as it is, it rarely matters.
Thanks for listening to my comments and taking the time to read them.
18th Nov 2005, 05:47
Vibrating mirrors sounds odd. I drive a cb500 and don't have that problem. Are your mirrors screwed on tight enough? Or is there excessive vibration coming from the engine? I dropped my cb a year ago and replaced my mirrors with long stemmed, rectangular mirrors, and they are much better.
The only problem I have with my cb500 is, since I got heated grips, it runs a little poorly at low speeds (only when the grips are on, obviously). My mechanic fitted them for me and he assured me that my bike could take them. I don't think my bike has any electrical faults because everything works perfectly otherwise.