Honda CB500-What should i look for?

[crazymotorbik...]

Hey,
I've been offered a job thats a 45minute ride from where i live. At the moment i have a highly unreliable Kawasaki GPZ305. Its been that bad its put me off buying another Kawasaki ever again.

I've been looking at a few Honda CB500's. The last one i saw was in Robspeeds, Grimsby:

£2199
Y Reg
Honda CB500 Sport
Crash Bars
Top Box
Serviced

I've checked the guide price and its £1800. Im not keen on paying £2000 for a work bike.

My question is what should i be looking for in a CB500? For example the year and the milegae?

Cheers,
Shaun.

[Whosthedaddy]

Some reviews off of MCN include:

as reliable as a bike could be
engine its a honda! petrol consumption it wicked at least 50mpg or bout 100miles per £10
User friendly(fair underseat storage), good finish, high resale value, light and fairly low seat, brilliant engine
Easy to ride, quality build, great first bike, beats a Porsche at the lights, superb value, great for early trackdays
Lasts forever.Cheap insurance.Cheap on spare parts and you will get around 200 miles out of ten quids of petrol and thats thrashing it.Look at all the couriers with them,what does that tell you!.Always use honda chain and sprockets,I had tons of miles on honda sets. Excellent if you have just passed your test.Sensible and sure.Its a honda!
Cheap reliable runner with nice power > 7000 rpm Get a scottoiler & you will never replace the chain OK for taller riders = I'm 6"1 User friendly - get on & ride Will surprise a few sportbikes in the twisties Good at 90 mph with a little screen OK for 2 up for shortish trips > 100 miles Motor will run & run & run... Best rubber = Pirelli Demon


the only weakness is the clutch cable-only lasts about 10-15000,so it's a good idea to carry a spare one.shocks are not the best in the world
Front fork stanchions always seemed too thin?heavy braking two up didn't inspire confidence.
Exhaust is painted mild steel, keep away from salt.
the brakes could be a bit better but better than my old 250 wetdream lol
Won't keep you entertained forever
Finish is poor in places and it will rust quickly if not cleaned regular.Front brakes could be better.only 130mph tops but remember its only a 500.Ugly,will not draw crowds.
Check for Downpipe rust Leaking front forks Battery = had to replace - This can happen to any bike & the replaced battery was the original = not bad for 32 k miles
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Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy

[bin]

If I was going for a budget workhorse a honda 500 would be one of the bikes I would choose.
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...its what you make of it...
...Silver Suzuki gsx1400...

[stinkwheel]

As has been said, have a good look at the exhaust. If it is the original one they can rot away astonishingly quickly. My neighbour actually got a new system under warranty on his one, it had only been on the bike 18 months).

Oh, and don't judge all Kawasakis by the 305. They alway were notoriously unreliable, lovely to ride though. Trouble is, it is a bored out 250 and can't cope, too much power for the engine design. The 250 skorpion was a much more reliable bike (actually, I've seen a few 305s with the 250 engine in. Trouble is you need the back-end too because the 250 was chain drive)

[BanditBitch]

What about a Kawasaki ER5, good commuter bike. Mine is reliable and economical and I reckon you would pick one up cheaper than a CB500.

[crazymotorbik...]

Hey,

Thanks for all the replies. The bikes back at the mechanics again.

I was considering an ER5, they seem farily bullet proof, but are they as good as a CB500?

Cheers,
Shaun

[instigator]

Not 'as' good in that they do have a few minor problems that the cb500 doesn't seem to get.

Corrosion. Look after an er5 with wd40 and fs365 and you'll have no problems. Don't look after it and the er5 will corrode quicker than the cb500, fact.

Rectifier. The original rectifier on the er5 usually conks out after 15-22k and it can take the battery along with it. If it's approaching 15k, I would say it is safest to buy a replacement (£60) and they usually last more than 60k.

The above opinion is formed having owned an er5 and been on a few user groups.

I would recommend an er5 over a similar age cb500 due to the price. A y-reg er5, less than 15k usually sells for maybe £1100 at the VERY most. Do not pay over that amount. I paid £1100 for an x-reg 2 years ago, about 10k on the clocks. Dodsi paid £1000 for a y-reg 2 years ago with similar miles.

That said cb500s are bullet proof and you can pick them up for £500-700 for an older one which is probably what I would go for myself having bought and sold a fair few bikes.

[phk6]

i have a cb 500 so far its been pritty good clutch cable did snap on me but im dam sure it was the original, foot hanger snapped off while traveling at 80 but saying that it did have a slight crack in it when i bought it the stadard exhausts are shit rust to fuck so i put a nice new one on

erm just look for genral tidyness if it has a good service history then youll be getting a top bike, saying that mine has fuck all service history and ive had a few small problems with it but all have been easily fixed, but i donthitnk you could go rong unless your looking for a sports bike which a cb500 is deffently not.
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Current .. 2008 BMW R 1200 GS Adventure ..
Before .. 2003 Yamaha Fazer 1000 .. 2004 Kawazaki Z1000 .. 2003 Suzuki Sv1000s .. 1999 zx6r Track Bike .. 1999 CB 500 Cup ..
/Phil