CB500 - Any good?

[joshdudeha]

Hello,

After passing my test in November I am finally starting to look at bigger bikes. The one that's taken my fancy is a Honda CB500 - but I wanted all of you lovely people's thoughts on it before I make a decision.

I'm really not bothered about having a nice looking bike, I just want something with a bit more power than my YBR, cheap to insure and to run. Is the CB500 reliable? Is it good as a first 'big bike'? I know it's only a twin, how is this compared to a 4?

Looking to sell my YBR and I should then have enough for a CB and to get it restricted

Thanks for your help guys
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Piaggio Zip 50 -> Yamaha YBR 125 -> Kawasaki GPZ500S '96 -> Suzuki GSF600N Bandit -> Honda CBR 600FW
Theory Test: 13/07/2011 Passed! | Mod 1: 27/07/2011 Passed! | Mod 2: 17/11/2011 Passed!!!!!

[ElliotReidMD]

It seems to me that people generally rate the CB500 as the best of the DAS favoured 500cc commuters. If I had bought a 500 after passing my test I probably would have bought a CB over an ER (which I did my DAS on).
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Current Bike: Kawasaki Versys

[RePT]

It's the best in its league, well...in comparison to the GS500 and ER5.

Honda, best engine build forever!

[Alex_B]

Hey, you could do worse man.

Pretty nippy, especially after riding a 125, you'll be grinning, I assure you

Very reliable but spend what you can afford and try to find a late one.
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My Lane Position is always AWESOME!!

[JustGraham]

From what I've heard, its a good bike, reliable, cheap to insure, and plenty of spares available if it does go wrong and with a average 50mpg.

here's a review,

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/mcn/2008/august/18-24/aug2108-honda-cb500-beats-the-credit-crunch/

and owners club,

https://www.cb500club.co.uk/forum

and other excellent bikes bikes you maybe interested in this group are also,
yamaha diversion (i own a 98 S one)
suzuki bandit
Kawasaki ER5

good luck with your purchase

[Ingah]

Just don't set your heart on it and buy one at all costs. Very expensive mistake.

GPZ500S is a better value for money version, 94+ models are just as good really, but can be had far cheaper.
GS500 and ER-5 are the cheaper and 'worse' (not necessarily bad, just clearly not as good).
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-- Ingah

[The Shaggy D.A.]

I've had my CB500 for coming up to 6 years now, and other than the usual consumables I've had to replace the reg/rec and the speedo. It's always done what I've asked of it and it's economical to run.

I'd have another, or maybe the GPZ500s for the fairing. Saying that, it is time for a change
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Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[swampy]

I had one for my fist big bike. MPG is great, cheap to insure and not as intimidating to step up to as a 600 (IMO). Mine did me well for the year I had it, and I'm thinking of getting another for more frugal commuting than my VFR (not that i'd get rid of that either- Honda fanboi here). I only got the viffer as I wanted something more comfortable for carrying a pillion and touring on (not that I've had much chance over the past few years)..
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"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me." Hunter S Thompson
"Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death..." Hunter S Thompson

[Teflon-Mike]

They weigh over 200Kg; they are a pretty 'substantial' motorcycle, for something with only two cylinders!

Personally, I think they are over-complicated with that water-cooled motor; under-powered, and over weight, and thoroughly uninspiring, and for same weight and money rate my CB750, with air-cooled four-cylinder motor, and half as much more power, the 'better' bike to go for....

BUT... they are a fairly 'dependable' mount, a good newbie bike, and 'restricted' anyway, the over-weight & under-powered bit makes little odds!

Twin pot motor is nice and 'soft', it's less 'eager' to rev out and encourage lunacy than a four, and gives you better 'sense' of what the motor is doing.

Its handling is a little 'soggy' compared to other commuter twins... but trade off is its stable & predictable, and surprisingly comfy.

All-Round, its a pretty 'safe' Newbie choice and a natural progression from the YBR, likely to prove cheaper to insure, more frugal on juice, and generally nicer to ride.

If you 'like' it, go for it, you could do a LOT worse.

Only warning; Honda Build Quality, renowned as it is, does NOT mean that they are indestructable. CB500 is a 'hack'; built down to a price when new, for a budget conciouse commuter market, its build & finish is NOT as good as more aspirational models; and living in the commuter world, few second hand examples will have ever been 'pampered'; they will have lived outside for large portions of thier life, even if only in staff car-parks, in all weathers; and bought & used as 'Cheap Wheels' they will have cranked up miles with minimum-cost-maintenence... and flogged on when they start getting 'expensive', and on a bike in that price range, a new set of tyres & C&S kit could be considered more expense than they are worth; a dealer top end service expensive enough to deem one scrap. Hard used bikes, with seemingly small 'problems' can easily prove a money-pit.

Buy as 'good' as you can afford, and don't be scared of bikes with long list of former keepers!

Low Owner bikes are likely to have been keepers, run into the ground as regular commuters, day in, day out.

High Owner bikes, 'more likely' to have had a secession of newly qualified owners, buying it as a 'first big bike', treating it fairly gently at first, soon ragging the arse off it, and selling on soon after for something more inspiring.
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Moxey]

I would rate a CB 500 as the best of the 500 twin range, had a go of a mates and was nice and comfy to sit on, did not feel the weight that Mike just mentioned mind you coming from a Bandit maybe its just me though the Bandit isn't supposed to be a great deal heavier than a CB but it certainly felt it to me in both wheeling the bike around and riding it just felt alot lighter.

GS 500 yeah air cooled and Suzuki......thats all I can say I like of them but worth a punt haven't ridden one personally so can't comment on the ride.

ER 5 apparently just as dependable as the others, but recently 2 mates of mine one has a ER 5 and the other a GPZ 500 which share very similar engines, have both had headgasket and cooling problems so I'd be wary.

Mostly personal opinion but I'd hegde my bets on a CB 500, after riding one I would of preferred to have one over my Bandit as a first big bike, there are many reviews for CBs and the owners club all give a pretty good impression of them I know from what I remember looking at last year.

Crucially though I would recommend having a sit of a few bikes in the range of what your looking for and if possible have a test ride to see what you prefer and as all bikes your looking at are likely to be used, google what you should be looking for when buying a used bike.
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Current: 02 FZS 1000 & 51 Moto Guzzi California Some Bike Pics...
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[joshdudeha]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts- have cleared a few things up for me.

It's going to be a bit of a pain in the arse - going to have to look around for good bikes, sell mine and possibly not have a bike for a while until I actually buy another one (who wants to wait around for someone to sell their own bike before buying yours haha).

Are they fairly easy to restrict? Been looking at the threads where you buy the carb jets and washers - relatively easy to put in?

Again, thanks everyone - feel excited about getting a new bike now haha
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Piaggio Zip 50 -> Yamaha YBR 125 -> Kawasaki GPZ500S '96 -> Suzuki GSF600N Bandit -> Honda CBR 600FW
Theory Test: 13/07/2011 Passed! | Mod 1: 27/07/2011 Passed! | Mod 2: 17/11/2011 Passed!!!!!

[bencav]

I did DAS on a CB500. Not too bad at all, but as said, wouldnt go back there now.

I bought a Divvy 600 as my first 'big bike' and found it lots more refined than the Honda, had to sort a few niggles, but otherwise, was a pleasure to own (To the point that I wish I hadnt sold the thing!!)

I found Divvys in decent condition pretty scarce and had to go to the other side of the UK to get mine, but the condition was absolutely immaculate, low milage and 1 owner. Bought it for £1100 in 2010, 12K miles best part of a year T&T on an 02 plate

[whitedevil]

If you can afford the insurance get a bigger bike.
While the 500 commuters are ok they're also boring, have bad brakes and suspension and have short service intervals.
I wish i'd gone straight to my CBR after my test.
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GPZ500 sold ~ CBR600FS-2 sold ~ ZX6R sold ~ Street Triple R