2016 Honda CBR500R to debut at AIMExpo

Honda will unveil the 2016 Honda CBR500R on October 15 at the American International Motorcycle Expo in Florida.

With some design upgrades, including a slightly modified bodywork as well as new dual LED headlight, the 2016 CBR500R is also likely to get minor mechanical upgrades.

According to Honda, the upgraded CBR500R will get a complete new look based on a design theme of “Aggressive Speed Shape” with sharp and edgy character lines and a sleek look that will give an appearance of speed and purpose.

There are several rider focussed upgrades as well, including front suspension with adjustable pre-load, larger fuel tank with new hinged fuel cap, adjustable brake levers and “wave” style ignition key.

The Honda CB500 twins have been quite popular in Western markets, particularly in Europe, because of their low cost, reliability and good handling, since the time they were first introduced in 1993. A completely new family of 500cc twin engine motorcycles was announced as replacement in 2013, initially comprising three variants – CBR500R, CB500F and the CB500X.

And it’s got impressive performance as well. The 471cc in-line twin with a 180-degree crank and balancer shaft in the current CBR500R makes 47PS of peak power and has an indicated top speed of about 170kmph.

It’s not clear whether Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India have any plans of introducing the CBR500R in India. But if there are any such plans, it will need to have significant parts localisation to come with an attractive sticker price.  We sure hope there are such plans; a 500cc parallel twin with smooth, responsive acceleration and decent performance seems to be just what the Indian motorcycle market needs, provided it’s priced right.