Simple, reliable, tireless, the twin -cylinder engine from the CB 500 family (now also identified by other acronyms) is one of the most solid and reliable on the market. Equip motorcycles with different settings: Naked, Adventure, Sportiva and Cruiser. He made himself known for low consumption, easy maintenance and a precise change. An engine born to be “normal” but thanks to its reliability it has become … special!
Who goes slowly … avoid the mechanic. We could thus summarize the philosophy of the Honda CB 500 family, in circulation since 2013 and still today among the smartest choices for those looking for a solid, cheap and well -built bike, with an engine that seems designed to last longer than the owner. It is not a bar bike, but it is the bike that takes us everywhere. And he always brings us back home.
A big family
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Born as the spiritual heir of the famous CB 500 of the nineties, that of the single -brand trophy and the students of the driving schools, the new CB series retains the same one Technical sobriety that made its ancestor an icon of reliability. But it does so with an updated aesthetics, a modern cycling and a technical basis that, however simple, has undergone numerous improvements over the years. From 2013 to today, the CB 500 has been declined in different versions: CB 500 F, city naked and essential, which since 2024 has been renamed Hornet; CB 500 x (now NX500), compact and surprisingly comfortable adventures also for long trips; CBR 500 R, the most honest hull sportsman there is; Rebel 500, or CMX 500 Rebel, urban reinterpretation in a cruiser key. The beauty is that, while sharing the same engine, these motorcycles have distinct personalities, yet all revolve around A quality that proves only over time: mechanical longevity.
born to last
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The engine of the CB 500 (which today are called NX) is a parallel twin cylinder of 471 ccwith liquid cooling, double camshaft and four valves for cylinder. It is coupled to a 6 -speed gearbox and equipped with electronic injection. It is not an engine designed to excite the performance level, but to offer fluidity, torque to medium regimens and very small consumption. And it succeeds perfectly since with about 48 HP and 43 Nm of torque, it allows you to travel shipped on the highway, face mountain roads with panache, and at the same time moving in urban traffic with a wire of gas. All with a mechanical sweetness almost as a scooter, but without sacrificing the pleasure of true guide. It is precisely in this “normality” that its strength lies. The engine always runs regular, It has very few vibrations, and shows no signs of fatigue Not even after many tens of thousands of kilometers. The mechanics know it well: it is one of those engines that never return to the workshop for serious failures but only for ordinary maintenance coupons.
the wallet thanks
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The CB 500 is the perfect example of how Japanese engineering can produce economic means to maintain, but not trivial for this. Ordinary coupons have 12,000 km intervalsthe valves are controlled every 24,000 (but rarely need adjustments), and the engine oil can also be changed by themselves in a few minutes. On average, A standard coupon in an official workshop costs between 120 and 150 eurosand the most expensive intervention (valves + candles) is around 250 euros. The tires are of contained, therefore cheap, and original Honda or aftermarket spare parts are abundant. Consumption? Real, not from the catalog: 30–32 km/l in mixed useand over 35 km/l with a quiet guide. With a 17.7 liter tank, it means traveling for more than 500 km without stopping to refuel. A small record, this too.
a change change
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The 6 -speed gearbox is one of the least celebrated components, but more appreciated in the daily guide. The grafts are precise, the relating is well spaced and the control of the clutch is light and progressive. On the most recent versions, the clutch is also assisted and antisaltellationrare detail in this segment. There are no strange noises, there are no marches that jump, there are no adjustments to make. It is a change that makes its profession in silence, and that often forgets … precisely because it always works.
not only for novice drivers
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The CB 500 is not only the bike of those who have just taken the A2 license: It is also the bike of those who, after having changed many, go back to get something that I don’t give thoughts. In many Italian and European guide schools, the reference bike is still today. In Asia, it is one of the favorites for the rapid couriers and services fleets. But you also find it in the garages of those who do 30,000 km a year and have no time for bar chat: people who just want to leave and arrive. On dedicated Facebook groups, it is Easy to find users with 80,000, 100,000 or more kilometers paths without ever having opened the engine. And there are those who, with the CB 500 X, have gone around the world by loading suitcases, bag, tank and dreams without ever having a breakdown.
an intelligent choice
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The prices of a new CB 500 are between 6,500 and 7,400 euros based on the setting you choose. If, on the other hand, it focuses on a recent used (2021–2023), the average expenditure can vary from 5,000 to 6,000 euros, often with less than 20,000 km and accessory equipment (bags, boncans, windshield). AND It is not difficult to find interesting opportunities, starting from 4,000 eurosof CB 500 X, the most common at national level. To the mechanical reliability is added the average annual expenditure (insurance, stamp duty, maintenance) which does not exceed 500 euros, depending on the residence area. As for any inconveniences, the availability of spare parts is excellent, and for those who love DIY online there are also many tutorials. For those looking for a motorcycle suitable for any situation, from the city to a long European journey, the CB 500 (in any version) It is one of the most rational answers. He will not turn people turn to the traffic light, do not have the sound of a four in line, and it is not even the lightest of his segment. But every time you set by motorbike, it will bring to your destination without problems. It is a motorcycle to make the way, experience, life.
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