Revealed at the CIMAMotor show in China, the CB500 Super Four and CBR500R Four introduce inline four-cylinder tech to Honda’s 500-cc class
Honda has taken the wraps off the CB500 Super Four retro-naked and the CBR500R Four supersports motorcycle at the just-concluded China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition (CIMAMotor) show in Chongqing, China. The two new motorcycles introduce inline-four engine configurations to Honda’s 500-cc lineup, which was previously limited to parallel-twin engines.
Exact numbers are hazy yet, but the CB500 Super Four ( or CB500SF) and the CBR500R share the same all-new 502-cc inline-four engine that puts out roughly 80 hp. They also come with Honda’s second-generation e-clutch system that employs small electric motors to automatically control the clutch. In its first generation, as seen on the CBR650R and CB650R, the rider was able to control both downshifts and upshifts, but with the new 500s, the machine will downshift automatically while the rider will still retain control over upshifts. The revised e-clutch has also seen its electric motors moving from the right to the left side of the engine, which Honda claims have improved the overall weight distribution. Five ride modes, aided by throttle-by-wire, are on offer.
The CB500 Super Four is a nice return to form for Honda, which produced the legendary CB750 Four, still fondly remembered as the world’s first ever “superbike,” back in the 70s. It also shares not just its name but also its direct lineage with the CB400 Super Four that was introduced in 1992. Honda already has a 500-cc CBR supersports motorcycle on sale, but the new machine promises to offer much better performance, not to mention overall sportiness as evinced by its class-leading cycle parts.
Ah yes, the cycle parts. Despite their visual differences, both the motorcycles are built around a diamond-shaped steel frame with the engine acting as a stressed member of the chassis. They share the same suspension as well: a USD fork at the front and a Honda ProLink aluminium swingarm-mounted monoshock at the rear. The front brakes – dual discs gripped by radially mounted four-piston callipers – are from Nissin.
Style-wise, the CB500 Super Four harks back to the CB1000F concept, right down to its matching silver livery, while the CBR500R Four bears a close resemblance to the existing twin-engined CBR500R, save for the redesigned front fairing.
Being a China reveal, it is unclear which markets will get their hands on the CB500 Super Four and CBR500R Four, but if they do make it to other markets like our own, expect the duo to be substantially more expensive than Honda’s current mid-capacity offerings powered by parallel-twin engines.
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