Rennie Scaysbrook | November 16, 2015
Four years after it first debuted on the international motorcycling stage, the Honda CB500 will get its first facelift in 2016, as well as selected mechanical improvements.
The 500’s always been a dependable commuter with its robust parallel-twin four-stroke, but always left something to be desired in the looks. That changes for 2016, with a new head and taillight section housing LED illuminators, a new, shorter muffler for more bark, a larger fuel tank with a cap that’s now on a hinge, and forks that were previously unadjustable now come with preload adjustment. The bodywork, in particular the rear seat, is much edgier than previously, with the back-end looking like Honda has dipped into the old 2007 CBR1000RR parts bin and fitted it to the 500.
Honda has also reworked the transmission to help smooth out the shift, they’ve fitted a span-adjustable brake lever, alloy footpegs and a ‘wave’ style ignition key.
The new bike does look much more modern than the old 2012 CB, so it’ll be interesting to see how buyers take to it considering the plethora of new bikes in the sub-600cc segment.
