11-01-2018, 04:25 AM
(10-29-2018, 12:00 PM)postoak_imp Wrote: Yeah, I just read they were only for the U.K. Too bad, it sounds like it was quite a bike.
That CB500 made from 1993-2003 was followed by the CBF500 made from 2004-2011, also not available in the U.S.
So, when the CB500 was reintroduced here in 2013 it was actually a less powerful bike than the 500 had been for almost 20 years, but still more powerful than the old CB550 and CB500T of the '70s.
The new CB500 was deliberately limited in horsepower to meet European limits for new riders. However like our CB1100s it was designed for usable torque rather than top speed and horsepower.
It is also considered a budget bike. Honda realized the market needed more affordable motorcycles to rejuvenate the slumping market and draw new people into the sport. The CB500 now has 4 different models, and all sell well.
When I returned to motorcycling after a 25 year hiatus, I was taken aback by the cost of larger motorcycles. Fortunately my new CB500XA was only CAN$6800 (US$5090) out the door. However three years later I had no problem purchasing my 2017 CB1100 EX for CAN$16,000 (US$12,000). Something I would not have done if I had not enjoyed 3 years of riding my CB500XA and got a very good trade-in value and sales tax credit on it.