With speculations rife from the start, Honda has finally launched the CBR500R at the ongoing 2014 Auto Expo in Delhi. Honda has been aggressive in capturing the two-wheeler market in India since it split up with Hero MotoCorp and has been successful with most of its products in the commuter as well as high performance segments. The CBR500R is another step by Honda to bring its range of bikes to India with sales expected to commence by mid-2014.
The Honda CBR500R is a fully faired sports tourer that was first unveiled in November 2012. The bike gets its styling cues from its elder siblings, the CBR600R and CBR1000R. The fully faired design with twin headlamps surely makes the CBR500R look menacing. The riding position is rather upright deemed fit for touring, while the bike gets long and wide seats which are very comfortable for long rides. The CBR500R will be offered in the standard solid colours namely red, white and black as well as with a Repsol edition.
Powering the Honda CBR500R is a 500cc, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled engine capable of producing 47 BHP of power and 43 Nm of torque. 0–100 km/hr comes up in 5.7 seconds, while the top speed is 185 km/hr even with a hefty weight of 194 kgs. The stopping power on the CBR500R comes from a 320 mm disc in the front and a 240 mm disc at the rear. Honda will be offering ABS as a standard feature in India. The engine offers plenty of power available on tap and is best suited for touring purposes, but can surely perform with an open throttle when needed. Unlike the CBR250R, the CBR500R boasts of high build quality. Honda also offers the CBR500R in a street-fighter and adventure avatar carrying the same engine specifications, but are unlikely to offer it in India.
The CBR500R is an ideal upgrade for CBR250R riders who crave for more power, which has been on sale in the country since 2011. The Honda CBR500R will be competing with the Kawasaki Ninja 300 and the KTM RC 390. Honda will be bringing the bike via the CKD route, so expect the CBR500R to be priced around Rs. 4 lakhs when launched. The slight premium will assure that the CBR500R does not cannibalise the sales of the younger 250 sibling. The CBR500R surely is a lucrative buy for those looking for performance, reliability and practicality.
