The half-litre Honda CBR bikes have received a very positive response the world over. Although developed for emerging markets, Honda is currently focussed on selling the 500cc CBRs in developed markets like the USA and Europe. The styling direction of the CBR500R is shared with the flagship Fireblade with the latest CBR300R also getting a similar appearance. Same is the case with the CB500 street-fighter which resembles its elder sibling. Now the Japanese automaker has announced a recall for the CBR500R and CB500 in Uncle Sam’s country.
The bolts on the rocker arm shafts of the bikes may be manufactured in the wrong way resulting in the bolts loosening up during engine operation. A loose bolt can cause oil leak, albeit slowly but gradually it’s possible that the bolt might come out of the cylinder head completely. The lack of a bolt can cause the engine to loose power resulting in the bike stalling, thereby risking a crash. Honda will replace the rocker arm shaft retaining bolts on all the affected bikes free of cost, starting this month itself. The company’s dealers will get in touch with the owners for the recall operation.
The CBR500R and CB500 are powered by a 500cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin cylinder engine which thrusts out 47 BHP of peak power and 43 Nm of peak torque. Doing the 0-100 km/hr sprint takes 5.7 seconds with the top speed being 185 km/hr. These 500cc Hondas are quite heavy, weighing in more than 190 kgs and are offered in two variants – Standard and ABS. Honda showcased the CBR500R at the 2014 Auto Expo but isn’t planning to launch the bike in India in 2014, instead the CBR300R will be given preference as the CBR650F is already confirmed for launch next year.
