Honda Launches New CB500 Heritage Road Bike With Single-Cylinder Engine

Market Entry

Honda has launched the new CB500 in India with a starting price of 2.75 lakh rupees, ex-showroom. This heritage roadster is the third model to reach the market out of seven new products that Honda announced in July. It follows the ADV160 and Rebel 300 motorcycles that went on sale on August 25. The bike is made in India.

Variants And Pricing

The motorcycle comes in three distinct versions. The entry-level Alloy variant costs 2.75 lakh rupees. The mid-spec Spoke variant is priced at 3 lakh rupees and features cross-spoke wheels that work with tubeless tyres. The top version keeps the same wheel setup but adds special colours and graphics, pushing the price to 3.02 lakh rupees. This makes the tubeless spoke-wheel model 25,000 rupees more expensive than the base alloy version, while the top paint scheme adds another 2,000 rupees.

Engine And Performance

Unlike the twin-cylinder setup seen on global models, the India-spec CB500 uses a 501cc single-cylinder, air- and oil-cooled engine. It puts out 28 horsepower and 43.3 Nm of torque. This setup brings a fresh option to the large-capacity single-cylinder roadster market, a space with fewer choices since Royal Enfield stopped making its 500cc UCE bikes in 2020. The motor focuses heavily on low-end torque.

Features And Design

Styling takes cues from the classic CB750. Equipment includes Honda Selectable Torque Control, a slipper clutch, an analogue-digital instrument cluster, and Honda RoadSync connectivity. Other fittings are all-LED lighting, disc brakes on both wheels, and dual-channel ABS.