Honda has filed patents for multiple motorcycles in India, two of them that we’d love to have here are the Honda CBR500R and the CB500 Hornet. The filing of patents usually says the motorcycles will be sold here soon, however, not always, and Honda has the practice of filing design patents in India and not launching products as well.
So what’s special about the Honda CBR500R and the Honda CB500 Hornet? Why should they come to India? Here’s why we say it will be a great idea for Honda to launch the motorcycles here.
Honda CBR500R
The Honda CBR500R is a fully-faired sportbike, launched a few months ago. It is on sale in the global market, and the motorcycle borrows its design language from its litre-class sibling, the Fireblade. Though more of a sport tourer than a proper sports bike, the CBR500R gets clip-ons that are a bit relaxed, USD forks, monoshock at the rear, 17-inch wheels, disc brakes at both ends, and a host of other bits like a 5-inch TFT dash and Honda’s selectable torque control, which is standard.
Moving on to the engine, the CBR500R is powered by a 471cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled engine that makes 47bhp with the help of a 6-speed gearbox. Honda does not offer a quickshifter as standard, however, with a kerb weight of 192kg, the CBR500R is not a light motorcycle.
Honda CB500 Hornet
The Honda CB500 Hornet is a naked street motorcycle, based on the same platform as the CBR500R. The design looks similar to its larger siblings, however, the sculpted tank, the headlight design, and the overall package looks compact. The Hornet gets similar equipment as the CBR500R, such as USD forks, a monoshock at the rear, 17-inch wheels, a TFT dash, and more.
The Honda CB500 Hornet draws power from the same 471cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled engine as the fully-faired CBR500R, while being mated to a 6-speed gearbox. However, one big advantage the Hornet has over the CBR500R is its weight, as the motorcycle weighs 188kg and has a saddle height of 785mm, making it accessible to new riders.
Honda CBR500R and CB500 Hornet — Why should they come to India?
Looking at how the Indian market has seen an increase in sub-500cc motorcycles in recent times, such as the Triumph Speed 400, Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z, and the Kawasaki Ninja 500, it makes sense for Honda to enter this space. The CBR500R is a good alternative to the Ninja 500 and the upcoming KTM RC390, while the Hornet has a long list of competitors from the KTM 390 Duke to the Triumph and Bajaj.