-New middleweight street naked
-Powered by a 471cc, twin-cylinder engine
-Might be launched in India
Honda India has been laying low in the big bike segment for quite some time. However, there might be hope for Honda fans in India as the company is likely to introduce a variety of middleweight motorcycles in the market. Recently, the Japanese manufacturer patented the CB500 Hornet in India and it could join the NX500 in the coming months.
The CB500 Hornet is a middleweight street naked motorcycle. It was showcased at the EICMA 2023 and signals Honda’s new approach to such types of motorcycles, be it in the way they look or perform.
The styling of the motorcycle is simple yet attractive, especially in the white colour. In quintessential street naked fashion, the CB500 Hornet has a compact yet neatly designed LED headlight clutser, a muscular fuel tank with seamlessly integrated tank extensions and a slim tail section. The proportions of the bike appear to be well balanced and overall, the bike looks good.
Powering the CB500 Hornet is a 471cc, twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that makes 47bhp at 8,000rpm and 43Nm at 6,500rpm. The engine is paired with a six-speed gearbox.
Under the bodywork, you’ve got a Diamond frame that’s made of steel. It is suspended by a 41mm, Showa SFF-BP fork and a link type monoshock with 5-step preload adjustment. The bike rides on 17-inch alloy wheels, shod with a 120/70ZR17 front tyre and a 160/60ZR17 rear tyre. The braking duties are taken care of by twin 296mm discs on the front wheel and a 240mm single-disc on the rear one.
Honda has designed the bike to be accessible to those graduating to the middleweight segment motorcycles. The bike weighs 188kg and a seat height of 785mm only.
The features on the bike are as expected in a bike of this class. There’s all-LED illumination, dual-channel ABS and a five-inch TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity.
The CB500 Hornet, if launched in India, will be Honda’s first 500cc street naked for India. Considering the price of the Honda NX500 (Rs 5.90 lakh) expect Honda to price the CB500 Hornet around the Rs 5 lakh to 5.2 lakh mark.
