Honda CBR500R Four-cylinder Sportbike Officially Unveiled

• CBR500R Four launched in China
• Expected to hit other global markets later this year
• India launch unlikely

After unveiling it first at the China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition in September last year, Honda has now officially launched the CBR500R Four four-cylinder sportbike, in China. The motorcycle is being produced by Wuyang-Honda in the country and will soon start reaching dealerships. It is also expected to hit other global markets later this year.

At the initial debut, Honda had only revealed that it gets a 502cc, inline four-cylinder engine along with ride-by-wire throttle, and a more compact version of the brand’s E-Clutch system. Now, the company has revealed other key details such as the power and torque output numbers which stand at 72bhp coming in at 11,000rpm and 47.5Nm peaking at 10,000rpm. The high-revving motor has a compression ratio of 12.3:1. At 189kg, the motorcycle is just as heavy as its close rival, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R. Impressively, the top speed of the CBR500R is claimed to be 209kmph.

Built around a steel frame which works in unison with a cast aluminium swingarm, this supersport is suspended by non-adjustable USD forks and a preload-adjustable monoshock, both being sourced from KYB. On the feature front, there is a five-inch TFT screen with Honda Roadsync connectivity. The fuel tank capacity of the bike is 14litre. Now, although the Honda CBR500R has been priced slightly on the higher side as compared to its Chinese rivals like the CFMoto 500SR, the former enjoys a reputation of being built by a more reliable brand.

Now, we don’t expect Honda to eve launch the CBR500R Four in India as this is a niche segment and might not find many takers. One such motorcycle, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R, was on sale in India for a short while but it was discontinued last year, mainly due to lack of demand.