Honda CB500 FA: Review
Jon swaps his R1 to sample the reality of restricted licence riding
This is as big a bike as you'll get on an A2
School of hard knocks
Anyway, times have changed and in the current climate where accidents aren't allowed to happen the government has dictated learners need to go through a baffling series of tests before they can ride any machine of their choice. The theory is that by limiting the speed, power and weight of a bike for a set number of years, riders will learn better bike control. I suppose in essence that is exactly what I did, courtesy of Little Chef wages rather than complicated licencing laws.
Parallel twin is smooth but runs out of puff
Life on an A2 bike
Picking up the CB from Honda's HQ near Heathrow I was pleasantly surprised. It's not a bad looking bike at all and the quality of finish appears pretty solid. With a price tag of £4,650 the Honda is well priced comes with a fuel gauge (you would be amazed how many budget and non-budget bikes lack this), ABS, pillion grab rails and an LCD display as standard. The switchgear looks a bit chunky in its styling, but that's no bad thing as it is easy to operate with a gloved hand. Not a bad start. How would it cope with the M25?
Having ridden down on my R1, I was expecting the CB to feel a touch slow on the journey home. Accelerating up the slip road I was pretty impressed by the CB's parallel twin engine, it burbled (the exhaust note is very quiet) up to an indicated 70mph fairly rapidly and as I joined the traffic the speedo was showing ... a little bit more. When you are riding a slow bike joining fast moving traffic it is far safer to accelerate into a gap than hang back and try and join the flow. The CB's 46hp is certainly enough power to zip into a gap. However once on the move it did trail off.
Honda's got its mucking controls fuddled
But with no fairing about 70-ish mph is a far more sensible, and comfortable with the only real irritation being the swap in position of horn and indicator buttons. Meaning you indicate at cars in irritation and hoot every time you change lane...
Having thrashed the hell out of the motor for over 140 miles, the fuel gauge still showed several bars but I decided to top it up anyway. It took just 11 litres of fuel, meaning I averaged around 70mpg - an impressive figure for flat-out motorway miles.
Digital dash includes a fuel gauge - the decadence!
I blatted about on the CB for the next week, popping into town and generally using it as cheap transport. The fuel economy remained in the 70mpg area and the handling was impressive. The Honda is a light bike to flick through congestion and the clutch is nice and progressive. The seating position is comfortable for short hops and the Honda doesn't feel too much like a toy and has a 'big bike' feel about it. My only real irritation was the switchgear as I kept hooting the horn rather than indicating, but overall I was impressed.
Function rather than fun
There is nothing at all wrong with the CB500FA. The top speed is excellent, the handling assured and the economy amazing. But. I used to be excited when I took out the NC30 or RD but the CB fails to blow my skirt up. It is functional transport that can be run on a budget, just not very exciting. Maybe I've become spoiled by faster machinery but if you want to inspire future generations into taking up two wheels they need something that provides the kind of buzz that made me fall for motorcycles all those years ago. Does the CB provide this? Not really. The identical but faired CBR500 is better but it is still a bit of a sheep in wolf's clothing. But is this really a bad thing? There are plenty of countries all over the world that have demonstrated that cheap motoring is the way forward, and if this is the case then the CB500FA can't be knocked.
Honda CB500FA
Engine: 471cc parallel twin
Power: 46hp@8,500rpm (claimed)
Torque: 32lb ft@7,000rpm (claimed)
Top speed: 100mph (est)
Weight: 192kg (wet)
MPG: 70
Price: £4,650
Would happily get the Ninja300 if it could recreate the memories of sunny afternoons on the ZZR250 on the B roads near Melton/Coltserworth. Did run out of puff at 70 (about 12,000 RPM in sixth) but so chuckable and the progressive throttle/chassis combo was very forgiving of mistakes.
Nice to see another Velo rider on here, too
The most fun Velo I ride is the Mk1 KTT. No idea what the power of it is (although it does have some Mk8 innards, so probably more than it should!) - but I can comfortably lift it with one arm which makes it so much faster than you'd expect, and fun!
Wish they'd do the same for cars...
I'm personally glad tests aren't like they were. It's about the only bit of Govt regulation pertaining to vehicles and/or roads I actually support. I know breaking your collarbone is hilarious but let's see how funny it is when your bike slides into a pedestrian at 50mph.
And of course you won't feel a buzz that made you fall in love with motorcycles, you've been riding them for quite some time. For the rest of us starting out, the buzz is being in the open and on two wheels, it doesn't matter what you're doing it on. I certainly don't need the charm of an old knacky (and apparently unstable) bike to add to it.
And of course you won't feel a buzz that made you fall in love with motorcycles, you've been riding them for quite some time. For the rest of us starting out, the buzz is being in the open and on two wheels, it doesn't matter what you're doing it on. I certainly don't need the charm of an old knacky (and apparently unstable) bike to add to it.
You don't want the charm of an old knackered bike because you haven't owned one(?)
I now want a less powerful, older bike because I miss the character of my old one.
Quite a nice looking bike for a commuter though, far more interesting than the old CB500.
(Pictured in Bournemouth in 1972)
The nearest equivelent to this CB500FA at that time was the DOHC CB450 "Black Bomber" which was quite fast, but handled like a pig.
Quite a nice looking bike for a commuter though, far more interesting than the old CB500.
)I'm personally glad tests aren't like they were. It's about the only bit of Govt regulation pertaining to vehicles and/or roads I actually support. I know breaking your collarbone is hilarious but let's see how funny it is when your bike slides into a pedestrian at 50mph.
And of course you won't feel a buzz that made you fall in love with motorcycles, you've been riding them for quite some time. For the rest of us starting out, the buzz is being in the open and on two wheels, it doesn't matter what you're doing it on. I certainly don't need the charm of an old knacky (and apparently unstable) bike to add to it.
Before these tests, she could have done the 125cc test and been restricted to 33bhp for two years (as I was) which would have been fine as she could take the test on a small, light 125. The new A2 test dictates you must pass the test on a bike of at least 395cc and with a power output of 33-46.6bhp to ride a 175cc scooter. She's absolutely no interest in riding a bike that big and to be honest, I suspect she'd be put off by trying so I'm not keen on her doing that either.
She wants to be able to join in with the classic bikes on a nice little scoot but would have to pass her test on a bike five times as powerful as she'd ever want to ride.
So that's one person put off.
Yam 50 trail thing, hideously unreliable so mostly pushed, Honda C70 pushed a lot, Honda H100, Guzzi V50 (pushed), 2xGuzzi Spada loads of pushing - loads of BMW Boxers oddly never pushed!
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