HONDA CB500S (1997-1998) Specs, Performance & Photos

In 1998, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer launched the Honda CB500S, a naked machine in its second year of production that packed the same appearance, technical and performance specifications as the CB500E model, except for the front cowl with its small windscreen and rectangular headlight.

The Honda CB500S was a sport-touring motorcycle manufactured by Honda from 1997 to 2003. The bike was part of the CB series in Honda's range, a series known for its reliable machines of different displacements and good performance.

The 1998 model came equipped from the factory with standard features that included gold-finished six-spoke cast aluminum wheels, a wide handlebar, a nose-fairing with a small windscreen, a rectangular headlight, a one-piece dual seat with a passenger grab handle, a blacked-out exhaust system, and a black-finished steel frame.

For suspension, the CB500S featured a 37 mm telescopic fork with 115 mm of wheel travel on the front and twin adjustable shock absorbers with 117 mm of wheel travel on the rear that provided smooth suspension performance and handling.

In the braking department, the bike packed a 296 mm disc squeezed by a two-piston caliper on the front wheel and a 240 mm disc with a single-piston caliper on the rear wheel that offered optimum stopping power.

As for the power figures, the 1998 Honda CB500S had its heartbeat set by a 499cc four-stroke twin-cylinder liquid-cooled engine fed by two Keihin carburetors and delivered an output power of 58 hp with maximum strength at 9,500 rpm and 47 Nm (32 lb-ft) of torque available at 8,000 rpm.