HONDA CB500F (2012-2013) Specs, Performance & Photos

In 2012, at the EICMA Motorcycle Show, Honda announced the arrival of the CB500F, a motorcycle based on the same platform as the CBR500R, with the semi-naked look of middleweight streetfighters, stripped down to the bare essentials it retained miniature side panels for better weather protection.

The bike was a perfect mid-sized commuter, with its sporty character, revised ergonomics, and seat that offered an upright, relaxed seating position, which offered the rider enhanced control over the handlebar.

The bike was built around a diamond-shaped 35 mm steel tube frame in a lightweight and rigid package that offered responsive sport handling, coupled to a 41 mm telescopic fork on the front and a sophisticated Pro-Link single-shock absorber on the rear that provided nine-stage spring preload adjustability.

Also, the bike rolled on a set of 17-inch lightweight cast aluminum wheels, fitted with a 320 mm wave-style disc with a two-piston caliper on the front and a 240 mm disc squeezed by a single-piston caliper on the rear that provided strong braking performance.

In the performance department, the 2013 Honda CB500F had its soul brought to life by a 471cc parallel-twin four-stroke liquid-cooled engine fed by an electronically controlled fuel injection system that helped deliver an output power of 47 hp with maximum strength at 8,500 rpm and 43 Nm (32 lb-ft) of torque available at 7,000 rpm.

The power generated by the engine was converted into motion by a six-speed manual transmission that spun the rear wheel through a chain final drive.