2013–2015 · Sport Tourer · Buyer's Guide
Accessible Miles, Zero Drama
The CBR500R is built around a 471 cc liquid-cooled parallel twin making 48 hp at 8,500 rpm and 32 lb-ft, running through a six-speed box and a chain. Full fairing, 17-inch wheels front and rear, a 320 mm front disc. Honda resisted the temptation to chase a number here. What you get instead is a small-displacement machine with genuine big-bike proportions, a 55.5 in (1,410 mm) wheelbase that tracks arrow-straight, and finish quality that normally costs a lot more. It sits at the bottom of the sport-touring class on output and near the top on how little it asks of your wallet.
On the road it rewards momentum rather than muscle. 67 mpg out of a 4.1 gal (15.7 L) tank means the ride ends when you decide it does, and 428 lb (194 kg) wet stays easy to manage at parking-lot pace. It ages the way Hondas age: quietly, starting every morning, asking for very little beyond chain and oil. The honest part is the power. 48 hp is thin for a sport-tourer hauling this much weight. Load it two-up with baggage, point it up a long mountain grade, and you will meet the ceiling. Top speed is 112 mph (180 km/h), and the engine is working hard well before that.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 48 hp (35 kW) @ 8,500 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 32 lb-ft (43 Nm) |
| Displacement | 471 cc |
| Engine | Parallel twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 160/60-17 |
| Wheelbase | 55.5 in (1410 mm) |
| Seat height | 31.1 in (790 mm) |
| Wet weight | 428 lb (194 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.1 gal (15.7 L) |
| Top speed | 112 mph (180 km/h) |
| Fuel economy | 67 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Safety
None of this comes from my own test miles. It is sentiment I have collected over the years: parking-lot talk after group rides, riders who stop me at meetups to tell me what their bike is really like, and the steady stream of messages from people putting genuine mileage on them. On the CBR500R the reports point the same direction almost every time. The praise sits with how little the bike asks of you, and the criticism sits with the parts Honda kept simple.
Riders describe steering that goes where they point it and a clutch that takes no thought, with the bike staying light and unfussy at walking pace. New riders say that loudest. The engine draws the same description: predictable delivery, usable midrange, and more on offer when they keep the revs up. Economy comes up in nearly every conversation, along with how seldom the bike needs a fill. At sustained highway speed the talk shifts to stability, with less wandering in crosswinds than most people expected.
Suspension is the steady criticism. Nothing to adjust up front and preload only at the rear leaves riders reporting a hard, unsophisticated response over rough surfaces and a clear limit once the pace rises. Vibration is the other recurring note, building with revs and wearing on long highway stints. A smaller group mentions the horn button, awkward to reach in the moment you actually need it.
Fuel level sensor float arm disconnection (recall)
The float arm can detach, causing the fuel gauge to read incorrectly and potentially blowing the FI fuse, stalling the engine. Honda recalled all 2013-2015 CBR500R and CB500F models worldwide for a redesigned sensor.
High-frequency vibration at elevated RPM
Some owners describe a harsh, buzzy vibration through the bars and pegs above 6,000 rpm; most consider it characteristic of the parallel-twin and not a defect.
Where this Honda CBR500R pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the CBR500R is actually built for.
Day stages of 200 to 400 miles on roads like the Blue Ridge suit this bike. The comfort and the range are there. Just go in knowing you are riding a light, modest-power machine, not a big-bore glider.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
For learning lines and sharpening precision on the Dragon or the Cherohala, the low weight and readable handling are on your side. The fork's lack of adjustment is the ceiling you will hit first.
Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
This is the weakest match of the three. Two-up with luggage over long western grades, 48 hp simply is not enough authority, and there is no factory luggage or cruise control to lean on.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Honda CBR500R. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Successor · 2016–2018
Cheap Miles, Honda Reliability
Competitor · 2019–2024
Light, Sharp, Rev It Hard
Competitor · 2013–2017
Light, Eager, Go-Anywhere
Roughly $1,300 cheaper used than this bike at 11 yr
Same Platform · 2026
E-Clutch Ease, Zero Drama