2013 Honda CBR500/CB500R/CB500X

[KZ25]

nikster;286168 wrote: Admittedly they're lacking a new exciting model like a Panigale ... but I guess sales figures speak their own language.

I'm happy to hear that the new 500s look good in the flesh, they already looked good in the photos. Didn't expect that for such a low price.

Maybe Honda is lacking something like a Panigale, but there are lots of superbikes available - for a price.

Honda read the market right by offering two super-cheap 250 singles and now the more than fair-priced 500s.

At a time when most companies are stagnating, Honda can't build them fast enough and is pulling thousands of new riders into the fold. Smart move!

What's next? How about something between 24 and 47 hp? Maybe a sexy 400cc supermoto with 35 horses?

That would interest me more than another superbike I couldn't afford.

 

[KZ25]

brake034;286554 wrote: What I really did not like was workmanship, damaged nuts and philips screws on both showroom bikes.......

You wouldn't have a photo of those damaged nuts and philips screws by any chance so we could see what you are talking about?

I have to defend Honda here, they are well-known for their quality fit and finish.

I don't want to step on your toes but it's a bit irresponsible to talk about damages on showroom floor bikes on an open forum without any visual back-up.

 

[loserlazer]

I received my red cbr500r on 12th of January. First in the world!
I posted this in another bike forum in TV and posting it here with slight revisions. Sorry busy nowadays.
First impressions:
Engine: it is smooth and it has good power starting from 1500 rpm right away and have power everywhere. I liked low and mid range power a lot. It lets you forget which gear you are as it goes all the time smoothly. My bike is smooth as silk even around redline but felt some vibrations when it is neutral. I am doing hard break in so i go to redline. If i see it correctly it redlines at 9000 or 9100 rpm.
Brakes: Brakes are perfect. Even with a single disc which i was suspicious of its stopping power, it has a nice and controlled braking. Rear brakes are really cool. so soft bite! Never see ABS light yesterday!
Transmission: it is a Honda standard. Positive and reliable feeling. It is a little loud though if you cannot find the prefect rpm. I need time with the tranny which is normal.
Comfort: Wind buffeting is less than i imagined and fairings keep the wind out. It was calm when it is 175 km like i was going 120 with cbr250. Seats are comfy for me but i have a steel ass after 24 years of riding bikes. Mirrors are very good but too big for city riding. I hit to another mirror between cars. first to go really as you cannot see anything but teh sky while changing the lanes fast.
Top speed: i reached 175 kmh easily two up and it looks like it will reach more soon

Acceleration: It accelerate fast from any rpm at any gear

Cool for city riding. Bike is square but i revs fast and by the time to reach 8500 rpm, you have enough speed.
Noise: Bike is as mute as a sewing machine really. But, there might be a cool sound after break in as the bike is new. Will change the pipe asap!
Instrument cluster: It is nice and neat but i need time to fully adjust myself to rpm counter. A nice touch: once you turn the bike off, the light on the cluster fade away slowly and nicely!
Lights: More that enough, But i prefer both lights running when it is on low beam. I will get it modified soon.
Handling: The bike handles like a dream. Really surprising for that price. It changes the directions almost telepathic! So light and nimble. You can lean with confidence but i am waiting for tires to get ready as they mostly need couple of hundred kilometers to be sticky. The easiest bike i have ever ridden.
Suspension: it is great! I was expecting less but it handles the potholes and mid turn bumps easily. It is comfy too! it really absorb the potholes and bumps.

I changed teh opil on 120 km as I am doing a hard break in, lets see how it will effect performance!
I ride it in the traffic like my cbr250. They are nearly at the same size. no major difference on ergonomics or seating position with cbr250.
Good bike for that price. There is nothing to buy proper in Thailand anyway so it was the only choice for me! as kawa 650f is porky in traffic and 70k thb more on price!

 

[KZ25]

Congrats on your new CBR! And thanks for giving us an impression as the first owner of one.

175 km/h with a 471cc 47hp bike is quite an achievement, especially since it's not as light for a sportsbike.

How are the tires? They're IRC, right? I'm not too happy with the ones on my little CBR150R, they lock up way to easy.

How about some photos?

 

[Gippy]

@brake034, I as understand it you are correct. A friend in the industry said that they passed local QC but failed worldwide QC. He didn't know how long the problem would take to fix as Honda Big Wing won't give him any more information about it.

 

[waverider]

to Loserlazer , how does it compare directly to the cbr 250, I guess the 250 is more flickable due to having less weight and smaller tires

 

[TonyBKK]

waverider;287081 wrote: to Loserlazer , how does it compare directly to the cbr 250, I guess the 250 is more flickable due to having less weight and smaller tires

According to published figures the CBR 500 only weighs about 40 more pounds than the porky CBR250...

 

[zandtao]

I asked a Thai Friend to translate the announcement on Honda Bigwing Facebook as I am interested in a CB500X:-

"For the customers who joined the queue to buy the motorbikes, for both models CBR500R and CB500F, our team will in turn call the customers to make an appointment for them to come and collect the bikes. Honda Bigwing will inform every customer in their turn. Thank you. "

Whilst doing that we found an announcement from Honda Bigwing that the CB500X will be available for order at the Bangkok Motorbike Fest 2013 at Central World, delivery end of March.

She further phoned Honda Bigwing and then sent me this email:-

1. You can place your order for the bike both at the Fest and Hondabigwing center in Bkk....but by placing an order at the Fest, customers can get the bike first around the end of March.

2. The deposit is 5,000 baht

3. The company won't deliver the bike. Customers must come to collect their bikes by themselves. You may talk about delivery with the officer at the fair or at center.

4. After the opening fair at Central world, the bikes will be sold at every Hondabigwing center, but it will take longer time to get the bikes than placing an order at the fair.

5. Hondabigwing center in Pattaya will be launched on Feb.16, in case you want to buy the bike from that center it must be done after Feb.16

6. You can call Bigwing center in Bkk from 10 am to 7 pm for more information. Its telephone number is 02-7903999.

The lady told me that you can speak English with the officer. .

 

[zandtao]

Based on my last post I am asking for some help. I want to know if Honda Bigwing Pattaya actually opens on Feb 16 - as planned. I will try to phone Bkk but if there is anyone living in Pattaya willing to advise me, please comment in this thread or PM me. Thanks in advance.

 

[zandtao]

Just further information in case it helps someone wanting to buy one of these bikes.

I was told that Bigwing Bkk would not deliver (this appears not to be true) so I decided that I had to order from Pattaya as I can drive the bike from there - I am not willing to drive a new bike in Bkk even if I knew the route. So I waited until the new Bigwing in Pattaya had opened - I was told Feb 18. I phoned Bigwing Pattaya (PM me for number), and they said I could order the bike from them. I asked if I could come to the shop to sit on a 500X - they didn't have one in Pattaya only cb500r and cb500 f. So I had to go to Bkk to check the bike, and I am glad because I spoke to someone who spoke good English - it helped me. I was told Bigwing Bkk will deliver but I cannot confirm this as I did not order from them, they gave me a price for delivery however. No boxes available as new models. They have many orders (200?), and they told me I would have to wait 3 months.

Next I went down to Pattaya to put down my deposit - 5000B. I can confirm there were only the 2 500's (date 22/2/13) on display. I thought the BigWing had already opened but the shop was being fitted. The guy who was helpful said they would open 3rd of March. If you want to order from Pattaya Bigwing you can however do so now. He told me orders will be processed in a month, I don't know whether this is true - especially as it is Pattaya, but I will inform the forum as to how long the order took. He said he only had 20 orders so was expecting better delivery.

To buy a motorbike or car in Thailand you need a "proof of address" letter from immigration, this has been mentioned on the forum before. I had one and the ones I get from my immigration office always have an expiry date on them - one month. I did not need the "proof of address" for the deposit so it means that I will have to get another letter when I actually pay the balance - more cost and bureaucracy.

Please ask if I can be of help.

 

[zandtao]

Just to finish off the story. Last Saturday (9/3/13) I got a surprising phone call from the shop - the bike had arrived. Waiting till Monday (getting the money) I caught the bus (one at Midday) from Trat. I had been told it would arrive between 3 and 4 but it reached Rayong at 3.30 and turned into a school bus reaching South Pattaya at 5.30. I rushed round to the shop to do the paperwork and just after 6 I was ready. They explained the dash in Thai so I was none the wiser - I would look at the manual.

Then I went to the side street and, watched by the mechanics and sales guy, drove up and down a couple of times almost dropping the bike with a couple of sharper turns. Ready I headed off to the garage for petrol - 95, 95 gasohol, 91 - NOT 91 Gasohol. There was some petrol already but it took 15 litres - I am now just under 500km and am about ready to fill again.

Now it was dark and I had to take the "new" bypass to head off to Rayong. I didn't want to stay in Pattaya but with a new bike outside a hotel overnight that was not an option. I was tired - the stopping bus had done my head in, but I wanted to get out of Pattaya sprawl that then turned into Rayong sprawl until I reached Ban Phe - and taht was quiet enough for me. Next day I drifted on back home to Trat.

I am very happy with the bike - local bikers are impressed. I was a bit intimidated with the height but now I have driven I like being "up". The engine is so much quieter than the Phantom (anything is quieter than a Phantom), and it feels good to be able to zip in and out of bottlenecks on the road. I am having boxes put on. I had a Givi box on the Phantom and am moving it across and then a guy is knocking up some panniers - there are no commercially available boxes yet - as far as I know. From what I have seen so far they are going to be fine and none of the 40000 price tag.

Here is a pic:-

http://zandtao.com/pix/newmotorbike/pres0002.htm

and a few more:-

http://zandtao.com/pix/newmotorbike/

If I can help PM or ask.

 

[zandtao]

Am I a cyclist with that bike? :thumbup:

 

[SilverhawkUSA]

I don't like red bikes. So that is why we bought a white one. To each his own.

 

[jimbobs]

i think the black one is the best looking one, looks good,, cant believe the price i wish ide have waited to buy my versys now,,,i wonder how they compare on the road,,,,,ime sure we will find out soon enough.
good luck with the bike Zandtoa and silverhawk

 

[zandtao]

Thanks jimbobs. I felt the same about the red colour and am happy with the black. But then my Phantom was black.

 

[loserlazer]

just turned over 4000km.
Great bike, not even a smallest glitch so far, runs like a hot knife on butter. fuel consumption stated in trip computer as 6 liters per 100 km so far but mu calculations are 5.3 liters er 100 km, i ride hard on my commute though.
i was on the Kaeng Krachan track last weekend to test its limits till the end. I was surprised by its agility, balance and enough power as a practice and learning tool on a track. only half centimeter left untouched on my tires. OK it is not an inline four racing but pretty good for 200k bike!
stock pegs are too low so i scratched them all teh time and stock set dunlop sportmax provide minimal feedback and grip so will change these two for my next track session. brakes were OK though surprisingly.
It is a great bike for Thailand, a great all rounder.

I sat and drive one cb500x last week, one of teh first releases. I am really surprised how comfy it is. Light and you can lean nearly as much as a cbr500 on it. much more lighter than a versys - yes i rode a versys - and easy to run. riding position is upright and good wind protection. and it is more than 100 k cheaper than a versys, hard days are waiting for kawa on these bikes.
moreover, honda bigwing Bangkok told me that they sold 1200 new 500 series within 3 months and Bigwing Chiang Mai and Pattaya numbers are not included on this number! Pretty good for 3 months of sale! These bikes are going like hot cakes as expected!

 

[Eddie The Eagle]

Very pleased with my White CBR500R, & the price @ 212,800 OTR .... and that engine is smooth, Ride safe guys !

 

[tehsk30]

the cb500x looks nice. wonder if will b in the malaysian market soon n at what price?

 

[KZ25]

I finally saw the CB500X in the flesh, they had several colors at a dealer's in Phuket town. 215,000 THB sounds fair! Good-looking bike.

Interestingly one had a Mugen and another one had a Moriwaki slip-on.

I think Honda go it right to offer a smaller, less powerful and marginally lighter bike than Kawasaki's 650s - for a much better price!

Of course seasoned riders who have the money will go for the Ninja but the majority of buyers in Thailand will buy the CB.

 

[Eddie The Eagle]

Cost for first service (1000k) @ Honda Big Wing (Mityon) Pattaya is 3200 baht !!

 

[Lakota]

I'm having mt cb500x serviced tomorrow in Chiang Mai. I had heard that was the price 3200 baht. at first I was alarmed but I've now got used to price.
did you see what they did during the service ? . I'm going to camp out in the service bay ;-)

I believe they put synthetic Oil in , 3 litres of the stuff and it's good for 12,000 Kilometers . still steep for a first service though

 

[Eddie The Eagle]

Lakota;289168 wrote: I'm having mt cb500x serviced tomorrow in Chiang Mai. I had heard that was the price 3200 baht. at first I was alarmed but I've now got used to price.
did you see what they did during the service ? . I'm going to camp out in the service bay ;-)

I believe they put synthetic Oil in , 3 litres of the stuff and it's good for 12,000 Kilometers . still steep for a first service though

it's important to run new engines in on mineral oil so it beds in properly then change to syn...... Regarding service .... I smelt a rat .. walked away ... I had a bad experience @ Mityon a few years ago, had a return spring replaced in the G/Box (130kaze) caught the "mechanic" pouring the dirty oil back in & & billing me for 1Lt new oil .. U only catch me once !!

 

[Lakota]

I nearly walked away from the Bike myself when I heard about the cost of the service along with all the bullshit I'd been getting from Honda Big wing CM.
not looking forward to dealing with them tomorrow but I have no choice if I want to keep the waranty.

It does look like the price is same at all Honda Big wing so is n ot one place trying to rip you off.

as for running in, I'm well aware of it and I'm going to 'hopefully' get it through all the rev ranges tomorrow on the way to CM. Hopefully Honda know best with regards to the Oil etc. a 12k Oil change is very unusual , that's what the 3 litres of Oil is for I guess

 

[loserlazer]

Lakota;289170 wrote: I nearly walked away from the Bike myself when I heard about the cost of the service along with all the bullshit I'd been getting from Honda Big wing CM.
not looking forward to dealing with them tomorrow but I have no choice if I want to keep the waranty.

It does look like the price is same at all Honda Big wing so is n ot one place trying to rip you off.

as for running in, I'm well aware of it and I'm going to 'hopefully' get it through all the rev ranges tomorrow on the way to CM. Hopefully Honda know best with regards to the Oil etc. a 12k Oil change is very unusual , that's what the 3 litres of Oil is for I guess

lakota, i think the service price is pretty OK as they will open up the engine and will do a valve clearance check and replace things if necessary.
A valve clearance check is at least 5-6 times more back home...
cost of service for 500 series is a mere 22k for a 100.000 km or lets say at least 5 years!!!

 

[Lakota]

Well service done and a return trip of 470 km to CM done.

I've got to admit that it's a brilliant bike, Feels like a scooter around town, just as nimble but up over the mountains is where it come into its own.
There was a realisation that nothing, absolutely nothing overtook me today, probably the first time ever but I guess thats the beauty of a big bike . you've got the accelaration to get away from all the A-holes and into a safer place (IMNSHO). non stop home to CR and back, didn't stop for Cake at charin or anything, just wanted to get this chore out of the way.

The total cost of the service was 2848, a bit less than the 3200 quoted by CM Honda themselves, and this included a OIl filter which doesn't appear to be part of the first service although it's on the schedule in the service book.

Each litre of Oil is 616.82 baht, Honda's own brand 'ULTRA G3 Fully Synthetic' Made in Japan.

The Service was just the usual, check chain tension etc. nicely done to be honest, and then the mechanic pressures washes the bike too.

I wondered why he had washed the bike before changing the Oil Filter and then thats when the problem started. off he goes to fetch an enlgish speaking woman. she declares we don't change the Air Filter at 1000K, It's an Oil filter lady, and it says you do in the book. blah , blah , blah ... No have in stock.. blah blah blah, manager, same , same, bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. I shouldn't have stepped on his toes with my big boots and I shouldn't have let the red mist of anger overcome his purple haze of don't give a sh*t. but it happened, we both got angry, I want the Job doing right, not half a Job especially when you've just put almost 3 litres of very expensive OIl in it. anyway, 30 mins later I have a new Oil Filter fitted.

The next service at 6000K looks like a very simple affair and hopefully I can be in and out before anyone gets upset again .