Does Living With A 500cc Motorbike Get Boring?

The more I ride the CBR500R, the more I like, but people always say one thing: 'you'll get bored with the low power'. So here are my thoughts on that...
Does Living With A 500cc Motorbike Get Boring?

Before lockdown, I’d been daily riding a Honda CBR500R around 25 miles every day. Except for falling off - completely my fault - I enjoyed getting to know the bike, but the one comment I always heard was “wait until you get bored and want more power!” Well, I have had more power before - I used to ride a CR650R - so thought it was time to address the matter.

Because, guess what…you’re right.

Does Living With A 500cc Motorbike Get Boring?

Now don’t get me wrong: revving a bike out like the CBR500R is fun, but when you see cars closer than expected in your mirrors, the sense of satisfaction after launching hard from the lights quickly fades.

What’s more, the twin-cylinder’s exhaust note doesn’t give me the fizz, and when I pull up at the lights next to boys with bigger bikes, my manhood retreats into myself.

That is until I remember one thing:

Does Living With A 500cc Motorbike Get Boring?

Compared to a lot of you, I’m old at 35, which means that I like different things. So while I agree that 21-year old me would probably crave that sweet, sweet power hit, 35-year old me just wants to hit sweet, sweet MPGs. In other words, my maxim has switched from fast is fun in favour of boring is beautiful.

To call a sports bike like the CBR boring is nonsense though, but the benefits of having a more sensible bike like this far outweigh the fun I could have on a 1.0-litre superbike. After all, London isn’t a racetrack, and I have to pay for fuel.

If this were my bike to keep, the first thing I'd do would be to swap the exhaust for something far louder
If this were my bike to keep, the first thing I'd do would be to swap the…

Now one drawback I expected from the 500R was lacklustre performance on motorways, but I’m happy to report that isn’t the case; 47hp and two-cylinders is plenty to get me and the bike up to speed, and the mid-range, 32lb ft torque has surprising punch. What’s more, the CBR is fun on a B-road without being too scary and is easy to place on the road.

My greatest love for this bike is its size, though. Because it’s small, and because it only weighs 192kg (a CBR650R weighs 207kg), it’s easy to manoeuvre in traffic, simple to back into a parking bay and always feels lithe; there’s nothing worse than riding a bike you’re not confident on.

Does Living With A 500cc Motorbike Get Boring?

Its low 785mm seat height (versus 810mm on the bigger 650) also means that I can flat foot the 500, because as I’m sure many of you know already, what I lack in height I make up for in a lot of terrible car purchases.

The looks and riding position also get a thumbs up from me, which surprised me. During my time with the CB650R, I thought it was the bees, but leaning slightly more towards the handle bars on the CBR is more enjoyable. As for the aesthetics, I’ve grown to love the aggressive design, but the naked CB still clinches it.

Does Living With A 500cc Motorbike Get Boring?

So to answer my question of ‘can you really live with a 500cc bike?’, the answer, for me at least, is yes. My days of driving like a dick while listening to Akon (the guy in the 2000s who sang about smacking it all on the floor, being lonely and getting locked up) are done, and I’ve realised now that most girls aren’t impressed with a sick second-gear fly-by.

What I really want is something that looks good (tick), is easy to ride (yup) and doesn’t demand fill ups every other day (with over 80mpg, filling up happens once every two weeks, so job’s a good ‘un).

Now of course if my name were Ron Haslam, and if I lived on a race track, there’s no way that 500ccs would cut it. But for daily rider duties, a bike like the CBR500R is all the machine you’d ever need.

Sponsored Posts

Comments

Anonymous

The writer must be the oldest 35 year old I’ve ever came across. Mpg and tootling around like a granny. Just get a push bike and some lycra.
And I’m 36! And sometimes think I need more power on my mt10. (I obviously don’t).

04/13/2020 - 07:59 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

If you think a 500 is boring how about a 30 year old 250cc bike? I have an R1 but the 250 is so much fun and even at a track day it can beat 1000cc bikes as the riders on the big bikes in the lower groups are just throttle twisters and just drag race between corners and then stop and wobble around the corner… A 250cc or 500cc bike makes you actually ride the thing…

04/13/2020 - 08:22 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

I had my CB500F naked for nearly 3 years and absolutely loved her, I was told by my instructor not to get anything smaller when I passed my restricted licence test as I would be climbing the walls, he was right, the 500 certainly had enough power from the lights, cruised the freeways and was great around the country roads, until, I had a Ute (seriously upgraded) nearly keep up with me one day! So I now have a Yamaha MT09 😉

04/13/2020 - 23:09 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Alex is 35??? Damn, he looks 25. Good genetics there, you got.

04/14/2020 - 20:30 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Nice story man! Well done I must say.

04/20/2020 - 19:43 |
0 | 0