2019 Honda CBR 500 R

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Honda CBR 500 R in the driving report

Updates for the beginner athlete

Honda presented the new Honda CBR 500 R at EICMA 2018 in Milan. For 2019, the little athlete will receive some updates, of which we were able to convince ourselves on our first trip to Tenerife.

F.For the coming model year, the Japanese are giving the CBR rather smaller updates that specifically upgrade the bike. The engine of the 500cc Honda still delivers 48 HP and is therefore ideal for owners of the A2 driving license. The engine has been refined a bit compared to the previous model, so that the two-cylinder now has more torque in the lower and middle range. In addition, the seating position for the 2019 model year is a bit sportier. The pilot is now sitting a little further forward. This is made possible by the realignment of the stub handlebar, which is now mounted under the modified fork. More sporty and ambitious drivers should be happy about this change.

New LCD instruments and LED turn signals

Also new on board is an anti-hopping clutch, which is supposed to make gear changes easier. Small adjustments have also been made to the cladding, but these are hardly noticeable at first glance.

Honda

The new Honda CBR 500 R will be available in three color variants in 2019.

The cladding looks a bit slimmer than its predecessor, the lines more wedge-shaped and more aggressive overall. The adjustments should also have an impact on the aerodynamics. A now two-part exhaust manifold should also enhance the sound.

Honda has given the CBR 500 R a gear display including a shift indicator in the 2019 model year. Also new are LED indicators and a new rear shock absorber. The seat height is still 785 mm. 17.1 liters fit into the tank. With a full tank, the 48-hp bike weighs 192 kilograms. It will be available in three different liveries.

First driving impressions with the new CBR 500 R.

Quite difficult for a 48PS athlete, you might think. It doesn’t matter, we have to correct it after an extensive test round on Tenerife. Because the handiness of the Bonsai Fireblade is downright electrifying. The now sportier ergonomics do not change that, because despite all the ambition, the handlebars still protrude far beyond the fork bridge and spread comfortably wide. As a result, even the little athlete can effortlessly be thrown from one inclined position into the other, so the bottom doesn’t necessarily have to wander around on the bench.

Honda

The CBR 500 R impressed on Tenerife with its excellent handiness.

However, the CBR loses a bit of its outstanding neutrality when compared with the siblings. It likes to go a bit further than expected, reacts more sensitively to subsequent course corrections and thus sometimes seems almost overhanded. Otherwise, the fine-tuned chassis works properly and inspires confidence, as long as you don’t want to overstrain the dynamic horizon that is usual for 48 hp.

Which the engine sometimes encourages quite unabashedly. Turns cleanly up to almost 9,000 revolutions, always serves usable performance and runs a little less vibration than the naked sister. You quickly end up in the limiter of the brand "Coitus Interruptus". The really soft clutch and the extremely easy-to-use transmission also encourage a brisk country trip. Even rough downshifts are buffered without stamping thanks to the anti-hopping function.

Prices start at 7,090 euros

The better wind protection, which effectively pacifies the chest area even at more than the recommended highway speed, is also suitable for a brisk life. And even if you take off the gas, the athlete’s heart beats faster for a moment, because discreetly but audibly something sizzles and spurts out of the newly designed exhaust.

The CBR 500 R is now available from dealers for 7,090 euros including ancillary costs.

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