Honda Cb500fa Abs Review

Used Buyer Review

The CB500F ABS is Honda doing what Honda does best — building something utterly reliable and completely unsensational. For a used buy, it's genuinely hard to fault. The parallel-twin pulls cleanly from low revs, the ABS works unobtrusively, and the ergonomics suit a wide range of riders without complaint. Find one with sensible miles and you're looking at a machine that'll start first time every morning without drama. That said, let's be honest — it's not going to set your soul on fire. The motor feels somewhat muted above 7,000rpm, the stock suspension is soft enough to wallow under harder cornering, and the mirrors vibrate annoyingly at motorway speeds. Check the chain wear carefully on higher-mileage examples, and inspect the exhaust headers for surface rust, which appears early on neglected bikes. For what it is — a practical, bulletproof A2-licence machine or urban commuter — the CB500F punches well within its weight class. Just don't expect it to inspire you.