® What I like (and dislike) about the CB500

Why do I like the CB500? I'm a little crazy, I guess! Between 1976-1977 I wrenched at Bill Robertson's Honda in North Hollywood, a big, well-known once-Triumph-then-Honda-and-BMW dealer in the then still sleepy enclave of the San Fernando valley. A good place to work and a time when I was beginning to really enjoy being a mechanic. One afternoon I was handed a prepare-for-sale work order for a 1972 CB500 Four that was in the dealership's used bike inventory, where about ten of these machines languished after having been rescued from a rental agency in Japan. On a whim I bought one of the others and prepared two identical bikes for sale that day, ultimately managing to put over 85,000 miles on mine before selling it in 1980 with 92,000 miles on. You can bet that bike got the best mechanical care. About every 60 days, an hour before going home at the end of a Saturday, I would roll my bike onto my lift and service it completely, axle to axle. I remember being more and more satisfied with the sound and feel of the bike each time I tuned it. I still feel that way today. I really like this bike. What do I like (and dislike) about the CB500 Four? Here are my thoughts.

Pluses:

  • The appearance. Having come of age in the raw, exposed-engine period of motorcycling, I was naturally one of those who as a teen sat on the used Shovelhead Electraglides at the downtown Harley dealership. I therefore appreciate the classic lines that once characterized motorcycles. The CB500 is a throwback to that era and one of those bikes you just like to look at. It is so appealing, its lines so correct, so right. The four exhaust pipes were probably considered an extravagance in their time, but today they're simply gorgeous. The curves, the proportions. And just enough body panels to please the eye. Beautiful. The CB500 has to be one of the top ten most beautifully styled bikes of the 20th century, and I understood completely when I discovered that the CB500 and early CB550 are very popular in Italy, where asthetics are kind of a national ethos.

  • The ergonomics. Though 6'-1" and therefore a bit outsized on many bikes, surprisingly, I feel more at home on the CB500 Four than on any vintage machine of any size I have ridden. It just feels right. The bar-to-peg-to-seat geometry simply works for me and works well.

  • The simplicity. When I retired from corporate work, where I was responsible for dealer training and therefore knowledgeable in the latest technology found on bikes today--ABS, traction control, gyro stability systems, electronic engine power scaling--I looked forward to being around machines again that were more elemental. Technology has its place, and has unarguably enhanced motorcycling for the vast majority of riders. But my version of the sport appeals at a simpler level, and I appreciate machines that exhibit what is now a rare consideration for maintenance.

  • The light weight. I put more than 40,000 miles on my CBX1000, rode a ZG1400 Concours daily for over a year, am still an ardent fan of the early Gold Wing and have, being in the business life-long, ridden many many motorcycles. But my learned take on motorcycling says relative lightness is a virtue. To a point, of course--I'm not enthused about mopeds (though I am about scooters). And happily, that point pretty much hits its bullseye in Honda's CB500 Four.

  • The quality. I'm not going to say modern bikes are not made well. They certainly are. But many of us consider the 1960s and especially the 1970s, Honda's golden age, a time when the company's products were at their best. They're just incredibly well-conceived and manufactured. Almost no plastic, no self-tapping screws. Whole. Integral. Beautiful. Inspiring.

  • The practical design. How many bikes have a grab rail with which to centerstand the machine? How many even have centerstands? Have you ever seen a more practical fuel cap? A drum brake that actually works. The petcock on the left side where it belongs. Beautifully practical fork protective gaiters. Easy-access oil drain plug.

  • Engine access. A significant plus to me is that, like all the smaller Honda fours, the top end of the CB500/550 engine can be rebuilt in the frame. This was taken for granted of machines of that era, and it is very valuable that Honda made this decision, especially in light of the 750 not benefitting in that way. It is even more fortuitous because all these bikes now need top end work.

  • Working on it. Related to the above, that is, how easily the engine is accessed, is the simple joy of maintaining a motorcycle that seems designed to be maintained. Doubtless part of the enjoyment for me is my long history with the model. But even beyond that, I can't think of a Honda that is more fun to work on, where every part falls so readily to hand.

  • The visceral. Honest communicators in the powersports industry take stock in the overall feeling of the motorcycle. Weight and balance and turnability and stability and the almost subconscious flux of braking, acceleration and subtle body movements. Countersteer, the controls all working together, the rhythym of it, the choreography. It's a magic mix, and the CB500 has it all. Even the bike's sound is right.

  • The electrical system. There are motorcycles right now, fifteen years younger than the sohc Honda fours, for which quality replacement batteries are very hard to find. The good news is, the CB500/550 battery was used on several other Honda models as well as some Kawasakis, which means this battery configuration should be around for a fairly long time to come; longer than it might have been otherwise. The charging system is somewhat unusual in design, but there again, used replacement parts (preferred over new Chinese parts, thank you) are plentiful due to the quantity in which these machines were produced. And the charging system is very durable and has more than ample output, despite what forum "experts" say. The handlebar switches are metal, not plastic as on later bikes, and not as complex either. It's a simple system. On my 73 model at least, no sidestand switch, no starter lockout, no sensors or relays, no microprocessors, no always-on headlight, no impossible-to-separate connectors, no fuel gauge or gear indicator, no starting/headlight cutout, no irritating self-cancelling turnsignals--none of that stuff. The electrical system is made up of just what is needed and no more. I like that.

  • The carburetors. Though adorned with an over-complicated and excessively springy throttle linkage, made of a fragile zinc-rich alloy, and lacking a fast-idle system, the CB500/550 carburetors internally are about the simplest they could possibly be. Big holes and very few of them. Four tunable circuits. Extremely easy to adjust. Nothing like the carbs on later bikes. Which means they are very easy to clean and maintain.

  • The reliability. Take one of these engines completely apart down to the last bolt and you'll be amazed. Such elegantly simple yet admirably effective assemblies. Not asthetically handsome, not beautiful, not technical marvels, just cleverly designed and overbuilt. Honda apparently learned a lot from their remarkable yet occasionally plagued twins of the 1960s. The early 70s fours are made very sturdy, very sensible, very solid. Honda certainly earned its reputation for reliability on such motorcycles as this one.

Minuses:

  • The buzziness. The one thing that most detracts from the CB500 ride is the characteristic 180-degree four-cylinder buzz. It's not that distracting, really. It's just that tiny bit over the top. It is of course mitigated by using the higher gears, but where is the fun in that? Fitting a 4-1 aftermarket exhaust also noticably reduces vibes, but at the expense of lost originality, a change in sound, and to me at least an impaired appearance. The best solution is to enlarge the engine's cylinder bores so that its torque peak comes lower in the rev range.

  • And that leads to the power question. Though this engine acquitted itself admirably against the pushrod valve competition of its day, it is hard not to notice the bike's short-windedness. And attempts to spin the engine harder to squeeze more squirt out of it naturally just acerbate the aforementioned vibration. Thankfully, many have found it not very hard to get more power from the midsize four, and that with little if any downside.

  • The shifting. I have written of this elsewhere. You know, riding a 50-year old Honda four reminds me a lot of riding an old pushrod Brit bike. You make allowances, or you can't enjoy it. I don't quite regard the CB500's shifting as a negative, but it is something one has to come to terms with, especially when the engine is hot. And the more familiar you are with later model bikes, the more you will view the CB500's shifting as less than perfect. It is what it is. Having basically a 350 twin transmission means the CB500's shifting is not as slick as that of the 550 with its later, better-engineered 750-spec trans. However, good tuning and maintenance--not to mention deliberate technique--all help considerably.

  • The carburetors again. The difficulty comes in re the aforementioned linkage, and the fact that each float bowl is attached with four tiny screws that are not very accessible on the bike. And even if they were, the combination of extremely soft metal threads and the unfortunate spring tension method of mainjet retention spells trouble for removing and replacing float bowls in-situ. Worse still is the petcock, whose also very soft zinc-based metal makes it disappointingly low quality and prone to wear and leakage.

So, a brief retelling of to me the pros and cons of owning the CB500 four. A great bike. On my second one now and the enjoyment continues. Sure, there are faster, prettier, nicer-sounding, smoother, better-braking, more electronically-controlled, lower-maintenance machines out there. Even in the vintage space. But I don't care.



Last updated January 2024
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