Honda’s CB500 name has travelled a long way over more than five decades. The name is associated with different eras of Honda motorcycles, but the latest chapter is particularly significant for India: the new Honda CB500 has arrived with a 501cc single-cylinder engine, moving away from the four-cylinder character associated with the original CB500 Four.

The new motorcycle was launched in India on September 21, 2026, with prices starting at ₹2.75 lakh ex-showroom Bengaluru. It is manufactured in India and sold through Honda BigWing dealerships.

While the new motorcycle shares its name and retro-roadster identity with Honda's earlier CB models, its mechanical philosophy is very different.

The Story Begins With the CB500 Four

The original Honda CB500 Four emerged in the early 1970s, following the company's landmark CB750 Four. It used a four-cylinder engine and became known for combining smooth performance with a relatively compact package.

The CB500 Four was introduced in 1971 and represented Honda's approach to bringing multi-cylinder technology to a smaller motorcycle category. Period accounts highlighted its smooth four-cylinder engine, electric starting and front disc brake, features that helped make it an advanced motorcycle for its time.

That motorcycle's appeal was very different from what Honda is targeting with the new CB500.

The original was about the refinement and character of a compact inline-four. The new Indian CB500 is built around the simplicity and torque delivery of a large single-cylinder engine.

Fast Forward 55 Years

The gap between the early-1970s CB500 and today's Indian motorcycle illustrates how dramatically motorcycle engineering and customer expectations have changed.

The latest CB500 uses a 501cc single-cylinder, air- and oil-cooled engine. Honda quotes 27.6bhp and 43.3Nm, with power sent through a five-speed gearbox. It also gets an assist and slipper clutch and Honda Selectable Torque Control.

Instead of chasing high-revving multi-cylinder performance, the new motorcycle focuses on a larger single-cylinder layout and a retro roadster experience.

That makes the latest CB500 more closely related in philosophy to the large single-cylinder motorcycles that were once common in India's market.

Why a Big Single Matters in India

The 501cc single-cylinder engine is arguably the most important aspect of the new CB500.

For many years, the Indian market had motorcycles in the 350cc and 650cc categories, but there was a gap between them. Royal Enfield's older 500cc single-cylinder motorcycles once occupied part of this space before production ended in 2020.

Honda is now entering that space with a modern interpretation.

The engine produces 43.3Nm of torque, which is higher than its peak power figure in numerical terms. That reflects the motorcycle's emphasis on usable torque rather than high-revving performance.

For everyday riding, the large single could offer a different experience from Honda's smaller CB350 models while remaining less mechanically complex than a multi-cylinder motorcycle.

Made in India From the Start

Another important part of the CB500 story is its connection to Indian manufacturing.

Honda produces the motorcycle in India, allowing the company to position it below several established 650cc motorcycles in terms of starting price. The CB500 is sold through Honda's BigWing premium motorcycle network.

Honda's official India website currently lists three variants:

Honda notes that the detailed configurations and complete specifications will be unlocked in phases, with deliveries following those specification releases.

Retro Design With Modern Equipment

The new CB500 uses a traditional roadster design rather than an aggressive streetfighter appearance.

Its styling features a round LED headlamp, teardrop-style fuel tank, exposed mechanical components and classic CB-inspired proportions. The design is clearly intended to connect the motorcycle with Honda's historic CB family while giving it a modern road presence.

The retro appearance does not mean the motorcycle is basic underneath.

Honda has equipped the CB500 with:

• Honda Selectable Torque Control
• Assist and slipper clutch
• Analogue-digital instrument console
• Honda RoadSync connectivity
• Disc brakes
• Five-speed gearbox
• Modern lighting
• Three variant choices

These features bring contemporary functionality to a motorcycle designed around a classic visual theme.

Three Variants, Different Visual Treatments

Honda is offering the CB500 in three versions rather than creating major mechanical differences between each variant.

The Alloy version uses alloy wheels, while the Spoke version gets cross-spoke wheels. The top-spec Spoke with Stripes variant adds its own graphics treatment.

This approach allows buyers to choose between a more contemporary alloy-wheel appearance and a more traditional spoke-wheel look.

How Different Is It From the International CB500?

This is an important point for the new motorcycle.

The CB500 name is also associated with Honda's international 500cc parallel-twin motorcycles, but the motorcycle launched in India is mechanically different. The India-spec CB500 gets a 501cc single-cylinder engine, while Honda's international 500cc family has historically used parallel-twin engines.

Therefore, the Indian CB500 should not simply be viewed as an India version of the existing international CB500 twin.

It is a separate interpretation of the CB500 name, developed around India's motorcycle market and manufacturing ecosystem.

Honda CB500: Key Specifications
 

What the 55-Year Journey Says About the CB Name

The most interesting part of the CB500 story is not simply the number on the fuel tank.

The original CB500 Four represented an era when Honda was demonstrating the appeal of smooth, compact multi-cylinder motorcycles. More than five decades later, the new Indian CB500 takes the same basic name into a market where riders have developed a strong interest in retro styling, relaxed performance and larger-capacity single-cylinder motorcycles.

The technology has changed, but the fundamental idea of the CB remains: a road-oriented motorcycle that combines everyday usability with a distinct mechanical character.

Where the New CB500 Fits in Honda's Line-Up

In India, the CB500 sits above Honda's CB350 family and enters a segment that includes motorcycles such as the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and BSA Gold Star 650.

Its positioning is therefore unusual.

It has considerably more displacement than a CB350 but uses a single-cylinder engine rather than competing directly on multi-cylinder performance. Its pricing also places it below several established 650cc motorcycles.

This gives Honda a new product between its existing retro offerings and larger premium motorcycles.

The New Chapter for Honda's CB500

The Honda CB500 is not a direct mechanical continuation of the 1970s CB500 Four. Instead, it represents a new interpretation of a historically important Honda name.

From a four-cylinder motorcycle introduced in 1971 to a locally manufactured 501cc big single in 2026, the journey spans roughly 55 years and reflects two very different approaches to motorcycle design.

The new CB500 brings that name into India's modern retro-bike market with a focus on torque, traditional styling, modern electronics and local production.

For Honda, it also represents an expansion into a segment that has been missing a large single-cylinder roadster for several years.