Shown first back in September 2025 in the Chinese market, the Honda CBR500R Four has now made its way to European markets. The CBR500R Four has emerged from the Wuyang-Honda Chinese joint venture and is powered by a 502cc, liquid-cooled, four-cylinder motor.
- 502cc, 4-cyl motor makes 72hp and 47.4Nm of torque
- Weighs 189kg, has a low 780mm seat height
- E-clutch technology and 5 riding modes are standard
Honda CBR500R Four: all you need to know
E-Clutch technology standard, comes in 2 colours
The small-capacity sportbike space is seeing a resurgence of late and Honda is the latest player to join the fray. Powering the bike is a 502cc, watercooled, four-cyl motor making 72hp at a soaring 11,000rpm and 47.4Nm of torque at 9,750rpm. Of all the sub-600cc new-age sportbikes (think Kawasaki ZX4R and ZXMoto 500RR), the Honda has the least peak power but makes the most torque – something that should actually work in its favour at road-going speeds.
Chassis hardware is pretty simple, with a steel frame and aluminium swingarm on duty here. This package is suspended by a 41mm USD fork and monoshock supplied by KYB (non adjustable after 41mm, save for rear preload). Nissin 2-piston radially-mounted calipers mated to twin 296mm front discs and a 240mm disc with a single-piston caliper bring the 189kg CBR500R Four to a halt. Dual-channel ABS is standard and there’s no adjustability here. Pirelli Rosso 4 tyres are on offer here, sized 120/70-ZR17 / 160/60-ZR17 (F/R).
The electronics package on the CBR500R Four is pretty standard-issue Honda with 5 riding modes (Sport, Road, Urban and two fully customizable ones), a bidirectional quickshifter, traction control and wheelie control. All of this is controlled via the same 5-in TFT display and switchgear seen on multiple Honda models lately. This bike comes in a single variant with Honda's E-Clutch technology as standard.
Styling is typically sharp and pointy as you’d expect from a Honda CBR model with a new, single-piece headlight being a distinctive touch on the CBR500R Four compared to other faired Honda sportbikes. Ergonomics, however, are far more amenable than this CBR’s styling would suggest, the clip-on ‘bars are placed above the fork’s top yoke, and the way the rider sits, their hands are also placed above their knees – all of which should result in an engaging yet comfortable riding position.
Two colours are on offer – a bold HRC livery and a stealthier black colourway – and both cost the same GBP 6,999 (Rs 8.86 lakh at the time of writing). It's rather unlikely that the CBR500R Four will be launched in India given its Chinese connection and the punishing 40 percent GST on 350cc+ two-wheelers, and the closest alternative to it would be the erstwhile Kawasaki ZX-4R, which was sold in our market up until recently.