Honda CB500
Encyclopedia
The Honda CB500 four, introduced early in the 1970s, was similarly styled to the CB750
Honda CB750
The Honda CB750 is a motorcycle built in several model series between 1969 and 2003 and 2007 that is recognized as a milestone for Honda's successful introduction of a transverse, overhead camshaft inline four-cylinder engine that has ever since been the dominant sport bike configuration...

, but smaller and lighter, with an output of 48 bhp and a manufacturer's specified top speed of 102 mph. Like the earlier CB750 it sported a single front hydraulic disc brake
Disc brake
The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion.A brake disc is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon–carbon or ceramic matrix composites. This is connected to the wheel and/or...

, rear drum brake, electric starter, and sohc 8-valve engine. The 4-into-4 exhaust pipes echoed those of the CB750. It was deemed a better handling bike than the larger model, although it was still no featherweight at 201 kg (443.1 lb) (dry).

Unlike the earlier dry sump
Dry sump
A dry sump is a lubricating motor oil management method for four-stroke and large two-stroke piston internal combustion engines that uses external pumps and a secondary external reservoir for oil, as compared to a conventional wet sump system....

 Honda CB750
Honda CB750
The Honda CB750 is a motorcycle built in several model series between 1969 and 2003 and 2007 that is recognized as a milestone for Honda's successful introduction of a transverse, overhead camshaft inline four-cylinder engine that has ever since been the dominant sport bike configuration...

, the smaller bike has a wet sump
Wet sump
A wet sump is a lubricating oil management design for four-stroke piston internal combustion engines which uses a built-in reservoir for oil, as opposed to an external or secondary reservoir used in a dry sump design....

 engine. Also, the primary drives were different, the CB750 having a duplex chain, while the CB500 had a "Hy-Vo" Morse chain. The CB500 formed the design basis for the Benelli Sei, a 750cc six-cylinder motorcycle.

Several CB500 machines were entered in the Production TT races on the Isle of Man in the early 1970s. Bill Smith won the 1973 500cc TT Production race (4 laps) riding one, beaten by only 8.2 seconds by second place Stan Woods mounted on a Suzuki T500
Suzuki T series
The Suzuki T series was a series of motorcycle manufactured by Suzuki that ran from approximately 1963 through 1977 in various engine displacements between 90 and 500 cc.-Construction:...

 two-stroke twin.
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