Honda could be planning to introduce the CBR500R supersport bike in the Indian market. The brand had recently filed several patents at the Indian intellectual protocol office which leads us to believe that the brand could bring the mid-segment twin-cylinder motorcycle here in India. However, the filing at the IPO does not necessarily mean that the company will be launching the motorcycle, as it could just be an exercise to protect its design.
Honda CBR500R – Powertrain
However, the mid-size segment is currently booming and Honda could be thinking to capitalise the market with its CBR500R. The brand already has the NX500 adventure motorcycle which uses the same engine but in a slightly different state of tune. The CBR500R is likely to have minor tweaks to reflect its sporty character. The CBR500R uses the venerable 471cc liquid-cooled in-line twin-cylinder engine producing 47 Hp of power and 43 Nm of torque paired to a 6-speed gearbox.
Honda CBR500R – Price
Parts such as the instruments console is also similar to the NX500 which reduces the costs making the motorcycle affordable here. And talking about the price, the CBR500R is likely to come with a price tag of around INR 6 lakh ex-showroom. Which in a price sensitive market like India is still quite exorbitant and out of reach for many Honda fanboys.
However, as we recently rode the NX500, which comes with an ex-showroom price tag of INR 5.90 lakh the bike still has takers here in the Indian market. And why not, the overall quality that Honda offers on the NX500 is absolutely premium, justifying the label. This leads us to believe that Honda could introduce the CBR500R in India and the bike is likely to find homes quite easily.
Honda CBR500R – Competition
If Honda launches the CBR500R it will compete with the likes of the Kawasaki Ninja 500, Aprilia RS457, and the Yamaha R3.
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