CBR500R - RACING DNA INSIDE

CBR. Three very special letters. They’re not merely applied, either. They have to be earned. Which the CBR500R does, thanks to the sports-focused design which incorporates fairing winglets to improve high-speed aerodynamics. The riding position is aggressive, with handlebars clipped-on below the top yoke and new aluminium rear-set footpegs that put you effortlessly in a racing tuck. If it looks fast, it is fast, they say. And looking at the CBR500R, with its stunning new paint and graphics, we couldn’t agree more.

That set of twisties ahead? Own them. All of them. Own every late turn-in point, apex and corner exit. New Showa 41mm Separate Function Fork Big Piston (SFF-BP) USD forks separate damping from spring and give supple response, especially braking from speed with fingertip feel for front tyre grip. The Showa rear shock has revised damping to match, while new lightweight wheels and swingarm – plus more forward-set weight bias – sharpen handling even further.

If this is your first A2 motorcycle what a place to start. The  8-valve, liquid-cooled parallel twin-cylinder engine produces 35kW @ 8,600rpm with peak torque of 43Nm @ 6,500rpm. It’s free-spinning, hugely enjoyable, very addictive and comes complete with a thrilling howl through the exhaust as you chase redline. And, just like its larger CBR siblings, an Assist/Slipper clutch eases upshifts through the six-speed gearbox and manages rear wheel lock-up on hard down changes.

The CBR500R draws attention, wherever it goes. Chiselled dual LED headlights stare menacingly and throw out a wider volume of light, opening up vision at night. They’re matched by LED indicators and tail light. Negative LCD instruments feature a speedo, bar graph rev-counter, dual trip meters, fuel level/consumption gauge and Gear Position indicator. There’s also a Shift Up indicator, which is set to 8,750rpm, but ­can be adjusted in 250rpm increments.