Can't you import almost anything for the street if it's beyond 15 years old? I was looking into importing a 1997 model before I bought my 125.
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Best performing/fastest motorcycles under 500cc?
- Thread starter Drennan57
- Start date
Can't you import almost anything for the street if it's beyond 15 years old? I was looking into importing a 1997 model before I bought my 125.
Article you linked says they were known for great handling?
I'm surprised nothing has that beat yet. It's only 60 HP at 380 lbs. So far all the numbers I can find for the bikes mentioned in this thread are a full 1 second slower than the H1 number you listed there and almost 10 MPH slower for the quarter mile. Also surprised the CBR500 has fairly low scores for the quarter mile compared to the Ninja 300 and RC390 (smaller engines).
Imagine how good a 2-stroke released by one of the big manufacturers today would be...
Most of them make modern 2 stroke dirt bikes, don't they? Are those using fuel injection yet? Feel like I've read of 2 stroke fuel injected boat engines but don't know if it's used in any smaller 2 strokes. I know there's a guy that made his RS125 fuel injected with some of his own development. No real gain in peak power but apparently it runs way nicer and smoother, if I remember correctly.
Yeah i think there are still 2 stroke dirt bikes, but I meant small 2 stroke sport bikes
I know. I was just curious how advanced the engines are now. I'm told the engine in my 2009 RS125 is basically just a dirtbike engine. It's carbed and I think it was mostly unchanged since like 1996 so I was wondering if there have been any improvements.
gammaguy21
Well-known member
Not one of the mainstream manufacturers, but Suter has released the MMX 500cc two stroke, not cheap though.
http://www.sportrider.com/suter-racing-releases-mmx500-two-stroke-gp-track-bike
[video=youtube;iqHpeedUVgQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqHpeedUVgQ[/video]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_NSR500
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/...rossis-nsr500-edwards-sp-2-and-forets-cbr600/
Okay, I finally learned about the Honda NSR500. Grand Prix bike, 2-stroke v4, 498cc, 200+HP, 286lbs. I gather that Honda never sold them, only ever leasing them to the teams, so it would be impossible to find one on the open market.
Its V2 baby brother was the NSR500V.
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/...rossis-nsr500-edwards-sp-2-and-forets-cbr600/
Okay, I finally learned about the Honda NSR500. Grand Prix bike, 2-stroke v4, 498cc, 200+HP, 286lbs. I gather that Honda never sold them, only ever leasing them to the teams, so it would be impossible to find one on the open market.
Its V2 baby brother was the NSR500V.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_NSR500V
conundrum
Well-known member
Definitely not...CBR500 series is a solid bike...but they make very little hp for their displacement, and also weigh a ton, both so they fit into the A2 classification. A Ninja 300R is probably a lot faster both in the straights and in the corners.
This is one of the most depressing posts I've read all day.
Drennan57
Well-known member
He's mostly right except about the Ninja being faster.
The CBR500 is a sheep in wolves clothing.
Honda built an empire on racing improves the breed. This sad excuse for a motorcycle, with all due respect to the CBR500 owners association, seems to have been neutered and porked up at the behest of some kind of regulatory body. I thought pablum was for babies.
its an awesome beginner bike, insurance friendly, is "bigger" than the other ones so you get more of the big bike feel without having sloppy handling. I do have a chubby for the rc390, but for my usage my cb500x is all i want. and yes, instead of coming out with different bikes for different markets, they made this bike the same everywhere which cuts down on costs and makes it more affordable to have a 471cc bike.
it has a purpose and fills a gap that the ninja 400 or gs500 wasnt necessarily filling anymore
Nice comparison vid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9e2bYbodu8
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Drennan57
Well-known member
I don't think people have an issue with the CB/X versions of the bike. They do what they are expected to do.
The CBR title on the other hand should always bring a higher level for performance then the CB/X class of bikes and that's the issue people have with it.
The same way CBR600 > Hornet. Noone will dispute that the Hornet was ever better then the CBR and that's how it should be.
ahhh i get what you're saying there now. but i guess between the cbr500r and cbr600rr.. there isnt much space to breathe to avoid cannibalism in sales right!?
i guess they made it more in line with cbr250r -> cbr500r -> cb650f
so the hornet would align more with that family of cbr's
Where as the cbr600rr is in a class on its own as race replica
Drennan57
Well-known member
I'm not sure if you are being sarcastic with this post. All im saying is that Honda released a 500cc CBR that hardly outperforms it's 300cc counterparts from the other Japanese manufactures. That can only be viewed as a failure in my eyes.
Honda continues to drop the ball. Their 300 is the worst on the market, their 500 is no better then everyone else's 300. Their 600 is at the back of the pack, their 1000 is an 8 year old design, the VFR has lost its soul and following, the XR650 hasn't changed in over 20 years, the CBR650 is an overpriced underachiever and the failing goes on and on.
Honda really needs to get their **** together and start making exciting motorcycles again because the entire brand has lost its mojo. Honda use to be King. Now it's at the bottom.
Yamaha
Kawasaki
Suzuki
Honda
That's how I have the manufacturers lined up in 2016 and I don't care how many slug 500cc copy and paste bikes they sell it doesn't make up for the fact that they are powered by an ATV motor and weigh as much as a touring bike. People will buy them because it's the biggest option under the 600cc insurance hike threshold but I can guarantee that if Suzuki stepped up and made a GSX-R500 it would probably embarrass the Honda and stop production entirely. They lost their soul and have forgotten that motorcycling is a passion and I can't see a single Honda that deserves to be up on a kids bedroom wall right now.
/rant
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EaZ8
Well-known member
well, the ninja 400 hasnt really done all that well....its just a ninja 650 with a weaker motor from what ive briefly read.
the problem with bumping up the CC on all the 250/300 class bikes is where does it end? well ...its when it is just shy of their 600cc class or the 650cc sport touring class and they just blew it by making their beginner bike redundant.
lets just keep in mind these bikes were launched to be beginner bikes (in north america), friendly on insurance and easy to ride.
the honda 125 and ninja 250 took off great and they serve their purpose.
then everyone bumped it up to 300cc (or 296cc in reality...just like the 600cc class is really 599cc...but whatever)
and now with KTM launching the 390 (373.2cc) with a slightly bigger bore.
keep adding a little more stock power here and there and watch your rates keep climbing too.
i wouldnt be surprised if there was a big bore kit launched eventually for the KTM 390. they have a big bore kit for the exe 350 to bump it up to 390cc so its only a matter of time.
if i were to guess, it would be the same concept that is used to upgrade as the sportster, you can buy a 1250cc kit for your 883.
anyway, what im getting at is this has just turned into the battle of the biggest-little bike....
start off, learn, upgrade when you are ready and can afford it.
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