BENGALURU, India | September 22, 2026 —
Honda has thrown a serious new challenger into India’s booming retro-motorcycle market.
The all-new Honda CB500 has officially gone on sale in India with prices starting at just ₹2.75 lakh ex-showroom, Bengaluru — and its biggest talking point is hiding right between the rider’s knees.
A massive 501cc single-cylinder engine.
At a time when the market is crowded with 350cc and 450cc motorcycles, Honda has gone in another direction: a big, relaxed, torque-heavy single designed less for screaming revs and more for effortless cruising.
And that could make the CB500 one of the most interesting new motorcycles of 2026.
Honda CB500 Price: ₹2.75 Lakh Changes the Equation
Honda is offering the CB500 in three variants.
| Variant | Ex-showroom Price, Bengaluru |
|---|---|
| CB500 Alloy | ₹2,75,000 |
| CB500 Spoke | ₹2,99,900 |
| CB500 Spoke with Stripes | ₹3,01,900 |
The standard version gets alloy wheels.
Move up to the Spoke version and Honda adds cross-spoke tubeless wheels, combining classic wire-spoke styling with the convenience of tubeless tyres.
The top-spec version adds dedicated colours and graphics to the spoke-wheel package.
At this price, Honda has deliberately positioned the CB500 between conventional 350–450cc retro motorcycles and more expensive middleweight machines.
501cc Single-Cylinder Engine Is the Real Headline
Forget the retro headlamp for a moment.
The engine is why enthusiasts are likely to stop and look twice.
Honda has developed an all-new 501cc, single-cylinder, air-and-oil-cooled engine producing approximately 28hp and 43.3Nm of torque.
It is paired with a five-speed gearbox.
Those numbers reveal what Honda is trying to achieve.
This is not a high-revving sports motorcycle.
Instead, the CB500 promises a relaxed, muscular riding character where strong torque matters more than a huge horsepower figure.
Think long rides, easy overtakes and that unmistakable big-single feel.
The 500cc Single Is Back in India
This is where the CB500 becomes particularly interesting.
For years, Royal Enfield’s old 500cc UCE motorcycles gave Indian riders access to large-capacity single-cylinder machines.
That chapter effectively ended when the company discontinued its 500cc UCE range in 2020.
Since then, the Indian retro-bike market has expanded enormously — but the traditional 500cc big single has largely disappeared.
Honda has now walked straight into that gap.
For riders who miss the character of a large single-cylinder engine but want modern electronics and Honda engineering, the CB500 suddenly becomes difficult to ignore.
Tubeless Spoke Wheels Could Be a Major Selling Point
Classic wire-spoke wheels look great.
Punctures? Not so much.
Honda appears to understand that contradiction.
The higher CB500 variants use cross-spoke tubeless wheels, allowing riders to get the traditional adventure-retro look without giving up the convenience of tubeless tyres.
The motorcycle runs a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel setup.
That combination should also reinforce its relaxed roadster character rather than make it feel like an aggressive streetfighter.
Retro Outside, Modern Underneath
Honda has kept the visual formula deliberately traditional.
Round headlamp.
Large fuel tank.
Upright stance.
Minimal bodywork.
Twin rear shock absorbers.
But this is not an old motorcycle wearing a new badge.
Honda has equipped the CB500 range with several modern features, including:
Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC)
Assist and slipper clutch
Semi-digital instrument console
Honda RoadSync smartphone connectivity
Turn-by-turn navigation support
Call and message alerts
Disc brakes at both ends
These features are available across the lineup, according to current launch information.
So Honda is essentially selling an old-school riding idea with new-school electronics.
Locally Made in India — And That Matters
Another major piece of the CB500 story is where it is built.
Honda is manufacturing the motorcycle in India.
That local-production strategy has helped the company keep pricing aggressive despite the higher GST applicable to motorcycles above 350cc.
Without local manufacturing, a 500cc Honda sold through the premium BigWing network could easily have landed much higher up the price ladder.
Instead, the entry model arrives at ₹2.75 lakh.
That price immediately puts pressure on some much smaller-capacity motorcycles as well as larger 650cc machines.
CB500 vs Interceptor 650: An Interesting Fight Begins
Now comes the juicy part.
Honda is not matching the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 cylinder for cylinder or horsepower for horsepower.
The Interceptor uses a 648cc parallel-twin producing substantially more power.
The Honda uses one cylinder and makes only around 28hp.
So why compare them?
Price.
The Royal Enfield 650 twins currently start at about ₹3.39 lakh ex-showroom, Chennai, while the Honda CB500 starts at ₹2.75 lakh in Bengaluru.
That leaves a sizeable gap.
The BSA Gold Star 650 is another natural rival because it also targets buyers looking for classic styling and a large-displacement engine.
The choice therefore becomes fascinating.
Want outright twin-cylinder performance?
The Interceptor has a strong case.
Want a large, torquey single with Honda engineering at a lower starting price?
Now there is a CB500.
Honda Is Not Chasing the Spec-Sheet Crown
And that may be the smartest part of this motorcycle.
At first glance, 28hp from 501cc does not sound dramatic.
But horsepower alone misses the point.
The CB500 appears designed around torque, simplicity, relaxed cruising and character.
Its 43.3Nm torque output is the more interesting number.
Honda has not built this motorcycle for riders obsessed with 0–100km/h times.
It appears aimed at someone who wants to turn the key, hear a large single-cylinder engine come alive and ride without constantly chasing the redline.
Who Should Consider the Honda CB500?
Three groups immediately stand out.
First, existing Honda CB350 owners looking for something bigger without jumping directly to a heavy multi-cylinder motorcycle.
Second, former 500cc Royal Enfield riders who miss the relaxed big-single format.
Third, buyers considering a 650cc retro motorcycle but who care more about usable torque and everyday comfort than outright horsepower.
That is a surprisingly large audience.
Bookings Have Started
Honda has opened bookings for the new CB500 through its BigWing dealership network.
The motorcycle was first unveiled in India in July 2026 before prices were announced in September.
Honda has indicated that deliveries will follow the commercial rollout of the individual variants.
Prospective buyers should confirm availability and delivery timelines with their local BigWing dealership because variant-wise supply may differ initially.
Honda CB500: Key Specifications
| Specification | Honda CB500 |
|---|---|
| Engine | 501cc single-cylinder |
| Cooling | Air and oil cooled |
| Maximum Power | Around 28hp |
| Maximum Torque | 43.3Nm |
| Gearbox | 5-speed |
| Front Wheel | 19-inch |
| Rear Wheel | 17-inch |
| Traction Control | HSTC |
| Clutch | Assist/slipper |
| Connectivity | Honda RoadSync |
| Starting Price | ₹2.75 lakh ex-showroom, Bengaluru |
The ₹2.75 Lakh Question
Honda could have built another high-performance 500.
Instead, it has revived something the Indian market had almost forgotten.
The big single.
One cylinder.
501cc.
43.3Nm.
Retro styling.
Modern electronics.
And a ₹2.75 lakh starting price.
The CB500 may not win every horsepower comparison, but that does not appear to be its mission.
Honda is betting that there are still riders who want a motorcycle to have character rather than merely numbers.
If that bet works, India’s retro-bike battle just became much more interesting.
