Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India has filed new patents for several motorcycles. Two of them are the new 500 cc twins - CB500 Hornet and CBR500R. Manufacturers file a design trademark to protect the design of their products. So, filing a design trademark does not guarantee that the products will launch in the Indian market.

Both motorcycles use the same 471 cc, parallel-twin cylinder engine that puts out 47 bhp of max power at 8,000 rpm and 43 Nm at 6,500 rpm. The engine is paired with a six-speed gearbox. This is the same engine that is doing duty on the recently launched NX500.

Honda CB500 Hornet uses a steel diamond frame that is suspended by 41 mm Showa Separate Function Forks in the front and a link-type monoshock with 5-step preload adjustment at the rear. The motorcycle rides on 17-inch alloy wheels that are wrapped in a 120/70 section front tyre and a 160/60 rear tyre. The bike weighs 188 kg and has a seat height of 785 mm which should be accessible to most of the riders. If launched in India, the CB500 Hornet will not have any direct rivals.

When compared the CBR500R is slightly heavier with a kerb weight of 192 kg but has the same seat height of 785 mm. In 2022, the motorcycle got an update in the form of upside down forks that replaced the telescopic units. Braking duties are performed by disc at both ends. Moreover, both motorcycles come with a 5-inch TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity and LED lighting. The CB500 Hornet might not have any direct rivals but if the CBR500R makes its way to Indian shores then it will be competing against the Aprilia RS457, Yamaha R3, KTM RC 390 and Kawasaki Ninja 500.

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