The buzz around the motorcycle world continues to elevate as Honda could be bringing back its legendary GB500 to counter Royal Enfield’s super popular 650 range. Here we take a look at specs, features, and the riding experiences of these two legendary brands with something to share for enthusiasts and buyers alike. Whether your heart leans towards classic styling or modern performance, this comparison will give you an idea of what makes these bikes shine in what can often be an overpopulated middleweight motorcycle market.
Could the Honda GB500 be back? The Buzz Continues…
Speculation is now rife that Honda may be mulling over a revival of this classic machine due to the company having filed the GB500 trademark. The original GB500 was a 500cc single-cylinder bike that was a sort of heavenier recipe of British cafe racers. Given a second run, it has the potential to be powered by a modern version of Honda’s 500cc parallel twin engine as used in the CMX 500 Rebel.
If the GB500 can come back, it will effectively compete with Royal Enfield’s 650 twins, and the middleweight retro motorcycle market segment has been dominated by them. The GB500 will compete in a market where Honda’s reputation for reliability and engineering excellence could count for a lot.
How Does Royal Enfield’s 650 Lineup Stack Up?
For the brand, it has been a game changer as Royal Enfield’s 650 lineup has included the Interceptor, Continental GT, and Super Meteor 650. The motors on these bikes include a 648cc parallel twin with power and character at the perfect scale. One of those bikes, in particular, is the Super Meteor 650, which has been praised by users for the cruiser styling and comfortable riding position.
So the combination of classic looks, modern performance, and competitive pricing has made Royal Enfield’s 650 twins well received. For those new to riding or experienced riders looking for something cheap and simple yet still stylish and fun to ride, they present an accessible way into the middleweight motorcycle world.
What Engine Configurations Are We Looking At?
Should Honda resurrect the GB500, it’ll probably have a basically new 500cc engine somewhere in Hondaland and perhaps a parallel twin like the CB500 gang. This would be a nice power-to-weight and efficiency pairing that is suited for city riding and highway cruising. Air cooling the engine would keep the classic look going, but with modern performance and emissions compliance touches.
But Royal Enfield’s 650 twins use an air-cooled 648cc parallel twin. The constant praise disseminated throughout regarding the powerplant’s smooth delivery and torquey character is most likely due to the fact that this engine fits just about any style of riding. The engine is good enough at powering both urban and highway riding, generating around 47 bhp along with 52 Nm of torque.
How Do These Bikes Look?
Cafe racer fanatics will recall that the original Honda GB500 was inspired by British styling with a cafe racer silhouette, a long fuel tank, clip-on handlebars, and a single round headlamp. If revived, we can expect Honda to keep these things retro, along with some modern touches, such as LED lighting and digital instrumentation.
The 650 lineup from Royal Enfield comes in a number of styles. Classic naked bike, cafe racer, cruiser, and more relaxed cruiser are the design cues of the Interceptor, Continental GT, and Super Meteor 650, respectively. They all also share a common retro look with round headlamps, spoke wheels, and teardrop fuel tanks.
Of course, what about chassis and suspension?
The GB500’s tubular steel frame, which comes from the original, will almost certainly remain for modern engineering, imparting better rigidity and handling. Conventional telescopic forks are likely to be found up front, and also at the rear there will be twin shock absorbers that have been tuned for a compromise of comfort and sportiness.
Both Royal Enfield 650 models use a steel tubular frame designed by Harris Performance. It is a plush ride courtesy of 43mm upside-down forks and twin shock absorbers. Conventional forks are used for the Interceptor and Continental GT, which are still much praised for their stable handling and comfortable ride quality.
How Do These Bikes Ride?
We can only speculate on what the Honda GB500 may or might not be able to do, but if the Honda 500’s are anything to go by, we should expect nice, smooth power delivery, good mpg, and good handling for both city use and roads.
The Royal Enfield 650 twins have received widespread praise for being down to earth in their ability to perform. The parallel-twin engine is an engine that strikes a good balance of low-end torque and top-end power and is easy to ride in most conditions. But reviewers have also found them to be stable at highway speeds and to handle in urban environments with minimal vibration from the engine.
What Braking Systems Are Used?
It is likely Honda will fit the GB500 with current braking technology—possibly a single disc front with a twin piston calliper, a single disc rear. Standard would be almost certainly dual-channel ABS for safety in different riding circumstances.
Both wheels of Royal Enfield’s 650 models come with disc brakes. For example, they equip the Super Meteor 650 with a 320mm disc, twin-piston floating calliper in front and a 300mm disc, single-piston floating calliper in the rear. Confident braking performance is provided by a dual-channel ABS system throughout the range.
Let’s See How These Bikes Stand in Technology and Features.
Explanation:
Instead of ‘These bikes are how do they compare in terms of’.
Of course, Honda can revive the GB500 and provide it with modern amenities like LED lighting, a digital instrument cluster, and even connect it to your smartphone. But if Honda does decide to keep tech features minimal, it will remain classic and affordable.
It turns out—as we all know—that Royal Enfield has been gradually adding some technology to their bikes. The instrument cluster is LCD and displays rear speed, rear fuel, and other gear position info. It, however, comes with Royal Enfield’s Tripper navigation system as an option, which provides turn-by-turn navigation on a secondary display.
What Should I Expect to Pay for Each of These Motorcycles?
There is no pricing for the Honda GB500 yet, purely speculative. However, Honda being Honda and the CB500 being a small motorcycle, we could have assumed they’d price it similarly to the rest of the range in the low six thousand to high seven thousand.This is Royal Enfield pricing; if you’re an American or European citizen, seeing this kind of pricing for Royal Enfield’s 650 twins should come as no surprise. The Super Meteor 650 starts around $7,000 and the Interceptor and Continental GT are around $6,000. It’s been Royal Enfield’s 650 lineup’s biggest plus: aggressive pricing.
Which Bike Represents the Better Value Proposition?
In short, it will come down to personal preference and what needs you expect from the bikes. Honda’s reputation for reliability and build quality will render the GB500 an appealing proposition for those after these two qualities. Also, Honda has a tremendous service and support dealer network.
On the other side, Royal Enfield has an established product with a rock-solid track record. The 650 twins have been around for several years and have maintained a cult following. Their price is competitive, their styling is classic, and they’re fun to ride; in the middleweight segment, that’s a winning combination of value for money.
Now that we’ve seen where MotoGP and World Superbikes have arrived from, where are they headed?
It looks like the revival of the Honda GB500 could potentially help one of the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturers to focus back on the middleweight retro segment. All of this could result in greater competition and innovation in the category, to the benefit of consumers, who’ll see ever more choices and ever better products.
Since its inception, Royal Enfield has been adding one 650 model after another, with the likes of the Super Meteor 650 and upcoming Shotgun 650. The brand has also been putting money into making the tech and build quality better, so we can expect future models with even more features and refinement, but with their usual build quality.
Finally, it’s exciting to see the prospect of potential competition from a resurgence of the Honda GB500 versus Royal Enfield’s 650 lineup. Each brand gives you a different strength, and they also appeal to different aspects of the retro motorcycle experience. Where things are going, naturally, is more options for classic styling that’s blended with modern performance and features in the middleweight segment.
Key points to remember
The good news is, Honda has trademarked the GB500 name, which could mean a new version of this classic motorcycle. Royal Enfield’s 650 range of bikes, spanning the Interceptor, Continental GT, and Super Meteor 650, has done well in the middleweight retro segment. Royal Enfield uses an air-cooled 648cc parallel twin engine, with Honda said to be following suit with a 500cc engine. Royal Enfields 650 twins have earned a reputation for prices that are very competitive and performance that’s very accessible. With this potential Honda GB500, we could have modern features with the classic look. They’re both retro style with modern engineering, with ABS and other modern safety features. The middleweight motorcycle segment is getting more crowded, and more options can be found for consumers.
