This manual should be considered a permanent part of the motorcycle
and should remain with the motorcycle when it is resold.
This publication includes the latest production information available
before printing. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. reserves the right to make
changes at any time without notice and without incurring any obligation.
No part of this publication may be reproduced without written
permission.
The vehicle pictured in this owner’s manual may not match your actual
vehicle.
Congratulations on your purchase of a new
Honda motorcycle. Your selection of a
Honda makes you part of a worldwide family
of satisfied customers who appreciate
Honda’s reputation for building quality into
every product.
To ensure your safety and riding pleasure:
● Read this owner’s manual carefully.
● Follow all recommendations and
procedures contained in this manual.
● Pay close attention to safety messages
contained in this manual and on the
motorcycle.
● The following codes in this manual indicate
each country.
● The illustrations here in are based on the
CBR500RA ED type.
Country Codes
CodeCountry
CBR500R
E, II EUK
F, II FFrance, Belgium
ED, III EDEuropean direct sales
U, II UAustralia, New Zealand
KO, II KOKorea
CBR500RA
E, II EUK
F, II FFrance, Belgium
ED, III EDEuropean direct sales
U, II UAustralia, New Zealand
KO, II KOKorea
Your safety, and the safety of others, is very
important. Operating this motorcycle safely is
an important responsibility.
To help you make informed decisions about
safety, we have provided operating
procedures and other information on safety
labels and in this manual. This information
alerts you to potential hazards that could
hurt you or others.
Of course, it is not practical or possible to
warn you about all hazards associated with
operating or maintaining a motorcycle. You
must use your own good judgement.
You will find important safety information in
a variety of forms, including:
● Safety labels on the motorcycle
● Safety Messages preceded by a safety alert
symbol and one of three signal words:
DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION.
These signal words mean:
You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT if you don’t follow instructions.
You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT if you don’t follow instructions.
You CAN be HURT if you don’t follow
instructions.
Other important information is
provided under the following titles:
Information to help you avoid
damage to your motorcycle, other
property, or the environment.
enclosed areas. Carbon monoxide in exhaust
gases is toxic and can kill you.
Always Wear a Helmet
It’s a proven fact: helmets and protective
apparel significantly reduce the number and
severity of head and other injuries. So always
wear an approved motorcycle helmet and
protective apparel.
2 P. 10
Before Riding
Make sure that you are physically fit, mentally
focused and free of alcohol and drugs. Check
that you and your passenger are both wearing
an approved motorcycle helmet and protective
apparel. Instruct your passenger on holding
onto the grab rails or your waist, leaning with
you in turns, and keeping their feet on the
footpegs, even when the motorcycle is stopped.
Take Time to Learn & Practice
Even if you have ridden other motorcycles,
practice riding in a safe area to become familiar
with how this motorcycle works and handles,
and to become accustomed to the motorcycle’s
size and weight.
Ride Defensively
Always pay attention to other vehicles around
you, and do not assume that other drivers see
you. Be prepared to stop quickly or perform an
evasive maneuver.
Make yourself more visible, especially at night,
by wearing bright reflective clothing,
positioning yourself so other drivers can see
you, signaling before turning or changing lanes,
and using your horn when necessary.
Ride within Your Limits
Never ride beyond your personal abilities or
faster than conditions warrant. Fatigue and
inattention can impair your ability to use good
judgement and ride safely.
Don’t Drink and Ride
Alcohol and riding don’t mix. Even one
alcoholic drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and your
reaction time gets worse with every additional
drink. Don’t drink and ride, and don’t let your
friends drink and ride either.
4
Keep Your Honda in Safe Condition
It’s important to keep your motorcycle properly
maintained and in safe riding condition.
Inspect your motorcycle before every ride and
perform all recommended maintenance. Never
exceed load limits (
your motorcycle or install accessories that
would make your motorcycle unsafe (
2 P. 15), and do not modify
2 P. 14).
If You are Involved in a Crash
Personal safety is your first priority. If you or
anyone else has been injured, take time to
assess the severity of the injuries and whether it
is safe to continue riding. Call for emergency
assistance if needed. Also follow applicable
laws and regulations if another person or
vehicle is involved in the crash.
If you decide to continue riding, first evaluate
the condition of your motorcycle. If the engine
is still running, turn it off. Inspect for fluid leaks,
check the tightness of critical nuts and bolts,
and check the handlebar, control levers, brakes,
and wheels. Ride slowly and cautiously.
Your motorcycle may have suffered damage
that is not immediately apparent. Have your
motorcycle thoroughly checked at a qualified
service facility as soon as possible.
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even kill you.
Avoid any areas or activities that
expose you to carbon monoxide.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
Exhaust contains poisonous carbon monoxide,
a colourless, odorless gas. Breathing carbon
monoxide can cause loss of consciousness and
may lead to death.
If you run the engine in confined or even partly
enclosed area, the air you breathe could contain
a dangerous amount of carbon monoxide.
Never run your motorcycle inside a garage or
other enclosure.
The following pages describe the label
meanings. Some labels warn you of
potential hazards that could cause serious
injury. Others provide important safety
information. Read this information carefully
and don’t remove the labels.
If a label comes off or becomes hard to read,
contact your dealer for a replacement.
There is a specific symbol on each label.
The meanings of each symbol and label are
as follows.
6
Read instructions contained in Owner’s
Manual carefully.
Read instructions contained in Shop Manual
carefully. In the interest of safety, take the
motorcycle to be serviced only by your dealer.
DANGER (with RED background)
You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLY HURT if
you don’t follow instructions.
WARNING (with ORANGE background)
You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY HURT if
you don’t follow instructions.
• Keep flame and spark away from the battery.
Battery produce explosive gas that can cause
explosion.
• Wear the eye protection and rubber gloves when
handling the battery, or you can get burned or
lose your eyesight by the battery electrolyte.
• Do not allow children and other people to touch
a battery unless they understand proper
handling and hazards of the battery very well.
• Handle the battery electrolyte with extreme care
as it contains dilute sulfuric acid. Contact with
your skin or eyes can burn you or cause loss of
your eyesight.
• Read this manual carefully and understand it
before handling the battery. Neglect of the
instructions can cause personal injury and
damage to the motorcycle.
• Do not use a battery with the electrolyte at or
below the lower level mark. It can explode
causing serious injury.
NEVER OPEN WHEN HOT.
Hot coolant will scald you.
Relief pressure valve begins to open at 1.1 kgf/cm
2
.
ACCESSORIES AND LOADING WARNING LABEL
WARNING
ACCESSORIES AND LOADING
• The safety stability and handling of this motorcycle may be
affected by the addition of accessories and luggage.
• Read carefully the instructions contained in user’s manual and
installation guide before installing any accessory.
• The total weight of accessories and luggage added to rider’s and
passenger’s weight should not exceed 182 kg (401 lb), which is
the maximum weight capacity.
• The luggage weight must not exceed 11 kg (24 lb) under any
circumstances.
• The fitting of large fork-mounted or large handlebar mounted
fairing is not recommended.
Not wearing a helmet increases the
chance of serious injury or death in a
crash.
Make sure that you and any passenger
always wear an approved helmet and
Protective Apparel
Make sure that you and any passenger are
wearing an approved motorcycle helmet, eye
protection, and high-visibility protective
clothing. Ride defensively in response to
weather and road conditions.
Helmet
❙
Safety-standard certified, high-visibility, correct
size for your head
● Must fit comfortably but securely, with the
chin strap fastened
10
protective apparel.
Gloves
❙
Full-finger leather gloves with high abrasion
resistance
Boots or Riding Shoes
❙
Sturdy boots with non-slip soles and ankle
protection
Jacket and Trousers
❙
Protective, highly visible, long-sleeved jacket
and durable trousers for riding (or a protective
suit).
This model is equipped with an Anti-lock Brake
System (ABS) designed to help prevent the
brakes from locking up during hard braking.
● ABS does not reduce braking distance. In
certain circumstances, ABS may result in a
longer stopping distance.
● ABS does not function at speeds below 10
km/h (6 mph).
● The brake lever and pedal may recoil slightly
when applying the brakes. This is normal.
● Always use the recommended tyres to ensure
correct ABS operation.
12
Engine Braking
❙
Engine braking helps slow your motorcycle
down when you release the throttle. For further
slowing action, downshift to a lower gear. Use
engine braking with intermittent use of the
brakes to reduce speed when descending long,
steep slopes.
Wet or Rainy Conditions
❙
Road surfaces are slippery when wet, and wet
brakes further reduce braking efficiency.
Exercise extra caution when braking in wet
conditions.
If the brakes get wet, apply the brakes while
riding at low speed to help them dry.
We strongly advise that you do not add any
accessories that were not specifically designed
for your motorcycle by Honda or make
modifications to your motorcycle from its
original design. Doing so can make it unsafe.
Modifying your motorcycle may also void your
warranty and make your motorcycle illegal to
operate on public roads and highways. Before
deciding to install accessories on your
motorcycle be certain the modification is safe
and legal.
Improper accessories or modifications
can cause a crash in which you can be
seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this owner’s
manual regarding accessories and
modifications.
Do not pull a trailer with, or attach a sidecar to,
your motorcycle. Your motorcycle was not
designed for these attachments, and their use
can seriously impair your motorcycle’s handling.
When the ignition switch is turned on, all the mode and digital segments
will show, and the tachometer segment progress to maximum scale and
then disappear.
If any part of these displays does not come on when it should, have your
dealer check for problems.
The average fuel mileage and fuel consumption will be based on tripmeter A.
• Current fuel mileage:
Current instant fuel mileage. If your speed is less than 7 km/h (5 mph), “” is displayed.
When “” is displayed at speeds above 7 km/h (5 mph), go to your dealer for service.
• Average fuel mileage:
Average fuel mileage since tripmeter A was reset. When “” is displayed, go to your
dealer for service.
• Fuel consumption:
Total fuel consumption since tripmeter A was reset. When “” displayed, go to your
dealer for service.
u To reset the average fuel mileage and fuel consumption: (P22)
and fuel consumption together, press and
hold SET button.
!b When they are reset, “0.0” is displayed at
each indication.
!c Then, the display returns to the last selected
indication.
!d To reset tripmeter B, press and hold SET
button with tripmeter B displayed.
Also, the tripmeter A, average fuel mileage,
and fuel consumption will automatically reset
by refuelling more than the reserve amount
and riding your motorcycle for 0.1 km (0.06
mile).
You can activate or deactivate the automatic
reset mode by refuelling.
When the 1st (E) segment of the fuel gauge
starts flashing, the odometer & tripmeter &
fuel mileage meter & fuel consumption
meter switches to the reserve fuel
consumption. You should refill the tank as
soon as possible.
• Flashes from “0.0” L (litre) or gal (US gal).
u When the amount of consumed fuel is
more than 1.0 litre (0.26 US gal, 0.22 Imp
gal) the display blinks faster.
u If you change the display to odometer,
tripmeter, fuel mileage meter and fuel
consumption meter and so on
will automatically return to the reserve
fuel consumption display if the buttons
are not pressed after for about 10
seconds.
(P20), it
After refuelling more than the reserve
amount, the display returns to normal when
your motorcycle travel 0.1 km (0.06 mile).
continued
23
Operation Guide
E, II E type only
Ordinary display
Press and hold SEL button and SET button
Press SET button
Clock setting
Activating/deactivating of tripmeter A,
average fuel mileage and fuel
consumption automatic reset mode