Honda CB500

Honda has already done the important bit: the CB500 is official, made in India and priced. The alloy-wheel version is listed at ₹2.75 lakh ex-showroom, while the two spoke-wheel versions sit at ₹2.99 lakh and ₹3.019 lakh. Honda says full specifications and deliveries will be opened in stages during the third and fourth quarters of FY 2026–27, so this is an announced motorcycle waiting for showroom stock rather than a test-mule rumour.

The interesting number is not 28 HP. It is 43.3 Nm from one 501cc cylinder. That tells you what Honda is aiming for: an easy roll-on from low revs, fewer downshifts in traffic and the steady, unhurried feel that made old 500cc singles memorable. The five-speed gearbox may look ordinary on paper, but it makes sense if fifth is tall enough for the highway.

I would not book one without a proper test ride. Honda's CB350 family is smooth, but a piston this large can bring vibration through the handlebar and footpegs if the balancing is not right. Take the bike past 90 km/h, hold it there, then ride through second and third gear at city speed. Those ten minutes will tell you more than the launch film.

The base alloy-wheel model looks like the value pick. The cross-spoke versions are handsome and keep tubeless tyres, but the price gap is substantial. Unless the upper trims add equipment you will use, spend the difference on a good helmet, engine guard and a first long ride. This could be Honda's most convincing Indian classic yet, but comfort and real fuel economy still need to be proved by production bikes.