Honda CB500T - Between the Hedges

This 500cc twin was bought second hand in the spring of '78. It was actually my father's bike but I rode it often and was very fond of it so I've included it here as part of my motorcycling history.

This was possibly as close to a 'British' bike as Honda ever produced in terms of design. The advertising campaign that surrounded its launch seemed to emphasise sportiness and speed yet its classic lines and conservative colour scheme combined with its rather lumpy feel gave a package which felt somewhat retro (even then) if not quaint. Ideally I suppose it should have had a drum brake at the front just for image but a disc is what they gave it. A drum might have worked better! The swinging calliper had a tendency to seize making a poor brake even worse.

The motor on this bike was derived from that of the much documented 1960s CB450 "Black Bomber" (US market only I believe), and was departure from Honda's traditional UK portfolio. The 450's engine was stroked to produce a 500. This had a double overhead camshaft as opposed to the usual SOHC which had become a standard. As I remember the valve clearances were set by a most peculiar arrangement of cam-mounted followers which were difficult to get right. The layout was a 180° parallel twin. This was, I felt, a curious arrangement as a 360° setup would have been much less lumpy. I'm sure they had their reasons! The 180° configuration gave it an offbeat rhythm which sounded vaguely like a Vee-Twin. One distinguishing feature of this bike was the somewhat conspicuous chromed balancing box between the downpipes. Was it there for show? It ran smoothly enough except under firm power when the power reached the back wheel in discernible pulses rather than a smooth delivery. This bike was not forgiving when you found yourself in too tall a gear.. it threatened to snap the chain!

For a DOHC 500cc bike it's performance was less than stunning to be honest and a decent British 500cc machine 25 years its senior would probably have whipped it in terms of mph. As I remember its top speed was just over the 100mph mark. Miles per gallon was good at around 55 and it was quiet and dignified as it went about its business. It's hard to see why, if aiming at the more mature motorcyclist who tours rather than scratches, Honda didn't just uprate the CB350 twin engine which was an excellent tried and tested unit.

Although this model wasn't a huge success story in terms of sales and has been ridiculed by many motorcycle journalists as a "one to miss", it does have some historical significance. The one millionth motorcycle to roll off the Honda production line was a CB500T and Mr Sochiro Honda himself rode it off the line. It sold new in the UK for £730 in 1975.

The build quality of the 500T was first class as was the finish on alloy and chrome parts, all in keeping with Honda standards of the era. It was a solid machine which was a reliable workhorse.