Two new four-cylinder Hondas get Chinese launch ahead of global unveiling
There have been hints for months that Honda has been planning a new range of small four-cylinder bikes – including trademarks for the names CB500 Super Four, CB400 Super Four and CBR500R Four – and now two of those machines have officially broken cover at the CIMAMotor show in China.
Details of the bikes are still scant, with Honda confirming only that their new four-cylinder engine measures 502cc (a CB400 Super Four and CBR400R Four are expected for the Japanese market where licence rules favour bikes under 400cc) and that the machines feature a next-generation version of the E-Clutch that debuted on the CB650R and CBR650R. We also know there’s ride-by-wire and traction control, the former allowing the uprated E-Clutch system – which automatically disengages and reengages the clutch during gearshifts – to auto-blip the throttle when shifting down.
Unlike more complex semi-autos, the E-Clutch doesn’t shift gears itself, you still do that with the foot lever, but it means you never have to use the clutch lever on the bars, even when starting and stopping. But since there still is a clutch lever, you can always override or turn off the E-Clutch and use the bike completely conventionally if you prefer.
The next-gen version on the CB500 Super Four and CBR500R Four is more compact than the initial design, too, with the clutch operating servo repositioned to the left-hand-side of the engine, above the transmission, instead of bulging from the clutch cover on the right-hand-side.
The bikes shown at CIMAMotor share the same engine – it’s expected to make around 55kW but no figures have been mentioned yet – and the same tubular steel frame, but look very different to one another. The CB500 Super Four is firmly in the retro camp, harking back to earlier models like the CB400SF and the CB750F, despite departing from the double-cradle used on those machines in favour of a design that uses the engine as a stressed component.
A single, round headlight above twin horns makes it instantly recognisable. The CBR500R Four, meanwhile, is a resolutely modern sports bike shape, avoiding the wing-laden look of many rivals and instead going to for a clean shape with crisp edges and flat panels, marked out by a distinctive headlight unit that sweeps across the whole nose of the bike. The two machines have different exhaust cans to suit their styles, but are otherwise mechanically identical, with the same upside-down forks and radial Nissin brake calipers, as well as a 5in TFT dash.
The decision to unveil the bikes in China reflects the importance of that market, particularly when it comes to bikes in this class. The same show also saw the launch of the ZXMoto 500F – a Super Four-alike made by the new company formed by Zhang Xue, who previously set up the Kove brand.
A more complete reveal of the new Hondas, including full specifications and the company’s plans for the models on other markets, is expected later this year, probably around the EICMA show in November.
