Author Topic: CB500 with a twist  (Read 2355 times)

Offline Rozabikes Tim

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CB500 with a twist
« on: August 04, 2026, 08:19:30 PM »
One day I'll have the time to restore it, not just talk and dream....

Offline K2-K6

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Re: CB500 with a twist
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2026, 09:38:58 PM »
I feel they always look so weirdly odd when converted in this fashion. Guess I'm not a target customer from that.

The aesthetic is kind of pointless in my view. They're a little like vegetarian food imitating meat, such as traditional sausages, and other meat products.

Non meat food is excellent, particularly from region such as India where there's so much variety and ways of preparing it to eat. It lacks for nothing and doesn't have to be meat "shaped" to interest me.

Seems incongruous to hide what they call the future in old motorbikes.

Offline Oddjob

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Re: CB500 with a twist
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2026, 11:06:12 PM »
It’s like afterbirth with wheels on, fugly.
Kids in a the back seat cause accidents.
Accidents in the back seat cause kids.

Offline K2-K6

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Re: CB500 with a twist
« Reply #3 on: August 05, 2026, 09:16:51 AM »
 ;D  ;D ;D

Offline florence

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Re: CB500 with a twist
« Reply #4 on: August 05, 2026, 09:23:32 AM »
Why hide the new electric motor etc.  Might be more interesting if one could see what is under the bonnet.

Offline Rozabikes Tim

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Re: CB500 with a twist
« Reply #5 on: August 05, 2026, 09:25:50 AM »
With classic cars I really like the electric conversions, as motor hidden and you retain the original external look. With a bike the engine is a serious player in looks and style. A big square block shoved in its place is just wrong.

On a more general note, even modern electric bikes currently don't do it for me visually. No interesting curvy bits to look at!

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Offline SteveD CB500K0

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Re: CB500 with a twist
« Reply #6 on: August 05, 2026, 09:36:57 AM »
It’s odd isn’t it?

When Triumph relaunched the Bonneville, they hid the fuel injectors in the bodies of what looked like carbs. And put air cooling fins on the engine.

Why not take a 750 engine, remove the innards, fill the space with batteries and put an electric motor behind the “gearbox” sprocket?


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