The Honda CL500 is a street scrambler steeped in genuine heritage, tracing its round tank and upswept styling back to Honda’s original CL72 scrambler of 1962. It brings that classic silhouette to an A2-compliant twin built to be ridden hard, taken off the beaten path occasionally and customised further to suit its owner’s taste. It stands apart from the more overtly sporty CB500 Hornet and CBR500R twins by leaning fully into relaxed, go-anywhere character rather than outright pace.
A liquid-cooled 471cc DOHC parallel twin, with a four-valve head, a 67 x 66.8mm bore and stroke and 10.7:1 compression, produces 34kW at 8,500rpm and 43.3Nm of torque at 6,000rpm through a six-speed gearbox with a wet, assisted slipper clutch. It is the same engine family found in the CB500 Hornet and CBR500R but tuned to suit the CL500’s relaxed, scrambler character, with drive that feels unhurried rather than urgent.
A steel diamond frame carries 41mm upright telescopic forks with 150mm of travel and twin rear shocks on a 45mm round-pipe swingarm with five-step preload adjustment, giving 155mm of ground clearance for a genuine go-anywhere feel down farm tracks and unmade lanes. A single 310mm floating front disc with a two-piston caliper and a 240mm rear disc with a single-piston caliper provide the braking. At 191kg, with a 1,484mm wheelbase and a low 790mm seat height, it stays approachable for riders of most heights despite its long-travel suspension and scrambler stance. The upright, wide-barred riding position keeps effort low whether picking through town traffic or bouncing down a rutted farm track at the weekend.
Blacked-out engine, frame and suspension components give a sleek, minimalist look throughout, while rubber fork gaiters and authentic rubber knee pads on the tank add genuine period detail lifted straight from the original CL72. High, wide handlebars give confident control both around town and further afield, and a 12 litre tank suits its scrambler brief without adding unnecessary bulk. The CL500 suits riders wanting scrambler character and easy A2 licence access in one compact package. Available now at GT Motorcycles, your Honda dealer in Plymouth. We serve riders across Devon and Cornwall, with finance and test rides available.
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