Honda GB500
 | |
| Manufacturer | Honda |
|---|---|
| Production | 1980s-1990s |
| Predecessor | XBR500 |
| Class | standard motorcycle |
| Engine |
498 cc air-cooled RFVC 4-valve SOHC single Bore X Stroke: 92 x 75 mm CR: 8.9:1 |
| Transmission | 5-speed |
| Suspension |
Front: 35 mm telescopic forks Rear: Twin shocks with adjustable pre-load |
| Brakes | front single disk, rear drum |
| Tires |
Front: 3.25 x 19 in Rear: 3.75 x 18 in |
| Rake, trail | Rake: 64°, trail: 105 mm |
| Weight |
157 kg (346 lb) (dry) |
| Fuel capacity | 20 L (4.4 imp gal; 5.3 US gal) |
The Honda GB500 'Tourist Trophy' was a motorcycle introduced in the late 1980s, and first marketed in Japan in 1985 in two 400cc and one 500 cc version, followed by a third 400 cc version for Japan and finally a 500cc version for the US. All models were sold as grey imports in a number of countries and a final batch of surplus US GB500s were taken over by Honda Germany and marketed there from early '92. [1]
The Tourist Trophy, or TT, derives its name from the Tourist Trophy motorcycle races on a 37-mile road circuit in the Isle of Man.
The GB500 engine was based on the motor from the Honda XL600, a dry-sump four-stroke dirt bike. The four-valve single cylinder engine featured a radial four-valve combustion chamber, along with a tubular frame, wire wheels, clip-on handlebars, solo seat, seat hump, and pin-striped gas tank. The styling resembled TT single-cylinder racing bikes (such as the Manx Norton, the BSA Gold Star and the AJS 7R) that were prominent in the TT until the 1960s.
In the USA, GB500s were imported for model years 1989 and 1990. In 1992, a third-party exported 1,000 unsold Honda GB 500 Clubmans (German) from the USA to Germany as grey import vehicles.[2][3]
Both the 400 cc and 500 cc versions were imported and sold by Honda New Zealand. When originally released in NZ, the GB came in three basic models:
- GB400TT - dual seat,
- GB400TT - Mk2 with half-fairing, single seat with plastic cowling showing Mk2 logo, and different footpeg outriggers to suit solo,
- GB500TT - no fairing, single seat.
References
- ↑ Richard Backus (January–February 2011). "Honda GB 500: Under the Radar". Motorcycle Classics. Retrieved 2011-01-03.
- ↑ Schmieder, Thomas (30 December 2008). "Liebhabermotorrad Honda GB 500 Clubman". Motorrad (in German). Retrieved 8 February 2014.
- ↑ Fey, Martin (March 2002). "Honda GB 500 Clubman". BMA das norddeutsche Motorrad-Magazin (in German). Retrieved 8 February 2014.
External links
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Media related to Honda GB & XBR at Wikimedia Commons