Honda Revives the 500cc Screamer at EICMA With the 72 HP CBR500R Four

Part of Throttle Times’ live coverage of EICMA 2026 motorcycle reveals.

Honda has stunned the EICMA 2026 floor in Milan by unveiling the 2027 CBR500R Four, bringing back the high-revving 500cc inline-four supersport with a screaming 12,500 rpm redline and Honda’s electronic E-Clutch fitted as standard equipment.

For more than a decade, European A2 licence holders and middleweight sport riders were told that the small multi-cylinder screamer was an extinct relic of 1990s Japanese bubble-era economics. Manufacturers pushed budget parallel-twins with 270-degree cranks, claiming nobody wanted to pay for four pistons when two would do. Honda’s reveal of the CBR500R Four shatters that consensus, pairing an authentic 72 hp screamer with modern electronics alongside radical showcases like the forced-induction Honda V3R 900 E-Compressor.

502cc Inline-Four: 72 HP Screaming to 12,500 RPM

The heart of the 2027 Honda CBR500R Four is a clean-sheet 502cc liquid-cooled DOHC 16-valve inline-four engine generating 72 hp (53 kW) at 11,000 rpm and 47.4 Nm of torque at 9,750 rpm.

Engineered with an oversquare 58.5 mm bore and 46.7 mm stroke, the valvetrain uses lightweight finger-follower rocker arms and narrow-angle valves to allow safe continuous operation up to its 12,500 rpm rev ceiling. For the European market, Honda will offer both a full-power 72 hp specification and a factory-restricted 35 kW (47.6 hp) variant specifically tailored for A2 licence holders, easily de-restricted via an authorized Honda dealer once an unrestricted licence is attained.

“Modern emissions regulations made small four-cylinder engines notoriously difficult to calibrate,” explained Honda’s Large Project Leader in Milan. “By combining high-pressure multi-point injection with our E-Clutch logic and tuned intake tracts, we preserved the authentic high-RPM acoustic howl while meeting stringent Euro 5+ limits.”

Power reaches the rear wheel through a 6-speed gearbox equipped with Honda’s E-Clutch system. The electronic actuator pack operates the clutch basket independently, allowing riders to start from a dead stop, come to a halt, and shift up or down through the gears using only the foot shifter—though a traditional handlebar clutch lever remains fully operational whenever manual modulation is desired.

Chassis Hardware: Showa SFF-BP and Radial Nissin Calipers

The CBR500R Four abandons the commuter-grade chassis of its two-cylinder namesake in favor of dedicated supersport geometry.

The foundation is a high-tensile steel diamond chassis using the engine as a structural member, mated to an asymmetrical cast aluminum swingarm. Front suspension is handled by 41 mm Showa Separate Function Big Piston (SFF-BP) inverted forks offering 120 mm of travel, while the rear features a Pro-Link linkage monoshock with 5-stage preload adjustment.

Braking is managed by dual radial-mount Nissin four-piston calipers biting 296 mm floating front discs, paired with a two-channel ABS system calibrated specifically for aggressive track and canyon braking. Lightweight cast aluminum 17-inch wheels wear a 120/70-ZR17 front and 160/60-ZR17 rear tyre, keeping unsprung rotational mass to an absolute minimum.

The Rider’s Trade-Off: High-Revving Theater vs Low-End Grunt

The sacrifice of choosing a 500cc inline-four over a parallel-twin comes down to where you want your torque delivered—and how much gear-shifting you are willing to do.

A modern parallel twin like the Aprilia RS 457 delivers its torque punch right off idle, making city traffic and lazy commuting effortless. The CBR500R Four, by contrast, demands that the rider work the gearbox; below 6,000 rpm, the 502cc engine produces modest acceleration, reserving its real surge for the second half of the tachometer. Furthermore, four miniature pistons, 16 valves, and twin overhead camshafts add manufacturing cost and roughly 7 kg of weight over a parallel-twin equivalent. If you want seamless low-speed torque without shifting, buy a twin; if you want the spine-tingling acoustic theatre of an 11,000 rpm crescendo down an alpine straight, nothing else in the A2 class compares.

Middleweight Spec Shootout: Four Cylinders vs The Field

Cockpit Tech and European Availability

The cockpit is anchored by a 5-inch full-colour TFT optical bonding display derived directly from the Fireblade. It integrates Throttle-by-Wire with three distinct ride modes (Sport, Standard, Rain), Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), and full turn-by-turn navigation through the Honda RoadSync smartphone app.

European deliveries of the 2027 Honda CBR500R Four are scheduled to begin in May 2027 across EU dealerships, following the arrival of larger road-focused liter models like the Suzuki GSX-10R. While official country-specific retail figures will be confirmed early next year, Honda representatives in Milan confirmed an expected European MSRP starting at approximately €8,490 (including VAT). It will arrive in Grand Prix Red, Mat Ballistic Black Metallic, and Pearl Glare White.

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Official source: https://global.honda/en/newsroom/news/2026/eicma-cbr500r-four.html

Reporting via: eicma.it, motor.nl