If you wanted further proof that Honda is getting ready to debut a 500cc CBR, look no further than the fact that the 2013 European Junior Cup has been tipped to switch from the KTM 690 Duke to the Honda CBR500 when the middleweight sport bike debuts next month at EICMA.
A cheap way to get young racers honing their skills on the track, the European Junior Cup is an ideal venue for the Honda CBR500, which is expected to differentiate itself from the CBR600RR by being a less-sporty entry-level machine for newer riders.
Until now, the Honda CBR500 has also been rumored since its leak in Southeast Asia last month. While we wait for full details on the machine, it is expected that the 2013 Honda CBR500 will be a bike with 500cc parallel twin motor, essentially a Honda CBR250R engine with an extra cylinder. It also makes logical sense that the Honda CBR500 would be the next progression in machine for a rider currently on a CBR250R.
It is not clear whether the Honda CBR500 will come to North America for 2013, though if Honda’s succession plan holds true, it could be a future model at some point. One thing is clear though, the bike will come to Europe for 2013, as it is now known that it powers the EJC.
Source: Honda Europe
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