10 Best 500 cc Motorcycles for Beginners 2022

It is recommended that beginners start riding a motorcycle with a low- or mid-sized engine. For example, 500 cc motorcycles are ideal options for beginners. These kinds of bikes have enough power to satisfy riders, with many different companies having different lineups of 500 cc bikes.

Here is a list of the 10 best 500 cc motorcycles for beginners:

Honda is a Japanese automobile manufacturing company it was founded in 1946. Currently, Honda has spread its influence to 150 countries worldwide. In the motorcycle market, Honda has manufactured motorcycles for every category, such as touring, adventure, cruisers , and sports bikes. Honda has made remarkable bikes with both larger and smaller engines.

The Honda Rebel 500 is a compact piece of machinery and a variant of the Honda Rebel series. This series has a variety of models with engine displacement sizes ranging from 250 to 500 cc. However, the Rebel 500 is the top variant in this series

The Honda Rebel 500 is a lightweight cruiser with a comfortable seat height and great seating position. Because of its low seating position, good ergonomics, and less overall weight, it is easier to control while driving within the city or turning sharp corners. This bike has a 500 cc liquid-cooled engine capable of delivering a horsepower of 50 hp.

Available at the base price of $6,399, this is a perfect low-budget cruiser motorcycle for a beginner.

Harley Davidson is an American motorcycle company that is world famous for its touring bikes and cruisers. Harley’s lineups are famous because they are bigger bikes with powerful engines. However, they have also made some remarkable bikes in their Street,  Sportster, and Softail series.

The Harley Davidson Street series has only two variants: the Street 500 and Street 750, both built with similar designs and features. The only difference between the two is that Street 750 has a bigger engine, able to deliver more horsepower and torque.

The Harley Davidson Street 500 has a very elegant design, great ergonomics, a seat height of 28.3 inches, and standard cruiser handlebars. It is very comfortable to ride and has reliable handling. The Street 500’s stock exhaust creates this satisfying rumble which expresses the motorcycle’s power and smooth feel.

Thought It costs a bit higher than the Honda Rebel 500 at around $9,995, a rider may find the Honda Street 500’s performance worthy of its price tag.

Kawasaki is a Japanese motorcycle company famous for creating the fastest bike in the world: the Kawasaki Ninja H2R, which set a world record by reaching 400 km/h in 26 seconds.

Kawasaki launched its Ninja series in 1984 and has since released many variants of the sports bike. The Kawasaki Ninja 500 is one of Kawasaki’s best-selling models. The Kawasaki Ninja 500 was first launched in 1987 and remained in production till 2009.

The Kawasaki Ninja 500 has a 498 cc parallel-twin engine capable of delivering a horsepower of 49 hp, weighs around 200 kg, and has great ergonomics. This bike has a great fuel mileage of 64 mpg (27.2 km/l). Although it has been discontinued by the company, it is still available in the second-hand market at $5,000.

Benelli is an Italian motorcycle company founded in 1911, making it the second oldest motorcycle company in Italy. Benelli has made sport, adventure, and sport-tourer motorcycles, being most famous for its adventure motorcycles.

The Benelli TRK 502 series has two variants: the TRK 502 and TRK 502X. Both share the same features and engine, except the TRK 502X has slightly more ground clearance and a higher seat height compared to the standard TRK 502. The Benelli TRK 502X has hard saddlebags attached to it as a standard feature that other Benelli TRK 502 variants do not have.

The Benelli TRK 502X is an ideal bike for taller riders due to its high ground clearance and seat height. The Benelli TRK 502X has a 500 cc liquid-cooled engine that can produce a horsepower of 47 and a fuel mileage of 42 mpg (17.2 km/l).

Taking into account all of the Benelli TRK 502X’s features, it comes at a base price of $6,399.

The Honda CBR refers to Honda’s sports motorcycle series that was first launched in 1983. All of the CBR models have single-cylinder inline engines. The Honda CBR series has different variants based on the size of the engine.

The Honda CBR500R was released in 2013 and is still in production. The CBR500R is a sports bike with a 500 cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine capable of horsepower of 47.5 hp, a fuel mileage of 72 mpg (30km/l), and a fuel tank capacity of 4.5 gals (17 L). The base price of this motorcycle is only $7,199.

The Kawasaki Vulcan series was first released in 1984, introducing Kawasaki’s custom and cruiser motorcycles. The Vulcan series has many variants that differ in engine size, with some still in production and others having been discontinued.

The Kawasaki Vulcan 500 was released in 1990 and stayed in production till 2009. The Kawasaki Vulcan 500 had a 498 cc parallel-twin engine capable of generating a horsepower of 45.6 hp, a fuel tank capacity of 4 gals (15.10 L), and a mileage of 55 to 60 mpg (23 to 25 km/l). Although the Kawasaki Vulcan 500 has been discontinued, it is still available on online automobile websites and in the second-hand market at an average price of $5,499.

Suzuki is a Japanese automobile company founded in 1909. Suzuki released its first bike in 1952, resulting in the production of 6,000 units within a month. Suzuki has manufacturing companies in 23 countries worldwide. The Suzuki GS series are considered general-purpose motorcycles, the bikes being capable of sports riding, touring, or commutes.

The Suzuki GS500 is a naked lightweight sports bike, fitted with a 487 cc air-cooled parallel-twin engine capable of horsepower of 51.3 hp, a top speed of 105 mph (169 km/h), a fuel capacity of 4.3 gals (20 L), and a mileage of 56.3 mpg (24 km/l). This motorcycle comes at a base price of $6,499.

Yamaha is a Japanese motorcycle company. Releasing its first motorcycle in 1955. Yamaha’s creation won 3rd place in the Mount Fuji Ascent Race, improving the reputation of the company. Other than manufacturing motorcycles, Yamaha also manufactures scooters, watercraft, utility boats, go-kart engines, electrical generators, snowmobiles, unmanned helicopters, etc.

The Yamaha SR500 was first released in 1978 and stayed in production till 2021. The SR in the name stands for “Sports Refined.” The Yamaha SR series has two variants: the SR400 and SR500. The main differences between these two are their engine sizes and power output.

The Yamaha SR500 has a 499 cc air-cooled engine capable of horsepower of 31.5 hp, a top speed of 91 mph (146 km/h), built with standard cruiser handlebars and a 32-inch high seat, a fuel capacity of 3.7 gals (14 L), and a fuel mileage of 49 mpg (20.8 L). This motorcycle comes at a reasonable base price of $5,999.

BMW is a German automobile company founded in 1916. BMW has a history of manufacturing airplane engines, cars, and bikes. BMW Motorrad is a branch of BMW that specializes in making motorcycles. BMW is famous for its touring, sports, and adventure motorcycles.

The BMW G310R is the first low-end 500 cc bike launched in 2018 that is still in production. It has a 313 cc liquid-cooled engine with a horsepower of 34 hp, a top speed of 88 mph (141 km/h), a 31-inch high seat, great ergonomics, an average fuel tank capacity of 2.9 gals (10.1 L), and a fuel mileage of 71 mpg (30 km/l). This motorcycle has a reasonably low base price of $5,190.

The Kawasaki ER-5 is a standard naked bike that was first released in 1997 and remained in production till 2006.

The Kawasaki Er-5 has a very decent design and great ergonomics. It has a 498-cc parallel-twin engine capable of horsepower of 49 hp, a comfortable seat height of 31.5 inches, a fuel capacity of 17 L, and a fuel mileage of 46 mpg (19.5 km/l). This bike is available in the market at a low price of $6,999.