The Mid-Sized Fours

The CB500 was produced as a more commuter-friendly motorcycle to take advantage of the growing popularity of the motorcycle for daily transportation in the US. The mid-size SOHC/4 proved a popular formula throughout the 1970’s and into the early 1980’s. Competition drove gradual increases in engine output and the platform was refined through the decade, but the basic formula remained the same until the final variation, the CB650, and with it the single cam fours, went out of production after the 1982 model year.