What slightly bigger bikes ride like the CB500?

I only ever bought my CB as a "spare" bike, but I have to now admit that I'm currently having a bit of a love love affair with it.  Which got me thinking...

What modern bikes are out there that have similar characteristics, but perhaps a bit more oomph?

E.g sporty feel, fairly upright riding position (i.e not lying on the tank), medium sized/weighted (no more than say 750cc), and that lovely screaming engine sound when you really wang it! 

But most importantly that fantastic linear extra oomph from about 9 upwards.   

(...Street Triple R seems to be top of my list so far).

Any other suggestions...?

I'd take the mt07 over the street triple. It's a twin and has a bit more weight.. the street gives you confidence and when it bites it'll have your head off

The street triple feels wrong to me The CB500 feels right. 

You won't believe this but my zx9r feels more like my 500 than the triumph. And by that I mean it feels more right. More natural. More neutral. More comfortable. More like a team of people have spent time working on how the bike feels - how it feels the arms, the back, the arse, and the feet, legs and hips. 

The Stripple doesn't. The bars feel wrong. The seat feels bad, My balls against the tank feel crap. 

I wish I understood that bike. It has nothing about it I like. The sound is terrible - I get that this should be irrelevant. But that whistley, whining note - ugh. No. 

I quite like the look of the bike - but everything else about it pisses me off. 

Meanwhile the zx9r felt like a home from home after the cb500 - and I quickly realised I personally was a lot comfier on it than the cb. I appreciate this must seem unlikely given the clips ons and canted forward position. But those clips ons are above the top yolk - and the seat, wow. The seat. It's a proper saddle. And the fact that your wrists do actually take a little more weight than the CB actually means your back and arse are comfier. Also, way better suspension helps a lot too. 

Moral of the story is something cliched like don't judge a book by its cover. Some bikes that look comfortable merely because they're sensible are sometimes terrible. Another case in point - the BMW 850GS. You'd think yeah that's got to be all-day comfortable. Well, I couldn't stand half an hour on it. I was feeling the subframe through the tops of my legs and arse cheeks quite quickly, and moving around did nowt to cure that. You might think that by contrast the 1200rs would be even less accommodating - after all, it's sportier (what isn't though??). In fact, the 1200 is sumptuous. Again, I suspect in part because firstly, weight is transferred slightly away from back towards arms. Secondly because designers have really focused on ergonomics as opposed to just getting the latest affordable naked bike into production. 

I love the idea of the mt07's price, its weight, its configuration, etc. But I don't think I'd be able to feel comfy on it for very long.

Give me a ktm supermoto and I'd be happy for a while. I also don't like the striple gimme a speedy though different story

Jameshambleton wrote: gimme a speedy though different story

No prevaricating or half measures James. I think that the bike for you is  a V4 Tuono.

 
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I would like a KTM 990 SMR or a Ducatti hypermotard to add to my stable. I reckon they'd be a contender for the humble CB.

I'm lucky enough to also own a BMW r1200RT.. Great for long road trips, but not as characterful as the humble CB..

The CB is a tough act to follow.

Beresford wrote:

Jameshambleton wrote: gimme a speedy though different story

No prevaricating or half measures James. I think that the bike for you is  a V4 Tuono.

 
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Rsv4 please

The CB is a tough act to follow and it just works, in my case it is my commuter bike, racking up 220 miles a week. Just replace tyres (and chain last week), add petrol and it goes. I am lucky enough (like sullivj) to own another motorbike which is a VFR800Fi and what a bike it is! It is superb and extremely comfortable. It is not a "true" sportsbike but can still hold its own and is a joy to ride.

Great comments above...

Like skyerae says, there's something about the CB that just works.  It's not one particular thing - it's the entire symphony.  I'm 5'10", about 10 stone, not particularly physically strong (so I prefer medium sized bikes), and this bike just feels like a glove that instantly fits.  The linear power delivery feels just great, and when I wang it up to the limiter I almost come in my pants.  The sound is sublime - and let's not kid ourselves, the sound of a bike is >really< important.  Kinda like the soundtrack fits the screenplay.  I just love the screaming overtakes.  I'm like (*screaming) "Yeeeeeeeehaaaa! Suck my exhaust you fuuuuuu**rrrrss!!!"

And then there's the ergonomics of the bike.  Like Trevor says - it just works (for me  ...appreciate that for ppl over 6ft and more like the weight of an average rider and pillion then maybe it doesn't... and yep, the rear suspension does seem to leave a bit to be desired).  Trevor - appreciate your comments re the BMW 800 GS - I have the 700GS (same bike, same engine, different styling) and I had to get a granny cushion (Airhawk) and eventually a "comfort seat" before I could ride it more than 50 miles without getting a severe pain in the perineum (area twix't the arsehole and scrote).  The stock CB I can (and did on Saturday) ride all day long, comfortably.  Plus the BM just completely dies at high revs feeling like a disappointing premature ejaculation. 

But there's just one gripe I have with the CB.  When riding with other bikes (admittedly of 1000cc and over) I get frustrated with the 'rubber band' effect when they charge off ahead on the straights leaving me standing - and it takes me a few seconds to catch up again - usually by now in excess of a ton.  

So to refine the the question in the original post...  Is there a bike out there that has/is 

• Around 650 - 750cc 
  
• Similar erganomics (not too sporty not too upright)
  
• Great sound...  but most importantly...
  
• That fantastic limitless feeling / linear power delivery right through the whole rev range?  
  

So far the CB seems like this unlikely esoteric secret hero hiding in plain sight that all other bike seem to fall short on, on at least one count.

...And btw, don't you just love the fact that these little Morris Minor's fool other bikers.  I keep getting comments like "man that thing goes like shit off a shovel!"  I've recently taken to removing the CB500 decals from side covers just to rinse that guise 

Cheers for your comments fellas, and thx for the welcome to the forum 

Sv650 has a little more engine and a bit better handling

I've got an sv650s and it's a cracking bike, but I'm more daring on the honda. I don't know if that makes the honda a better handler or what but I just find I'm less tense in twisties with the honda and can 'bring it'. However, the extra power and superb engine braking make the sv an absolute traffic slayer.

Hi,
yep, the cb5 does most things pretty well. I find its more versatile, it can go most places and be fun on all roads at reasonable-ish speeds.

I had an sv650s, the curvy one, for a while. It had a bit more low rev go for passing traffic and cornered fine. It didn't go so well on smaller b and c roads though, prob due to the nose down riding position, and got very uncomfortable after a while. If I mainly rode a roads it'd be the better choice. The unfaired ones are rarer but a better comparison perhaps.

muttley1 wrote:Hi,
yep, the cb5 does most things pretty well. I find its more versatile, it can go most places and be fun on all roads at reasonable-ish speeds.

I had an sv650s, the curvy one, for a while. It had a bit more low rev go for passing traffic and cornered fine. It didn't go so well on smaller b and c roads though, prob due to the nose down riding position, and got very uncomfortable after a while. If I mainly rode a roads it'd be the better choice. The unfaired ones are rarer but a better comparison perhaps.

That's the one I've got. I'd agree with that. Although I ride almost exclusively on A roads and there's not a lot in it. I've got a cb500s so the comparison is maybe closer. The sv overtaking grunt is way more powerful. Ive got to plan overtakes o n the CB but the sv is much easier. Both brilliant bikes...that Im selling

I've got a CB 500 which I love riding...but the SV650 (naked) does the trick too but not quite in the same way