500cc or 750cc parallel twin? (Honda CB)
Greetings everyone. I’ve read a lot of beginner bike posts, but none really matched my situation, so I’d appreciate some perspective from experienced riders.
I recently bought a Honda CB300R as my first motorcycle. A lot of people told me to start on at least a 500 because I’d outgrow the 300 quickly, but I chose the safer route so I could focus on learning fundamentals first.
Now that I’ve spent some time on it, I understand what they meant. The bike is great around town and on twisty roads, but on the highway it feels too light and underpowered. It gets pushed around by wind and struggles to comfortably keep up with traffic on longer rides. Not to mention the gearing is very short and first gear is practically useless. Perhaps my lack of skill/experience is the issue there, but idk.
I know a bigger bike won’t magically make me a better rider, and I’m still developing my skills. But I do want something that can comfortably handle highway riding and last me several years without immediately wanting another upgrade.
Right now I’m looking at the CB500F and the CB750 Hornet. There’s a brand new CB500F near me for $4,500, while the Hornet is about $8K new.
So I’m wondering:
- Should I move up to the 500, keep building skills, and accept that I may want something bigger in a couple years?
- Or should I jump from the 300 to the 750, knowing it’s a bike I could realistically keep for 3–5 years and grow into?
For context: I’m 31, ride mainly for enjoyment and commuting, and have zero interest in speed for its own sake. I mainly want enough weight, power and stability to feel comfortable and confident on the highway.