Remember the Honda CB1000F concept that was unveiled earlier? Well, this one looks like a scaled-down version of it that's delightfully grounded. It also stands out as the only 500cc retro inline four motorcycle from the Japanese bike maker, and here are its top 5 highlights:

Looks

The Honda CB500 Super Four looks like a proper retro bike that has been time-travelled from the 70s to today. The design takes a lot of inspiration from the Honda CB750, which was the world's first superbike, technically speaking.

The round headlight, sculpted tank and massive visual heft of the engine really give the bike a strong visual presence. One detail which we liked the most was the chrome finished single-exhaust which fits well with the overall design.

Engine

Powering this retro beast will be a new 502cc, liquid-cooled, inline-4 engine which should produce around 80PS. This should put it at the same range as other 400 to 500cc inline four motorcycles such as the Ninja ZX-4R and the CFMoto 500 SR Voom.

We are quite glad to see that Honda is also playing its part in reviving smaller capacity inline four engines. Currently all the bikes in the brand's lineup in the 500cc segment are parallel twins.

Revised E-Clutch

From the images, the first major change one will notice is the more compact looking E-Clutch system. On the higher capacity Honda CBR650R and the Honda CB650R, the E-Clutch system was placed on the engine crankcase's right side. Now it has been moved to the left, reportedly for better weight distribution.

The E-Clutch works with electric actuators which engage and disengage the clutch automatically. This makes it easy to ride without having to pull in the clutch while shifting gears. The system also works from the get-go, which makes it a lot more convenient for newer riders who may not be used to working the clutch. Honda has thrown in an autoblipping feature too, courtesy the ride-by-wire throttle. This should make downshifts a lot smoother. The CB500 may look retro, but in every sense modern underneath.

Underpinnings

The CB500 Super Four is built on a diamond-type frame and is suspended on an inverted fork and a linked rear monoshock. Braking is also pretty premium - a dual-disc brake setup at the front and a single disc at the rear with Nissin calipers.

Launch Details

The Honda CB500 Super Four is an interesting motorcycle, and one which we think has a lot of potential. But sadly it will be exclusive to the Chinese market, where smaller capacity inline four motorcycles are gaining a lot of traction. With this bike, Honda will likely attempt to capitalize on this trend. We expect the brand to also offer this bike in the Japanese market but in a sub-400cc guise, thanks to different regulations.

If you're an Indian dreaming about this one, well we have bad news for you. Honda will not be launching this motorcycle here. We'll just have to be content with the just-launched Honda CB350C Special Edition featuring exclusive colour schemes and pinstripes *cough* Royal Enfield *cough*.