I’m trying to decide between Honda CB500F and Triumph speed 400 as my first bike. I’ve done some research to the best of my ability but it seems like these two’s pros and cons are fairly equal in my use case.
I plan to use the bike for city commuting and cruising, with the option and ability to ride some mountain twisties and short touring on weekends. I don’t plan on hitting the highway much if at all but would like to have to the power option to do so.
I like the look (imho much more characters than the CB500F) and the lightweight of the speed 400, reviews say it’s got a decent amount of low end torque which should come handy in city traffic situation. And the passenger seat should be more comfortable for my gf (occasionally riding along). But would the single cylinder engine struggle too much should I hit highway? And too much of a hassle to maintain and repair since there’s only one triumph dealer in my area?
CB500F on the other hand seems to have a much more versatile engine, 500cc twin cylinder it should handle highway speed better. The dash is more up to date and I don’t hate the sportier look. And I feel like it’s a more “baseline” modern motorcycle experience than a comparably niche bike like the speed 400？ Thus more suited to start out as the first bike? Plus the Honda reliability and dealer availability.
These two cost exactly the same in my area, both seating positions work fine for me. I can’t decide after much thought. Any suggestions would be appreciated!