The UK's top-selling 500 is a cheap bike, which means that you must be choosy when buying one of these120mph twins.
Look hard at Honda's CB500 and the Suzuki GS500, the Kawaski's direct competitors, too. While the ER-5 chassis is basic, with twin shocks and disc/drum brakes, the parallel twin engine isn't. You get liquid cooling, six gears, two camshafts, vibration-smoothing balancers and four valves per cylinder. Which is nice.
There's less power (50PS) than the similar GPZ500S, but reduced compression and increased flywheel weight make the engine more tractable at lower rpm. However, do not buy an ER-5 - or any other 500cc parallel twin - unless you get off on changing gear a lot. Do buy if you're vertically challenged, as the 17in wheels make the twin low, and it's also pleasantly light at 174kg dry.
Previous ER-5 owners will include older novices, dispatch riders and riding schools. Engine bars can be the giveaway, especially if they've been scraped. Leave those bikes alone. Aim to buy from the sizeable number of older riders for whom a smooth parallel twin was their replacement for a long-dead British Vibrator.
You'll be able to spot a good honest bike a mile off as the ER-5's finish goes off badly if it's neglected. Engine noise, oil dribbles or smoking also mean that you should make an excuse and leave. Fancy the protection of a screen? Think CB500S, GPZ500S or fit one. There really are lots of ER-5s to choose from, so be picky.
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