The Kneeslider

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Subaru Motorcycle?

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Subaru HS500sa motorcycle

Everyone keeps pointing out these stories about a Subaru motorcycle so I’ll put this up but I have zero information other than what everyone else is repeating. Yesterday, this photo was circulating everywhere and even the automotive websites covered it, must be because of the name.

A couple of weeks ago, Motorcycle News made mention of a supposedly upcoming motorcycle. It’s powered by a 50 horsepower 500cc water cooled single supplied by Fuji Heavy Industries, parent company of Subaru, and mounted in an aluminum frame made in China. The engine has been or is being used by Polaris.

The man behind the project is Kazuo Sasaki who previously tried to produce a Horex. Stories are calling this new bike a Subaru HS500sa. Just looking at these 2 photos I notice the swingarms are different, the frame looks different, even the front fairing, too, so is this close to final form, or not?

Would Subaru make a motorcycle? Who would sell it? If this comes to market I would think it would be badged under some other name, but who would that be? The photos look like this is a running bike but it may be some early prototype so we’ll just have to wait to see if this shows up somewhere. How about Wal-Mart?

Subaru HS500sa motorcycle

Link: Motorcycle News

Posted on Filed Under: China, Motorcycle Business

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Comments

  1. look at the front fairing on the blueish one closely. it seems to have some double imagery going on. if you can look past that it looks like the same fairing. the lower fairing and tail section look the same to me. hard to tel with the swing arm though since we’re seeing two different sides and the chain cuts thru the left side.

    i’d like to know more about this.

  4. Rumor has it Fuji makes the engine in the Hyosung TE450 quad and the RX450sm supermoto. If so, it is probably the same engine???

    I like Subaru’s cars. Hard to imagine thier brand on a motorcycle but I welcome another hat in the ring!

  6. China is a huge motorcycle market, that is probably were this bike is going if it makes it into production. Subaru must be going after some of those 50 billion US dollars we send there every month.

  8. it looks funnily enough like a honda cbr frame..like with a later model 400rr bendy mainframe and the tri-arm swingarm bolted onto it. and i’ve been to websites that make eerily similar fairing kits for those bikes..
    i think its fairly obviously a farce. who would really want a subaru motorbike when their car engines are loaded with so many issues? i don’t think people want a piston in their face wen they accidentally bounce off the rev limiter..

  10. Arent Subaru cars among the highest rating for new car reliability according to those JP Morgan surveys?

    I really like my Subaru car and have had had ZERO issues with it. I understand the reliability problems relate to the turbocharged motors, particularly when they get older.

    As for the bike? Yes please.

  11. Fuji heavy industies is not just Subaru. Fuji Heavy made many of the twin cylinder two stroke engines in earlier Polaris snowmobiles, and also makes many small industiral deisels and Fuji-Robin engines for others such as lawn and garden and generators…So is Polaris the possible outlet? I have no real knowledge…just stating rumors..

  13. I’m with Phoebe. If it’s built as a naked/standard there would be less temptation to compare it to an R6. That very reason has been why sales of the GS500 has dropped after Suzuki put the fairing on it. For not much more money the higher spec, much-much faster GSXR600 looks nearly identical.

    A 50HP 500 single “roadster” or half faired bike would be a big temptation for me.

    -todd

  14. Not a good marketing exercise. The Buell Blast is not a bad bike and you can pick up like new ones, on the used market, all day, at $1500 or less a copy.

    They need to go for the High MPG Urban Transport or the Dual Sport Adventure Touring niche. That’s where the market is heading.

    How ’bout both? A 125cc, watercooled, FI, plastic bodied, Super Cub type tourer. A Then Came Bronson Redux, for all those retiring, boomer, geezers and geezettes. Something that will get 100 MPG and go all day, every day.

    YeeHaw! They’ll never notice the depends under the leathers!

  15. Suburu make great cars, very solid,very reliable and very well made. I have long thought that one of their robin type engines could be great in a bike, how about a diesel.

    Also they make great boxer engines, maybe they could compete in the market on a different level with a boxer powered bike like another well known motorcycle maker who also make very well regarded sporting saloon cars.

    I would definitely buy a Suburu bike although I still have issues with a lot of products made in China, even though we don’t have much choice nowadays.

  16. “Rumor has it Fuji makes the engine in the Hyosung TE450 quad and the RX450sm supermoto. If so, it is probably the same engine???”

    Why don’t more manufacturers use the 450’s from their off road lines in a small light and cheap street bike?

    Besides the really physically small 250’s, there really aren’t any small or even midsize bikes these days. Probably not huge demand, but make it light and cheap and it will sell reasonably well.

  18. The bike is to be marketed by a chinese company who r now looking for dealers/importers, other versions of the bike may well be implemented subject to feedback from riders,
    wat other versions would u like to see,
    cafe racer
    old brit single thumper,
    scambler
    commuter with extra mpg

  19. By dec 1, 2008 I will take delivery, 500cc single cylinder, intial offering will be $5995. Limited support through 2009. Look for more dealers mid 2009 with complete support by 2010.

    This is a very real bike currently in limited production.

    ESP