2019 Honda CB500X review

[dubber68]

Well I managed to track down one of the new CB500X bikes today that was available for demo. I have ridden the old model but it was a while ago and had the rally raid full kit on it so I won't be making direct comparisons. First impressions were that it looked quite good and didn't look like a small bike, no doubt helped by the revised front bodywork. There was also an older model in to do visual comparisons with. The rear of the bike looks very similar if not identical but I wasn't prepared to go full "nerd" on it and get out a tape measure. On starting it up the dash is nice with the white on black display and all the important information is easily readable even without my reading glasses. The lesser information (trip, temp, clock etc) is just about readable without my glasses but requires a longer look to be sure. The engine note was a surprise as it sounded quite deep and dare I say it throaty, a vast improvement and it seems to be a trend with Honda bikes at the moment.


Riding it off of the forecourt I immediately hit traffic and found it an exceptionally well-balanced bike with feet up at below walking speed immediately. The gear change was very slick, and the clutch is one of the lightest I have experienced. I was the first to ride this bike so the engine was still probably quite tight but it still had plenty of pull in the mid-range but this lessened as the revs rose so short shifting to keep in peak torque was the order of the day and also I don't like revving the nuts off a new bike even if it isn't mine. Despite this it was still competitive in the traffic light grand prix and pulled well enough in national speed limit overtakes. This mid range torque will make it quite a relaxing tourer in my opinion. The weather was wet and windy so I didn’t push it too hard. The new 19inch front hasn’t upset the balance of the bike and it tips easily into corners and feels stable at legal speeds. I didn’t go much faster than this but I’m sure from what I saw that there will be no problems. I did take it down a rough tarmac rode and the suspension soaked up everything despite being on out of the crate settings. I didn’t do any off road as again it didn’t seem right.
The new LED light seems to be very bright and I feel sure it would be an improvement over the normal lights on my bikes. Other ancillaries seem well finished except the horn which seems to be in the worst position possible being directly behind and to the side of the front mudguard with no protection. I’m pretty sure this will age rather quickly and would probably get relocated somewhere with less potential to rust.
I was testing this bike as a solo tourer for mainly tarmac use with occasional excursions down easy to medium tracks. Although I would like spoked wheels the tubeless cast ones would probably be more practical in use and keep their appearance for longer than some other spokes fitted to current Honda bikes. All in all, I really liked the bike. So much so that I actually paid my hard earned and ordered one. Take delivery of a nice shiny red one next Wednesday. Now what to do with the Sertao?

[dubber68]

my new bike.jpg (58.94 KiB) Viewed 8715 times

My new steed

[onslowe]

Great review, thanks for sharing and there's no better recommendation than somebody shelling out their hard earned to buy their own. It's really good that these "budget" new bikes are getting good reviews (RE Himalayan, CB500X, CB650R, MT-07 etc etc) as it goes to show that we don't need to spend over £10000 to get a decent, real world, bike. Proves having a demo version available pays off as well. Hope the delivery and running in goes well for you. Cheers

[soho]

Nice one.
Never thought I'd be looking in this direction, but now well into my 60's I'm having trouble throwing my AT's around and have been riding the NX650 more regularly for that same reason. Trouble is none of my rides will be usable in the ULEZ zone from next month. On the lookout for something new and ULEZable this has deffo got my attention ! I'll be following your progress ! Thanks.

[Zookman]

I've always thought the CB500X was basically a very good bike, but there was always a few things i wasn't too keen on about it.
So i've been very interested in this new one with all the improvements, and have been itching for months to get my hands on one and test ride it. So i finally got to ride one a week or so back.
I was really impressed with it, so impressed in fact, that i decided on the test ride that i was going to buy one.

Pick mine up in a few days.

[dubber68]

I've always thought the CB500X was basically a very good bike and, but there was always a few things i wasn't too keen on about it.
So i've been very interested in this new one with all the improvements, and have been itching for months to get my hands on one and test ride it. So i finally got to ride one a week or so back.
I was really impressed with it, so impressed in fact, that i decided on the test ride that i was going to buy one.

Pick mine up in a few days.

Yeah it really is a good all round bike. I'm glad it's not just me then who buys with their head as well as their heart.

[dubber68]

Zookman, have you had any joy finding crash bars and a sump guard?

[Zookman]

Zookman, have you had any joy finding crash bars and a sump guard?

No, i've not looked yet. But i'm pretty sure Rally Raid have something in the pipeline.
First of all i want a rack. I reckon the rear subframe and the fixing points for the grab rails are the same. So i think any rack made for the older models should fit. I still have to check that out though.

[dubber68]

Zookman, have you had any joy finding crash bars and a sump guard?

No, i've not looked yet. But i'm pretty sure Rally Raid have something in the pipeline.
First of all i want a rack. I reckon the rear subframe and the fixing points for the grab rails are the same. So i think any rack made for the older models should fit. I still have to check that out though.

Yeah it even looks similar on the underside so maybe the sump guard will fit.

[Zookman]

Zookman, have you had any joy finding crash bars and a sump guard?

No, i've not looked yet. But i'm pretty sure Rally Raid have something in the pipeline.
First of all i want a rack. I reckon the rear subframe and the fixing points for the grab rails are the same. So i think any rack made for the older models should fit. I still have to check that out though.

Yeah it even looks similar on the underside so maybe the sump guard will fit.

Bash plate may only work with crash bars, and as the bodywork is different on this new one, the crash bars may be different compared to older ones.