Well, that’s the review over then, let’s pack up and watch TV. Why, what’s wrong you ask? Absolutely nothing, but the title does sum up the new Honda CB500X in one phrase. You see, every time I let my friends ride the new Honda, they all came back with exactly the same comment, myself included.
Before I let aforementioned friends ride the bike though, I went to the SA launch of Honda’s new ‘mini-adventure’ bike. It was certainly good to see a new model from Honda arriving on our shores, with more to follow next year. But the excitement, this time, was centered on the very attractive CB500X.
As I walked around the bike, I became more than impressed with its build quality, in typical Honda fashion. A refreshing new bike that is much needed in a sea of giant Adventure bikes that cost well over 300k. This new CB500X will cost R119,999, now that is superb value for the package on offer, right?
Sure, it doesn’t have the outrageous horsepower of the big bikes, but it does present a new owner with a far less intimidating ride. This engine has been around for a while but, with many refinement tweaks for 2022, it now churns out a claimed 47hp@8,600rpm and 43Nm@6,500rpm. It is, without doubt, a little peach of a motor with a creamy smooth nature as it transmits the power to the floor through its beefy 160-section rear tyre. It sounds good too; especially towards the 9,000rpm redline, where it has a sort of ‘V4’ soundtrack. If you’re wondering how fast it’ll go, I saw an indicated 164km/h, but the engine only had 200km on the LCD display. So as it loosens up I’m sure there’s a bit more in the bank.
Performance isn’t really the goal here, it’s more about a bike that can do everything, every day. Commuting of course, but surprisingly, to myself, it’s also rather good when taken off-road, a ‘proper’ mini adventure bike for sure.
The main reason for this attribute is the new addition of those superb Showa SFF-BP (Big Piston) 41mm forks, by far the best springy bits I’ve come across in this class. The rear Pro-Link shock is also commendable, a little on the soft side, but you can bump up the pre-load if you fancy. On the road the stock suspension settings are spot on. Even down ‘very bumpy’ roads these units absorbed everything in a manner that many, much more expensive bikes do not. The CB500X does encourage fast riding due to its stability and taught chassis which now also has a lighter, but stiffer, new aluminum swing-arm. There’s a lighter radiator as well and lighter multiple spoke wheels that aid with the wet weight, including full tank etc, of 199kg.
Not too bad at all when you consider the bike has a 17.7 litre petrol tank. Now here’s a major talking point and relevant to today’s world of overpriced fuel; I rode the CB as hard as I could with the shift-light flashing in every gear and the worst I saw was 24km per litre. So ride in a more conservative manner and it’ll go well over 400km on a tank full – very impressive that part. Some other riders from Honda said they even saw figures over 30km per litre while they were running the bikes in. That does make the Honda CB500X a very appealing prospect for new owners who desire a more affordable adventure experience on all counts.
So, we have new parts everywhere for 2022, oh hang on, I forgot there’re new 296mm twin discs up front, where the previous version had one, and a new LED headlight. Not forgetting the new colours of the usual Honda red, but the green option is by far the best colour, I thought.
When I first set off on the launch I thought, yeah so-so but, as the day progressed, I became more affectionate towards this Honda. It is so much fun and the riding position is perfect for the size of the bike. It does raise the question, do you really need anything more, especially for the price?
I managed to grab one, in splendid green, for a week after the launch and enjoyed every minute I spent in the saddle. And that’s when I let friends, who own all sorts of bikes, have a ride, hence the title. It IS so nice to use on a daily basis, whether you’re going shopping or the odd dirt lane excursion, and I couldn’t fault it. Well, besides the LED instrument display, which is full of information, but is a bit hard to see when direct sunlight hits it and then the horn button is where the indicator switch should be, the same issue found on the NC750. But, you soon ignore those things though as you waft around town in a happy place, if you know what I mean.
Obviously, its competition is the BMW 310 GS and KTM’s 390 Adventure, both good bikes in their own rights, well the KTM definitely is, but the new Honda offers a more refined package and that’ll go a long way towards sales. I couldn’t recommend it more and was quite sad when it was collected after the week, which is always a good sign of how a bike is to live with. Let me finish off by repeating the title once again….
Images: Beam Productions.
Visit: www.honda.co.za for more technical information and dealer locations to book a test ride today.