Honda CB500X (2023) Review

Many adventure pundits will say that the CB500X isn't a new bike and has been on sale in other countries for well over 10 years already. It is, however, new to South Africa and we got to grips with this lightweight adventure rider on the back country roads of the highveld.

Lawrence Minnie

20 Feb 2023 · 19:28Automotive News

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Lightweight adventure

When it comes to adventure biking, for years we've been told that bigger is better, big engines, towering suspensions, and enough packing space to take all your amenities along on the trip. It would seem though that adventure biking is undergoing something of a renaissance with many seasoned travelers balking at all that weight and downsizing to smaller, more nimble bikes. Honda has been on this train for a while now and despite the CB500X having been on sale in Europe for close to ten years already, South Africans can finally get a piece of the action.

The new CB500X was launched late last year in 2022 and sporting Honda's now familiar design language and a fully updated tech offering, is set to take the fight to the bigger adventure bikes by giving riders a light and agile ride with all the features they have come to expect from a capable adventure machine and having to worry less about what happens when you invariably fall over on rough terrain.

Styling

The CB500X does cut quite an aggressive stance even without the optional crash bars and hand guards. You will notice a few design traits that carry across from the rest of Honda's lineup such as the swooping lines that run from the headlight up the tank, the angled screen, and the angular front fender.

There are three colours to choose from namely Grand Prix Red, Gunpowder Black Metallic, or as we had it on test, a beautiful Pearl Organic Green.

Featuring full LED lighting for better night visuals and stunning alloy wheels, the CB has an aggressive look to it that makes it look purposeful even when it's standing still.

Tech

Honda has opted to keep things as simple as possible and as such there is very little in the way of electronic rider aids. ABS is standard, but there is no TCS or ride modes. The extent of the electronics is the fully digital dashboard with its digital rev counter and speedometer. Unfortunately, the screen is set to a constant dark mode that makes it very difficult to read in bright light with only the large graphics being able to be seen easily.

Engine and Drivetrain

The CB is powered by a 471cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine that pumps out 43nm and 47hp (35kW). Power goes to the rear wheel via the final chain drive through a smooth 6-speed gearbox

The rear wheel is a 17" with a 190-section multi-terrain tyre with the front now having a 19" front wheel with a 110-section tyre. The rear end floats thanks to a Prolink mono shock with 5 stages of preload adjustment while the front gets brand new Showa 41mm travel big piston front shocks. This gives the CB 180mm of ground clearance and with a seat height of just 830mm, you can still easily flat-foot it when the going gets rough.

Let's Ride

Once you mount up you immediately notice just how light the CB is, it has a very low centre of gravity which make sit feel incredibly agile and nimble and that bears out once you get going and flick your way through traffic.

Jump on the freeway and you can run up through the gears very quickly, getting up to freeway speed rather quickly, unfortunately, once you get up past the 130km/h mark the 500 runs out of poke even though it is rated to 170km/h. So it would seem that the CB500 is not meant for getting where you're going quickly but rather one should enjoy the ride.

The CB really shines off the road though, easily skipping over rough terrain making it ideal for our country roads. The CB sips just 3.3l/100km meaning that you should realistically get roughly 500km from a full tank, perfect for going places where fuel stations are a luxury.

Pros and Cons

Screen gives good wind protection
Nimble and light
Easy to use
Not intimidating
Light on fuel

Could use some extra power on the top end
Dash is difficult to read in direct sunlight

Model and Pricing

Honda CB500X (2023) - R 119 999

*Price correct at time of publishing subject to change without notice

Verdict

Taking into account what Honda is asking for the CB500 it is going up against smaller bore premium machines such as the KTM 390 and BMW GS 310 and still represents fantastic value for money. The ride is superb for its size and is sure to be received well by the target market of lady riders, youngsters, and adventure riders that are tired of wrestling larger less agile machines. The CB500X is the perfect type of equipment that weekend adventurers will appreciate and will readily take to places far and wide.

Interested in buying a Honda CB500X?

Written by Lawrence Minnie

Lawrence has been involved with motorsports for almost 30 years. Whether it's two wheels or four, if it has an engine, he will try to race it. This love of motor vehicles has led him to ride, drive, film, photograph, and write about his passion. Freelance for a while but now a permanent fixture on the AutoTrader team for over 7 years, Lawrence contributes written, photographic, and video content for AutoTrader and AutoTrader Bikes.Read more