Honda CB500X

The Honda CB500X, for an entry-level middleweight motorcycle, has got the right stance and dimensions. The tall stance and slim appeal of the motorcycle make it look like a proper touring motorcycle, and while the motorcycle doesn’t look too outstanding, the overall design is far from dated and looks quite mature.

At the front, the Honda CB500X has got a modern-looking face, with an angular all-LED headlamp. This headlamp, which gets curved edges on its upper corners for housing the small LED pilot lamps, is surrounded in an aggressive-looking cowl. This cowl is finished in satin silver theme and gets a small beak-shaped chin at the bottom, just below the headlamp. The bike has now been updated with sleek looking LED turn indicators, while tall and transparent windscreen above the headlamp serves its purpose of obstructing windblasts at higher speeds.

The area surrounding the slim but full of creases fuel tank in the Honda CB500X looks quite aggressive, with the fuel tank getting broad and angular tank pads and a vertically laid and sharp looking tank extension at the front corners. The side portions of the fuel tank now come with nice looking decals, which extend all the way to the front edge of the headlamp through its cowl. The engine is finished in part silver and part black theme, while the multi-spoke alloy wheels here are painted in black.

The sleek and angular looking side body panels look nice and add some aggression to the side profile as well, while partly hiding the trellis frame finished in red color beneath them. The rear side body panels too rise upward like in any other naked roadster, and end up in a triangular LED tail lamp with long split pillion grab rails on the sides. 

This new iteration of the Honda CB500X has been adorned with an all-new fully digital TFT instrument console, which is a straight lift-off from the Honda CBR 650R. This unit, which gets a blue backlit theme for it, gets a round tachometer and a gear indicator inside it and fuel gauge beside it on the left, speedometer and temperature gauge on the right, clock at the top and MID data like odometer, trip meters, average fuel consumption and average speed at the bottom.

The Honda CB500X has been designed with an intent of it being a long-distance hauler, and the suspension combination of 41mm hydraulic telescopic forks at the front and 5-step adjustable pro-link monoshock with preload adjuster and steel square pipe swing arm at the rear is tuned just right for the job. With a braking setup of a single 310mm disc at the front and a 240mm disc at the rear, the Honda CB500X has good stopping power as well.

Powering the Honda CB500X is its smallest middleweight multi-cylinder engine in the lineup – four-stroke, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin, 471cc engine which is paired to a 6-speed gearbox. This engine makes a maximum power output of 47.6 PS and a peak torque output of 43.2 Nm, and returns fuel consumption of 28 kmpl.

At a time when all the bike manufacturers are upping the ante by equipping modern electronic aids, at least from middleweight motorcycles, the Honda CB500X sticks to conventional roots and comes with just a slipper clutch and dual-channel ABS.

The Honda CB500X projects itself as a solid, reliable and built to last middleweight tourer with a potent engine, mechanical setup and comfortable riding ergonomics. However, if the motorcycle is equipped with few more new-age features and electronics, the package will seem to be more complete.