With a fairly plush suspension setup, the bike offers with all method of unhealthy roads with ease
The Honda CB500X is a road-biased journey bike which guarantees to be excellent for the Indian using atmosphere. Visually, it makes an incredible impression as a result of its dimension and proportions are spot on.
The angular bodywork and LED lighting throughout give it a premium feel and look. Seat top is at 830mm, but it surely feels fairly approachable as a result of the seat is slimmed down close to the 17.7-litre gas tank. It additionally helps that the bike doesn’t have an exaggerated sense of high heaviness that may make huge ADVs intimidating.
Finish and high quality ranges are good, however there isn’t a escaping the sense that the CB500X has been constructed with cost-effectiveness in thoughts. The fork isn’t upside-down and the swingarm is an easy box-section unit. Instead of a flashy TFT, you get a fairly small and easy destructive LCD show. It is an analogous story with digital assists and there’s no traction management, quickshifter or cornering ABS to be discovered right here.
Nevertheless, consolation is great, with a really spacious seat and an upright using place. The windscreen works effectively and is adjustable.
Easy going bike
The CB500X runs a 471cc parallel-twin that produces 47.5hp and 43.2Nm. Power supply is completely linear and the robust bottom-end/mid-range is surprisingly encouraging of first-gear wheelies. The motor can also be very tractable, and you can find your self in sixth gear effectively under 60kph.
The 6-speed transmission shifts with a constructive sensation and a slipper clutch helps with smoother downshifts. Refinement ranges are typically good, and also you solely begin to really feel vibrations when you rev the bike in the direction of its 8,750rpm redline.
Matching the easy efficiency is a chassis that could be a breeze to get together with. The bike feels lighter than its 199kg kerb weight and there may be lots of steering lock obtainable. Factor within the tractable nature of the engine in addition to the sunshine clutch, and that is fairly an easy-going bike in city situations.
On an open street, a 100kph cruise is totally relaxed; all method of unhealthy roads are handled very effectively and the suspension setup feels fairly plush. It doesn’t take a lot effort to get the bike turned in and there may be lots of lean angle obtainable. The bike can movement by means of corners at a fast tempo, but it surely doesn’t admire being ridden too aggressively.
With 181mm of floor clearance, the CB500X won’t shy from deviating off the tarmac; it has the suspension composure to tackle a number of gentle jumps. Other hints on the Honda’s skills come within the kind of the rubber foot pegs, the shortage of a bash plate and the lack to deactivate the rear ABS with out pulling a fuse.
The expertise offered by the CB500X is ideal for our market. At ₹6.87 lakh, Honda has priced this CKD bike far greater than anticipated. It is tough to justify a value that’s so near the Kawasaki Versys 650 — which is definitely heavier, each in particular person and on the pocket, however a motorbike that can also be undoubtedly in a phase above.
