2019 Honda CB500X Review - .au

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New bike showroomSign up/Log inSell my bikeShow17 191016 honda cb500x 38

Rod Chapman•18 Oct 2019REVIEWShare2019 Honda CB500X reviewHonda's updated middleweight adventure bike is big on fun, light on the budget – and now sports a number of largely off-road-focused upgrades…

The new 2019 Honda CB500X was doing its best impression of The Little Engine that Could, plugging away up the steep, icy grade to Mount Hotham in second, leaving me to concentrate on following the narrow wheel track carving its way through the building layer of snow. It was mid-spring for crying out loud, but no one had told the weather gods at the roof of Australia, where the mercury was two degrees below zero and the wind was gusting to 50km/h…

Good times on Mount Hotham. Actually, the CB500X handled the challenging conditions well. Wish it had been fitted with Honda's factory accessory heated grips though!

While the going was decidedly sketchy, Honda's middleweight adventure bike was making steady progress, which was in stark contrast to my colleague and Bikesales editor, Mark 'Mav' Fattore. After stopping to switch off the traction control on his Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE, which was cutting power at some inopportune times, Mav was still 'having issues', the significantly higher output of the Trumpy not doing it any favours in the slippery going.

The Honda CB500X's upright ride position, relatively light weight and broad handlebars made negotiating the icy road far less of a chore than it could have been...

The long and the short of it

That 'can do' attitude sums up the heavily revised and learner-approved 2019 Honda CB500X for me – it's supremely competent and easy to manage, and especially for those of average height and above thanks to an increase in seat height (from 810mm to 835mm).

The latter is part of a suite of updates aimed largely at making the Honda CB500X a better thing off-road. Suspension travel has been increased front and rear (from 125mm to 135mm at the front and from 118mm to 150mm at the rear) and the front wheel has gone from a 17-inch rim to a 19-incher, while the wheelbase has increased from 1420mm to 1443mm.

Changes for 2019 include new bodywork, a new screen, a larger 19-inch front wheel, a stronger mid-range and extra suspension travel, among others

The 471cc parallel-twin has also been massaged for a little extra mid-range go – in the order of four per cent more power and torque between 3000-7000rpm, says Honda – and the bike also features new instrumentation, new bodywork, a new screen, and full LED lighting.

The Honda CB500X arrived in 2013 and was last updated in 2016. It's popular here, too: to the end of September 2019 the model had accounted for 226 new-bike sales. That positions it as Australia's sixth-best-selling adventure bike, according to FCAI data, outselling perennial favourites like Kawasaki's KLR650 and Suzuki's V-Strom 650, among others.

It falls at the smaller end of Honda's Adventure Touring line-up, below the Africa Twin and NC750X but above the more off-road focused CRF250 Rally.

At the top of Mount Buffalo. Just before it began snowing

High Country loop

To see how the cumulative effect of the model's updates stack up on the road, I pointed the Honda CB500X at a two-day loop from Melbourne to Victoria's High Country, staying overnight in Bright and taking in surrounding peaks including Mount Hotham and Mount Buffalo, along with a run over Tawonga Gap to Mount Beauty.

As mentioned, Mav was along for the ride on the Triumph, the route itself also serving as a recce run for our looming 2019 Bikesales Bike of the Year mega-test.

The heavier, more powerful Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE was a bit more of a handful in the slippery going. This shot was taken on the one occasion when Mav was pried from the Scrambler's heated handlebar grips

After collecting the CB500X from Honda with the grand sum of 3km on its odometer, the task of packing for the overnighter was a simple task thanks to the broad pillion seat and sizeable twin pillion grab rails.

At 188cm tall, the boosted seat height was good news for me, but it will exclude some at the shorter end of the rider spectrum and especially those who are also novice riders, for whom easily getting a foot down to the ground spells a big boost in confidence.

The ride position is now said to be a bit more upright but I'd have to sit on the old and new models back to back to discern any major difference. The predecessor had a relaxed, upright ride position too and but suffice it to say the newcomer places the rider in a commanding and comfortable stance that's perfect for long days in the saddle, if required.

The ride position is as comfortable as it looks, even for taller riders

The tapered handlebars are new too and so is the screen, which Honda says offers a bit more wind protection. It works well: at highway speeds it punches through the air effectively and without undue buffeting, although it's not so tall that I could comfortably ride with my visor up on the open road.

The handlebars are set fairly low in relation to the seat and while this worked for me while sitting, when standing on the footpegs – either for a stretch or when on the dirt – I had to stoop down to reach them. I'd be looking at even higher risers than the already tall stock items in this regard, but then the standard set-up shouldn't be too problematic for anyone of average height.

It's LED all the way for the headlight, taillight and indicators.

Feeling adventurous?

Yes, it is an adventure bike but one rider's definition of adventure is different to another's. The Honda CB500X is a road-focused example of the breed and even though much of the updates seek to make it more capable in an off-road setting, the antilock braking system remains non-switchable.

This isn't ideal when on a dirt road, when the ability to lock the rear wheel can be beneficial – like when braking into a corner, for example. Add in the alloy rims and the exposed sump, and at its most extreme this is about gentle dirt-road touring, not exploring far off the beaten track.

Having said that, the longer-travel suspension really does lend itself to this country's typically patchy sealed country roads. The upright riding position and light weight (197kg wet) make the Honda CB500X a heap of fun to punt through the hills, yet a docile but effective little city commuter too.

Within an hour's radius of this spot is some of the best riding to be had in Victoria, if not the country.

My time in the High Country coincided with a cold snap, with plenty of rain, wet and greasy roads, and – as mentioned – some snow and ice. The Honda CB500X was a faithful companion throughout, inspiring confidence in the manner in which it plugged along and also for its sheer simplicity.

Forget multi ride modes, traction control settings and electronic suspension adjustment – ABS and fuel injection are about as complex as this bike gets, and for novice riders in particular that's no bad thing.

The output is modest but it's still a bit of fun through the bends. The single-front-disc, twin-piston front brake also speaks to learner riders and dirt-road travel, and while I'd prefer a stronger set-up – say a twin-disc, twin-piston arrangement or a single-disc, four-piston format – the anchors still haul the Honda CB500X down from speed well enough.

The single-disc, twin-piston front brake works fine but could be a bit stronger given most of these bikes will most likely end up spending the majority of their time on sealed roads.

The suspension is fairly basic – preload adjustment only front and rear – but it too holds up its end of the deal, given the target market.

Camo fans may appreciate the CB500X's sole colour option: Matte Gunpowder Black Metallic.

(Modest) power and poise

The little twin develops benign but thoroughly useable power – it's unintimidating for learner riders but there's enough there for fun on a winding road. Stay active with the gearbox and the CB500X powers out of corners happily enough, the process aided by a sweet shifting action from the six-speed gearbox and a feather-light slipper clutch.

The 471cc parallel-twin produces modest, dependable power. It's perfect for its intended market and frugal too.

The slipper clutch adds to the Honda CB500X's learner appeal, effectively smoothing out any rear wheel chatter provoked by unintentionally overzealous down-shifting.

But it's the bike's nimble nature that adds the most to the riding experience; it's so easy to steer, and will change line readily with relatively small steering inputs. While the wet roads limited the lean angles on this occasion, ground clearance appears to be amply sufficient for the style of bike and its intended buyers.

Over the course of 800km, and over two days that took in both highway miles, some of the High Country's best sealed roads, plus some good-quality dirt roads, I achieved an average fuel economy of 4.4lt/100km, which equates to a safe working range of around 350km. No complaints there.

The new LCD instrumentation is pretty comprehensive although the display is pretty busy and the tinted screen makes it tricky to read (especially if you're already using a tinted visor). All the usual info is there, bar a range-to-empty readout and an ambient temperature display.

New instrumentation looks more modern but is a little hard to read when on the move, especially if you're using a tinted visor.

And while we're on the subject of gripes, the side stand is a couple of centimetres too short and its base plate could be bigger. Just like its predecessor…

Final thoughts

The 2019 Honda CB500X is a great learner bike and a handy little commuter, although the latter role is tempered by broad handlebars that require extra care when filtering past SUVs, 4WDs, utes and the like.

Given its broad repertoire – commuting, touring, sporty riding and even the odd dirt road – I think its ticket price of $8299 plus on-roads represents decent value, and with its healthy fuel economy and modest output its on-going running costs should also be far from excessive.

For true off-road adventure-touring ability I'd be looking more at bikes like Suzuki's DR650SE ($9490 ride away) or Kawasaki's KLR650 ($9585 ride away), but then the Honda CB500X is a better on-road/off-road all-rounder, and a quite a bit more manageable from a learner standpoint.

I'd prefer the ABS was switchable for off-road use but, that point aside, the 2019 Honda CB500X is a fun and capable bike with much to offer.

Specs: 2019 Honda CB500X

ENGINE Type: Liquid-cooled, DOHC, four-valves-per-cylinder, four-stroke parallel-twin Capacity: 471cc Bore x stroke: 67mm x 66.8mm Compression ratio: 10.7:1 Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection Emissions: Euro 4

PERFORMANCE Claimed maximum power: 47.6hp (35kW) at 8600rpm Claimed maximum torque: 43Nm at 6500rpm

TRANSMISSION Type: Six-speed Clutch: Wet, multi-plate

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR Frame type: Steel diamond Front suspension: 41mm fork, adjustable for preload, 135mm travel Rear suspension: Monoshock, adjustable for preload, 150mm travel Front brakes: Single 310mm disc with twin-piston Nissin caliper, ABS equipped Rear brake: 245mm disc with single-piston Nissin caliper, ABS equipped Wheels: Multi-spoke cast aluminium – front 2.5 x 19, rear 4.5 x 17 Tyres: Dunlop Trailmax Mixtour; front 110/80-19, rear 160/60-17

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES Claimed kerb weight: 197kg Seat height: 835mm Wheelbase: 1443mm Fuel capacity: 17.7 litres

OTHER STUFF Price: from $8299 plus on-road costs Colours: Matte Gunpowder Black Metallic Test bike supplied by: Honda Australia Warranty: Two years, unlimited kilometres