HONDA CB500X (2022 - On) Review - MCN

Ride quality & brakes

Next up: Engine 5 out of 5 (5/5)

Honda have gone to town updating the CB500X for 2022 - adding non-adjustable Showa Separate Function Big Piston upside down forks and replacing the 310mm single front brake set-up for dual 296mm discs and two piston calipers.

Adding to this is a 5.9kg swingarm that shaves just over a kilo and adds a claimed 18% more lateral flex and torsional stiffness. The five-stage preload-adjustable rear shock has been revised to match the new forks and the bike runs on semi-knobbly Dunlop Trailmax Mixtour rubber. The 19in front wheel is now lighter, too.

⏱️ Join @DanielJS46 for #60secondswith the 2022 Honda CB500X. pic.twitter.com/svaJpYXBRy

— Motor Cycle News (@MCNnews) September 25, 2021

Whilst numerical claims of increased stiffness at the rear are hard to quantify, the bike changes direction with predictable precision. There was nothing wrong with the old one’s set-up, but now it feels more stable – holding a line at speed and flicking from one corner to the next like a lightweight roadster – never mind a raised adventure bike.

Updated alongside the naked CB500F and fully-faired CBR500R, it’s a more engaging riding experience, with the 19in front wheel and well-damped forks providing excellent front end feel, come rain or shine. You’re also sat less in the bike and adopt a more commanding presence on the road.

Complementing the composed springs are the uprated brakes. Oddly, its 17in-wheeled siblings - the CBR500R and CB500F - both got sexier dual four-piston radial calipers in their 2022 updates, but the X’s axial-mounted stoppers offer the best set-up of the bunch.

Squeeze on the six-stage span-adjustable brake lever and the front-end doesn’t dive like a pogo stick – working with the progressive calipers to provide controlled, novice-friendly stopping power, with no intrusion from the ABS.

Along a country road, it’s hard to fault and it’ll cruise all day in top – smashing out hours of motorway drudgery in comfort. Around town it’s predicable too and narrow enough to get through the traffic. That said, the taller seat height, wide bars and slightly heftier kerb weight of 199kg may be intimidating to some shorter riders.

Since publishing this articles, several MCN owners' review have remarked on the Honda having a rather stiff or firm ride – and one less comfortable than they'd expect from the bike. A handful of owner reviews suggest the harsh ride could be down rider lightness, and one owner remedied the issue by installing a more comfortable aftermarket seat. It's something to think about if you're on the lighter side, and/or if you'll be piling the miles on.