HONDA CB500X (2019 - 2021) Review

Well built and reliable

The bike excels on lumpy B roads. Its so comfortable. You just glide along. The riding position is perfect for me 5' 9" and I can almost flat foot it. It's light and nimble enough to hustle along any road. I can easily do 2-3 hours non-stop. I do not carry a pillion but it will do it if needed. The seat is well padded.

Excellent Honda engineering making it feel more powerful that you think. Smooth power delivery. Motorway speeds are a piece of cake. Fuelling is perfect.

4 year old bike. No corrosion anywhere. Keep on top of cleaning and it will last for many years. No coolant leaks or oil leaks. Doesn't burn a drop of oil between changes. Suspension is budget but nicely dampened and perfect for lumpy road surfaces. Preload adjustable forks and rear shock is ample enough.

Honda dealers may charge a pretty penny for services but you could look at it in a way that is justified for the fuel savings over other comparable bikes. Honda have a great dealer network and my local dealer is always helpful which massively helps.

It is basic. I have fitted a 12v socket and quad lock for iphone satnav. Aftermarket heated grips will be next. Still on the original crossmax tyres. They roll well and last well too.

Pretty good, it’s never going to brake any records but around town it’s great

Slight rust appearing under the headlight Radiator easily damaged Gear crunch but that’s from a former owner

fitted gr moto end can.,sounds much nicer,fitted motex footrests,rallyraid sumpguard and rear frames for luggage and givi upper crashbars,heated grips (oxford) my local Honda dealer fitted a power socket free of charge.set of TKC80 tyres and its just about right now i live in Portugal so its perfect for the mountains around where i live.only one thing lets it down is its not got the legs for motorways would change sprockets to do that but suits me perfect

only needs oil and filter

would recommend sump guard

Absolutely perfect for Peak District plodding and very light off-road. Not ideal for fast motorway riding, though it will do it. I typically take a break at 2 hours.

Good low-down torque (for a 500cc), but starts to run out of performance above 60mph. It can easily maintain the national speed limit and beyond.

Not faults whatsoever in 3 years (14,000 miles).

Service costs include replacing usual consumables like tyres, chains etc. It's cheap to run in every respect.

Basic, but all you REALLY need is fitted as standard, apart from heated grips, which are an essential in the UK (IMHO). All bikes will need 'customising' to suit the individual riders needs. Mine's been racked up with Givi top box and panniers, heated grips, Honda comfort pack (inc centre stand) engine crash bars and a host of other minor improvements. A cheap windscreen extension has transformed the wind protection (highly recommended).

Bike is best on A and B roads, better on motorway with 16 tooth front sprocket but not a major issue

Only issue is the seat I find after 2 hours I have to stop I have added a grand pitstop air seat which has helped once I got it adjusted correctly

No corrosion issues, the only problem recall on ABS modulator

Service my bike myself using genuine honda parts

I find the riding position spot on for me,I like the dashboard but I have fitted anti glare screen for when sun is behind me I have top and bottom crash bars,rad grill,fender extension these would be.my first things to fit , then heated grips and full set of Shad luggage other bits as you feel necessary.

Genuine all-rounder. Comfortable for three hours or more between breaks. With a touring tank range of around 300 miles, you don’t need to stop very often. I don’t carry a passenger any more.

Excellent mid-range makes it feel bigger than 500cc and you don’t need to rev it high in the gears to make good progress. Smooth and practically vibrationless at cruising speeds. No bad features.

No defects, no corrosion.

Basic specification is good, top-box and panniers extra. I don’t think you should have to pay extra for a centre-stand though, to me it’s essential. The original Dunlop tyres were good and wear well.

An all rounder , two hour riding stints are no problem .

Quiet engine with good spread of power delivery . Clutch is light to use .

No faults at all in 10,000 miles .

High mileage service intervals 10,000 miles . 90 miles to a gallon no problem .

Center stand should be standard equipment .

90mpg ridden around the Welsh mountains, two up.

Uncomfortable seat!

Not had it long, but all my two wheeled friends say its bullet proof!

Can't fault it.

Seat is not the best in the world although it gets better after the first 1000 miles, good shape but will upgrade

Engine is brilliant,you can rev the top off have great grinworthy riding on the A & B roads and almost stay inside the legal limit. Be careful it has no traction control, which my last email bikes had, so if you give it fistful in the first 3 gears it will come up at the front end, incredibly frugal on fuel, minev is averaging 81.2 to the gallon.

Great build quality, easy to clean, good dealer and spares back up, all over the world, low servicing costs, ease of maintenance. No faults to date

Running costs extremely low, tyre prices good

It's adventure styling, riding position, frugal motor and reliability. Top additions, No 1 cheapo Ebay screen extender with screen on lowest setting. Forget going down the Puig, Givi etc route . I am 6'1" 200lbs 32" inside leg and both feet heat on the glorious with enough bent leg for all circumstances. Standard screen is OK but soon gets noisy with windlass straight at the visor. Cheapo screen extender and it us now as good as my 2011 GS1200Adv. Oxford heated grips a third of the price of OEM, purchased from and fitted by Main dealer to an ignition source. Givi Trekker outback top box and cans, all I need for daily or extended tours. Usually have the 'single' full face top box on, daily, you enable filtering and can fit the later half soft bags if I wish. Riding with 'cans' on does knock the fuel consumption a bit ( maybe need to design a streamline fairing to go on the slab front of each can) Centre stand is a must for chain maint and 'down route' puncture repair. Scot Oiler for very much extended chain and spocket life and ease of cleaning. Despite what Scot Oiler say, go for either of the electronic versions ( I have the 'X' model) the vacuum model is the biggest reason for engine fault codes being reported to Honda. Aux power socket, so that you can charge 'Stuff' in your tank bag Next additions, non magnetic tank bag for glasses, phone etc ( magnetic ones scuff the paint unless you for a protective film. Rally raid or similar wider footrests also lowered a little. After market comfy seat, up to 30mm higher. Engine and tank crash bars Aux driving lights

Loves to rev - over 6000 rpm it really comes alive. Extremely comfy over distance. Front brake could be better but it does stop you when needed. Generally do 150 miles between breaks but I am 70 and the bladder will not be ignored. Brilliant bike for twisty B roads but ok on motorways too.

Revvy and fun - enough power but not so much you will get into trouble - you can really use 100% throttle which is fun. Clutch is very light and gearbox is slick. Incredibly frugal motor - pinning it most of the time I rarely get less than 80mpg

Rock solid.

ABS is the total electronic assistance you get. I'm tall and a wind deflector on the screen really quietened things down at motorway speeds. Exhaust has a lovely throaty note and bubbles on the over run.

owned 3 of these now never had any issue only problem i had was with a sticky chain link

service cost included in the deal as a sweetener so basically jump on and ride

quality of built is fantastic to Honda usual standard

Best in the city at speeds of around 20 to 60 miles per hour

Smooth, nice sounding exhaust, lots of torque.

First 2,000 miles, still seems brand new

Really good dash, lots of well priced extras

Very easy to ride quickly on the back roads, feels like a supermoto on the twisties, the suspension is soft and comfy on most roads, though the lack of damping shows up on the rougher stuff. Suspension upgrades would benefit the bike somewhat. Brakes are adequate but I plan to experiment with different pads and also try different tyres. The gearing is low which is fine for town and B roads but it’s revvy at motorway speeds, higher gearing would be on the cards if I planned to tour.

Surprisingly good and entertaining, feels way more than 47bhp with a nice exhaust sound. Keep the revs above 4K and it’s shoves along nicely which works well with the light handling. Clutch assist is good with smooth gearbox. Clock shows 93mpg!

Good overall finish to Honda standards. 8k service intervals keep me happy though likely to do my own oil changes in between.

145 first service.

Standard screen wasn’t great, buffeting at either setting, I changed mine for a small powerbronze sports screen which suits my riding and improves the looks. Plenty of info on the clocks inc gear indicator but could be brighter as I find it hard to read in the sun. Tyres are fine but look like they’ll wear out quickly. My paddock stand doesn’t fit as it fowls the exhaust so it needs a centre stand, though some aftermarket sump guards are not compatible with the honda stand. I use an enduro lift stick for chain adjustments. There’s loads of rally raid products for this bike so can be customised to suit.

The CB500X is happiest one up cruising between 60-75mph, it will do 90+, but its not built for it and not very enjoyable. It'll work on all manner of roads and the handling is just brilliant - this is the fun factor of this bike. Pillions need not apply though - the bike is not heavy enough and the suspension too soft - I tried it with the wife just the once! Brakes are weak but are greatly improved with a double sintered pad from EBC (about £25.00)

I can't believe this is a 471cc motorcycle. Its very nippy around town, and no slouch on faster roads. I can ride for hours now and best of all my mate on his Triumph Explorer 1250 cannot keep up in the twisties!

Typical great Honda finish. I have the matt black version which looks great, but don't polish it as it won't be matt for much longer. The book actually warns about this.

I am a brisk and purposeful rider, not a thrasher or slug and I regularly get 75-80mpg. Amazing!

The basic equipment is good - Clutch assist/Slipper clutch, ABS and cool instrument panel. Does'nt need all the bells and whistles you get with much more expensive bikes - One of the qualities I like about the CB500X. Oh and the screen is not bad at all. Centre stand is not included in the new price but necessary if only to adjust the chain. Yes are only ok as the rear was done after 3.5k miles. There are much better tyres out there, namely Bridgestone A41 will last 7-8k so I've been told.

At its best on A roads,twisting roads and through traffic with its higher position for the rider now thanks to the taller wheels post 2019.Brakes are excellent(bear in mind though I love Harleys...) no pillion yet

Its only 47bhp so its never going to get too scary,the power comes on gradually and overtakes have to be planned as this is not a sports bike.

Good service intervals Honda say nothing now needed until 8000m after first small service ie oil change and checking all still tight and screwed together

standard tyres do the job you get with bike,like the screen and the display is easy to read with none of the sun issues other digital displays can have.