HONDA CB500X (2013 - 2018) Review

The bike is fun and flexible. my wife rides pillion and even with full luggage the little bike copes admirably. Riding position suits me and brakes fine with ABS kicking in wonderfully to assist with a tractor pulling out in front of me. Seat is not good for pillion as slopes. Just over an hour and we both need a break. Swapped seat for Isotta one that looks great and improves ride for pillion enormously. Tempted to to replace rear suspension but benefit too small to justify cost. Riding position is excellent.

First gear only useful if starting on a hill. Mostly start in second. Clutch lovely and light. Often find myself looking for another gear the other end. That said, it's a flexible engine that will cruise at legal speeds for ever. Power delivery is up the top end of the revs so often need to drop down a gear for overtakes.

Apart from battery 100% reliable and no serious corrosion. Mostly bullet proof and parts are generally cheap

Running costs are really low. I get 70mpg at least. Servicing can be more difficult than it should due to difficulty accessing some bits like spark plugs and valves.

Has all the basics bar possibly a gear indicator for new riders. I have added hand guards, heated grips, usb, bigger screen as original useless, spots as headlight very dim plus other protection it's. Colour coded panniers look good but too small. Swapped for givi.

Could have a more comfy seat. An hour or so has me wriggling around though I have on at least four occasions ridden 500miles in a day. Perfect for shorter rides on winding roads and great commuter. Not great for riding two up. Brakes are fine if not brilliant and I've never triggered the ABS.

Obviously not the most powerful but good spread and, really, how often do you need more than 47 bhp?

Lives outside and has been used in all weathers for commuting and European travel. Still looks good.

I change the oil more often than required and other than major work, do servicing myself. I average about 8-10k miles a year so new tyres each year.

Added a main stand, hand guards and windscreen extender for longer rides. Also Givi top box for practicality. No idea why Honda swapped the indicator and horn switches. Still occasionally hit the wrong one.

The brakes take a little getting used to, but they work very well.

Very smooth and kicks in when needed. A great ride on the motorway.

Very well built and no rust etc

Just changed the oil and filters. Not too bed a price.

I cannot say much now as I have just bought it. Mine came with a trunk box which is handy.

The stock suspension was like sitting on a pogo, however, I am a large man at 110kgs. Rally raid suspension set up to my weight made all the difference. The stock seat is fairly hard. Would recommend an aftermarket seat or seat pad, just remember the battery is underneath the seat so be careful with any straps.The bike is good at town work, B and A roads. It can do motorways with revs sitting around 5-6k in 6th gear.

Fairly smooth engine, not as fun as other bikes I have tested like the z650 or the Interceptor. However, it's nice and linear on the power. Bit buzzy at motorway speeds. Otherwise no complaints.I like how quiet the bike is and the local horse riders agree.

The engine is really good. No complaints there. Bit of rust appearing on some of the nuts, and the abs ring is a little pitted. Cigar-like exhaust is built like a tank, no problems there either.Had the rear disk brake crack within a month of ownership. The rear suspension adjuster had completely seized as the preload had never been adjusted on the bike.The dealership replaced the brake and I bought the RR stage 1 suspension to replace the rear suspension.

Fuel efficiency is pretty good. Mine has averaged 16.3 mpl over 4250 tracked miles on fuelly. In UK MPG its 74.1mph. The big 16k services is quoted between £600 and £800 and involve valve clearance checks.

Would be 4 out 5 if it wasn't for how bad the stock windscreen was. I'm 5foot 8inches. I had horrific buffetting with the stock screen at about 40mph. It was so loud that I couldn't hear my in-helmet speakers on the cardo. It caused my head to vibrate side to side and would caused my vision to blur through the vibration. Spent a lot on windscreens to try and fix. Ended up with a Puig touring screen with an adjustable screen extender on the top. My suggestion is to take the screen off altogether as its no louder than a naked bike which is much quieter than the stock screen. The only concern with no windscreen is the two prongs that the screen attaches to are sticking out which could be a problem if you go over the handlebars. Pannier racks wise, I have the outback motortech pannier rack. leaves about 1 inch of clearance between the bottom of the rack and the exhaust below. Fits much better on the newer model bikes with the updated exhaust and may fit better with an after-market exhaust.The best purchase for the bike was the rally raid stage 1 rear shock. 10-10. If I had cash to burn then I would get the full stage 1 suspension kit or even the stage 2 suspension kit.

Brakes could be a little better but still adequate . Very comfortable ,capable of going many miles as well as commuting .

Could use a little more power at times..

Proving very reliable.

Great fuel economy

ABS and a screen great features on a cold wet morning .comfortable seat and riding position .

Front brake could be a tad better but that's being pernickety.

Smooth and responsive

Like so many bikes centre stand would be useful as standard

It's best on B roads and handles really well nice upright riding position giving excellent view of roads ahead. I believe it to be a fantastic all round bike - I have toured Germany 2 up with my daughter and luggage without issue. I can ride for 2 to 3 hours without being uncomfortable at all.

For a 471cc parallel twin it's great - of course it's not a multi cylindered hypersports machine and you need to plan ahead for spirited overtakes but that's some of its charm.

No not broken down ever - though my battery did fail 2 years ago literally overnight - purchased another same day and perfectly fine since.

I have a Honda service plan and this covers the whole service every year (except brake fluid changes when required) that's extra - I believe that's excellent value for money.

MPG is my favourite feature. Accessories would be taller screen, heated grips, DRLs, and a change of 41 tooth rear sprocket to 39 tooth - takes away that very short 1st gear. Hugger and chain oiler.

Perfect all round bike. After a tour my mate sold his 1250 ktm and got a 500x ,seeing how easy life was on it. We stop 120/ 150 miles for food.

Pulls from nothing. Ridden a couple of MT 07s,and they need to be reved to go. Rode 1000cc years ago and found I left them in the garage as I had more fun on smaller bikes.

Never broken down. Light corrosion on pannier mounts. I use it every day ,summer and winter, clean it once a year. 12000 miles per year commuting and fun.

Change oil/ filter every 3000 £35. Tyres every 10000 £170. 16000 miles air filter and plugs. Brake pads when needed. Chain same

Tyres work on the road. Any make, knobblies do work but better off road. I'm not a race god. For every day, screen, and muffs for winter. 100 miles max in December. I love riding in rain. (Not sure where that fits) Did 149 miles today, its 30 degrees ,traffic is gridlocked, I saw 4 bikes. Someone is not selling bikes as traffic beeter.

Perfect all round bike. I Don't need more. 450 miles in z day is easy. With the wife no more than 300. I stop every 175 on my own and every 100 with the wife.

Does all I want

Change the oil and filter every 3000 miles and follow the honda service schedule for the rest. No corrosion, never let me down but I can't believe it takes 3 hours to change the spark plugs.

Service myself.

I'm 6ft1. Comfortable for me. Got honda top box and panniers. Crash bars, high screen. Made my own end can from a stainless steel sink trap.

100 miles no problem

Excellent motor

Do it myself

Does what it says on the tin. Front fender extension and hugger recommended but this seems to be the case with every bike these days why I really don't know apart from cost saving and the opportunity to rip owners off.

Single calliper at the front isn't the worst and does the job but lacks feel and bite compared to higher end models/brands.Rear often warps due to size and tends to overheat.Suspension is basic but tunable with some inexpensive upgrades.

Firstly, the engine is incredible for it's reliability and general usability. It's absolutely enough for nearly every need such as commuting, motorway etc.However, the smaller capacity and HP (compared to most big bikes these days) can really be felt if you've ridden anything faster at all. The first few gears are over very quickly and can feel a little jerky until you hit 3rd. I recently rode it's bigger brother the NC750 and felt like that engine found the balance a bit better.

Honda :)The only annoying element with what seems like all Hondas is the brake calliper mounting bolts and ABS ring often rust regardless of how you look after them - Easy replacement though.

£2-300 a year on general maintenance and tyre changes and she'll run like silk

Crash Bars save £100s in a drop and work very well. AVG MPG is nice to have but also basic by todays standard.Overall very no thrills dash and tech experience.

Use ability

2hrs

Self service

The ride can be a little choppy on rough roads - the suspension is probably not the best in the world. The OE tyres get a slating, but I have found them to be fine for me - they are due a change soon so I'll see what other rubber is like in comparison. I have only carried a pillion on one occasion, and can vouch that the bike is better one-up. As I said above, the seat is the thing that holds me back from longer journeys as it is not as cosseting as I would like. There are 'air' seat options available, and I may try one at some point, although I don't really need to go much further than an hours riding at any one time.

Punches above its weight - you'd never know it was only 47hp. The only time you notice the power is when you want to overtake at about 50mph - you need a drop of gears and a good clear road ahead. for most of the time though, it is more than enough power - you could ride all day at 60mph (if your bum can take it)

The X is a solid little machine. I have had it for 3 years now and it still looks like new when it has been washed and polished. I have only done 5k miles due to various lock downs 😢 in the last 18 months, but it's enough miles to convince me of Honda's excellent build quality and reliability.

Running costs are on the low side - I had the first 2 services carried out at Blade in Stratford, but both of them ended up costing more than I was quoted - I find two hundred quid for a first service to be extortionate. It is an easy bike to work on so I'll do the servicing myself from now on.

I have added a Powerbronze short screen, which stops the buffeting completely. I have also fitted a Pyramid Plastics front mudguard extender, Oxford heated grips, RG Shock Tube, and Givi topbox. There is no gear indicator (there is on 2019 model) or any electronic aids apart from ABS - does it need any? No, not in my opinion.

Comfortable ride quality and good seat. Brakes powerful enough although some rear brake noise, which can be a little annoying when doing lots of low speed manoeuvring

Super smooth engine with broad spread of power. Not a high revving engine but very relaxed delivery meaning a great too high doesn't really matter

Never had a problem in four years of ownership. The bike has been regularly serviced at the local Honda dealership and had repaid this care with faultless behaviour.

Main dealer service and MoT each year.

Not a lot of equipment as standard but only thing I miss is a gear position indicator. My bike has optional centre stand and full luggage, and accessory heated grips (vital!)

There are time when I wish the suspension was a little more plush. The brakes are fine but there are times when I think twin discs might be desirable. But it's a bike built to a budget so you can't expect all the top spec components.

The little twin delivers its power smoothly. OK, it's A2 so it's not going to impress if you are used to big bhp numbers. But to me the engine loves to be worked and you can really feel the power come in above 5 - 6,000rpm

It's a Honda with Honda build qulity and reliability. I don't wash it as often as I should and probbaly ought to use ACF 50 more often but so far I've ridden through three winters and it's none the worse for wear. the only noticeable corrosion is on the centre stand.

Annual service has been around the £180 mark. The big one is 16,000 with valve clearances etc. Both Honda and the loacl independant quoted over £500 for that but I asked around and got it doen for not much over £300.

It's pretty basic. The LCD screen is fine and easy to read, but I do wish it had a gear position indicator (the 2019 on model has). A 12v or USB outlet would be a useful feature as well. I don't have heated grips and in the winter, even with a pair of Barkbusters keeping the wind off it really is cold.

Handles very very well for a 'budget' iron HOWEVER, I have never had a bike where the handling goes off so dramatically with just a few PSI down from optimal pressure. From "on rails" to "blancmange" in as little as 2 PSI. Ballache.

Smooth, gutsy, economical, pretty refined. Nowt to dislike! Not going to hit warp speeds but who seriously buys a 5k 471cc parallel twin for out and out performance?

Reliabilty is solid 5/5 but loses marks for how quickly certain parts react bady to rust. Fastenings, centre stand and fork bottoms look rough AF after 5 winters. This just wouldn't be acceptable on a car (unless it was a Merc) so why do we bikers accept poor finish quality?

Excellent MPG return, even when hammered. 75mpg seen fairly regularly, lows of 64mpg for me. Just changed original chain and sprockets, 20k from stock is pretty decent! Most parts are very reasonably priced, even in Ripoff Britain.

The screen is this bike's achilles heel. AWFUL turbulance/buffeting at anything over 30mph. Woefull. Bought some aftermarket screen adjusters and a GIVI screen which help but do not cure the problem. Far nicer to ride sans screen but then the screen mounts stick up looking clunky. Think Honda redeveloped the screen for the later models and thank f*ck they did. Badly needs a gear position indicator at worst and at best different gearing, feels like there's a 7th gear required in stock (15T/41T) gearing. That said I've never bothered sorting it out. Otherwise the ABS is flawless and the display tells you all you really ought to know.

The brakes were very good, much better than a single disc set up would suggest. The seat was rock hard though, became uncomfortable after only a few miles for me.

Under powered and dull but very smooth and confidence inspiring.

Very well built. Never broke down in the time I was using them and no issues from any of the other instructors either.

Used as an instructor bike so part of the schools fleet. Very well serviced and kept in great shape.

Loved the dash and the screen works better than my own DL650.

Ride quality is good even with pillion

Very clunky gearbox lets the bike down and reminds me of a Honda C90 Vibration can be excessive over 5000rpm

Poor engine finish and rust on bottom yoke after 1500 miles

Returning about 65MPG

Hmmmm - this is where you can tell it's a cheap bike. I think the breaks are good enough (ABS is a boon), but the front suspension is pants. It dives under breaking and you get a large amount of vibrations through the bars. Can't be terrible as it was masked by adding grip puppies. Generally it's very communicative - you know what each end is doing and how much grip you've got. Leans well enough and is confidence I inspiring. However it is very top heavy when full with fuel.

Enough poke, it's a bit heavy on the vibrations at certain RPM's but nothing unbearable. First gear is really short so slow speed riding needs lots of clutch slipping. Conversely it's not a torquey unit so second gear is tough in low speed too (if you're just going with the flow of traffic). But the clutch is light and gearbox positive so it's not a chore.

As mentioned by others, the forks are the week point, I've had the stations reolacedy but they really need re-chroming. Everything else seems top draw; it's one of the reasons I went with the Honda in the first place, feels well out together and made to last.

If you're going second hand (as I did) you'll often find one that someone has specced well. Mine has heated grips, centre stand and top box (plus the rear hugger). They don't come with much as stock but the options aren't too pricey and well worth it. Lots of after market goodies out there too from the likes of Givi et al.

1 star is missing for 'the feel' of the rear brake.

excellent, smooth, no vibrations...75miles is the limit of 'no vibration zone' which is aroun 5.5k rpms with limit aroun 8.5k... above that 75 the vibration are no much but for long rides better to stay up to 75.... also is illegal :-P

as mention before is very prone to rust, it need a 'painful' care/maintenance

500 on dealer for major approx 100 on your own approx. For oil and filter and 'checks' a bit less than 150 on dealer.

centre stand optional and cockpit for gps to buy for a gps holder costs £35.. no rear huger to protect the shock...only huger and centre stand cost around £200

Still running it in before first service so not tested fully yet but the engine has plenty of grunt for overtaking at A road speeds.

Have only had it for a few weeks and covered 300 miles, but quality looks good. There is a lot of plastic, but hey, that doesn't rust after a wet winter!

Superb economy. I've been getting over 70 mpg with riding at various speeds.

Good digital display with all the necessary features. Gear indicator would have been nice since i'm not used to 6 speed!

One disc up front, not the best but perfect for the bike it is. ABS is an added bonus and security.

Would love more grunt 2-up, but fine. So many people are obsessed with power!!

Never let me down ,very Honda!

Spend around £120 per year service etc ... again, great.

Has everything that is needed.

The bike's biggest quality is its agility. Perfect commuter, city bike. ABS useful too

Just lacks that power when you need it but otherwise no issues.

Bike is pretty standard. No frills.

I've ridden 400-mile round trips on this machine and only needed to stop for biological breaks. The bike is always comfortable and my thoughts aren't distracted by a numb bum.

Does what I need it to do. It's not massively quick off the block but is ideal for commuting. There's a bit of a vibration point around 5000 rpm but nothing to drastic.

Starting to get corrosion on front forks. I feel that some of the minor parts of the bike have been cheapened out on (front break lever, windshield, ignition barrel etc) but the actual engine and the bits that make the bike go forward are all in decent condition still.

I took out the servicing deal and had my services up to 16000 miles covered. Parts can be a bit difficult to get hold of as it's still a relatively new version. However, this is offset by the £15 per 200 miles for fuel, which I think is very reasonable.

i would recommend getting the centre stand as maintenance without a centre stand is difficult. The windshield is next to useless for tall riders so i would advise getting the higher windshield.

Dose every thing expected of it.

Unbreakable

15.000 miles and no problems

Servicing and consumables are all that I have needed. Cheep as chips.

Every thing necessary.

Handles Great at low speed,you have a can do anything on this bike,Breaks positive,But the Seat is awful,Very uncomfortable over a medium to long distance,and I could not Find a neutral comfortable position,either my groin forced into the petrol Tank,very painful,or back side positioned in an uncomfortable position by the shape of the seat.

Smooth and Quiet

Terrible seat design

I can cruise on the motorway at 120km/hr but the wind noise does wear you down after a while. Much better off the motorway on A roads and the twisties. So much fun. Fine around town also. After 1 hour I start to feel sore, but I regularly take it out all day and enjoy myself. Brakes are more than adequate.

Enough torque to be lazy with the gears and power there to overtake when you need it. I find low speed performance a little jerky especially when riding on poor roads or tracks. But nothing you can't smooth out by feathering the clutch.

Build quality is great for the price. A few niggles with the finishing but nothing I cant live with.

Currently getting 73mpg on mountain roads.

Love the engine, seating position is upright and comfortable. No gear indicator but easy to buy one aftermarket. Plugs into the diagnostic port under the seat.

This bike is designed to be a workhorse with some added playtime ability. It's built to be forgiving enough for a newbie and have enough fun for a more experienced rider; for the most part, it pulls it off. The bike handles surprisingly well despite the slightly soft suspension. It can get a little bit pogo-stick like with rough town roads but it's not too bad and, despite being bouncy through wide sweeping corners it doesn't get itself unsettled. The short wheelbase means it turns on a dime, its perfect for the cut and thrust of urban life. The tiny fairing does a reasonable job of deflecting the winds on motorways but its by no means a proper sport tourer: It does the job, but if you constantly use the motorway you simply need more protection. However, barrelling down country roads brings out the bikes playful side. That bouncy ride and chuckable, light steering mean you can throw the bike at corners at stupid speed and come out okay. It's extremely fun; it could just do with a little more smoothness on the bumpy stuff now and then.

I have never liked twins. I've always been a fan of 4 cylinder bikes for their burbly smoothness and rev-happy performance. However, I am potentially a convert after trying this one. The vibrations I expect from a twin are almost non-existent. The bike idles extremely smoothly and revs cleanly all the way toward its red line. From about 3000rpm the engine produces a reasonably pleasing note, though its altogether more quiet than I would like. The engine is geared for torque rather than power, making best use of the low-mid range revs urban bikes often have to use. It has more than enough torque to surprise a few sport bikes off the line (coupled with a very smooth and well judged clutch). It begins to run out of torque to the 6000rpm mark and the relatively low 47bhp shows itself here. It's great, as its legal for A2 licencees, but right at that motorway overtaking spot there's just a little lack of get up and go that I have come to expect from my bikes. In truth, it simply requires slightly more foreplanning and there's only so much I can ask a 500 to do!.

I've only owned the bike about 6 months and I'll be honest I haven't covered a huge mileage. However, it has faultlessly started every morning without fail, no matter how long it's been left or how cold it has been. The panels and paintwork all feel expensive and secure, the seat is lovely and comfortable, the seat is extremely comfortable and everything feels far more premium than the price tag would seem to suggest. Honda have built themselves a reputation for engineering excellence and there is nothing to suggest the CB500X won't live up to it.

In general the cost of ownership is very low. The initial purchase price is very cheap for a full size bike and depreciation is predicted to be fairly low. I was rather dumbfounded by having the first service at just 600 miles however our local dealer puts this under the fixed prices service agreement so its only £150. The remaining intervals are then 8000 per service, reasonably wide for a motorcycle. Insurance groups are pretty low for a full size bike and fuel economy is excellent. I have averaged around 74mpg since I owned it but I have had it as high as 80mpg!

For a budget bike, remarkably good. I got the touring pack thrown in for the price on mine (mine is a 2015 model sold in 2016) giving me a full pannier and top box kit, the lock the same as the ignition lock for my bike, as well as a proper centre stand. It's also equipped with ABS, a first for me. The bike has preload adjustable rear suspension and a comprehensive trip computer system, a first for any bike I've had! The dealer threw in a Datatag kit with certificates as well.

Nice on the twisties where it can be flung around with abandon. The brakes work well enough, but a decent rider can stop in a shorter distance than someone relying on the ABS

The bike rides well, the detuned engine gives a larger spread of torque compared to other bikes and it is almost impossible to be in the wrong gear. It will do less than legal speeds and is low enough for a 29" inside leg rider to get both feet flat on the floor.

Terrible build quality. Check the swingarm pivots on the frame, expecially the left hand side where the paint may have been rubbed off during manufacture. I've seen this and the subsequent corrosion on several bikes.

The figure is based on the initial 600 mile service of nearly £200 and my average riding mileage spread over my bikes. Due to its many faults I wasn't able to ride it much.

Various displays give information about fuel economy as well as mileage. I don't like digital speedos though.

The suspension is a weak point, especially the front suspension is pretty awful. I have now ordered a fork upgrade from Rally Raid products which hopefully will improve things. The brakes are fine. I don't like the Scorpion tires the bike comes with as standard, they don't inspire confidence in the wet. I will replace them with Michelin Pilot Roads when the time comes. I found the gearing very short and changed the front sprocket to 16 teeth, a simple mod that improves the riding around town.

Smooth and quiet, it is a parallel twin so coming from a big V twin I barely notice it is there. If you are after kick-in-the -pants power delivery you won't find it here, but it is perfectly adequate for smooth and sensible riding.

After 1 year of ownership nothing has failed on me yet, but obviously the bike is built to a price point so don't expect the same quality components as on a bike twice or three times the price.

I have only done 4000 miles on mine so it hasn't had a service apart from the initial one at 600 miles (which I really think ought to be included in the price). Running costs are low with incredible fuel economy, it will do over 250 miles from the 17 litre tank.

As delivered the bike is bare bones. I got a deal with the Honda, luggage thrown in as standard, but that isn't very good -flimsy plastic, and the lock on one bag broke after a few weeks, it got replaced under warranty and I sold it on. I now have Hepco Becker bags which are much better. I also added a Honda tall screen (effective on longer trips), fender extender, hugger, engine bars, spot lights, lowered footpegs and a chain oiler. With this setup I did a four week camping trip to the continent last year and will go again this summer.

I am 6'1. riding position hurts my back with leaning over to reach bars.

Very average, clunky box. does not shift smoothly especially when down shifting and sometimes will not go into 1st when setting off at lights.

Rumbling bearing in neutral.

as expected,

Exceptional brakes 1,5 hours to take a break, add sheepskin for the bum

34km/l - excellent

Excellent quality

2 x services pa

Require large cruising screen 1 St gear too short, try 39T rearsprocket

Wind buffeting aside the ride is comfortable and the ABS brakes reassuring. Front forks were a bit harsh but settled down after a few thousand miles, road tyres are a popular modification and improve ride comfort, PR4 or Angel GT are the way to go, although the oem Pirelli Scorpions have been faultless, ride comfort aside.Tyres are a nice meaty 120.70.17 front and 160.60.17 rear. There is a very active forum at cb500x.com. Overall though considering the price I love it and couldn't think of any other bike that I would rather own..

The engine is a peach and super economical returning 74mpg or 16.4 m/l and the tank range is outstanding. The fuel computer says you are using more fuel than you actually do by about 15% and is very pessimistic about fuel remaining also, it will easily do 250 miles to a tank when on a trip . The gearing is a bit short particularly in 1st and 2nd gear and loosing 2 teeth off the rear sprocket or adding a tooth to the front sprocket are very popular modifications. Above 6500rpm the engine note changes sounding rather like a 4 cylinder bike and there is a distinct step up in the power. The bike has a 180 degree crankshaft and high frequency vibrations through the bars and in particularly the throttle hand are unpleasant, fitting Grip Puppies or Pussy Grips over the original grips helps. A really super high tech engine with de-saxe offset cylinders, finger cam followers (or under cam rocker arms as Honda calls them) like the BMW S1000RR.

Reliability is not something I even think about, stick a puncture repair kit under the seat and just ride it. The chain is of poor quality and mine had stiff linkages and was changed at 4500 miles and I serviced it weekly!! A centre stand is a must and the foot pegs are a little too far rearward, their position inherited from the other models in the range presumably.

Service is every 8000 miles or an annual oil change if you don't do that many miles in a year, .Air filter at 12,000 miles and major service is at 16000 miles for valve shims and spark plugs.

Marked down a star for: 1) Too short front mudguard. Front mudguard needs a fender extender and the rear a hugger. The headlight is OK but significantly better for a bulb upgrade like a Philips Extreme Vision 130 (H4) but bulb access is ridiculously difficult. 2) Exhaust pipe durability. The exhausts lose their chrome plate for the first 3 or 4 inches from the cylinder head no matter how well you look after them and have a tendancy to turn a gold-ish colour which comes off with metal polish.

Great fun to ride down twisty roads and equally at home on the motorway. I am not surprised that people have toured 2 up. It is a bit over the top for my need as a winter commuter.

Unlike the KTM it does not stall and starts at the first push of the ignition. Cruises happily at 70 mph and has enough go to both overtake and filter.

It's a Honda! I don't think the press give that fact enough attention, they seem to equate reliability to boring. Boring is waiting at the roadside for pick up truck!. Surely this is the most important factor. There is a lot of grey plastic, but it is thick plastic. Then again there are some unexpected quality touches, like stainless steel in the sump guard. For £500.00 it's a bargain!

I have only had the initial service and that cost £100. I understand the service interval is 8000 miles or a year. The large tank and the mpg mean 200 miles for £13.00 of fuel is possible even when commuting. The computer shows 65mpg +

Mine came with a travel pack (panniers, top box and centre stand), currently £900+ in the catalogue, all because I bought a 2014 model in 2015. I intend to buy a larger screen, hand guards and a rear hugger before the winter. I already have heated grips fitted. Not sure why people need a gear indicator. It has the luxury of a fuel gauge. This a bit curious when you go into reserve. Not sure I understand the concept of showing 0?