The Honda CB500X has finally landed on Indian shores after years of anticipation and wait. The bike is Honda’s latest addition to the BigWing lineup of motorcycles and is also the smallest ADV offering from the manufacturer in the country. It has arrived in India via the CKD route and despite that the price of the CB500X is a lot more than we hoped for. Pricing aside let’s take a closer look at the bike
The Honda CB500X is powered by a 471cc, liquid cooled, eight-valve, parallel twin mill that puts out 47bhp at 8500rpm and 43.2Nm of twist at 6500rpm. The engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox and it also gets a slip and assist clutch as standard. It being a Honda we expect the engine to be extremely smooth and refined. The bike uses a diamond-shaped steel tube frame that gets 41mm telescopic forks upfront that offer 149.86mm of travel and a 9-step preload adjustable monoshock at the rear that’s good for 134.62mm of travel. Braking comes courtesy of a 310mm petal rotor upfront and a 240mm petal rotor at the back both of which come equipped with ABS as standard. The seat height on the CB500X is 830mm which might be a little daunting for shorter riders while the ground clearance is 184mm. To aid its ADV stance the CB500X gets a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel setup. The whole package with all fluids topped, 17.7-litre of fuel to be precise, tips the scales at 199kg.
In terms of equipment, the CB500X gets a negatively lit instrument cluster, all-LED lighting, HISS (Honda Ignition Security System) and an emergency stop signal which automatically turns on the bike's hazard lights in the event of urgent braking. The bike will be available in two colours, Grand Prix Red and Matte Gunpowder Black Metallic.
Commenting on the launch of the Honda CB500X in India, Atsushi Ogata, MD, President and CEO, HMSI, Ltd. said, “Honda has been delivering upon its promise to expand the fun culture in India. Today, we are happy to introduce the most awaited motorcycle in our premium line-up – the CB500X. Be it rough city roads, open highways or country track, CB500X is always ready to accompany you for an unforgettable journey”
Bookings for the Honda CB500X are already underway at Honda’s BigWing dealerships and deliveries are expected to begin shortly. The CB500X will rival the likes of the Kawasaki Versys 650, Benelli’s TRK 502, Suzuki’s V-Strom 650XT and the much more affordable KTM 390 Adventure. We can’t wait to get our gloves on the CB500X and ride to see what the hype is all about.