2019 HONDA CB500X
R I D E R E V I E W
P92
FLOAT
L I K E A B U T T E R F L Y
YOU DON'T NEED A BIG-BORE BIKE TO GO REAL ADVENTURE
RIDING, AS HONDA AMPLY PROVES WITH THE CB500X
T
he older I get, the better I
was. So, it doesn't surprise
me as my age creeps up,
more and more I'm enjoying the
benefits of sub-600cc motor-
cycles.
And the adventure market is
waking up to their benefits, too.
Bikes like the Honda CB500X, Ka-
wasaki's Versys-X 300 and BMW's
310 GS (and if you're up for some-
thing different, the Royal Enfield
Himalayan) are signaling a new era
for off-road travel, one that doesn't
require big cubes to go big places.
Thus, the Big H has revamped the
CB500X for 2019, having started its
life in 2013 with no updates since.
For this year, however, there is a
plethora of new goodies thrown
at the 500X rider in a four percent
more powerful 471cc parallel-twin
motor via a new intake, cam timing,
a new exhaust and a revised fuel
injection map; there's a new slipper
clutch for a 45 percent lighter lever
pull; new ergonomics with the seat
jacked up from 31.9 inches to 32.7
inches and a new handlebar bend; a
bigger 19-inch front wheel matched
to new suspension that's 0.4 inches
and 1.2 inches front and rear more
than last year, respectively; and
more relaxed steering geometry with
the rake now set at 27.5 degrees,
up one degree over last year.
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK I PHOTOGRAPHY BY DREW RUIZ
