VOLUME 56 ISSUE 33 AUGUST 20, 2019 P99
500X chassis to shine. The new chas-
sis gets slightly lazier steering geometry,
which gives it a bit more stability in the
slippery stuff and over rocks and bumps.
And when matched with the grip on offer
from the Bridgestones, it's surprising
how far you can get on the trail.
Once you hit the dirt, the flexibility
of that little twin-cylinder motor shines
through. There are no riding modes to
have to fiddle with, just a simple, small-
capacity four-stroke motor that's got
excellent throttle response and plenty
of power for most off-road situations.
Oh, and did I mention there's no traction
control? Honda's conspicuous lack of
electronic TC is a breath of fresh air, as
the bike really doesn't need it and gives
a bit of control/responsibility back to the
rider. Plus, it's one less thing that can
go wrong when you're in the middle of
nowhere. Honda's claim to a 45-percent
lighter clutch pull is evident when you
ride it—I haven't ridden the old 500X,
but I've ridden lots of CBR500R and
CB500F models—both of which share
the same engine platform. The lever pull
is exceptionally light, making for one less
thing to worry about in twisty trails.
It's always nice when a bike is more
capable than you initially think, and I'll ad-
mit to being a little skeptical on the 500's
off-road ability before I rode it. But over
a 150-mile loop, most of which were dirt
roads and a few decent ADV sections,
the 500 handled brilliantly. Part of this is
