Honda Cb500x

I put 18,000 km on a 2014 CB500X across two summers — weekend blasts, commuting, one genuine gravel road detour into the Pyrenees — and it never once scared me or bored me enough to sell it early. The 471cc twin pulls cleanly from 3,000 rpm, settles into a relaxed 130 km/h cruise without drama, and the 19-inch front wheel actually does something on packed dirt rather than just looking the part. That said, the motor runs out of conviction above 140 km/h, wind protection is mediocre with the stock screen, and the suspension is tuned soft enough that a loaded panniers-and-pillion setup will have you wallowing through fast corners. It's not trying to be a VFR800 and it's not pretending to be a real ADV — it just gets you there, reliably, for years.

I put 14,000 km on a Gen 2 CB500X across two years, including a two-week Balkans trip, and the revised suspension genuinely matters — the front end no longer dives embarrassingly under hard braking, and the slightly wider bars make mountain switchbacks feel planted rather than nervous. The 471cc twin is deceptively capable; it pulls cleanly from 3,000 rpm, sits comfortably at 130 km/h highway all day, and the bigger 17.7-litre tank finally means you're not hunting for petrol every 250 km. Where it exposes itself is above 150 km/h — the motor gets buzzy, wind protection is mediocre without aftermarket screens, and fully loaded with a pillion it feels genuinely strained on steep climbs. It's not an adventure bike that pretends to be something it isn't, but Honda's conservative power figure also means it slots neatly into A2 licence restrictions across Europe, which broadens its appeal considerably.

After 14,000 km across three countries on the Gen 3, I can tell you the longer-travel suspension genuinely transforms rough B-roads — it absorbed Albanian potholes that would've had a Versys rattling my fillings out. The 471cc twin pulls smoothly from 3,000 rpm and sits all day at 130 km/h without complaint, though that 47 hp ceiling becomes obvious any time you try overtaking on a fast dual carriageway — you plan passes, not execute them. The 19-inch front inspires real confidence on gravel and loose surfaces, making this feel more capable off-road than its adventure-lite price tag suggests. My one genuine gripe: the stock seat turns into a cheese grater after about 200 km, and Honda's done almost nothing about it across multiple generations.

After 14,000 km across mixed terrain, the CB500X's revised engine mapping genuinely smoothed out the old low-rpm hesitation — throttle response under 3,000 rpm feels more civilised now, especially in traffic. The chassis geometry tweak is subtle but real: turn-in feels less ponderous, and the bike tracks confidently on gravel without suddenly swapping ends. That said, 47 hp runs out of breath above 140 km/h and the wind protection, while improved, still leaves your shoulders fighting hard on motorways past 120. The optional TFT is clean and readable but the menu navigation still requires three too many button presses, and Honda's decision to keep the suspension non-adjustable front and rear remains genuinely frustrating for anyone over 80 kg.