Rieju Marathon 500 Review

Used Buyer Review

The Rieju Marathon 500 is one of those bikes that rewards patient, mechanically sympathetic riders and punishes everyone else. Built around a KTM-derived 450cc single (yes, the badge says 500 but the engine tells a different story), it's essentially a Spanish-assembled adventure enduro wearing dual-sport clothes. On dirt it's genuinely brilliant — lightweight, flickable, with proper suspension travel that shames heavier adventure bikes costing twice as much. Road manners are acceptable rather than inspiring, and that thumper vibration gets tiresome on long tarmac slogs. Used examples need careful inspection. Spanish build quality has improved but early units had electrical gremlins, particularly dodgy connectors and temperamental dash units. Check the subframe for cracks — these bikes get ridden hard. Parts availability is improving but still nowhere near KTM levels, so budget accordingly and find a dealer before you buy, not after something breaks 200 miles from home. Service intervals are tight for an adventure bike, so demand a proper history.