It's a fantastic bike. It ticks a lot of boxes. Easy to handle, comfortable, economical on fuel and the actual purchase price for the spec is perfect. Compare it to the Africa Twin which is double the price for the standard model. I'm looking forward to years of fun with this
Hey! I put a 16 tooth front sprocket on mine, it stretched out the gears and solved that twitchy issue. It also helped with vibrations at high speeds, but it was the handle bar risers that finalized my vibration problem. Those two modifications have made the bike feel much more mature. Thanks for the video!
I've got a CB500F with a Giva top box, Tom Tom sat nav, bikini fairing and centrestand. Brilliant commuter bike, does everything I need. I've had all the big bikes. Got one of these after a long lay off. Would love to trade up to get that screen and bar for my sat nav.
Grip Puppies, hand guards, SW Motech foot-pegs, an after market exhaust (for weight reduction/not sound). You don't really need the crash bars unless you are doing real off-road. If you are, upgrade your springs for your weight, or just get a CRF 450RL or Africa Twin. The engine is rock solid but she's an adv tourer, not a dual sport. She's a workhorse.
Read a lot liking it, a lot also don't like it mainly do to either little difference, or it messing with the low gear needs off road. Do you find it still allows ample use crawling off road and allows for good slow speed manuvers?
I like the sound of this, no rider modes and a cable throttle are big pluses for me. Shame it has to have abs. The biggest shame is that you tube force feeds ads all through this review. Great real world review about what the bike does rather than seeing someone reviewing what the bike isn’t.
Great review . I did laugh to myself and think when you mentioned the vibration at motorway speeds of 75 and above ' for the purpose of not incriminating our selves we will not be doing those speeds '
Yes, a good bike. I had one for a few months but had to trade with another to get my present bike. I’m looking forward to seeing what improvements Honda make in a couple of years as I would like another in that size. I remember a bit of buffeting around the head which i didn’t like.
You talk about crosswinds and it being “so light”, but reality is this is a 200kg bike. It’s not a lot different than most mid sized adv bikes. Only the power is noticeably down.
I wonder if Honda have sorted the leaky water pump out with these power plants,plenty of owners including myself have been plagued with annoying leaking water pumps. Easy job to replace but let's be honest it shouldn't need replacing for many thousands of miles.
I bought a 2019 last July and immediately noticed a coolant drip from the water pump. It's so small that in 6k miles it hasn't really moved the coolant level but it's there. I haven't heard of anyone else complaining on it. I forgot about it and missed having it fixed under warranty.
@@metzgoober there is quite a bit of complaints on the forums in regards to the issue. Still shoddy that things like this should happen on a new bike. Honda have slipped massively over the last decade,its a shame they were top of the game 20-30 years back. I have neen lucky enough to own many Hondas from little 125's through to RC-45's but the latest crop isn't great. Guess this is what happens when you outsource your bikes to be built elsewhere and cheap out on parts. I guess were in an age now where you pay your money and take your chances.
I was hoping this was going to be my next motorcycle. But I finally had the chance to sit on one today. I was very surprised where the driver foot pegs were located. They were seriously where the passenger pegs should be! I would have non stop leg cramps starting almost immediately! So dang disappointed! Back to the search.
Interesting machine from Honda ! I’m really interested in buying a "ADV" my top favorite is the T7 ! I hope Kawasaki brings us the KLX700 this year 👍 Have a good one
@@bastiangrieshaber89 Thank you! This is reassuring. I was at the dealership yesterday and liked the bike a lot. But then started asking around and people put so many doubts in me. It's not enough power. It's not really an adventure bike like BMW G650GS, etc.etc. So i'm on a fence now and will do some more research.
@@dsafine I've been riding since 1978 (many different bikes) and this machine is a gem. I think most people that criticize it harshly are either jealous or don't understand it's mission: to provide superb versatility in a very comfortable, economical package that is easy and fun to ride. Mission accomplished. I don't find the throttle snatchy at all.
Interesting review, what about the Himalayan against it as a adv bike what would you pick, currently planning my trip to Iceland an Norway an the cb500x caught my attention. Thanks for being honest about the vibes so how smooth is it sat at normal motorway speeds 60-70mph or do the vibes still start to creep in is there a sweet spot? :)
Hey kim, You'd have more luck on the road than off-road with a stock 500x, iv spent about 800 dollars on my 500x investing in semi knobblys, crash bars and a radiator gaurd, to answer your question Personally I think if were talking a stock 500x then the tenere will destroy the 500x offroad however with some minor upgrades the 500x is a very competitive adv bike :)
@Chandler Sampson Adventure bikes don't have a particular spec. It's just a new term that covers a wide range of bikes. Bikes serving tis purpose have always been around using different names (e.g Scrambler). What is a good ADV bike is up to the individual buyer. There is a wide range. The Tenere 700 is great for those who spend most of their time off-road. Many others who want/need for long distance paved road capability definitely want to compromise for the CB500X. This is why we don't see any comparisons saying "this adv is definitely better for everyone." It's why we do see comparisons saying why this ADV is better for this type of riding.
They made quite a few changes in 2019. I have never ridden the older model but I'm happy with mine. Most guys with the older models seem pretty happy as well and don't seem interested in parting with their bike for the newer model.
I reckon you should be able to! I’m around 5’9 odd and flat foot 🦶 it. I have the centre stand on mine and that puts my feet in the air if sitting and it’s not daunting or anything. The beauty is that it’s a pretty refined bike and engine is bullet proof plus slipper clutch!!!
Roy Blackburn. You think so? We're all different I know but I find I need to fill the tank before I need to give my bum a rest. I also use a CoolCover seat cover though🤔
Honda enough said when it comes to reliability. fuel economy and fun factor.
Agreed !! So is Suzuki.. however other Japanese counterparts Yamaha & Kawasaki are more performance oriented (hence low on mileage)
@@DeepakRahulSahoo yamaha rank highest on reliability of all manufacturers
And for off road you will be amazed how good it is 😎
It's a fantastic bike. It ticks a lot of boxes. Easy to handle, comfortable, economical on fuel and the actual purchase price for the spec is perfect. Compare it to the Africa Twin which is double the price for the standard model. I'm looking forward to years of fun with this
Hey! I put a 16 tooth front sprocket on mine, it stretched out the gears and solved that twitchy issue. It also helped with vibrations at high speeds, but it was the handle bar risers that finalized my vibration problem. Those two modifications have made the bike feel much more mature. Thanks for the video!
May I ask what risers you got?
tjmars They are called Rox Speed FX Pivot Risers. They let you adjust the distance and height. I brought them in closer to help straighten my back.
Put the 16 tooth sprocket on mine too. Best mod I have done. Bonus is now the speedo reads correct.
U can easily adjust the shift lever by adjusting the linkage rod, great review.
I've got a CB500F with a Giva top box, Tom Tom sat nav, bikini fairing and centrestand. Brilliant commuter bike, does everything I need. I've had all the big bikes. Got one of these after a long lay off. Would love to trade up to get that screen and bar for my sat nav.
Have a look at the MRA-vario - best screens I've found to date.
These are amazingly comfortable. I ride for 5 hours & no worries
Does it take bigger panniers.
Grip Puppies, hand guards, SW Motech foot-pegs, an after market exhaust (for weight reduction/not sound). You don't really need the crash bars unless you are doing real off-road. If you are, upgrade your springs for your weight, or just get a CRF 450RL or Africa Twin. The engine is rock solid but she's an adv tourer, not a dual sport. She's a workhorse.
Re the gearing , put a 16t front sprocket on it , it totally changes it fo the better
Read a lot liking it, a lot also don't like it mainly do to either little difference, or it messing with the low gear needs off road. Do you find it still allows ample use crawling off road and allows for good slow speed manuvers?
Solid in-depth review, thanks, Toad)
It's just a great bike, can't fault it.
Nice honest review; nice looking jacket!
Horrible jacket.
1990 : i think you simply hate hi-viz & i love it!
😂😂
I like the sound of this, no rider modes and a cable throttle are big pluses for me. Shame it has to have abs. The biggest shame is that you tube force feeds ads all through this review. Great real world review about what the bike does rather than seeing someone reviewing what the bike isn’t.
Yeah I made it to the second ad, then gave up when he didn't know the gear shifter is adjustable.
Great review . I did laugh to myself and think when you mentioned the vibration at motorway speeds of 75 and above ' for the purpose of not incriminating our selves we will not be doing those speeds '
I love mine and I'm never selling it.
Wow good for you coz honda is long lasting forever bike .Thumbs upzz mate
Same here mate
VERY good review! Thanks.👍
You have the coolest bike vocab ever! :) Great review as well.
Yes, a good bike. I had one for a few months but had to trade with another to get my present bike. I’m looking forward to seeing what improvements Honda make in a couple of years as I would like another in that size. I remember a bit of buffeting around the head which i didn’t like.
What bike did you change it for?
Happy-Days - Speed Twin (T120 & CB500X)
Pete Sudhana Good choices. I love that 1200 engine. Also like the look of the Speed Twin too. Enjoy!
Great review. I never had anything to do with my grandmother's bed.
Great detailed review and an awesome value bike! Just a small thing, at 13:37 it should be KTM 390 not 490 :) Cheers
You talk about crosswinds and it being “so light”, but reality is this is a 200kg bike. It’s not a lot different than most mid sized adv bikes. Only the power is noticeably down.
197kg, most 'mid size' ADVs are around 220kg (tiger 800, DL650, 850 GS) that's a significant difference
Nice to see a reviewer give an adventure bike the beans off road.
私の父は世界一 always try our best to give them a thorough test. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Very good review. Thanks for posting/sharing. Cheers!
I wonder if Honda have sorted the leaky water pump out with these power plants,plenty of owners including myself have been plagued with annoying leaking water pumps. Easy job to replace but let's be honest it shouldn't need replacing for many thousands of miles.
I bought a 2019 last July and immediately noticed a coolant drip from the water pump. It's so small that in 6k miles it hasn't really moved the coolant level but it's there. I haven't heard of anyone else complaining on it. I forgot about it and missed having it fixed under warranty.
@@metzgoober there is quite a bit of complaints on the forums in regards to the issue.
Still shoddy that things like this should happen on a new bike.
Honda have slipped massively over the last decade,its a shame they were top of the game 20-30 years back.
I have neen lucky enough to own many Hondas from little 125's through to RC-45's but the latest crop isn't great.
Guess this is what happens when you outsource your bikes to be built elsewhere and cheap out on parts.
I guess were in an age now where you pay your money and take your chances.
I was hoping this was going to be my next motorcycle. But I finally had the chance to sit on one today. I was very surprised where the driver foot pegs were located. They were seriously where the passenger pegs should be! I would have non stop leg cramps starting almost immediately! So dang disappointed! Back to the search.
Great review Toad! I’m beginning to think you’re omnipresent! Any update on you getting your hands on the 890 duke?
KL KL this week!
Visordown Motorcycle Videos looking forward to your detailed review! I have a feeling you're going to enjoy this bike!
Interesting machine from Honda ! I’m really interested in buying a "ADV" my top favorite is the T7 !
I hope Kawasaki brings us the KLX700 this year 👍
Have a good one
Nice review😊 can you please review the rebel 500?🥺
Will try! Thanks for the support
@@visordown welcome hehe❤
Is your username a piss-take?
@@user-sw2lv3zp6o Corona is an actual surename and it also means "crown" In spanish
Heal n toe gear shifters will be better with big boots. Nice review, nice honda
Thank you
Bought one in January and just sold it. A bike needs to stir the soul. Just doesn’t do it for me.
I agree with you ! Try the KTM 390 adventure
I'm looking at this bike or the Kawasaki Versys 650cc.
Great review, deffo food for thought. 👍
MCN indicated (02/09/20) that the CB500s are getting a tweak for 2021...
You can take away a lot of the snatchiness in the throttle by adjusting it.There is too much free play in it.
I have this model. Have tried adjusting free-play. It's definitely snatchy, which I find a problem at tight roundabouts.
@@moreorlesdone1497 How much of a problem it's going to be for a beginner?
@@bastiangrieshaber89 Thank you! This is reassuring. I was at the dealership yesterday and liked the bike a lot. But then started asking around and people put so many doubts in me. It's not enough power. It's not really an adventure bike like BMW G650GS, etc.etc. So i'm on a fence now and will do some more research.
@@dsafine Hi, NO problem, it´s a easy-to-ride-Bike, one of the best beginner-bikes
Greetings and stay safe
@@dsafine I've been riding since 1978 (many different bikes) and this machine is a gem. I think most people that criticize it harshly are either jealous or don't understand it's mission: to provide superb versatility in a very comfortable, economical package that is easy and fun to ride. Mission accomplished. I don't find the throttle snatchy at all.
I would put this engine in the Versys 300x and it would be all the bike i ever needed.
Buffeting is too much also and I couldn’t fix it with any screen I tried. Fuel economy is truly amazing tho.
The buffeting is coming from below, I put shields on the side and working on a shield between the radiator and nose...
Purchase a adjustable windscreen spoiler (the one I have mounts using 2 points not the 1 center point types) changes the bike dramatically
Love that jacket
Can the engine be easily get tuned for more power and if so how?
Good video ...just about to launch this in India ...
Pukka brilliant as always
This is what RE Himalayan should actually be !
Interesting review, what about the Himalayan against it as a adv bike what would you pick, currently planning my trip to Iceland an Norway an the cb500x caught my attention. Thanks for being honest about the vibes so how smooth is it sat at normal motorway speeds 60-70mph or do the vibes still start to creep in is there a sweet spot? :)
Check out itchy boots, she is riding a cb500x around Iceland at the moment
@@paulrea1148 She also rode the Himalayan around. Itchy Boots can answer all the questions :)
Nice how does this bike compare to a tenere 700 on the road? Thanks for the review!!
Kim Cruz - Sven Olsen (CZcamsr) would be a good person to ask that q.
I'm also waiting for Sven's comparison of the 2 bikes.
I have a lot invested in my full Rally Raid CB500X.
Hey kim, You'd have more luck on the road than off-road with a stock 500x, iv spent about 800 dollars on my 500x investing in semi knobblys, crash bars and a radiator gaurd, to answer your question Personally I think if were talking a stock 500x then the tenere will destroy the 500x offroad however with some minor upgrades the 500x is a very competitive adv bike :)
Jamie Kerr thanks a lot man!
@Chandler Sampson Adventure bikes don't have a particular spec. It's just a new term that covers a wide range of bikes. Bikes serving tis purpose have always been around using different names (e.g Scrambler). What is a good ADV bike is up to the individual buyer. There is a wide range. The Tenere 700 is great for those who spend most of their time off-road. Many others who want/need for long distance paved road capability definitely want to compromise for the CB500X. This is why we don't see any comparisons saying "this adv is definitely better for everyone." It's why we do see comparisons saying why this ADV is better for this type of riding.
This is a good bike but it still has cast wheels and no belly pan or hand guards?
She isn't a dirt bike...unless you convert it with a $3000 rally raid kit, in which case the T7 would be a much better choice.
on the motorway at 75 or above
speed limit: 70
Title says 2020, text says 2019...?
That's true but anyway, the 2019 and 2020's are exactly the same, not even a extra color... 😊
Also, you get 78 miles per gallon from a 17 litre tank!
Do you know the top speed if yes,let me know!!
Is the digital dash clearly readable??
Can these take bigger panniers.
Vibrations at 75 and above? Is this in miles per hour or kilometers per hour?
What do you think? Obviously is MPH.
Waiting for it to launch in India
Hi! I see this has spoked wheels. Was that an upgrade by the dealership?
@CDT its casting wheels, not spokes wheels,
but this casting wheels and tubeless tires
Can you change the dash between miles and kilometres?
Yes you can 🤓
Hi, I’m looking at one of these right now, it’s a late 18, is there a difference?
Smaller wheels on the earlier models if im not mistaken?
They made quite a few changes in 2019. I have never ridden the older model but I'm happy with mine. Most guys with the older models seem pretty happy as well and don't seem interested in parting with their bike for the newer model.
I think the biggest difference is the size of the front wheel went to a 19-inch in 2019--earlier models were 17-inch.
Also the 2019 has a gear indicator on the dash. Very useful as some of the gear ratios are so close.
Adam Alfred I just took out the demonstrator from my local Honda dealer, really impressed so I bought the 2019. Cheers
I just saw a Kawasaki Ninja ad in this video.
This bike is not for extreeme adventure but for touring
6:56 where is that
I'm getting on a bit now but I can still remember when the wife used to touch my helmet ...........
My lady runs from my helmet
"You get 78 miles per gallon with a 17 litre fuel tank!"
I'm currently at 89.6 mpg at 950 miles
How is this bike on say the M6 or equivalent?
MI6 ?
Really bugs me that they moved the indicator switch to a further inconvenient place were the horn switch would be.
That's enough for me not to buy it.
test ride one of these , this is not an offroad bike it's a road bike awful suspension offroad and if you drop it make sure you have deep pockets
What is the jacket you're wearing?
Major Tom
I'm 5'4, can I ride this bike?
I reckon you should be able to! I’m around 5’9 odd and flat foot 🦶 it. I have the centre stand on mine and that puts my feet in the air if sitting and it’s not daunting or anything. The beauty is that it’s a pretty refined bike and engine is bullet proof plus slipper clutch!!!
Mine gets 65mpg around city
Tenere 700 x CB 500X
Chega a voar kkkkkk
DCT missing
good
Seat is not at all comfortable, have to get off after an hour .
Roy Blackburn. You think so? We're all different I know but I find I need to fill the tank before I need to give my bum a rest. I also use a CoolCover seat cover though🤔
What is it with most bike reviews being done by Brits? STOP with the continual FLASHING Pictures, SO Annoying!
You speak too much !!!!!!