Honda CB500X small motorcycle big fun to ride - the best review you will find
30/12/2025
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This time we have the 2019 Honda CB500X. The test lasted 7 days, so I had a pretty comprehensive opportunity to evaluate it. Is it really an Adventure motorcycle as it's classified on Honda's website? Or rather a city motorcycle with a 19-inch front wheel? The answer below!
Spis treści
How does the CB500X perform on the road
I traditionally took the S8 route towards Białystok, and then shortly after Wołomin turned towards Stanisławów. Then back to Warsaw. Such a small loop plus a bit on site adds up to about 200 km, which allowed me to check how comfortable this motorcycle is both on fast traffic routes, in villages, and on light terrain.
Windshield
The wind protection is, in my opinion, very good; the screen is noticeably higher and dampens air blasts better than in the NC750X. I would compare it rather to that of the Honda Africa Twin. Look for yourself; I'll remind you, I'm 190 cm tall.
LED lights
This may not be entirely related to how the motorcycle performs on the road, but it's worth mentioning alongside the above photo.
We have full LED lighting, without any additional fees – so a note here for the previously tested BMW F750GS; you can make a motorcycle for just under 8 thousand euros with LEDs.
They shine very well, illuminating the road excellently, and the quality of workmanship is also top-notch. I really like the indicators, which are slim and sharply cut, clearly inspired by those on the Honda Africa Twin, and I hope the new NC750X will also get them.
Emergency braking signal system
The emergency braking signal system in the CB500X model helps ensure the rider's safety in situations where sudden braking is necessary. The system detects sudden braking and automatically turns on the front and rear hazard lights, warning other nearby vehicles.
I tried to activate it by suddenly and quite forcefully braking, at least in my opinion, but I couldn’t manage it. It seems I'm afraid to pull the brake lever hard enough. So I trust that the system is there and will work in case of need.
Seat – is it comfortable on the 2019 Honda CB500X?
As for the seat, we have it at the same height as the NC750X – 830 mm.
Is it comfortable? The position is similar; we sit upright since the handlebars are high, thanks to the supports on which they are mounted.
The knee angle is pleasant; in this aspect, there's nothing to complain about. However, depending on personal taste, the angle between the legs is narrower than in the NC, really, switching from one motorcycle to another makes the difference in weight very noticeable. The motorcycle is simply narrower and lighter.
At first, when I sat on it, it seemed softer, but after 2-3 hours of riding, my butt also starts to hurt. Just enough for the fuel tank to allow me to stretch my legs. (Full specification of the Honda CB500X) Not like in the NC due to the different seat shape, but it is not among the most comfortable either. It's not a total nightmare as it's not a completely hard board.
Check out the photo of how it would look if you were riding with a passenger of my stature; there's no denying the motorcycle is not suitable for riding with a passenger, in my opinion.
Check the full specification of the Honda CB500X in our motorcycle catalog.
So how is it on the road?
Above 130 km/h, it starts to feel nervous. I didn't feel secure; side gusts are clearly noticeable, here the NC750X wins; that construction is more stable for me. The motorcycle has a low weight and is narrow, with a high position.
We also don’t have an excess of power. But up to 130, it’s really fine. I didn’t have the opportunity to check it loaded, for example, with a central case, but I suspect it will be quite comfortable for one person on a multi-day trip.
CB500X for off-road?
What works in favor of this motorcycle is the fact that when fully fueled, it weighs about 200 kg! So let's compare it to the NC750X, which is almost 20 kg heavier, and in the case of the DCT gearbox, 30 kg heavier. Similarly, the 500 benefits from a ground clearance of 180 mm, whereas in the NC, we only have 165 mm. It's better, but still very far from the Africa Twin, where I remind you the ground clearance was at 250 mm.
What the manufacturer states about the Honda CB500X is that we have a steel frame, in which rigidity has been optimized, improving feel during handling. And indeed, it rides exceptionally well; we have full control over what happens with this machine. Several elements help with this: that already mentioned frame, low weight, and 19-inch front wheel. The whole package works really well.
The gearbox cannot be criticized at all; on the contrary, the gears shift very smoothly, it’s a model for the competition; if it wasn’t for safety, one could ride it in sneakers, the gear lever works that lightly. We also have an anti-hopping clutch that helps control the motorcycle during gear changes and overly high RPMs.
Additionally, the centralization of mass, meaning the engine is located near the swingarm pivot point, also improves the motorcycle's handling.
Many times in the terrain you can see in the video: “Honda CB500X 2019 test lasted 7 days, what is my opinion, is it worth it and for whom is it a good choice?” I was riding on the edge of the ground, and I think thanks to these elements I managed to avoid it.
Brakes on the Honda CB500X manage well
They are slightly smaller than in the NC750X model, and at the front, we also have a single wave disc with a 2-piston caliper, with a size of 310 mm instead of 320 mm as in the NC.
At the rear, the dimensions are the same 240 mm, but we have a single-piston caliper instead of two.
The standard comes with a 2-channel ABS. Unfortunately, it cannot be turned off, which would be useful if we wanted to leave the asphalt and have some fun on gravel.
Traction control needs improvement
You can see cost-cutting here; the motorcycle is not a top-tier model, and this control was missing. I didn't mind it, maybe due to the low power of the Honda CB500X, fitting traction control would be an excess? Just guessing; let me know what you think in the comments!
Suspension on the CB500X surprises
The long, telescopic fork with a diameter of 41 mm has spring preload adjustment, just like the rear shock with the Pro-Link system. Here, however, I don’t know what to say; I previously mentioned the lack of traction control, and it could be due to the lower price or power of the motorcycle.
But what about the suspension adjustment? My NC750X does not have this adjustment capability at the front. Yet both this model and the next one I will be testing, the CBR500R have it.
New quality at Honda?
I expect that the next version of the Honda NC750X will also get adjustable front suspension; it would be nice if they could fit it with upside-down forks.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the new NC750X; see why in the video:
Returning to the CB500X suspension, it works very well, riding through light terrain on those cobblestones that you could see at the beginning of the video is great. However, the rear I will tell you, with light bumps tries to catapult you.
It's worth adding something about the seat that I didn’t mention earlier; you will find the battery under it, and you can remove it with a key, but you can't attach it in such a way that when braking hard or on uneven terrain, it doesn’t click somewhere in it.
I tried various ways, and every time something creaked in the seat when you move forward.
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