In Adventure biking smaller and lighter is better. Few can argue this point. When you talk to overlanders, people who travel for years, most prefer simpler lighter dual-sport bikes. Bikes like the KLR650, XR650 and DR650 have crossed continents.
Recent years have seen an explosion in new, lightweight adventure bikes from virtually all brands. It is the new trend in Adventure Biking. Adventure Bikers have finally realized that pricey overweight behemoths are not ideal for the bundus, unless you are unfortunate enough to live in a part of the country where you have to travel long distances to and from your Adventure destination, maybe needing to kill 1000km on tar to get back home on the last day. Either that, or you are the type of rider who prioritizes performance and adrenalin that wants a 160hp bike that can go on gravel. Nothing wrong with that, but if you are one of the aforementioned two types, this article is not for you.
Honda launched the CB500X locally in 2023, an Adventure styled commuter bike that, despite of its origins as ‘n commuter, was reasonably good at Adventure riding. Being a parallel twin it also had advantages over the 300cc single Adventure bikes, especially when it came to highway sections. It was just a better all-rounder. Now Honda has decided to give this commuter more of an Adventure focus. Enter the NX500.
The NX nomenclature (signifying "New X-over" according to Honda) makes a comeback linking the Adventure Bike to the NX650 Dominator of the late 80’s and 90’s and emphasizing the adventurous intent of the motorcycle. The new NX undergoes a significant overhaul compared to its predecessor, with less weight and better suspension. The power is derived from the extensively revised 471cc parallel-twin engine. Despite these updates, the power output remains consistent at 47hp. In addition, Honda has fine-tuned the suspension system to improve both on-road and off-road performance.
It looks the part and boasts many practical additions that I’ll get to, but first the elephant in the room. The first thing everybody seems to refer to is the power. Not enough power! This is a perception and most of these opinions come from people who have not ridden it yet. Yes, if you are an adrenalin junkie this bike is not for you, but it’s built for adventure riding, so lets put the power in perspective. The KLR650 and XR650L produced around 40hp. The DR650 and the XR650 Dominator the bike is named after, produced around 45hp. The very capable and fuel injected XT660Z Ténéré produced 47hp. The NX500 produces 47hp, same as the pre-mentioned continent crossers. For the application as a small Adventure Bike, it is more than adequate.
Normal riding and shifting with the new slipper clutch make for an easy, leisurely ride, but you can wind the engine up a bit. Keep the revs up and the ride becomes quite spirited – more so than you might think! The rev indicator happily chases the red-line through the gears. On the highway the NX has no problem keeping up with traffic and even with my considerable weight (enough to count for 2-up in some cases) it will happily sit at highway speed all day, with no problem going up to 140km/h if you need to pass. The test bike had less than 100km on it so I did not do a top-end run, but if I had to guess I think it would reach an indicated 150km/h.
But this bike’s focus is adventure riding and gravel trips, which makes the above-mentioned interesting, but more of a side note. The revamped NX500 incorporates a fresh front design featuring an LED headlamp cluster and an expanded windscreen. The fairing has also undergone a redesign, now more sizable, enhancing the bike's overall road presence. It almost looks like a baby TransAlp. The bigger screen is an improvement and I (175cm tall) found it to be very effective at traveling speeds. Additionally, the motorcycle is equipped with a 5-inch TFT digital console that provides all the relevant info and you can even choose the dash layout, background colour and favourite info to display. New to the NX500 is the Bluetooth connectivity and the Honda Road sync app, so turn by turn navigation on screen is possible. The switchgear is new and I’m happy to report simple and intuitive to operate, unlike some of the bigger bikes and the buttons are backlit which is a welcome addition. Behind the screen above the console is a very handy bar for mounting your telephone or GPS.
The NX is a smaller bike, but it does not feel dinky. The fairings give it more presence, but it is light (196kg) and easy to get on and off of. The 830mm seat height means most riders will be able to flatfoot it, and with the higher screen it feels like you sit more “in” the bike rather than “on” it. It’s a comfortable upright seating position, perfect for long days in the saddle. On tar the twin is much smoother than the single piston bikes but the bike comes into its own on gravel where the riding style is more about touring than keeping up. New to the NX500 is Honda’s HSTC traction control system which can be switched off on the fly with the flick of a button (all bikes should be like this!). The wheel sizes are 19” front and 17” rear. Not only is this the perfect size for this bike, they’re also tubeless thanks to the new, lighter alloy rims.
Honda claims a consumption figure of 3,6L/100km, or 27km/L. On a smaller bike this number can vary a lot depending on rider weight, luggage and riding style, but regardless, the NX will cover in excess of 300km per tank (17,5L) easily, with over 400km per tank a possibility.
Smaller displacement touring is a mindset. And for those who get it, it is very rewarding. Once you’ve accepted that you’ll travel at a slower pace, you start looking around more, notice more and stop more. You take in your surroundings, almost become part of it in the moment, rather than just speeding through it. That is how you escape the rat race.
The NX500 has a whole range of accessories available, from crash bars to luggage, and at this price point you can afford to dress up the bike. In the words of one of my friends: “This is all the Adventure Bike most riders need. We just convince ourselves we need more.”
The NX500 will sell for around R130 000.
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