The Highly-Anticipated Honda CB500X Is Here...

We have been waiting for Honda to ride in its 500cc range of motorcycles, mainly the CB500X, into the country for a while now. The road-biased ADV tourer could be the perfect all-rounder that India has been waiting for and now it is finally here. As promising as it is going to be to ride this Honda ADV, it has arrived with a huge sticker price.

What’s The Price? Who Are Its Rivals?

Rs 6.87 lakh is what Honda is asking for the CB500X. That’s bonkers money for a bike of its size and capabilities. For far far far less, you could get the Benelli TRK 502, which offers a similar performance but is far more imposing. For just Rs 7,000 more, you could get the more powerful Kawasaki Versys 650. Sure, the service and maintenance costs of the Honda are likely to be way cheaper than what you would spend on the Kwacker, but it is just too steep a price to pay for the CB500X.

What’s New?

The CB500X marks the advent of Honda’s 500cc platform in India. Its 500cc parallel-twin motor puts out 47.58PS and 43.2Nm, which should ideally make it more of a middle ground between the KTM 390 Adventure and the Kawasaki Versys 650. The motor is an absolute gem, as we found out on one of our trips a couple of years ago (head here to read all about it).

For 2021, it has moved to a 19-/17-inch alloy wheel setup, which is the norm on modern day tarmac-oriented ADVs. It continues to be suspended by a telescopic fork and preload-adjustable monoshock. Petal rotors and dual-channel ABS is standard. Head here to get an entire lowdown of the small-capacity Honda ADV.

What Should Have Been Changed?

The PRICE TAG!!! Paying that much money for a 500cc motorcycle is just absurd, especially since it is arriving via the CKD route. Had it arrived for at least a lakh cheaper, it would make for good purchasing sense.

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ZigSays

In our list of upcoming bikes for 2021, the Honda CB500X ranked among the most-anticipated launches. This curveball of pricing is surely going to put a dent in the plans of those who were dying to get astride this beauty. Will it get as many takers now? Well, we think it’s going to be difficult.