All You Need To Know About Honda’s Upcoming Adventure Bike

 [UPDATE: Honda has launched the CB500X, its first motorcycle of the 500cc series, at an eye-watering Rs 6.87 lakh (ex-showroom). Head here for all the launch details of the mid-displacement Honda ADV.]

Now, Honda hasn’t explicitly mentioned which of its 500cc bikes it will bring to India this year, but we think that the entire lineup will make its way across to our shores. This lineup includes the very interesting CB500X adventure tourer. Adventure biking is a segment that has steadily been growing in India, so we think the little ‘X’ could do rather well here. Here are all the important details about the bike:

Shared Engine

The motor powering the CB500X is the same unit that powers the rest of Honda’s 500cc lineup. This means a liquid-cooled DOHC parallel-twin producing 47PS and 43Nm, mated to a 6-speed gearbox via a slipper clutch. Of course, this being a parallel twin and especially a Honda, you can expect refinement levels to be top-notch. That said, don’t expect the X to be as sprightly as something like a Kawasaki Versys 650.

Sturdy Underpinnings

It might not be an all-out adventure bike, but the CB500X does get a 19-inch/17-inch front-rear wheel combo wrapped in dual-purpose rubber, suspended on long-travel suspension. Ground clearance is a reasonably healthy 180mm despite the seat height being kept down to just 830mm.

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The CB500X’s brochure may not be as thick as some of the other tourers out there, but the basics are covered. You get full-LED lighting, which looks quite snazzy, though how well it performs will need to be seen. Safety is taken care of by dual-channel ABS, and you also get a fully-digital LCD display. Info on offer includes dual trip meters, fuel level and consumption gauges as well as a gear position indicator.

Launch Plans

Despite having taken a rather conservative approach towards big bikes in India so far, Honda is now making rapid strides and hopes to bring its 500cc lineup to India before the year is up. As far as pricing goes, your guess is as good as ours, but Honda will probably bring the CB500X to India as a CKD initially before fully localising it later on, depending on demand. This should result in a price of around Rs 5.50 lakh initially, which could fall subsequently.