Honda CB500X vs ADV Rivals: Specifications Compared

  • Published March 16, 2021
  • Views : 11209
  • 4 min read
  • By Team Zigwheels
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How does Honda’s mid-displacement ADV fare against its peers?

Honda has finally stepped into the ‘affordable’ ADV realm with its much-awaited CB500X. Just a month ago, Benelli also dropped its BS6 TRK 502 which received a cost cut and some new features. Meanwhile, a constant heartthrob in this segment has been the Kawasaki Versys 650, one of the best bang for buck middleweight ADVs on sale in India. We thought it’d be interesting to see how the latest entrant, the CB500X, fares against these two, but until we get a chance to get astride all three, which isn’t likely to happen anytime soon, we let their spec sheets do the talking.

Engine

Specifications

Honda CB500X

Benelli TRK 502

Kawasaki Versys 650

Engine

471cc parallel-twin engine

500cc twin-cylinder engine

649cc, parallel-twin engine

Power

47.58PS @ 8500rpm

47.5PS @ 8500rpm

66PS @ 8500rpm

Torque

43.2Nm @6500rpm

46Nm@6000rpm

61Nm @7000rpm

Gearbox

6-speed

6-speed

6-speed

All motorcycles use a parallel-twin heart and make their peak power at the same rpm. That said, the CB500X and the TRK 502 are no match for the 649cc Versys which makes about 20PS more than them. The Kwacker packs a meaner punch too and is quite rev-happy. The Benelli and Honda twins are a tad more relaxed, a bit easier going in comparison. The TRK does have more grunt on offer, which should make it slightly more tractable than the CB500X. In this company, the CB500X would struggle a bit. Hopefully, it should be the smoothest of the lot and even more reliable as all Hondas are.

Underpinnings

Specifications

Honda CB500X

Benelli TRK 502

Kawasaki Versys 650

Frame

Steel tube diamond type

Steel-tube trellis

High-tensile steel diamond 

Front suspension

Telescopic fork (150mm travel)

USD fork (150mm travel))

USD fork (150mm travel)

Rear suspension

Monoshock (135mm travel)

Monoshock (150mm travel)

Monoshock (145mm travel)

Front brake

Single 310mm disc

Dual 320mm discs

Dual 300mm discs

Rear brake

240mm disc

260mm disc

250mm disc

Front tyre

19-inch

17-inch

17-inch

Rear tyre

17-inch

17-inch

17-inch

Again, the Honda starts to feel a bit poorly kitted as it only gets a telescopic fork and a single front disc. The other two employ a USD fork (the one on the Versys is adjustable for rebound and preload) and twin discs. The only saving grace with Honda’s latest iteration is it can get away with a little soft roading. It is the only bike here with a 19-inch front wheel and dual-compound tyres.

Dimensions

Specifications

Honda CB500X

Benelli TRK 502

Kawasaki Versys 650

Wheelbase

1443mm

1505mm

1415mm

Ground clearance

181mm

190mm

170mm

Fuel tank capacity (litres)

17.7

20

21

Seat height

830mm

800mm

840mm

Kerb weight

199kg

235kg

218kg

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One must commend Benelli for just how accessible it is to hop on the TRK 502 and ride away. It has the lowest seat height, which should help considering the heft one has to manage, and the highest ground clearance of the trio. 

The Honda is the lightest bike here but its 830mm seat height isn’t going to be easy to handle, especially for shorter riders.

Features

 

Honda CB500X

Benelli TRK 502

Kawasaki Versys 650

Fully digital instrument cluster

Yes

No

No

Dual-channel ABS

Yes

Yes

Yes

Full-LED lighting

Yes

Yes

No

Crash protection

No

Yes

No

Spoke Wheels

No 

No 

No

Knuckle Guards

No

Yes

No

The CB500X again stands out here as the only motorcycle to feature a fully-digital instrument cluster with a negative LCD. The other two show their age as they retain their old semi-digital setups. But the CB and the TRK both get full-LED lighting while the Versys 650 still features a split halogen headlamp with bulb indicators. Honda has also equipped the CB500X with ESS (Emergency Stop Signal) which switches on the hazard lights under emergency braking along with HISS (Honda Ignition Security System) for added safety.

Among other bits, the TRK 502 gets crash protectors on either side, a mounting plate at the rear, and aluminium knuckle guards as standard, while the other two miss out on these. Surprisingly, none of these ‘ADVs’ feature spoke wheels, even as an option, owing to their road-biased nature. That said, our sources have revealed Benelli is all set to launch the TRK 502X (off-road biased 502) in India very soon, which will offer spoke wheels.

Price & Verdict

Honda CB500X

Benelli TRK 502

Kawasaki Versys 650

Rs 6.87 lakh

Rs 4.79 lakh

Rs 6.94 lakh

*All prices ex-showroom

The pricing is the Honda CB500X’s Achilles Heel. At Rs 6.87 lakh, the 500X throws value-for-money out of the window. It costs almost as much as the Kawasaki Versys 650, which even with its barebones feature list makes a lot more power to justify the price. The most value-for-money prospect here is the Benelli TRK 502. With the BS6 iteration costing less than the BS4 model, the TRK 502 retains all its strong points and is probably the motorcycle you should pick among the lot. However, if you’re on a strict budget, you could also consider smaller and more affordable ADVs such as the Royal Enfield Himalayan and the KTM 390 Adventure.

Honda CB500X Video Review

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