I’m sure the Honda CB500x is great for highway use. But how does it handle off-road? Is it a good adventure bike?
Just a bit about me—I’m an experienced rider. I started with a 3-wheeler at 7, moved on to dirt bikes and motorcycles, and have been riding ever since. I’m 34 now and have always stuck to Honda. Recently, I’ve been considering the CFMoto Ibex and Royal Enfield Himalayan, mainly because of their price. I’ve heard good things about both, and they seem like decent options. Last summer, I switched from a Honda Forman to a CFMoto CForce 600 (again, mostly because of price), and I’ve had no issues. The salesman told me that CFMoto is pretty close to Honda in reliability. I’d prefer a Honda, but the other two are solid choices since they come loaded with features at a better price than base Honda models.
Decent, absolutely. It all depends on what you need and how skilled you are. Is it the best bike off-road? Probably not. Will it do what you need? Only you can say.
I’ve got a 2017 model that I bought 3 years ago, and I’ve ridden it for 80,000 km. It’s still running well at over 100,000 km.
For me, it’s great for a little bit of everything but doesn’t specialize in one thing. It’s been cost-effective and reliable. A middle-weight bike lets me ride quickly on public roads without breaking any laws, and it’s light enough to handle dirt paths. Just keep up with regular maintenance.
I had a 2022 400x (Japanese version), and I used to take it off-road all the time, no problems. It was my go-anywhere, do-anything bike. Snow and ice? No problem. Loose surfaces? Fine. Long rides on the road with a full load and a passenger? No issues. It’s not perfect for every situation, but it does everything pretty well and it’s cheap and reliable.
I’ve ridden these bikes but never owned one. I did consider buying one.
They’re really street-oriented, so I wouldn’t rely on them for serious off-road work. The 19/17 inch wheels are similar to a BMW GS, but I prefer a 21" wheel for off-road. They have 5” of suspension travel and 7” of ground clearance, which is not enough for tougher off-road riding. My F800GS has 9” of travel and almost 10” of clearance.
They’re great bikes, and I’m sure plenty of people do adventurous things on them, but they’re not made for hardcore off-roading.
@Lian
I own one, and it’s great for gravel roads and farm work. It’s not a dirt bike, so I don’t see the need for a 21-inch wheel. Adventure bikes get a lot of confusion about what they’re for. Any bike can go off-road, and in places like Vietnam, people use the Honda Cub for tough roads daily. So I take issue with calling it bad off-road, but I get your point—you might just not be as experienced with off-road bikes.
@Mark
Many adventure bikes use a 21" front wheel, like the BMW F800GS and KTM. Maybe they know something we don’t?
Just to clarify, I was in the Yucatan on DR650s with friends, and we were on an informal dirt road. A local in a chef’s uniform passed us on a scooter, just going to work.
I get by just fine, thanks.
The term ‘off-road’ needs more context. Some of these ‘off-road’ trails are not really off-road. Here’s an example: https://youtu.be/mH8cca0QQ8I?si=sZ4ZGNGFmIXoZhI7. Most riders would struggle with an ADV bike on a real dual-sport track.
@Lian
When you say ‘off-road,’ I spend a lot of time on the farm and on off-trail paths. I don’t need a dirt bike to do it. People who need motorcycles as tools don’t need all the fancy gear that ADV riders do. It’s more about skill and toughness than the gear.
Sure, tourists can say they climbed Everest, but they didn’t really do it—they just followed the trail with all the expensive gear. This whole adventure bike and overlanding stuff is just consumer nonsense. If you can’t make it around the world on a small bike, you don’t need an ADV bike, you need real determination. That’s the point I’m making.
@Mark
OP mentioned ‘off-road’ in the third sentence. For less experienced riders, I think it’s good to explain what off-road means to them. I agree with you.