BMW F 450 GS vs Honda NX500: The Best Sub-500cc ADV Is?

Say you bought a Hero XPulse 200 4V or maybe a Suzuki V-Strom SX a while ago and after munching thousands of kilometres on them, you want to move on now. You want something around the 500cc mark and buying a twin cylinder bike sounds like the obvious upgrade, and you have 2 wonderful options right in front of you: the newly-launched BMW F 450 GS or one of the best bikes in the segment, the Honda NX500. 

Both look really good in a lot of ways and you want both. But your budget obviously only allows for one and now you’re confused. Well, fret not for you’ve come to the right place. Here’s which bike of the two you should go for: 

Price & Variants

• Both the BMW F 450 GS and the Honda NX500 are quite expensive,  but the NX500’s exorbitant price tag makes the GS look quite value for your money. Who would’ve thought between a BMW bike and a Honda bike, a BMW would be the more bang for buck. 

• Even the top variant of the F 450 GS, with optional spoke wheels, and centrifugal clutch still costs over a lakh less than the NX500. 

• The NX500 was quite an expensive bike when it was first launched and even after a price cut, it’s still quite an expensive bike. That said, its maintenance and upkeep costs should be a lot less than the F 450 GS’ costs. 

Dimensions & Design 

• In terms of dimensions, the Honda NX500 might look a little bit bigger than the GS. The NX500’s design language attracts more attention than the CB500X, and with its bigger face, the bike does look a bit bigger than earlier. 

• The GS, on the other hand, looks stunning while being quite compact, and that’s understandable since the theme across all the GS bikes seems to be making them more compact and approachable. 

• In terms of design, in our opinion the GS definitely looks like the better adventure bike. It looks tall; the optional spoke wheels look beautiful, and on the whole, it looks mean and lean. The NX500, while imposing, doesn’t look as lean and sharp as the older CB500X. So more people will probably gravitate towards the BMW F 450 GS. 

Features & Safety

• Like other BMW bikes, the F 450 GS is loaded to the T with electronics of all kinds. Apart from having a big 6.5-inch TFT console, traction control and lean-sensitive ABS, the bike also has an automatic centrifugal clutch as optional. 

• What that means is that you can essentially ride the bike like a twist-and-go, automatic bike. Where that helps is when you're navigating through really tricky off-road sections. In such cases, you can take your mind off modulating the clutch completely and stop worrying about stalling the bike. That is a crucial thing to have, especially for off-road beginners. 

• The Honda NX500 is on the opposite spectrum. Apart from  dual channel ABS and traction control system, the bike doesn’t have any safety aids to boast of. Even the TFT is a simple unit and you get basic connectivity features through Honda’s application. In short, the bike has nothing extraordinary. 

• The Honda NX500 is more of an old-school, simple motorcycle with a lovely engine. Honda has chosen not to overcomplicate it and we’re fine with that. 

Engines

• The two engines’ output figures are eerily similar, and it makes us seem the riding experience could be similar. 

• Given that BMW wants the F 450 GS to be reasonably good at off-roading, it should have an engine with a punchy bottom/mid-range. And that seems to be the case as well, since the bike delivers its peak torque at under 7000rpm. 

• Why we absolutely adore the Honda NX500 is because of its beautiful engine. The 471cc mill is smooth, easygoing and incredibly versatile. 

• It has a nice punch at the bottom end of the revs. Be it the slow, everyday commuting, high-speed touring or even navigating through tricky off-road terrains, the engine is surprisingly versatile and capable. 

• And that makes for a lovely experience. The NX500 is the sort of bike that you buy and never sell, because it can do it all, while having the bulletproof reliability that Honda bikes are usually associated with. 

Verdict 

If you want something modern, something that looks fancy and packs the most contemporary features, the BMW F 450 GS is hard to ignore. It looks versatile, and quite capable as a proper adventure tourer. If you’re someone who also values the BMW badge, it’s an even sweeter deal because the F 450 GS should remind you of the bigger GS bikes in a lot of ways. So in all the right ways, it really is the baby GS. 

But if those fancy things don’t matter to you and you want a no-nonsense, easygoing, uncomplicated bike to take you from one place to the other, it doesn’t get much better than the Honda NX500. It’s easy to ride, has enough power, is very capable and will do pretty much everything you ask of it. The bike’s also proven to be extremely reliable over the years and we love it each time we swing a leg over the bike. So if today’s tech-laden bikes don’t impress you and you want something more old-school, the NX500 will intrigue you for sure. 

Rivals

The BMW F 450 GS will be a lot more expensive to buy and maintain so if you’re on a strict budget, get the Himalayan 450. 

Its excellent price makes the RTX 300 a very value for money bike. While the F 450 GS is more capable, it costs a lot more as well. 

With its bigger front wheel and more suspension travel, the 390 Adventure is for those who want more off-roading capability from their motorcycle. 

The TRK 502 is extremely heavy, which is why most people will prefer the F 450 GS over it. 

f you want an old-school riding experience, get the Versys-X 300. The 450 GS, on the other hand, is a more tech-loaded, modern adventure bike.