Honda CB500X: Same Engine, Different Personalities

Here’s how Honda uses its 473cc twin-cylinder engine in four kinds of motorcycles

Honda bringing its 500cc trio to India was only a rumour, till it finally happened in March 2021. Instead of the trio, though, we only got the CB500X and that too at an excruciating price tag. But the USP of Honda’s 500cc bikes has always been the 47.5PS and 43Nm-producing 471cc twin-cylinder engine, which Honda uses in not one, not two but four motorcycles. Curious to know about them? Well, allow us to help:

Honda CB500X

To start off, we have the Honda CB500X. And, as mentioned above, it is the only 500cc Honda available in India. As the 'X' in its name suggests, the CB500X is an ADV, evident from its tall demeanour, an upright riding posture, and dual-purpose tyres. It gets a medium-sized windscreen too, but misses out on some basics like engine protection or switchable ABS. Nevertheless, when when we took it for a spin, we were quite sold. But we snapped back to reality once we were reminded about its sky-high price-tag of Rs 6.87 lakh (ex-showroom).

Honda CB500F

Next up is the road-going naked streetfighter offering, the Honda CB500F. Unlike the CB500X, it aims to be a good, versatile city bike rather than something you’d go touring on. Being a naked, there’s no bodywork or wind protection, yet the CB500F looks likeable and aggressive. Compared to the CB500X, you get a lower handlebar and seat height (785mm; 45mm less than the CB500X) here to aid in a slightly front-set riding posture. It is also a massive 10kg lighter than CB500X, giving this a much better power-to-weight ratio.

Overall, we feel the CB500F would be a better fit for the Indian audience rather than an ADV, especially considering this usually undercuts the CB500X in international markets.

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Honda CBR500R

This is the sportiest motorcycle of all the bikes featured here. The Honda CBR500R is essentially a more accessible version of the CBR650R or a fully-faired version of the CB500F. The CBR500R’s sporty intent is made clear by its design. From the sporty fairing to the bold fascia, the bike looks the part from head to toe. The design is complemented by a clip-on handlebar, making it more suitable for the twisties. 

Honda Rebel 500

Last but not the least is Honda’s CMX500 (commonly known as the Rebel 500). Unlike the three aforementioned bikes, this is a low-slung cruiser with retro design elements like a circular headlamp, and a tan brown seat. Apart from the design, the Honda Rebel 500 also uses a different chassis, suspension setup, and circular instrument cluster. This is also, in a way, the least ‘modern’, considering Honda recently updated the CB500 trio with a Show USD fork and dual disc brakes up front. In comparison, the Rebel 500 still gets a telescopic fork, twin shock absorbers, and single disc brakes at both ends.