Honda CB500X vs Reiju Aventura 500: Compared In 8 Images

Japanese original or Spanish ‘inspiration’; which one is better?

Spanish brand Reiju showcased its flagship ADV, the Aventura 500 at EICMA 2022, which has recently gone on sale in Europe. However, a quick glance had us scratching our heads, considering its familiar looks, as well as its resemblance to the Honda CB500X. So here’s a quick look at what’s the same, and a few things that set them apart.

Engine

Starting with the similarities, and the most obvious one: the engine. The one on the Reiju is a reproduction of the Honda mill by Loncin in China, though with a minor difference in cubic capacity. So while the Honda unit displaces 471cc and makes 47.5PS, the Reiju unit displaces 485cc, and makes a claimed 48PS.

Design

This next bit isn’t glaringly obvious, considering the Reiju takes design cues from another Honda bike, the Africa Twin. This is clear from the fascia, the headlights and quarter fairing, and even the split seat and overall seat profile.

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And now we move on to the dissimilarities…

Chassis and hardware 

While you could venture a bit into the wilderness with the CB500X’s 19-/17-inch alloy wheel setup, the Reiju Aventura 500 prepares you better for the gnarly stuff with its 21-/18-in tubeless spoke wheels. And though Reiju hasn’t yet specified the ground clearance number, the Aventura doesn’t seem to be lacking in this aspect. Moreover, its approachable 820mm saddle height is 10mm lower than the Honda’s.  

Touring chops

The CB500X packs a 17.7-litre fuel tank, large enough for most touring needs, though it’s a bit smaller than the Aventura’s 20-litre unit. More so, the Aventura 500 has a clear advantage here: an auxiliary 19-litre underseat fuel tank, which brings the total fuel capacity to 39 litres, more than double that of the Honda! 

So as you can see, the Honda CB500X may be a good companion on the rough roads and long tours. Nevertheless, the Reiju, packs quite a bit of kit to go toe-to-toe with the Honda, and even exceeds it at a few counts. 

However, that’s not something we can prove, as not only does Reiju have no plans of coming to India, but its price (8,399 Euros, or roughly Rs 7.39 lakh excluding taxes) puts it well out of the reach of most off-road enthusiasts. 

For the moment, then, you could go for the KTM 390 Adventure; or hold on for a while for the Himalayan 450 or the Hero XPulse 400, both of which are slated for launch by the end of 2023.