Replacing the current model CB500X is the 2024 Honda NX500 adventure-touring bike, quickly dubbed the “Halfrica Twin” by adventure and overland riders. In Malaysia the Honda CB500X is priced at RM36,099 for the 2022 model year.
This “mini-adventurer” is what Honda calls a ‘New X-over’, drawing on the single-cylinder NX650 Dominator from the 1980s and with a firm fan following in Europe. Intended as an all-rounder in the middleweight market, the NX500 is designed to do everything from weekday commuting to weekend jaunts.
Engine power is rated at 47 hp at 8,600 rpm with 43 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm. This comes from a liquid-cooled, four-stroke, DOHC, parallel-twin displacing 471 cc and fed by Honda’s PGM-Fi.
Power goes through a six-speed gearbox with assist and slipper clutch to the rear wheel via chain drive. Wheel sizing for the NX500 is 19-inches in front with a 17-inch hoop at the back, shod with 110/80 and 160/60 tyres, front and rear, respectively, and are lighter by three kg from the CB500X.
Braking is done with twin Nissin axial-mount two-piston brake callipers in front acting on 296 mm brake discs. In the rear, a single 240 mm diameter disc is stopped by a single-piston brake calliper while two-channel ABS is standard.
New for the NX500 is Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), or traction control, which comes with an “off” mode. An all-new 5-inch full colour TFT screen comes standard with Honda RoadSync for Bluetooth connectivity to the rider’s smartphone with on-screen turn-by-turn navigation and access to other smartphone functions.
The screen comes with three rider selectable display modes and is inherited from the Honda XL750 Transalp – using optical bonding to improve visibility in bright sunlight. LED lighting is used throughout and the headlight design maintains beam penetration but throws out wider light distribution for increased visibility when riding – and cornering – at night, matched to a new LED taillight.
The frame for the NX500 is unchanged from the CB500X with suspension using 41 mm diameter Separate Function Fork Big Piston (SFF-BP) upside-down forks from Showa. A preload-adjustable monoshock at the back comes with revised settings for a better ride.
17.5-litres of fuel is carried in the tank while seat height is 830 mm and weight is listed at 196 kg. There are three colour options for the NX500 in Europe – Grand Prix Red, Matt Gunpowder Black Metallic, Pearl Horizon White.
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