Honda CB500X will be sold through BigWing premium dealerships and is expected to be positioned between KTM 390 Adv and Kawasaki Versys 650
Honda has been selling the 500 twin series since 2013 in the international markets with a straight twin engine as the CB500F naked streetfighter, the CB500R faired motorcycle, the CB500X dual-purpose adventure tourer and the CMX500 Rebel bobber are part of the range. The Japanese manufacturer has steadily been expanding its BigWing dealerships and new motorcycles have been added to the premium lineup.
The brand is betting big on the CB series as the H’ness CB350 rivalling entry-level Royal Enfield motorcycles has been well-received among customers. As we exclusively revealed previously, the RS scrambler was added to the lineup recently and next up, Honda is planning to bring in the CB500X. In another exclusive report, we can unravel that the adv will be launched this month.
It makes all the sense as the adventure motorcycling community has been gaining popularity in recent years with Hero Xpulse 200, Royal Enfield Himalayan and KTM 250 Adventure as well as KTM 390 Adv helping in appealing to a wider band of consumers. Honda will be looking to join the fray but at the premium end of the scale with the CB500X.
The Honda CB500X is considered as one of the best middleweight adventure tourers in the global markets and it will compete against Kawasaki Versys 650, priced at around Rs. 6.94 lakh (ex-showroom). The adv could slot between the KTM 390 Adventure costing around Rs. 3.10 lakh (ex-showroom) and the Versys 650. Expect the price range of the CB500X to hover around Rs. 5.75 lakh to Rs. 6 lakh (ex-showroom).
The upcoming CB500X derives power from a 471 cc parallel-twin fuel-injected DOHC engine producing a maximum power output of 47 PS at 8,600 rpm and 43 Nm of peak torque delivered at 6,500 rpm. It is hooked with a six-speed transmission with a slipper and assist clutch as standard. Some of the other key features include LED lighting all around, an all-digital LCD instrument cluster and so on.
It is suspended on preload-adjustable 41 mm telescopic front forks and Prolink monoshock rear suspension while braking duties will be handled by 320 mm front disc and 230 mm rear disc assisted by a dual-channel ABS system.