Today I'm taking the CB500X for my work commute, and I'm doing an informal 15K mile owner's review. Skip to the end of this description for clickable time indexes.
I purchased my 2014 Honda CB500X in April of 2015, so that is about 4 years of ownership so far. I can't say enough good things about this motorcycle... I really enjoy it thoroughly. I haven't had any mechanical issues or failures with this bike at all. There have been a couple of factory recalls (starter solenoid and fuel level sender), but no other major mechanical problems.
The only negatives that I can say about the bike are typical complaints of many budget bikes in the segment:
1. The OEM tires were Pirelli Scorpion Trail, and they had very lackluster performance in wet or dry. I had a non-repairable flat on the rear tire just at about 2K miles, so I replaced both front and rear with Michelin PIlot Road 4's and never looked back.
2. The OEM chain was garbage on my bike, and it started kinking links after just a few hundred miles. I limped along with the original chain until around 10K miles, then replaced it with a DID 520-VX2 X-ring chain and new sprockets (factory ratio of 15/41T).
Those are typical problems that are easily remedied with aftermarket upgrades. Other than those minor issues, this machine has been flawless and performs very well in all conditions.
I have upgraded my bike with lots of commuting/touring add-ons to make it more suitable for my use:
- Honda OEM center stand kit
- MadStad adjustable windscreen: https://madstad.com/collections/honda/products/honda-cb500x-2013-up
- SW-MOTECH Engine Crash Bars: https://www.twistedthrottle.com/sw-motech-crash-bars-engine-guards-for-honda-cb500x-13-15
- SW-MOTECH Auxiliary Light Bar: https://www.twistedthrottle.com/sw-motech-light-mount-black-honda-cb500x-13
- R&G Aero LED signals: https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/rg-racing-aero-led-turn-signals
- Ride-It adjustable levers: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MBDME9Y
- SHAD 3P Side Mount Holders: https://www.shadusa.com/collections/cb500x/products/h0cx57if
- SHAD SH23 Side Cases: https://www.shadusa.com/collections/sh23
- SHAD Top Mount: https://www.shadusa.com/collections/cb500x/products/h0cx56st
- SHAD SH39 Top Case: https://www.shadusa.com/collections/sh39
- SHAD E-04 Semi-rigid Tank Bag: https://www.shadusa.com/collections/tank-bags/products/x0es04
- BarkBuster Storm handguards: https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/barkbusters-storm-handguard-kit-honda-kawasaki-suzuki
- Denali SoundBomb compact airhorn: https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/denali-soundbomb-compact-air-horn
- Michelin Pilot Road 4 and 5 tires (fantastic tires!)
- MOTO-D 90-degree valve stems: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L4G67TC
- MotoWerk gauge plate (no longer available)
- MotoWerk mirror extenders: https://motowerk.com/collections/honda-cb500x/products/honda-mirror-extenders
- MotoWerk handlebar risers: https://motowerk.com/collections/honda-cb500x/products/honda-handlebar-riser-1
- Garmin Zumo 350
- ProGrip 719 Superbike grips: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0074ZL828
Time indexes:
0:00 : I haven't posted any VLOG's lately because my good Hero 7 camera was misplaced...
1:10 : Why I'm not riding the Ryker for the past couple of weeks... the key went walkabout along with the Hero 7 camera
1:43 : I plan to do several owner's reviews for my bikes before some of them disappear to make room for a new toy
2:14 : Michelin Pilot Road 5's are FANTASTIC on this bike!
3:29 : My push for doing the owner's reviews... my new toy will be the 2019 KTM 790 Adventure
5:25 : I never set out to see how many bikes I could own at the same time... it has just ended up that way
6:55 : I'm always conflicted about selling the CB500X, it's such a good machine and I'd hate to sell it
8:55 : 65-80 mph top gear roll-on
10:10 : 75-90 mph top gear roll-on, discussing a minor throttle-position sensor issue (retarded throttle response, power picks up slightly as you reduce throttle position)
11:12 : The OEM chain was garbage, so I replaced it and the sprockets at ~10K miles
12:40 : Another 75-90 mph top gear roll-on, top speed discussion... this isn't a sports bike
13:52 : The 2016 and newer models have adjustable front suspension and re-valved rear shock, but the lack of adjustable suspension on this bike isn't really an issue for me
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QM
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#honda #CB500X #MadStad