The Honda NX500 is one of the most accessible twin-cylinder adventure tourers available in the Indian market. We took a ride on one to find out how it performs
Story: Charan Karthik
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
The NX500 is the CB500X’s replacement and Honda have given it a more dynamic styling, a modern dash, and a little more oomph to add to the big bike feel. It is a decent looking motorcycle, although its front end is likely to polarize opinion, giving rise to heated discussions around a coffee table as it’s not for everyone. However, at the front, you will not miss the beautiful silver-coloured twin exhaust headers that run down towards the belly. The rectangular diamond-shaped headlights are small yet functional and have adequate throw with some resemblance to the Decepticon Shockwave’s face from the film Transformers. Slowly moving past the chunky fairing at the front, you will notice the large windscreen. Although not adjustable, it provides enough protection from the wind as you tuck in at triple-digit speeds. The bike gets a 41-millimetre Showa upside-down (USD) fork that makes it stand tall and gives it an admirable stance.
Coming to the rear, it is a whole different story as the bike looks very beautiful. The tail-lights have a smooth finish to them and suit the bike’s frame. The rear is slightly swept up and is stubby but becomes leaner at the tip. Very stare-worthy. The NX500 gets a five-inch colour TFT display with Honda’s RoadSync feature, which is basically smartphone
connectivity. It helps with navigation, music control, and call management. The interface is simple to use and has customization options such as changing the layout of the screen, rpm red-line limit, and a day/night background. The toggle switch to navigate through the screen is rather small and there was slight difficulty in accessing it with gloves on. The rest of switchgear takes some time getting used to as most of the buttons are not easily accessible.
Getting astride, you will notice the geometry is very relaxed and the bike is a capable mile-muncher. Its 471-cc parallel-twin motor makes 47.5 hp at 8,600 rpm and a peak torque of 43 Nm at 6,500 rpm. The engine has proper grunt. It isn’t aggressive and will not catch you off guard, but, climbing through the rev range, the bike keeps on going and does not feel out of breath at any point. Vibrations are not bothersome and are well contained throughout the bike. The moment you get going, the bike envelops around you and the size is not noticeable. Gear-shifts are slick and the six-speed gearbox gave us no troubles during the test rides, although a quick-shifter could have been offered as standard equipment.
This bike comes equipped with the Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), known also as traction control in technical parlance. The unit works like a charm on road but it is slightly slow off road as it kicks in after a slight delay. A small incident during our test was when we were riding on a hairpin bend and encountered some gravel, which was not a big deal for the NX. The HSTC just staggered for a moment but quickly recovered and got going without fuss. The bike is best put as a 70:30 road-biased motorcycle. Other electronics include a dual-channel ABS that worked wonderfully, kicking in late and even keeping up with the beatings we threw at it while we rode it through the dirt. The 296-mm dual discs up front with Nissin calipers along with the 240-mm disc at the rear provide good feedback through the levers and they stop this 196-kilogram bike quickly. A fact to be noted here is that rivals like the Royal Enfield Himalayan and the KTM 390 Adventure both don’t come with dual discs up front.
Riding within the city, the tall stance of this motorcycle and its 830-millimetre seat height were no obstruction to my riding as I was able to navigate the bike and filter through traffic easily. Ride quality, as expected, was amazing, soaking up bumps and potholes on the move. A mini chariot, almost. Suspension set-up is best described as firm but not to a point where it becomes uncomfortable. At higher speeds, the bike feels stable and does not bounce around too much, only occasionally jumping up in the air and getting rowdy, just as an ADV should. There were a number of instances when the bike got some nice “air time”. At lower speeds, the bumps are absorbed considerably well. The NX500 has a 19-inch front wheel shod with a 110/80 tyre and a 17-inch rear wheel with 160/60 tyre.
Another thing I liked about the bike is the super comfy seat. During our extended test, I had the opportunity to ride as a pillion as well and it was moderately comfortable. We were given a bike that was loaded with accessories such as a crash-guard, a rear luggage rack, and knuckle-guards. As I got astride wearing all the gear, it felt as if I were embarking on an inter-state ride. In the hot weather, one can expect a bike like this to heat up but that was not the case; the Honda was smooth and sailed quietly and I barely felt any heat near my legs. This is a good thing as ADVs are meant to be ridden everywhere and they must be adaptable to all conditions.
And when we talk about riding everywhere, I mean everywhere; the bike is equipped with a 17.5-litre fuel-tank. It is
not a guzzler and gives back generous kilometres to the litre. Although we did not get a chance to test it out, the dash
indicated an average consumption of nearly 3.5 litres for 100 kilometres. It is available in three colours: Grand Prix Red, Pearl Horizon White, and, of course, the one we tested, Mat Gunpowder Black Metallic.
Honda’s intentions with this bike are clear: a capable adventure tourer that is easy to use, has adequate power, and will last for a long time. And that’s exactly what it is. The Honda NX500 is priced at Rs 5.90 lakh (ex-showroom). Honda’s Achilles heel has always been their pricing, but the NX500 deviates from the norm somewhat. Had it been more accessible, I am sure, its rivals would have had a tough time. If you have the money and are looking for something that is simple, fuss-free, yet capable of doing big things, then the NX500 is surely the way to go.
Leave a Reply