We rode from Bengaluru to Kolli Hills astride a Honda NX500 and it was a memorable ride for many reasons.
Travelling in any form is an integral part of human nature. There is always a promise of the unknown on the hidden side of the horizon. For some, the journey may not be as important as the destination or vice-versa but for motorcycle enthusiasts like us, the adventure is crucial to the experience.
A trip to Kolli Hills in Tamil Nadu is something I have been meaning to do for a while. Such a ride is best done on a reliable machine and when Honda’s BigWing division invited us to borrow any of their motorcycles, it felt like the final piece of the puzzle had fallen into place. The Bengaluru-Kolli Hills-Bengaluru route is largely free of potholes and traffic jams but there were a few stretches of roadworks en route, so an ADV seemed like the obvious choice. Honda’s ADV portfolio includes the CB200X, the NX500 and the XL750 Transalp; available at BigWing dealerships across the country. We picked the NX because we felt it offered an interesting mix of comfort, performance and safety.
More than 500 kilometres to clock on highways, country roads, and the famous Kolli Hills hairpins felt like NX territory. This motorcycle is powered by a 471-cc, liquid-cooled, eight-valve, parallel-twin engine that develops 48 hp and a peak torque of 43 Nm. In our market, that places this motorcycle as a good choice for someone moving up from a single-cylinder machine or an interesting alternative for those upgrading from an air-cooled twin.
Of course, it took a while for me to ride the NX in peace because as soon as I left the premium interior of the BigWing Topline dealership, I found myself in the least exciting part of the ride, namely, Bengaluru traffic. The design, although compact among ADVs, is still formidable enough to let the NX tower above most motorcycles in traffic but that did not make it cumbersome to manage. Its 196-kilogram kerb weight may seem heavy on paper but that is where Honda’s legendary engineering comes into play. The weight is spread so cleverly that the NX feels well balanced when on the move and it was easy to make tight manoeuvres even at low speeds with minimal effort.
Leaving early in the morning is the best way to enjoy a ride when getting out of a crowded city and at that hour, Bengaluru’s infamous traffic did not bother us as we set a steady pace for National Highway 44. Once out of city limits, the NX got a chance to stretch its legs and we were making rapid progress and the engine’s refinement made it more enjoyable. Honestly, that’s more important than outright speed: the ability to cover long distances in comfort, simply because a comfortable rider is always better equipped to enjoy the ride and is in a better position to react to emergencies. Although capable of achieving speeds in excess of 150 km/h, the NX’s sweet spot was between 5,000-6,000 rpm in sixth gear, carrying an easy yet swift 110-120 km/h.
Cruising at a steady and effortless 100 km/h most of the time, we crossed the border into Tamil Nadu soon but that meant we had to leave the immaculate highway and turn on to country roads. Quaint little towns and their inhabitants spared us a glance as we rolled by through their routine lives. Some waved, most smiled but none cast a look of disapproval. I believe it is because the Honda is more tasteful than flashy. It is elegantly designed and reasonably quiet at town speeds which allowed me to flow on by without drawing too much attention to myself. Soon, we were greeted by a board, “1/70 hairpins”; we had reached Kolli Hills.
One needs to keep a few things in mind when riding on Kolli Hills. It is a fairly challenging road and it is easy to get lost in the allure of its curves. With just enough room for two trucks to run abreast, it is not very wide, leaving very little room for error. Furthermore, most hairpins are blind but the shallower curves that lead up to the hairpins offer good visibility. So, it is easy to get sucked into a fast rhythm, only to arrive at a hairpin with too much speed. Honda have thoughtfully equipped the NX with rider aids including dual-channel ABS and traction control, which we feel are crucial when exploring new regions. Adds to the rider’s peace of mind.
The NX proved to be a sweet handling machine and it flowed along the 70 hairpins with ease. Response to steering input felt natural and the rich spread of torque early in the rev-range meant that second or third gears were enough to climb up the tight bends. The following morning, I got a chance to go a bit faster on some sections of the hill and the NX lived up to expectations then as well. In addition to its sweet handling, the pops and crackles of the exhaust will live in my mind as a delightful memory.
To make things more special, the regional Honda BigWing clubs rode to Kolli Hills to be part of an exclusive meet-and-greet. They got a chance to highlight their experiences with the brand, and present their ideas and suggestions about how to improve the same. They also had a chance to discuss with us the finer aspects of riding a motorcycle and safety.
When we reached Bengaluru on our way back, we missed the entry ramp on to the electronic city flyover and got stuck in the worst traffic. That is when Honda’s turn-by-turn navigation made itself useful. I left our support car and ventured off alone and, despite being a newcomer to Bengaluru, I was able to find my way to the dealership with no trouble at all.
At the end of our time with the Honda NX500, a few things were very clear. This is an incredibly refined and capable ADV that can cover long distances in supreme comfort without causing any inconvenience to the rider while also harbouring enough potential for some mild off-roading, something that came in handy whenever there was a long line of trucks blocking the road. Sure, there are other motorcycles that can cruise at 110 to 120 km/h, but not many can do so with such levels of refinement. By the way, as an experiment, I tried to see just how fuel-efficient the NX could be throughout the trip and upon our return to Bengaluru, the average fuel consumption was a remarkable 27.1 km/litre. There were times when I saw up to 27.9 km/litre, which is impressive for a 471-cc, twin-cylinder motorcycle.
It was difficult to find fault with the motorcycle, dealership, community, and overall experience. Certainly an ecosystem that is worth being a part of. By the way, Honda are making some cool merchandise at reasonable prices. I picked up a couple of things for myself, something to remember this ride by. If you are in the market looking for a 500-cc ADV, then this is your only choice at the moment and it is an excellent one.
Customer Testimonials
I ride a Honda H’ness CB350 and I like its refinement and quality. I have covered four hills so far including Kolli Hills and it performed superbly.
— Fakhrudin Ali, Madurai
I have been using a Honda H’ness CB350 for the past two and a half years and have covered 36,000 km. So far, my experience with the motorcycle has been very good.
— Bala, Erode
I own a Honda CB300F and have been on numerous rides so far. What I like most about my bike is that it has never let me down.
— Prakash
Was always a fan of the Royal Enfield Bullet but after riding the H’ness, I had to get one because I liked the refinement.
— Arun Kumar, Tirupur
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