After 6000km, I have an average fuel consumption of 30 km/l with my CB500X, so that means I could go for 530km with a full tank. That's getting pretty close to the Royal Enfield. Also I"ve learned that a Royal Enfield doesn't have the lifespan that the Honda has. Lot's of people on RUclips are saying you can only go for 60 000km with the Royal Enfield until everything will start to break. So if you spend 2000€ more for twice or three times the lifespan, maybe that's not a bad deal.. Of course, I don't know anybody that has experienced this, it's all just rumors, so take it with a grain of salt.
Another RUclips blogger who travels the world had a Royal Enfield Himalayan and that came to the end of its life, so ironically she switched to a CB500x!!!!
@Prasanta Rajkumar I've since discoverd that the Himalayan is stuck in South America. The Honda is her current bike, so likewise you need to check your facts
Yeah, the RE looks much better. I would buy one if it wasn't a RE, I wish Honda or Kawa would come out with something in the 400 - 500 cc range that looked decent. I just really despise the space ship look of modern bikes, but I do not desire the lack of dependability found with RE (plus parts availability in the states is reported as sketchy). I guess someone should come along and say OK Boomer to me, but if I was given a CB500x I would sell it (no way im getting caught on something that ugly).
Great balanced review. Itchy boots showed us what can be done with the Royal Enfield. She probably did more with the 400cc than most of us could but dream about. Thanks for the video.
I have owned the RE for like 9000km. I recently sell it for the cb500x. Really good bike the RE, but i say this to those who have back injuries like me, the cb500x feel a lot more soft on the bad road, so for me it's a relief. Keep up the good work !
I am Himalayan owner here in Belgium and after one year I took off my pink glasses and decided to switch to Honda or maybe KTM (no R version or some rally kit). There is only last kudos I can give to RE and it is its look. Unfortunately quality is poor, service every 3000-5000km, terrible breaks, terrible seats, terrible shocker. To improve all this it cost additional money. And still I am not talking about EURO4 norm which kills the engine and for BS6 EURO5 which makes this bike totaly dead. It is not able to hold idle rpms, it dies when you wait on red light, it also dies while riding offroad. To improve all this it costs additional for free flow exhaust, better air filter or some programmable ECU like Powertronic. Second hand CB500X 2019 with circa 10kkm costs 5500 Euro. If you buy older Honda for 4.5-5k Euro and invest another 1.5k to rally Raid kid, then you get super cool allround bike like legendary KLE500. It is only old fashion army look what makes RE atractive.
hey man.. I am from the Philippines and I appreciate the way you break down each bike, especially the way you consider the road situations. Not all countries have the luxury of having great roads. And for that, I appreciate it very much. This is a very insightful video. Instant subscriber!
Congrats already 549 subs !!! I told you so : quality content + sober style with humour + creativity in filming + dog and cat + personal touch with the cinema quizz : all united for great success ! Next goal : the first thousand ! Nice review, and nice haircut by the way ;-)
Nice balanced review. To add to your comments on long distance riding. I rode from Manchester UK to Biograd Croatia (went through Belgium) just using A roads and no highways... on a Vespa. You can get anywhere long distance on any machine, just depends on the roads.
Just picked up my first bike which is a 2015 CB500X with only 1200 miles (1930 KM) on it for $4,000 USD. Amazing deal as I was looking at the RE Himalayan or the KLR650 as well. I'm like you who will certainly be riding 2-up with my younger kids and my wife and probably 80% of riding on paved roads. The Himalayan is still a great bike with a great price but in my use cases and with Japanese quality and durability long term it was a no-brainer to go with CB500X.
This is the cutest video with RE Himlayan in the frame. Very polite too. 😄 By the way that hair cut is perfectly done. Kudos to both the amazing ladies of your life.
I really enjoy my Himalayan also. But I can see why you would choose the Honda (2-up/highway). That's what makes both so good. Nice to see someone from Belgium on RUclips. Great haircut!
A valuable comparison! For my tastes, the CB500X's pros are its looks and Rally Raid upgrades. Pros for the Himalayan are the 21" front wheel and the fuel and maintenance costs. A REALLY big pro for the Himalayan is that the valve adjustment is so simple - screw-n-nut vs. shims, and one cylinder vs. two cylinders. So valve adjustment can be done by any owner!
The Honda oozes of plastic and design just for the design. The RE looks like a motorcycle looks when you have built it as it need to be built: Nothiing unnessesary, everything is there with a purpose. Just MY oppinion.
You got it right Bright Rider. The Honda is modern and good 2- up. The Himalayan is agricultural, hardy, cheap and gets you there and gives you moments to enjoy the ride. I understand you dad's smile....same on my face😄
Very good comparison. I owned both bikes and traded in the RE for the 2020 CB. I enjoyed the RE for all the reasons mentioned but had too many mechanical issues that could not be fixed by my local Austin RE dealer. So I wanted a similar nimble lower power bike...the 2020 CB500X is a great bike and does everything well. More horsepower and the ability to do highway with ease along with great reliability make it the much better choice for me.
Nice review. Very good point about being comfortable in any country with the Himalayan given the durability, simplicity, and finding mechanics and parts.
Nice review, much food for thought. I however keep coming back to the Himalayan. I ride on the highway but riding on the highway is boring and sometime no fun at all on a lighter/smaller bike. I enjoy the side roads mostly and appreciate stability which numerous reviewers (as yourself) state the Himalayan has when the road surface changes for the worse. Finally the price- I'm going to keep looking but there is no perfect bike. For now I have to enjoy the hunt.
Nice video.. keep it up.. Getting your dad to share his comments on your video was really sweet.. and to include the long hair blues was a grt idea too.. all of us can relate to it during these lock downs and restrictions... Happy riding.. From an Indian viewer👍👍
Good review. Note horsepower isn't anything. The RE has way more torque at lower rpm, making it a little tractor offroad compared to the need of higher revs by the CB500X to get power at slower speeds. Another small detail worth mentioning during comparisons is the maintenance interval. Maybe the 500X is more costly per maintenance session, but if they're more spread over time, it might tip the scale.
1 Credit goes to you mom & gf for the hair cut & 2 the RE Himalayan is probably becoming favourite for the young senior citizen day by day being one such I really appreciate you dad's openion " I am with you Sir" overall it's nice seeing the vlog & a big thumbs up to you for that son.
Nice comparison. Himalayan is underpowered,but may compensate with high torque. On a serious offroad track the extra torque comes in handy so you won't feel it is underpowered.
Thank you .... very useful thoughts. I've been trying to decide between these two bikes, and in Thailand the price difference is not so much, making the CB500X great value, but I think the Himalayan is better suited to the local conditions. Good job with the haircut by the way.
Royal Enfield intentionally makes their bikes classic look but in performance wise it's great bike. Just take a test drive from y frend or nearest show room. My choice is Royal Enfield Himalayan for off road and Royal Enfield Bullet 350 for city and highway to cruise. Anyway you gave very good comparison. Love from India.
Hard to compare an aircooled 411cc long stroke single (Bore/stroke = 0.9) with a 471cc water cooled square twin bike.. The Honda is an economical bike.. It is square compared to many bikes with short stroke and big bore.. Though the 411cc single can be upgraded with a British made camshaft and a little free flowing exhaust and air-filter pushing the output from 24.5hp to around 29hp.. enough to cruise on highways.. it is still a heavy low powered bike.. I feel the enfield J series bikes suffer from the same problem.. 20.2hp from and air-cooled 350cc single.. So a British company had developed a new camshaft for that engine as well.. Giving it more torque and power..
Adequate review, loved your TET Belgium uploads. Nice to see a Young Guy Have an interest in small displacement engines.(despite of what license you Carry). You Just have more fun on a lighter bike. I'm closer to your father's age, but i'm not nostalgisch. Get a well sprung, fuel injected and comfy bike and ride the hell out of it. I ride a 2000 Transalp with many mods, it grew on me. But i love upgrades, get Them, enjoy them. The future is that what you can imagine it be 👏🇳🇱 NL.
Thanks! Yeah I'm not the 'bigger and faster is better' type of guy, the bike has to suit my purpose and that's exactly what this one does :) I LOVE the Transalp, in some ways, it's a grandfather to the CB500X. I'm trying to convince my girlfriend to sell her Kawasaki KLE500 to buy a Transalp ;)
This have been a big question for me; I have a CB500X 2014; and so the next one could be the new model, but Royald Enfield has about two years here in Costa Rica, so Himalayan starts to be an options, with all these mountains and nice places to go around. Thanks!
I was looking at the Honda when shopping for a bike, but then I found the Himalayan and fell in love. Great reviews, love your relaxed vibe! Star Trek all the way! 😊😎 Live Long & Prosper!
It's a common misconception that engine torque is an important measure, since the motive force of any vehicle is determined by the overall gearing. An e-bike with a 250 watt motor has more torque than either the Himalayan or the Honda, but does that mean it's faster?
One big difference for long distance is tube tires on RE vs tubeless on CBX. The only thing I can't figure out is why Honda sticks with 160/60-17 tire instead of 150/70-17 which has more off roadish options. I get that it is shared platform but c'mon. It's not like the later one is uncommon wheel.
🤔I think you did a fair comparison of these two bikes.... 😉 You’re doing a great job with this channel and I’m sure it will grow quickly... Can’t wait for you to start traveling around and documenting your adventures.... 🥳 Cheers from across the wet stuff...🇦🇺
Just a sidenote on the fuelconsumption. If you ride for long stretches on the highway at +100 km/h The consumption is much higher for the RE then stated in the VID.
Great choice of bikes for review and thats for the comparison.. I own a 2020 Himalayan. My dealer here in Thailand is over is 250 kilometers away so service is a bit of a trip and I can't get over the feeling I am going to run into reliability issues. I spend a bit of every day looking at other bikes. Mind you I have done about 5400 kilometers in six weeks and not had any real problems besides a stalling issue on starting that was completely solved with an iridium plug. In truth my Himalayan runs better than I expected. My only complaint on the Himalayan is the soft seat and I wish it had a tad more power riding two up. Today I took my first ride on a cb500f, the closest I could get to a cb550x. Like your dad I like the500x but don't like the looks. All the adventure bikes seem to look like angry birds to me and I can't get over it.I have to admit the 500x looks the least angry. The fact is an old man like me likes the retro look I grew up with. Sooner or later I am sure to get an Enfield Interceptor for that reason. Great job with the channel and good luck.
Update I went to the enfield dealer today and made the decision to buy the red and black interceptor. Something about the Himalayan just does not hit my ascetic button. Now I am deciding to sell it or just keep to go with the Interceptor. I like the thought of a red and black interceptor to pair with my black and red Himalayan. I live in Thailand an daily riding is my hobby. Cheers
@@davidkiernan5901 Also a great choice man! I would keep'm both if you can, it's going to be nice to switch it up every once in a while and one longer trips or gravel, the himi should still never let you down :)
excellent and useful comparison. i really like the looks of both bikes. i was looking at the himilayan initially, however i plan to cruise mostly on highways, and i think the cb500x will be a better bike for this. the cb500x seems like it might be more comfortable for long distance highway cruising, and can cruise at higher speeds more comfortably. i think that long term the honda engine might hold up to more miles. the himilayan seems like it requires more frequent maintenance, especially with the valve adjustments. the cb500x seems to have better brakes and a lighter, smoother clutch / gearbox. in the US, honda dealers and parts are much more widely available than dealers for himilayan's or their parts. thanks for the detailed comparison!
I agree with you, though if your plan is to ride mainly on the highway long distance, I would say you really need a taller windscreen. The buffeting is exhausting if you ride on the highway for a couple hours.
Good stuff! Indeed it was impossible to find this comparison and you've done a great job. The input on 2 up is also something reviews usually don't mention ! Quote "Star Trek"
Here were I live, Argentina, the Honda cb500x brand new costs 17.000 us dollars. And the Himalayan only 4999. You can buy 3 and almost a half Himalayan for the price of the Honda. Makes no sense at all. Even a kawasaki versys 300 costs 13.000 dollars. So actually there is no contest!.
@@thebrightrider The logic behind is that RE made a deal with the local government, and started to use local parts; in exchange they got no import charges. In here the taxes are really high, like in other countries, for example Ecuador. And also, the salaries are very bad when you change your local money to us dollars. Most of the motorcycles are below 250. Also, Honda makes some models in Brazil, like the xr 250 or the xre 300 (very tall for me), both of which have less taxes than the japonese imported ones. So if you want a good motorcycle but do no make tons of money, here you only have very few options.
Applause for a simple and staight to the point comparison. A must needed comparison especially for Indians . You have covered most of the points . Here in India CB500X is expected in few months. If so, lot of people try to compare with Himalayan. Even if CB500X comes with the cheapest price tag compared to versys 650, it will be double the price of Himalayan. Question arises then that is it worth double the price ? . After seeing your comparison, I would definitely say yes. Power matters for long distance Cruising. BS4 Himalayan fuel consumption is 25 kmpl in city and around 30 on highway here in India. Don't know how your father gets 36 km per litre! Thanks for the Video.
@@thebrightrider Thanks for the reply. Hw does CB 500X suspension for off roading or trials ? Does it have balanced set up or it is towards hard or soft ? And also how is the stock suspension set up highway Cruising ?
@@JC-nx5xx I’m going to make an update comparison video soon ;) when the weather will start getting worse, my videos will be focussing more on reviews again
I don't know how old you are, but as one gets older and more beat up, you get fed up with moving big bikes around. I recently downsized to a 250 dual sport for local riding and love it. Done much of my long distance stuff on 500s and find it amusing that everyone refers to them as small bikes. As this excellent review say, define what you want to do with it. Check out c90adventures for an eye opening laugh.
This was a very good and helpful review. It's indeed strange that these bikes are not compared often, but IMHO these are the only two truly "midrange" ADV bikes out there. (I view anything over 600cc as too big for serious offroad riding). Thanks.
Great review. Congratulations. You were right in breaking down the needs of a bike and the country your riding in. And you got the old guy to talk. LOL
Good video. You have the format down. Dialog is also informative and not verbose. For off roading in the sand a 250-pound bike or less weight is best; with 100% dirt bike knobby tires is the only thing that will climb sand dunes with confidence. And the gearing will be low so about 50-mph will be maximum speed on the road. So, that is my experience from ridding the sand dunes in southern California and Arizona.
Very good topic, I hope you will keep those bikes long enough to cover another very important topic, - reliability. It is 8k or 6k investment, and as they say, „if you pay cheap, you will pay twice“. It is very likely that Honda will hold 200k kilometers - no problem, and there is no long term data on Himalyan, so my guess will be 80k km max.
Himalayan is a great bike but is from RE , hence build quality is not that good and an under powered engine for the displacement also gearbox is bad I wish it will be an awesome bike if honda makes a bike in the concept of Himalayan bcs i like the looks of Himalayan and meter console etc ...
Hi there great review. I went for the Honda cb500x because most of my riding will be on tarmac. But the Himalayan is a brilliant bike for the off road tracks What hand guards did you fit on your Honda?
Honda should improve this bike with longer suspensión and of course 21" front wheel and 18' rear wheel! So it would be a perfect competitor! Vs. The Royal Enfield Himalayan!
CB500x Suspension problem solved with a Rally-Raid Products UK upgrade kit to both front and rear. Re those wheel sizes, I've started to wonder whether one could fit the wheels from a CRF450L into the CB500X mounting arrangement without too much re-engineering mods and hassle....
I'm on your Dad's side, the Himalayan is handsome, the Honda looks like a run of the mill Japanese bike. I put my money where my mouth is, I bought a Himalyanan.
Very helpful video ! You pointed the fact that you can change tires or suspensions on every bike to increase its capability. The weight of these 2 bikes is quite similar. So the RE is heavy for 25 HP. In a few weeks the CRF300L will arrive in Belgium. same power/torque of the RE but lighter and better in off road. You said that the fuel mileage is better with the RE, even when riding at same speed ?
Interesting comparison, I am facing the same choice. Maybe you noticed that RE Himalayan rider Noraly (#Itchyboots) bought a CB500X too for traveling Europe. Searching for this bike I came across your channel, so if you wondered where you got some extra subscribers from... Groeten uit Breda.
If your mom or girlfriend were to purchase a KTM 390 Adventure and you do another vlog comparing that to the Himalayan and 500X, that would be great...
Hey man, I like your videos. So, do you have problems with build quality of the Himalayan? Here in Brazil we are having a lot of problems like water coming inside the panel, plastic parts and engine problems as well. And apparently is a quite high percentage of the bikes sold here, so I'm wondering if is that a problem just in Brazil or Royal Enfield in general. Cheers mate.
Andre Santos Non so far :) I think the roads in Brasil are probably a more rough than here in Belgium (we have almost no dirt tracks or holes in the road) so I think the bikes in Brasil just break faster because of the road conditions..
@@thebrightrider yeah I kinda agree but then I was thinking like "come on those bikes are made to India, so, if It works there is has to work here as well" lol. also engine problems, which is definitely not normal. We are very used to Honda and Yamaha so, people are complaining about the build quality of the Himalayans.
FEICITACIONES,, MUY BUENO SU COMENTARIO, YO VIVO EN LA ZONA RULAR DE COLOMBIA, YO TENGO UNA MOTO HIMALAYAN, PORQUE MIS CAMINOS SON POR CARRETERAS SIN PAVIMENTO Y DE MONTAÑA, SI YO VIVIERA EN LA CIUDAD TENDRI UNA HONDA, ES SENCILLO, Y EN COLOMBIA LA HONDA ES MUY COSTOSA.....SUERTE
H there. I understand what you say about long-distance travel and where you choose to go. But if I choose the CB500X and upgrade it with Rally Raid stuff to make it more off-road, It will then certainly be as off-road capable as the Himalayan. So in this situation, the question would be about reliability. Which one then would be able to sustain the middle-East kind of terrain without having something breaking every second day?
I don't know if there is a rally raid kit for the '19 model yet but after such a conversion you're looking at a budget that's double of what the Himalayan costs, that's why I compare them stock
Nice vid - please don´t use the "every blacksmith can repair"-thing cos every blacksmith can repair what a blacksmith can repair but when it comes to inards you need spareparts which may or may not be available in a given country. So, no matter if you buy the Honda or the RE it really depends on where you break down and how fast you get spares. Advice - when preping your trip make sure you include stops for regular maintenance etc. at places it´s ensured that there is a repairshop / dealer of your brand. Secondly - travelling is not about highway speeds - I used much more powerful bikes but basically you do two things - first, you avoid highways the best you can - secondly, you go slow on the backroads for various reasons like people, animals, trees and other obstacles on the streets- going fast and concentrated is exhaustive and increases the likelihood of an accident (and you don´t want to have one in a foreign country) plus you don´t see a lot of the area you go thru. That applies to all regions of our planet (but to some even more than to others). Stay safe
star trek... too easy even for me. I think you chickened out of the buzz cut...lol. I really think the x is a far better bike than H. Just the comfort level alone not to mention the modern transformer look of the X leaves the H in the dust, in my opinion. I do admit after watching vlogger "riding on eggshells" the H is as tough as nails, but nothing beats the X's slipper clutch. like a hot knife through butter. cheers from the land of oz.
After 6000km, I have an average fuel consumption of 30 km/l with my CB500X, so that means I could go for 530km with a full tank. That's getting pretty close to the Royal Enfield. Also I"ve learned that a Royal Enfield doesn't have the lifespan that the Honda has. Lot's of people on RUclips are saying you can only go for 60 000km with the Royal Enfield until everything will start to break. So if you spend 2000€ more for twice or three times the lifespan, maybe that's not a bad deal.. Of course, I don't know anybody that has experienced this, it's all just rumors, so take it with a grain of salt.
Another RUclips blogger who travels the world had a Royal Enfield Himalayan and that came to the end of its life, so ironically she switched to a CB500x!!!!
@@robcourtney1997 itchy boots🙊🤣
@@axe90323 yes!!!!!! 😂😂
@Nhat Do Minor correction, Noraly was CoViD-caught-out in Peru, not Chile.
@Prasanta Rajkumar I've since discoverd that the Himalayan is stuck in South America. The Honda is her current bike, so likewise you need to check your facts
it must be an old guy thing but I too prefer the looks of the Royal Enfield
I also prefere it, I just don't think the CBX looks bad :)
Yeah, the RE looks much better. I would buy one if it wasn't a RE, I wish Honda or Kawa would come out with something in the 400 - 500 cc range that looked decent.
I just really despise the space ship look of modern bikes, but I do not desire the lack of dependability found with RE (plus parts availability in the states is reported as sketchy).
I guess someone should come along and say OK Boomer to me, but if I was given a CB500x I would sell it (no way im getting caught on something that ugly).
I Trow Haha! To each his own ;)
@@thebrightrider :)
@@itrow9526 OK Boomer
Great balanced review. Itchy boots showed us what can be done with the Royal Enfield. She probably did more with the 400cc than most of us could but dream about. Thanks for the video.
A really good balanced opinion. Not many reviewers give KM/L, you did so well done
I have owned the RE for like 9000km. I recently sell it for the cb500x. Really good bike the RE, but i say this to those who have back injuries like me, the cb500x feel a lot more soft on the bad road, so for me it's a relief. Keep up the good work !
Well I think the clear answer is: you must have one of each!
Really great job comparing the two.
The best comparison of the two I have seen anywhere.
Fog runr Thanks!
I am Himalayan owner here in Belgium and after one year I took off my pink glasses and decided to switch to Honda or maybe KTM (no R version or some rally kit). There is only last kudos I can give to RE and it is its look. Unfortunately quality is poor, service every 3000-5000km, terrible breaks, terrible seats, terrible shocker. To improve all this it cost additional money. And still I am not talking about EURO4 norm which kills the engine and for BS6 EURO5 which makes this bike totaly dead. It is not able to hold idle rpms, it dies when you wait on red light, it also dies while riding offroad. To improve all this it costs additional for free flow exhaust, better air filter or some programmable ECU like Powertronic. Second hand CB500X 2019 with circa 10kkm costs 5500 Euro. If you buy older Honda for 4.5-5k Euro and invest another 1.5k to rally Raid kid, then you get super cool allround bike like legendary KLE500. It is only old fashion army look what makes RE atractive.
hey man.. I am from the Philippines and I appreciate the way you break down each bike, especially the way you consider the road situations. Not all countries have the luxury of having great roads. And for that, I appreciate it very much. This is a very insightful video. Instant subscriber!
Jake Ron Plaras Thank you very much!
Congrats already 549 subs !!!
I told you so : quality content + sober style with humour + creativity in filming + dog and cat + personal touch with the cinema quizz : all united for great success !
Next goal : the first thousand !
Nice review, and nice haircut by the way ;-)
Thanks Poiro for keeping to watch the channel! It’s going way better than expected!
Nice balanced review. To add to your comments on long distance riding. I rode from Manchester UK to Biograd Croatia (went through Belgium) just using A roads and no highways... on a Vespa. You can get anywhere long distance on any machine, just depends on the roads.
Just picked up my first bike which is a 2015 CB500X with only 1200 miles (1930 KM) on it for $4,000 USD. Amazing deal as I was looking at the RE Himalayan or the KLR650 as well. I'm like you who will certainly be riding 2-up with my younger kids and my wife and probably 80% of riding on paved roads. The Himalayan is still a great bike with a great price but in my use cases and with Japanese quality and durability long term it was a no-brainer to go with CB500X.
This is the cutest video with RE Himlayan in the frame. Very polite too. 😄
By the way that hair cut is perfectly done. Kudos to both the amazing ladies of your life.
Thanks for this man! Really helpful and the only one on RUclips to do a really helpful direct comparison
I really enjoy my Himalayan also. But I can see why you would choose the Honda (2-up/highway). That's what makes both so good. Nice to see someone from Belgium on RUclips. Great haircut!
A valuable comparison! For my tastes, the CB500X's pros are its looks and Rally Raid upgrades.
Pros for the Himalayan are the 21" front wheel and the fuel and maintenance costs. A REALLY
big pro for the Himalayan is that the valve adjustment is so simple - screw-n-nut vs. shims,
and one cylinder vs. two cylinders. So valve adjustment can be done by any owner!
The Honda oozes of plastic and design just for the design. The RE looks like a motorcycle looks when you have built it as it need to be built: Nothiing unnessesary, everything is there with a purpose. Just MY oppinion.
You got it right Bright Rider. The Honda is modern and good 2- up. The Himalayan is agricultural, hardy, cheap and gets you there and gives you moments to enjoy the ride. I understand you dad's smile....same on my face😄
Very good comparison. I owned both bikes and traded in the RE for the 2020 CB. I enjoyed the RE for all the reasons mentioned but had too many mechanical issues that could not be fixed by my local Austin RE dealer. So I wanted a similar nimble lower power bike...the 2020 CB500X is a great bike and does everything well. More horsepower and the ability to do highway with ease along with great reliability make it the much better choice for me.
In India repairs normally cost 5 to 10 quid , except for major engine work.
Nice review. Very good point about being comfortable in any country with the Himalayan given the durability, simplicity, and finding mechanics and parts.
Nice review, much food for thought. I however keep coming back to the Himalayan. I ride on the highway but riding on the highway is boring and sometime no fun at all on a lighter/smaller bike. I enjoy the side roads mostly and appreciate stability which numerous reviewers (as yourself) state the Himalayan has when the road surface changes for the worse. Finally the price- I'm going to keep looking but there is no perfect bike. For now I have to enjoy the hunt.
I was really looking for this comparison in my mind. Your video came up after 15-20 searches!.
Thanks a lot for this video!
Nice video.. keep it up.. Getting your dad to share his comments on your video was really sweet.. and to include the long hair blues was a grt idea too.. all of us can relate to it during these lock downs and restrictions... Happy riding.. From an Indian viewer👍👍
Good review.
Note horsepower isn't anything. The RE has way more torque at lower rpm, making it a little tractor offroad compared to the need of higher revs by the CB500X to get power at slower speeds.
Another small detail worth mentioning during comparisons is the maintenance interval. Maybe the 500X is more costly per maintenance session, but if they're more spread over time, it might tip the scale.
1 Credit goes to you mom & gf for the hair cut & 2 the RE Himalayan is probably becoming favourite for the young senior citizen day by day being one such I really appreciate you dad's openion " I am with you Sir" overall it's nice seeing the vlog & a big thumbs up to you for that son.
Nice comparison. Himalayan is underpowered,but may compensate with high torque. On a serious offroad track the extra torque comes in handy so you won't feel it is underpowered.
I agree
Thank you .... very useful thoughts. I've been trying to decide between these two bikes, and in Thailand the price difference is not so much, making the CB500X great value, but I think the Himalayan is better suited to the local conditions. Good job with the haircut by the way.
Royal Enfield intentionally makes their bikes classic look but in performance wise it's great bike.
Just take a test drive from y frend or nearest show room.
My choice is Royal Enfield Himalayan for off road and Royal Enfield Bullet 350 for city and highway to cruise.
Anyway you gave very good comparison.
Love from India.
I prefer the CB500X,The RE is not my cup of tea..Long term reliability also goes to the Honda
Hard to compare an aircooled 411cc long stroke single (Bore/stroke = 0.9) with a 471cc water cooled square twin bike.. The Honda is an economical bike.. It is square compared to many bikes with short stroke and big bore..
Though the 411cc single can be upgraded with a British made camshaft and a little free flowing exhaust and air-filter pushing the output from 24.5hp to around 29hp.. enough to cruise on highways.. it is still a heavy low powered bike..
I feel the enfield J series bikes suffer from the same problem.. 20.2hp from and air-cooled 350cc single.. So a British company had developed a new camshaft for that engine as well.. Giving it more torque and power..
Honda is perfect...but i prefer Himalayan because is cheaper to buy and to run.....
Great and Real talk Review! I like both, but If I go long distance, I will choose to ride Himalayan RE.
Adequate review, loved your TET Belgium uploads. Nice to see a Young Guy Have an interest in small displacement engines.(despite of what license you Carry).
You Just have more fun on a lighter bike.
I'm closer to your father's age, but i'm not nostalgisch. Get a well sprung, fuel injected and comfy bike and ride the hell out of it.
I ride a 2000 Transalp with many mods, it grew on me. But i love upgrades, get Them, enjoy them.
The future is that what you can imagine it be 👏🇳🇱 NL.
Thanks! Yeah I'm not the 'bigger and faster is better' type of guy, the bike has to suit my purpose and that's exactly what this one does :) I LOVE the Transalp, in some ways, it's a grandfather to the CB500X. I'm trying to convince my girlfriend to sell her Kawasaki KLE500 to buy a Transalp ;)
This have been a big question for me; I have a CB500X 2014; and so the next one could be the new model, but Royald Enfield has about two years here in Costa Rica, so Himalayan starts to be an options, with all these mountains and nice places to go around. Thanks!
I was looking at the Honda when shopping for a bike, but then I found the Himalayan and fell in love. Great reviews, love your relaxed vibe! Star Trek all the way! 😊😎 Live Long & Prosper!
Thank you! Your comment will be in the next video!
Very unbiased review, thanks man👍👍👌👌
In India every one bike amongst 10bike is RE.. but we really want the cb500x here
Rejoice! It's coming at end of this year.
LOL, it's the exact opposite here. Everything is a Honda or a Harley.
You missed a point Torque
The power doesn’t just means BHP
For off roading low end torque plays a good role
yeah I should've mentioned that...
It's a common misconception that engine torque is an important measure, since the motive force of any vehicle is determined by the overall gearing. An e-bike with a 250 watt motor has more torque than either the Himalayan or the Honda, but does that mean it's faster?
One big difference for long distance is tube tires on RE vs tubeless on CBX. The only thing I can't figure out is why Honda sticks with 160/60-17 tire instead of 150/70-17 which has more off roadish options. I get that it is shared platform but c'mon. It's not like the later one is uncommon wheel.
I love my CB500x and couldn't imagine having less torque or horse power
🤔I think you did a fair comparison of these two bikes.... 😉 You’re doing a great job with this channel and I’m sure it will grow quickly... Can’t wait for you to start traveling around and documenting your adventures.... 🥳 Cheers from across the wet stuff...🇦🇺
Thanks a lot! I can't wait to start going on camping weekends and posting that
Just a sidenote on the fuelconsumption.
If you ride for long stretches on the highway at +100 km/h
The consumption is much higher for the RE then stated in the VID.
Great choice of bikes for review and thats for the comparison.. I own a 2020 Himalayan. My dealer here in Thailand is over is 250 kilometers away so service is a bit of a trip and I can't get over the feeling I am going to run into reliability issues. I spend a bit of every day looking at other bikes. Mind you I have done about 5400 kilometers in six weeks and not had any real problems besides a stalling issue on starting that was completely solved with an iridium plug. In truth my Himalayan runs better than I expected. My only complaint on the Himalayan is the soft seat and I wish it had a tad more power riding two up.
Today I took my first ride on a cb500f, the closest I could get to a cb550x. Like your dad I like the500x but don't like the looks. All the adventure bikes seem to look like angry birds to me and I can't get over it.I have to admit the 500x looks the least angry.
The fact is an old man like me likes the retro look I grew up with. Sooner or later I am sure to get an Enfield Interceptor for that reason.
Great job with the channel and good luck.
David Kiernan Thanks for the comment! The Royal Enfield Interceptor is on my list aswell to go on shorter joyrides!
Update I went to the enfield dealer today and made the decision to buy the red and black interceptor. Something about the Himalayan just does not hit my ascetic button. Now I am deciding to sell it or just keep to go with the Interceptor. I like the thought of a red and black interceptor to pair with my black and red Himalayan. I live in Thailand an daily riding is my hobby. Cheers
@@davidkiernan5901 Also a great choice man! I would keep'm both if you can, it's going to be nice to switch it up every once in a while and one longer trips or gravel, the himi should still never let you down :)
excellent and useful comparison. i really like the looks of both bikes. i was looking at the himilayan initially, however i plan to cruise mostly on highways, and i think the cb500x will be a better bike for this. the cb500x seems like it might be more comfortable for long distance highway cruising, and can cruise at higher speeds more comfortably. i think that long term the honda engine might hold up to more miles. the himilayan seems like it requires more frequent maintenance, especially with the valve adjustments. the cb500x seems to have better brakes and a lighter, smoother clutch / gearbox. in the US, honda dealers and parts are much more widely available than dealers for himilayan's or their parts. thanks for the detailed comparison!
I agree with you, though if your plan is to ride mainly on the highway long distance, I would say you really need a taller windscreen. The buffeting is exhausting if you ride on the highway for a couple hours.
Star trek. I am a CB owner from MALAYSIA. I am more of hiway tourer. Honest review.
Thanks for commenting! My next video was already edited so be sure to guess the movie quote tomorrow! :)
Good stuff! Indeed it was impossible to find this comparison and you've done a great job. The input on 2 up is also something reviews usually don't mention ! Quote "Star Trek"
Thanks man! Your comment will be in my next video
I have both, and love them both
If you could only have one which would it be?
Very sensible, informative review and comparison. Thank you so much, this has helped me and I can see that you have put a lot of thought into it.
I’m glad it helped! Next week I’m doing my 10000km review on the honda aswell :)
@@thebrightrider Thanks, I look forward to viewing that.
Not fair to compare .
The Hymilayan is built down to a price still a great bike but nowhere as sophisticated as the HONDA.
Here were I live, Argentina, the Honda cb500x brand new costs 17.000 us dollars. And the Himalayan only 4999. You can buy 3 and almost a half Himalayan for the price of the Honda. Makes no sense at all. Even a kawasaki versys 300 costs 13.000 dollars. So actually there is no contest!.
That’s super weird, no logic ar all ?!
@@thebrightrider The logic behind is that RE made a deal with the local government, and started to use local parts; in exchange they got no import charges. In here the taxes are really high, like in other countries, for example Ecuador. And also, the salaries are very bad when you change your local money to us dollars. Most of the motorcycles are below 250. Also, Honda makes some models in Brazil, like the xr 250 or the xre 300 (very tall for me), both of which have less taxes than the japonese imported ones. So if you want a good motorcycle but do no make tons of money, here you only have very few options.
Great review and great comparison. Thanks for putting out this video.
Applause for a simple and staight to the point comparison. A must needed comparison especially for Indians . You have covered most of the points . Here in India CB500X is expected in few months. If so, lot of people try to compare with Himalayan. Even if CB500X comes with the cheapest price tag compared to versys 650, it will be double the price of Himalayan. Question arises then that is it worth double the price ? . After seeing your comparison, I would definitely say yes. Power matters for long distance Cruising. BS4 Himalayan fuel consumption is 25 kmpl in city and around 30 on highway here in India. Don't know how your father gets 36 km per litre! Thanks for the Video.
Thanks for the info :) my dad’s just a really chill/slow rider so that’s why he gets good milage
@@thebrightrider Thanks for the reply. Hw does CB 500X suspension for off roading or trials ? Does it have balanced set up or it is towards hard or soft ? And also how is the stock suspension set up highway Cruising ?
@@JC-nx5xx I’m going to make an update comparison video soon ;) when the weather will start getting worse, my videos will be focussing more on reviews again
@@thebrightrider Thanks
Absolutely superb review very concise and great info Been looking at both of these instead of another GSA once my rd250c is sold :)
Outstanding review, thanks!
Great review I’m thinking next time do I really need a 1000cc AT the two bikes you reviewed are on my radar 👍
I don't know how old you are, but as one gets older and more beat up, you get fed up with moving big bikes around. I recently downsized to a 250 dual sport for local riding and love it.
Done much of my long distance stuff on 500s and find it amusing that everyone refers to them as small bikes. As this excellent review say, define what you want to do with it. Check out c90adventures for an eye opening laugh.
This was a very good and helpful review. It's indeed strange that these bikes are not compared often, but IMHO these are the only two truly "midrange" ADV bikes out there. (I view anything over 600cc as too big for serious offroad riding). Thanks.
Great review, practical with a bit of technical advice when needed! Thank you!
excellent overview.. but your dad's response. He bought it because it was cheaper lol. How about some enthusiastic objectivity! It's a great bike.
John Bucholtz He goes a bit more in dept in the himalayan review that I did ;) it’s on my channel :)
Thank you very much for a very nice review 😊
Great review. Congratulations. You were right in breaking down the needs of a bike and the country your riding in. And you got the old guy to talk. LOL
The Old Guy XD
Just the video I needed. Merci !
Good video. You have the format down. Dialog is also informative and not verbose. For off roading in the sand a 250-pound bike or less weight is best; with 100% dirt bike knobby tires is the only thing that will climb sand dunes with confidence. And the gearing will be low so about 50-mph will be maximum speed on the road. So, that is my experience from ridding the sand dunes in southern California and Arizona.
Very good topic, I hope you will keep those bikes long enough to cover another very important topic, - reliability. It is 8k or 6k investment, and as they say, „if you pay cheap, you will pay twice“. It is very likely that Honda will hold 200k kilometers - no problem, and there is no long term data on Himalyan, so my guess will be 80k km max.
Himalayan is a great bike but is from RE , hence build quality is not that good and an under powered engine for the displacement also gearbox is bad
I wish it will be an awesome bike if honda makes a bike in the concept of Himalayan bcs i like the looks of Himalayan and meter console etc ...
Hi there great review. I went for the Honda cb500x because most of my riding will be on tarmac. But the Himalayan is a brilliant bike for the off road tracks What hand guards did you fit on your Honda?
coastal cruising Sw-motech :) I did a video on all the accessories and they’re also linked in the description ;)
I liked this video, thanks. I also feel the same way as your dad. Not to mention we could be brothers : )
Honda should improve this bike with longer suspensión and of course 21" front wheel and 18' rear wheel! So it would be a perfect competitor! Vs. The Royal Enfield Himalayan!
CB500x Suspension problem solved with a Rally-Raid Products UK upgrade kit to both front and rear. Re those wheel sizes, I've started to wonder whether one could fit the wheels from a CRF450L into the CB500X mounting arrangement without too much re-engineering mods and hassle....
Great review. You should make more videos
More videos coming again soon :)
In Poland these two bikes cost almost the same (there is no official importer of RE), so it's a no brainer here.
Really? Didn't know that... You could buy one in Germany and ride back? Or do you have to pay 2000€ import cost?
Thanks for an informative video, can you touch base on the luggage aspect of both bikes please. Thanks.
I agree with your Dad, I don't like the CB500x looks either.
What dö you think about ItchyBoots choise of Royal Enfield for her long tours?
Bo Nilsson good choice!
That girl is amazing
Good review let's see which takes the ravages of time and use the best?
Star Trek and... they did a great job on the hair cut!!
Angela Evans Haha thanks I’ll tell them! Your comment will be in my next video
Good one mate. Likes and subscribed
Love from India ❤️
I'm on your Dad's side, the Himalayan is handsome, the Honda looks like a run of the mill Japanese bike. I put my money where my mouth is, I bought a Himalyanan.
Very helpful video ! You pointed the fact that you can change tires or suspensions on every bike to increase its capability. The weight of these 2 bikes is quite similar. So the RE is heavy for 25 HP. In a few weeks the CRF300L will arrive in Belgium. same power/torque of the RE but lighter and better in off road. You said that the fuel mileage is better with the RE, even when riding at same speed ?
After riding it for a while, I noticed ithe fuel consumption is actually very much more similar to the RE than I thought :)
The Himalayan looks better, but I'm pretty sure the Honda would be more reliable in the long run
Great video! Thanks for sharing!
You should invest on skid plate and radiator guard too bro and also centre stand
Thanks man. Great job
You live in heaven man. Blessings
All the small roads leaving my town except one have 75 mph speed limit. I just don’t think the Royal Enfield is built for that.
Interesting comparison, I am facing the same choice. Maybe you noticed that RE Himalayan rider Noraly (#Itchyboots) bought a CB500X too for traveling Europe. Searching for this bike I came across your channel, so if you wondered where you got some extra subscribers from... Groeten uit Breda.
Ik denk dat dat feit me nog wat extra weergaven zal opleveren omdat ik toevallig ook die 2 motoren op m'n kanaal heb :D
Nice video
If your mom or girlfriend were to purchase a KTM 390 Adventure and you do another vlog comparing that to the Himalayan and 500X, that would be great...
Hey man, I like your videos. So, do you have problems with build quality of the Himalayan? Here in Brazil we are having a lot of problems like water coming inside the panel, plastic parts and engine problems as well. And apparently is a quite high percentage of the bikes sold here, so I'm wondering if is that a problem just in Brazil or Royal Enfield in general. Cheers mate.
Andre Santos Non so far :) I think the roads in Brasil are probably a more rough than here in Belgium (we have almost no dirt tracks or holes in the road) so I think the bikes in Brasil just break faster because of the road conditions..
@@thebrightrider yeah I kinda agree but then I was thinking like "come on those bikes are made to India, so, if It works there is has to work here as well" lol. also engine problems, which is definitely not normal. We are very used to Honda and Yamaha so, people are complaining about the build quality of the Himalayans.
Thank you for this
FEICITACIONES,, MUY BUENO SU COMENTARIO, YO VIVO EN LA ZONA RULAR DE COLOMBIA, YO TENGO UNA MOTO HIMALAYAN, PORQUE MIS CAMINOS SON POR CARRETERAS SIN PAVIMENTO Y DE MONTAÑA, SI YO VIVIERA EN LA CIUDAD TENDRI UNA HONDA, ES SENCILLO, Y EN COLOMBIA LA HONDA ES MUY COSTOSA.....SUERTE
GRACIAS
H there. I understand what you say about long-distance travel and where you choose to go. But if I choose the CB500X and upgrade it with Rally Raid stuff to make it more off-road, It will then certainly be as off-road capable as the Himalayan. So in this situation, the question would be about reliability. Which one then would be able to sustain the middle-East kind of terrain without having something breaking every second day?
I don't know if there is a rally raid kit for the '19 model yet but after such a conversion you're looking at a budget that's double of what the Himalayan costs, that's why I compare them stock
H D I guess so, but for many people the big brother is too much bike, too many horsepower that is left unused
Very good review, well done
himalayan will out trail that cb500x. better gearing, himi can crawl in low gear climbing hills.
Nice vid - please don´t use the "every blacksmith can repair"-thing cos every blacksmith can repair what a blacksmith can repair but when it comes to inards you need spareparts which may or may not be available in a given country. So, no matter if you buy the Honda or the RE it really depends on where you break down and how fast you get spares. Advice - when preping your trip make sure you include stops for regular maintenance etc. at places it´s ensured that there is a repairshop / dealer of your brand. Secondly - travelling is not about highway speeds - I used much more powerful bikes but basically you do two things - first, you avoid highways the best you can - secondly, you go slow on the backroads for various reasons like people, animals, trees and other obstacles on the streets- going fast and concentrated is exhaustive and increases the likelihood of an accident (and you don´t want to have one in a foreign country) plus you don´t see a lot of the area you go thru. That applies to all regions of our planet (but to some even more than to others). Stay safe
I agree!
Also lovely review
Why didn't Enfield use their great 650 on the Himalayan, Would have given it 47 hp virtually the same as the 500 x
Yep you had wind, it comes with age ask your dad, great review.
I like how he tolerates his old father.....my son is like that. Ha, it's OK.
will you pls do bmw 310gs vs Honda cb500x?
Himalayan looks hands down better than the 500x!
star trek... too easy even for me. I think you chickened out of the buzz cut...lol. I really think the x is a far better bike than H. Just the comfort level alone not to mention the modern transformer look of the X leaves the H in the dust, in my opinion. I do admit after watching vlogger "riding on eggshells" the H is as tough as nails, but nothing beats the X's slipper clutch. like a hot knife through butter. cheers from the land of oz.
Bazza x gen Your comment will be in the next video!