For the beginners out there searching for a bike, I think the very FIRST question you should ask yourself is, what kind of riding do I plan to do? (and will you ride solo only, or carry a passenger?) The answers will help guide you to the right bike. I didn't mention this in the video as I figured it was more or less a given that people would do this, but...I wanted to state it outright here just in case any of you didn't think about it in this way. My main riding is on back country roads, with some small-town riding thrown in, plus some occasional highway use. The CB500X excels for this type of riding. As does my WR250R, although I prefer not to ride it on the highways much due to its low weight and relatively small engine. If I were going to ride highways exclusively or mostly, then I would have gone for a larger displacement bike and also one with highway pegs for added comfort on longer rides. Something like a Harley, maybe. IMO the 500X would also be a great commuter bike. Since I'm retired that's no longer needed in my case. ;) If I were going to be riding ONLY in the city or a small town, the 500X would work, but so would a dual-sport like the WR250R. So it really depends on what your own riding experiences will be like. Good luck! Have fun, ride safe.
Thanks for the video! I’d also like to add that this is a fantastic bike for experienced riders too who just wants an easy, no hassle and nimble bike. Plenty of older and experienced youtubers rave about it
Thank you. And I am one of those older and experienced riders, and I just bought the bike. ;) (I made another video about why I bought it, as an experienced rider)
It’s not only for new riders, it’s for everyone. I’ve selected this bike over Tracer 7 for example or V-Strom 650. This bike is excellent balance for the money. If you count with price of the bike, fuel consumption and price of the spare parts and service you just can’t beat it. From that perspective it’s quite unique bike tbh. Honda is very aware what they are doing.
Of course! I never said it was "only" for beginners. As noted, I am not a beginner myself. And in fact I'll be doing another video on why I chose this bike, as an experienced rider. Yes, I think this has been and will continue to be a very popular bike from Honda. Thanks for your comment.
Thanks! I get some pleasure from the thought that people all over the world are riding the CB500X or other bikes and enjoying them just as much as I do.
Thanks for the advice! Been looking at this bike for months now and still haven't pulled the trigger. Want to get the MSF class in first for beginners, but not sure if Fall/Winter is the best time to take that course haha. Glad folks like you share your thoughts on RUclips so we can all learn from it. Have a good one - Shane
Well if wintry conditions might be present, I think it's best to postpone the MSF class. lol The more I ride this bike, the more I appreciate its power delivery. It has a smooth, wide powerband and beginners can ride it at a very easy, relaxed pace if they so choose. 3rd gear is useful from mid-20mph all the way up to about 60mph. (when revving hard) It has power up on top also, but not a crazy rush of power like you'd find on some other mid-displacement bikes. All in all I still think it's a good choice for new riders. (but as I said in a recent video, don't overlook dual-sports as a possibility too.) Thanks Shane.
Great video and I agree with you 100 percent. I own a KLX300 dual sport and couldn't imagine a better bike to learn on. I'm thinking about the CB500X or similar which is what led me to your video. If I go that route, no way would I get rid of the KLX300, that bike is an absolute blast on the country roads, etc.
You bet!! Yeah, for my small town and rural country road riding, both the WR250R and 500X are fantastic. I got the 500X mainly to handle highway stints outside of town, but haven't done much of that yet. I've come across a number of guys on YT who have both the 500X and a dual-sport bike, so I'm not the only one. (@FindingNeutral is one of them, and there are others..)
Excellent shared information and I agree 100% with all of it. I too ride my CB500X on road only. Handles awesome with the Michelin Road 5's I switched to.
Thanks, I appreciate it. That's good to know about the Michelins. I'm a big fan of Michelin tires in general and might look those up when I'm ready for new tires on my 500X one day.
@@WRjockey Check this out. I just stumbled across this tip. Went and checked that cap on mine and it was so completely loose I popped it off with minimal finger effort. I'm actually surprised it had not vibrated itself up and out that hole. I wrapped it with plumbing tape just like dude prescribed and it went back in nice and snug. Just sharing. ruclips.net/video/DLGcdfTjSL0/видео.html
Thanx for your excellent video!!! I am myself a 50 years old total beginner and want hopefully to buy this beauty as my first bike 👌. My second choice is the Honda KTM 390 Adventure, different bike but also beginner friendly, what do you thing!? Looking forward to have a test drive soon and to decide 🤪 , ride safe bro and wish you all the best from Serbia 🇷🇸✌️
Hi, thanks for your reply! I'm not really familiar with the KTM brand, never owned one. Just pulled up a pic of the 390 Adventure, it looks like a cool bike. I'm probably a little biased since, a) I own the CB500X and b) I've owned a number of Hondas, but if it were me in your shoes, I'd go for the Honda if I could. Reputation for reliability. And as mentioned, I think the CB500X is a great beginner street bike. It has a wide powerband (especially 3rd gear!) and a beginner can ride at a very easy pace with no trouble at all. Then, as you grow in experience, the bike has the power to thrill you also. A test ride is the way to go if possible - for both of them. Then you'd have a better idea which one you want. Good luck and safe riding!!
So today i got my Papers and tomorrow is the Day! I was there today and there was an Africa Twin. Holy boy thats also a nice bike. It was all Black and shiny... :D I think I cant sleep well tonight.
haha If I were you, I probably wouldn't sleep at all. So you got the all-black 500X? I think only the pearl green version made it to the U.S. this year. I like the colors on all 3. They are all beautiful. Congrats!! Ride safe, and come back here to let us know how you like it! Btw, I just put a centerstand on mine today, and it was a biiiiiatch getting that spring connected!! Took me a solid 20 minutes just to do that. I used a screwdriver. I'm going to make a short video about that soon to give people a couple tips.
@@Kero_81 Well, great! I think red is Honda's traditional color, and I love it on motorcycles. My Yamaha Seca II 600 that I had some years back was red, and beautiful. I might have gotten red for my 500X if it had been an option for me, but it wasn't. The green is nice too though.
@@WRjockey I have a theory... Green is better for Offroad, Red is better to get Girls and Black is better for Night Rides. :D Alright, so today was a very stressfull but also a very good Day. I didnt drove alot, i think around 25km. Shifting is way more difficult than i thought it would be and also i think its more difficult than on the bike (Yamaha XJR i think, back in 1999) i drove when i was in driving school. I stalled it so often today, people were screamin "get off the road, you will kill yourself". :D So as first impression from a BIG beginner its an awesome bike! There is one thing i might want to ask you. It has to do with the throttle. There is a play in the Throttle. I can twist it a bit, like 1cm or so untill the rev starts to go up. Is that normal?! And is there a way to eliminate that play? I would like to have no play or deadzone.
*** Make no mistake, this bike has decent power, which any beginner must respect. The bike is suited for both beginners AND experienced riders. Here is my more detailed video on why the CB500X makes a great beginner's bike. The video is long, yes, but I think it covers some important ground. Please leave any questions or comments below. As a side note - you might wonder why I have two bikes. I bought the WR250R for riding around town and possibly for occasional offroad use, and it's great for that. However I don't like it on the highways very much - I wanted something bigger. Something like the 500X! haha So I got the Honda for when I want to take rides out of town and have to do highway riding. It's much more suited to highway travel than the WR - both for comfort and for engine performance. I like the WR so much though, that I'll probably never sell it. And I'm liking the 500X a whole lot too. Very happy to have both bikes in the stable. :)
I'm having trouble deciding between that bike and the SCL500 scrambler. I already own a Harley Davidson cruiser and a Yamaha TW 200, and a Honda Trail 125. I'm in my upper 50s. Only 5'10" and I've been riding on the street for only about 4 years.
Wish I could help your decision, but I'm not even familiar with the SCL500. All I can say is, I like the 500X a lot, and knowing what I know about it now, I would buy it again if in the market for a middleweight streetbike.
Folks that call it a beginners bike are out of touch with reality. Simplicity, functionality, and economy are what's important .... especially these days. I never finish videos that ramble on about beginner or starter bikes .... true, someone learning would be better off starting smaller, but then switching to a gas guzzling large bike simply makes no sense without purpose. I have a larger bike, and plan on downsizing to this or a T7. If I planned on using a bike for crisscrossing the country on interstates ... something like a Goldwing then makes sense. Ride what makes sense based on your plans are, not what someone claims is a 'starter' or an 'advanced' bike.
You're entitled to your opinion of course, but uhhh....pretty sure I'm not out of touch with reality. This IS a great bike for beginners for the reasons I gave. It is also though a great bike for experienced riders like myself. No beginner to motorcycling that I ever heard of plans to cross the country on Interstates. The main point is that the 500X is an EASY bike for beginners to learn with on the street. I still say a dirt bike is better for absolute beginners, but most will not have that option unfortunately.
I think it could be a beginner adventure bike, or a beginner bike in general for street riding. But as I noted in the video, I think the best beginner bike for someone brand new to motorcycling is a dirt bike. Also - dual-sport bikes should not be overlooked..
For the beginners out there searching for a bike, I think the very FIRST question you should ask yourself is, what kind of riding do I plan to do? (and will you ride solo only, or carry a passenger?) The answers will help guide you to the right bike. I didn't mention this in the video as I figured it was more or less a given that people would do this, but...I wanted to state it outright here just in case any of you didn't think about it in this way. My main riding is on back country roads, with some small-town riding thrown in, plus some occasional highway use. The CB500X excels for this type of riding. As does my WR250R, although I prefer not to ride it on the highways much due to its low weight and relatively small engine. If I were going to ride highways exclusively or mostly, then I would have gone for a larger displacement bike and also one with highway pegs for added comfort on longer rides. Something like a Harley, maybe. IMO the 500X would also be a great commuter bike. Since I'm retired that's no longer needed in my case. ;) If I were going to be riding ONLY in the city or a small town, the 500X would work, but so would a dual-sport like the WR250R. So it really depends on what your own riding experiences will be like. Good luck! Have fun, ride safe.
Thanks for the video! I’d also like to add that this is a fantastic bike for experienced riders too who just wants an easy, no hassle and nimble bike. Plenty of older and experienced youtubers rave about it
Thank you. And I am one of those older and experienced riders, and I just bought the bike. ;) (I made another video about why I bought it, as an experienced rider)
It’s not only for new riders, it’s for everyone. I’ve selected this bike over Tracer 7 for example or V-Strom 650. This bike is excellent balance for the money. If you count with price of the bike, fuel consumption and price of the spare parts and service you just can’t beat it. From that perspective it’s quite unique bike tbh. Honda is very aware what they are doing.
Of course! I never said it was "only" for beginners. As noted, I am not a beginner myself. And in fact I'll be doing another video on why I chose this bike, as an experienced rider. Yes, I think this has been and will continue to be a very popular bike from Honda. Thanks for your comment.
Do you think the vstrom is more expensive to maintain over this bike?
keep the 500x over the Vstron for sure
I am a new follower of your channel Greetings from Sweden
Thanks! I get some pleasure from the thought that people all over the world are riding the CB500X or other bikes and enjoying them just as much as I do.
Thanks for the advice! Been looking at this bike for months now and still haven't pulled the trigger. Want to get the MSF class in first for beginners, but not sure if Fall/Winter is the best time to take that course haha. Glad folks like you share your thoughts on RUclips so we can all learn from it. Have a good one - Shane
Well if wintry conditions might be present, I think it's best to postpone the MSF class. lol The more I ride this bike, the more I appreciate its power delivery. It has a smooth, wide powerband and beginners can ride it at a very easy, relaxed pace if they so choose. 3rd gear is useful from mid-20mph all the way up to about 60mph. (when revving hard) It has power up on top also, but not a crazy rush of power like you'd find on some other mid-displacement bikes. All in all I still think it's a good choice for new riders. (but as I said in a recent video, don't overlook dual-sports as a possibility too.) Thanks Shane.
Great video and I agree with you 100 percent. I own a KLX300 dual sport and couldn't imagine a better bike to learn on. I'm thinking about the CB500X or similar which is what led me to your video. If I go that route, no way would I get rid of the KLX300, that bike is an absolute blast on the country roads, etc.
You bet!! Yeah, for my small town and rural country road riding, both the WR250R and 500X are fantastic. I got the 500X mainly to handle highway stints outside of town, but haven't done much of that yet. I've come across a number of guys on YT who have both the 500X and a dual-sport bike, so I'm not the only one. (@FindingNeutral is one of them, and there are others..)
@@WRjockey Could be one more soon too! (and a dirt bike, and a trials bike... midlife crisis is tough on the wallet)
@@rlogue06 It's not a mid-life crisis for me unless I live to 116!! LOL But I know what you mean.
60 years of riding and I love my CB500X
I’m sure you do. I didn’t say it was only for beginners. I was an experienced rider also when I got mine and I love it too.
Excellent shared information and I agree 100% with all of it. I too ride my CB500X on road only. Handles awesome with the Michelin Road 5's I switched to.
Thanks, I appreciate it. That's good to know about the Michelins. I'm a big fan of Michelin tires in general and might look those up when I'm ready for new tires on my 500X one day.
@@WRjockey Cool. Ironically the front only came in a 'trail' version. Its because of the 19inch rim. Looks the same just one added tread line.
@@WRjockey Check this out. I just stumbled across this tip. Went and checked that cap on mine and it was so completely loose I popped it off with minimal finger effort. I'm actually surprised it had not vibrated itself up and out that hole. I wrapped it with plumbing tape just like dude prescribed and it went back in nice and snug. Just sharing.
ruclips.net/video/DLGcdfTjSL0/видео.html
Thanx for your excellent video!!! I am myself a 50 years old total beginner and want hopefully to buy this beauty as my first bike 👌. My second choice is the Honda KTM 390 Adventure, different bike but also beginner friendly, what do you thing!? Looking forward to have a test drive soon and to decide 🤪 , ride safe bro and wish you all the best from Serbia 🇷🇸✌️
Hi, thanks for your reply! I'm not really familiar with the KTM brand, never owned one. Just pulled up a pic of the 390 Adventure, it looks like a cool bike. I'm probably a little biased since, a) I own the CB500X and b) I've owned a number of Hondas, but if it were me in your shoes, I'd go for the Honda if I could. Reputation for reliability. And as mentioned, I think the CB500X is a great beginner street bike. It has a wide powerband (especially 3rd gear!) and a beginner can ride at a very easy pace with no trouble at all. Then, as you grow in experience, the bike has the power to thrill you also. A test ride is the way to go if possible - for both of them. Then you'd have a better idea which one you want. Good luck and safe riding!!
So today i got my Papers and tomorrow is the Day! I was there today and there was an Africa Twin. Holy boy thats also a nice bike. It was all Black and shiny... :D I think I cant sleep well tonight.
haha If I were you, I probably wouldn't sleep at all. So you got the all-black 500X? I think only the pearl green version made it to the U.S. this year. I like the colors on all 3. They are all beautiful. Congrats!! Ride safe, and come back here to let us know how you like it!
Btw, I just put a centerstand on mine today, and it was a biiiiiatch getting that spring connected!! Took me a solid 20 minutes just to do that. I used a screwdriver. I'm going to make a short video about that soon to give people a couple tips.
@@WRjockey No, i got the red Version. It was the first color i saw and i fell in love with it.
@@Kero_81 Well, great! I think red is Honda's traditional color, and I love it on motorcycles. My Yamaha Seca II 600 that I had some years back was red, and beautiful. I might have gotten red for my 500X if it had been an option for me, but it wasn't. The green is nice too though.
But AT price is like three times higher that CB500X 😀
@@WRjockey I have a theory... Green is better for Offroad, Red is better to get Girls and Black is better for Night Rides. :D Alright, so today was a very stressfull but also a very good Day. I didnt drove alot, i think around 25km. Shifting is way more difficult than i thought it would be and also i think its more difficult than on the bike (Yamaha XJR i think, back in 1999) i drove when i was in driving school. I stalled it so often today, people were screamin "get off the road, you will kill yourself". :D So as first impression from a BIG beginner its an awesome bike! There is one thing i might want to ask you. It has to do with the throttle. There is a play in the Throttle. I can twist it a bit, like 1cm or so untill the rev starts to go up. Is that normal?! And is there a way to eliminate that play? I would like to have no play or deadzone.
*** Make no mistake, this bike has decent power, which any beginner must respect. The bike is suited for both beginners AND experienced riders.
Here is my more detailed video on why the CB500X makes a great beginner's bike. The video is long, yes, but I think it covers some important ground. Please leave any questions or comments below.
As a side note - you might wonder why I have two bikes. I bought the WR250R for riding around town and possibly for occasional offroad use, and it's great for that. However I don't like it on the highways very much - I wanted something bigger. Something like the 500X! haha So I got the Honda for when I want to take rides out of town and have to do highway riding. It's much more suited to highway travel than the WR - both for comfort and for engine performance. I like the WR so much though, that I'll probably never sell it. And I'm liking the 500X a whole lot too. Very happy to have both bikes in the stable. :)
Great video. This info was directly relevant for me and very helpful. Thank you! Now I'm going to explore your other videos.
Great, I'm glad it was helpful! That's why I made it. Thanks for your comment.
I'm having trouble deciding between that bike and the SCL500 scrambler. I already own a Harley Davidson cruiser and a Yamaha TW 200, and a Honda Trail 125. I'm in my upper 50s. Only 5'10" and I've been riding on the street for only about 4 years.
Wish I could help your decision, but I'm not even familiar with the SCL500. All I can say is, I like the 500X a lot, and knowing what I know about it now, I would buy it again if in the market for a middleweight streetbike.
I still have 80 xl500 since new. Getting 23" tires getting a little tuff now.
P.S. I have the cb500x on order. MC Cruse have CC that are excellent and electronic not a throttle lock.
Wow!! Still have an '80 XL500. That was such a great bike. A little tall for me, but I kinda wish I had kept it!
Sorry it's a 1981, been a few years.. 9229.1 miles on her. I would merge on the freeway on the back tire. Lots of fun.
@@tomg6284 I think mine was an '81 also. Got it in '82 and it was a leftover from '81. Paid something ridiculous like $1,700 for it, brand new! lol
Folks that call it a beginners bike are out of touch with reality. Simplicity, functionality, and economy are what's important .... especially these days. I never finish videos that ramble on about beginner or starter bikes .... true, someone learning would be better off starting smaller, but then switching to a gas guzzling large bike simply makes no sense without purpose. I have a larger bike, and plan on downsizing to this or a T7. If I planned on using a bike for crisscrossing the country on interstates ... something like a Goldwing then makes sense. Ride what makes sense based on your plans are, not what someone claims is a 'starter' or an 'advanced' bike.
You're entitled to your opinion of course, but uhhh....pretty sure I'm not out of touch with reality. This IS a great bike for beginners for the reasons I gave. It is also though a great bike for experienced riders like myself. No beginner to motorcycling that I ever heard of plans to cross the country on Interstates. The main point is that the 500X is an EASY bike for beginners to learn with on the street. I still say a dirt bike is better for absolute beginners, but most will not have that option unfortunately.
Is this bike beginner for big bore advs like if someone wants to graduate to Africa twin or tiger 900
Or this is beginner for all types
I think it could be a beginner adventure bike, or a beginner bike in general for street riding. But as I noted in the video, I think the best beginner bike for someone brand new to motorcycling is a dirt bike. Also - dual-sport bikes should not be overlooked..
does this bike have tubeless tires?
Yes it does.