I do a bit of riding on gravel/unmade roads on my cb500x and with no protection for the engine was always thinking about the consequences if I dropped it or catching the sump on a rock. Decided to go with the RR guard as it has a strong bash plate and also engine bars as part of the same unit. There is no protection for the headers but they are strong and it would need a hard hit to ding them.
Arrived and fitted yesterday and I'm very pleased with it. Good protection for the most vulnerable areas and an easy job to fit. From start to finish including unboxing and sorting tools, it took about an hour.
I would recommend to anyone looking for protection for their own cb500x.
Going to fit the shoe that blots to the side stand foot next so I don't have to remember to carry my plastic spreader everywhere.
Can't see the pics? There was a guy in the HUBB talking about a 500X as a potential RTW bike, actually doesn't look like a bad candidate once you spend a bit on adventurising it - bashplate/crash protection, spoked wheels etc.
Been looking at them for mine tbh, all they need to be better than the big adv bikes are a bash guard and tyres. You can fit the taller rally raid suspension but it’s not really needed. Tank range is good too mines averaging 75 being ridden hard everywhere and it has a 4.5gallon tank. Great fun on tarmac too as they really do handle
If you get one Couchy, a ratchet strap to hold the frame in position whilst fitting is a time saver. It shows it in the instructions on the website. I fitted the stand shoe today and that was a two minute job to bolt on. It gives a surface area about there times the size of the original but still plenty of clearance to the chain/swingarm when the stand is up.
Having looked at the photos yesterday I decided I didn't like the look of the silver cat guard. So today I removed it (easily done, two screws) and keyed it up with a scotchbrite pad. Then primer and PU automotive gloss black before refitting this evening.
Cat guard looks better and I like the exhaust.
I couldn’t get on with standard screen like all my adv bikes it gave buffeting. I had a short KTM1090 screen to try. The top mounts went on and I made 2 brackets for the bottom and it’s perfect, just clean air and enough protection for motorway cruising
I know what you mean about the screen. I tried low position, high position and there was too much buffeting still. I put spacers between the mounts and the screen and it still wasn't right. I was going to get an aftermarket screen and then decided to try a cheap spoiler off ebay. Less than £20 and to my surprise it worked!
I like the look of your low screen Couchy. It has a good flip on the top which probably keeps the airflow away from you. The standard Honda screen is too flat IMO.
edit: I got the exhaust direct from leovinci.co.uk
Don't know if there's any finance deals but they have knocked £500 off the list price. So they're about £5500 now. Running costs are low, insurance etc and they do about 75 to the gallon. They're a great little bike for buzzing around on or commuting but capable of touring too. Stick on some more off-road orientated tyres they're pretty capable off the tarmac too.
I'm starting to fancy one of those cb500xs as a do it all bike. What I'd really like is a tenere 700 but I don't want to spend 9 grand.
Couchie -As someone who has had many bikes with a lot more power ,how are you finding the 47hp motor?
matt wrote: ↑Mon Aug 03, 2020 12:14 pm
I'm starting to fancy one of those cb500xs as a do it all bike. What I'd really like is a tenere 700 but I don't want to spend 9 grand.
Couchie -As someone who has had many bikes with a lot more power ,how are you finding the 47hp motor?
Did 4 hours riding on saturday round the peaks with my bro also on a new cb500x, I've honestly never thrashed a poor bike so much in years and enjoyed every minute of it. Not once did either of us want more power. The tyres are used right over and the rear started to feather a bit ! Corner speed was as much as I'm prepared to do on the road. There were a few straights that could have been taken at more than the 80 ish mph we limit ourselves too but that was it. In normal riding there's enough power to overtake traffic and cruise at 90 on the motorway. You have to properly work the engine and use full throttle to make quick progress but it's a nice motor to do that with. These days I don't want more than 50hp on the road and this fits well with that. It felt like a refined supermoto on the tight peaks roads and thats a good thing
