When the only vehicle you own is motorcycle, you have some pretty specific considerations about what you need. Shortly before getting my Honda CB500X last year, I made a list of requirements and considered the purposes I would be using my motorcycle for.
One of the biggest considerations was that I wanted to be able to use the bike for hiking. That meant I needed a bike that could travel on highway speeds to get out of town, as well as ride on unpaved roads to get to the trailhead. I needed a bike that had aftermarket options for luggage to put my hiking boots in, and store my helmet and riding gear while I was on the trail. I wanted to be able to tour long distances and potentially take it across borders, so I needed something comfortable. And I wanted something reliable with a decent sized fuel tank that was good on gas and reasonable for insurance. (In British Columbia we seem to have some of the most expensive vehicle insurance in the world.) I wanted something that wasn’t too flashy or conspicuous, especially in potential situations of traveling abroad, particularly alone as a woman. And lastly, I wanted something that was inexpensive and simple to fix, that didn’t require specialized parts.
I narrowed down my focus to the Suzuki V-Strom 650, the Kawasaki Versys 650 and the Honda CB500X. When a secondhand 2013 Honda CB500X bike with very low mileage came up for sale at a good price last summer, I jumped on it.
I’ve ridden over 12,000km on the bike now, and I am happy to report that the bike has indeed met every criteria I laid out. It is a comfortable, reliable and economical machine that has been very low-maintenance and has taken me on many hikes and adventures over the past year.
There are times that I wish the engine had a big more power, especially when overtaking, and sometimes the bike’s sound at higher vibrations is very obnoxious. I also find the horn button to be obtrusively large and hit it by accident more often that I would care to admit. But overall, this bike is a fantastic bike and incredibly capable and versatile. There are plenty of aftermarket options for this motorcycle, including the Rally Raid kit that can turn the bike into an adventure motorcycle.
I need to improve my off-road skills before thinking about taking this bike in more adventurous terrain, but in the mean time it’s the ideal bike for touring and commuting.
