Honda NX500 vs. Highway & Dirt: Can This Mid-Size ADV Really Do It All?

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Annick reviews the Honda NX500, highlighting its performance as a versatile mid-range adventure touring motorcycle suitable for both paved roads and light off-roading. Built on a shared 500cc engine platform, this model distinguishes itself with an upright riding position, protective fairing, and rugged aesthetics reminiscent of larger adventure bikes. Annick praises the machine’s impressive fuel efficiency and smooth highway stability, noting its ability to cruise comfortably at high speeds without excessive vibration. While the tall seat height and firm front suspension are noted as specific characteristics, the bike's light clutch and simple digital interface make it accessible for daily commuting. Annick emphasizes that the NX500 is a cost-effective all-purpose option that benefits from a wide range of available aftermarket upgrades. Overall, the motorcycle is presented as a reliable and balanced choice for riders seeking a mix of long-distance touring and practical functionality.

For more information on the Honda NX500 - HERE

Transcript

Honda NX500 Review

Annick: Hello, my beautiful Motorheads. It's Annick, and I have been riding the Honda NX500.

The 500 is a great mid-range adventure touring motorcycle, and it's based on the 500 motor that Honda also uses in the Rebel and the Scrambler, except that they put it into a different platform.

What makes this different from the Scrambler and the Rebel is that it has a much more upright body positioning. It's got this fairing, has longer wheel suspension, and just a bad to the bones look. I love the way that this looks in the black. They're also offering it in white, which also looks super crisp and clean, but there's something about this black one that just looks rugged and tough.

I have put over 1,000 miles on this bike, and I rode it both on the street, on the highway, and off road. Now, I didn't do super crazy technical riding because I realized that The front suspension, is very hard, and there's a lot of upper weight. And this is basically the baby version of the Transalp and also the Africa Twin.

Some of the highlights of this bike are the excellent fuel economy. Now, I rode this all the way up to an event that was about five hours away. So I rode a combination of both highway, side roads, and dirt roads while I was at this event.

And when I was on the highway, I was easily able to cruise at 80 miles per hour, and I was at about 6,500 RPMs, and this red lines at 8,500 RPMs. The bike was super smooth, stable. This beautiful fairing allows nice wind protection, and the upright seating is just very comfortable. I was getting, going 80, about 57 to 58 miles per gallon.

But when I was on the back roads riding at a much more leisurely pace, I was getting anywhere from 60 to 65 miles per gallon. Very comfortable wide seat. I would, I own this personally, put an aftermarket seat on this because being in this for five hours was a little bit rough.

But much better than most of the seat, stock seats that I have been in.

It is a little bit tall. It's much taller than the Rebel or the Scrambler. So you do need to be aware of that, but it is taller for the off-road suspension capabilities. It has these really nice grab handles. So although I couldn't back up on the bike by standing, it's super easy to maneuver with my hand on the handle and the handlebar and being able to maneuver it around incredibly easy.

There's a lot of nice points to be able to put luggage on and to also hook bungee cords. It has this beautiful digital dash that is easy to navigate. With the dials here, which are flip thumb, and you can, you have an on/off button for traction control. You also have your hazard lights, and Honda has kept it very simple as far as the on bar controls.

It also keeps the price point down because this . MSRPs at about $6,999. It offers a very light clutch, which is extremely welcomed and a joy to ride. It just makes the riding very easy. Upright position, absolutely loved it. You have great visibility on here. You also have adjustment in the brake.

And it has this beautiful front light. It has great visibility. I was stuck riding at night a few times in the back roads of New Hampshire, which has no ambient light at all whatsoever, and I found that the front light was excellent. And this doesn't even have any auxiliary extra lights Also, what's great about Hondas in general, and this bike, is that there are a ton of aftermarket parts that are available.

If you're gonna take this off road, you're probably gonna wanna put some engine guards on here, also probably some hand guards as well. It does not come with heated grips, although of course, that is something that's easy to put on afterwards.

For my particular event, Honda fitted this bike with 50/50 tires. Otherwise, it comes with more street-oriented tires. These were super great, and they were excellent both on the highway and on the back roads. I will say that depending on the tarmac, there were a few points where the tires did sound like a Ford 250 diesel with snow tires on it.

But it really depended on the actual surface of the road, because otherwise it was reasonably quiet. I love these tires because it allowed me to go do some off-road riding, which is what this bike is intended for, and was also very fun. Overall, I think out of the mid-range bikes that Honda offers, this is one of my favorites because it is just this really comfortable, upright riding.

And as I mentioned, it is a little bit tall, but because it's balanced it's easy to ride. This bike would be excellent for commuting because you have great visibility. I also highly recommend it for doing more long distance touring. I would just get an aftermarket seat for that. But I love the fairing. It has plenty of power for the highway.

Again, I cruised easily at 80 miles per hour, and I wasn't even close to redlining it. And it was very happy. It was not buzzy. I didn't have any numbness in my hand.

If you are looking for a great mid-range all-purpose motorcycle, this is it.

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* OUTRO *