Couldn't agree with you more. I still hate it when you're right.

The 500X over the 700 or any of the other 500's. The Suzuki if you want to do a lot of trips.

Is this bike going to be at all capable on dirt roads/fire trails/off-road and so on similar to the NC700X?

What makes the NC so good off-road is its extremely low center of gravity and tractor-like low-down torque. The CB has neither.

I'd take her on fire roads and easy trails. You could boost the capabilities' with AT tires but the X is not really a "dirt bike".

This is a very interesting motorbike and a helluva deal at that price. I'm so happy to see Honda producing 500 twins and Yamaha producing 850 Triples. Japanese cookie-cutter I-4 bikes are quickly becoming a thing of the past.

The I4 is still one heck of a layout for a motorcycle. Compact, and about as wide as you can go without limiting lean, and crazy peak power to weight, achievable by sky high engine speeds. And fairly smooth even pre balancers. That engine layout didn't become cookie cutter without good reasons. The biggest issue with them is that, i the displacements they got standardized on way back when, they are now more than most people really need most of the time. But a 250cc I4 spinning to 20,000...... Now, that wold be a plain cool sportbike engine for us mortals....

"a 250cc, 4-cyl engine spinning to 20,000" sacrifices power everywhere else and would be gutless on the street, where every red light and stop sign require starting out from idle speed.

250 is big enough that even the low end is plenty adequate for getting a jump on most cars. Heck, 50cc scooters serve many people well in stoplight to stoplight traffic. It's only in comparison to warp speed bigger bikes that the 250 class seems slow.

And, a beauty of small motors when going slow, is their back torque at low revs are as light as their forward torque, so they are very smooth when creeping along.

The biggest downside to a massively oversquare, big valve, high revving 250 i4 for city use, is more likely to be excessive cost and fuel burn if all you want is city utility. Why pay for a 20000 redline, if all you ever use is the easy to achieve 8000 on the bottom (I guess one could ask most 600 and liter bike riders the same, ........). But for a sportbike.....? Cbr250 docility in the city, SV650 power on track, highway and canyons, with 250 like weight and rotating masses, and supersport class frame and components.....

really, lets be realistic here, either you are a riding god or the KTM SD was broken, breaking down, or had an inept rider... probably one or both of the former.

as is the case 99% of the time we talk about passing a "faster bike"

well lets just say that getting passed by a CB500X not one of my worries when im out on my Superduke, when its running of course...

Well, it was a KTM, so of course it was either broken or breaking down..........

Sure, and we include observations like that simply to drive home the point that riding is mostly skill, not bike to the idiots who think they "need" 1,000cc just to get around.

When can we expect the ABS version?

They should both be on sale now.

Pulled the trigger. Yeah, compared to my old CB750, it's missing something. But turn that around and the CB is missing everything else. Very, very happy. Anybody looking for a nice '78 CB750 in Brooklyn?

Just wish I wanted it... at all.

if you take lane splitting off the equation (as this is not allowed where I live), would you still pick the Honda over the V-strom for city commuting?

yep. it's still smaller and lighter and feels better making tighter maneuvers.

I know you guys aren't exactly spec sheet freaks; but being a more urban, real world focused outlet; it would be cool if you would measure a bike's turning radius/steering lock. It's one of the things that makes dual sports so useful in really tight city riding.

How big is your city? How big are you?

Chicago. 5.11. I owned a V-strom in the past.

I test rode both this and the cb500F. I'm 6'2" and 185lbs. Honestly, my first reaction to riding the "x" was "this is boring". I felt immediately better and more confident on the F. I thought being a taller rider the X would be more up my alley, but that just wasn't the case. I value your opinions so I might have to go back again and do another test ride just to make sure. I know I wasn't hung over, so that couldn't have been it.

Agree. I'm also 6'2" and the F has more butt room. The X pushes a taller guy too far forward.
I happily bought the F.

I've just picked up our X, and this matches my initial thoughts.

The F is a bit more composed than the X. I'm sure the X will work better during the off-road section of our test loop, however.

I will be picking a 500X up in the spring. It seems like it's the perfect all around affordable bike. The only thing that it seems to be missing is that it isn't all that special, it will never draw a crowd, but I'm okay with that, I'd rather be riding.

Do you know if the ABS can be switched off for off pavement excursions? The mystery on that topic is the only thing holding me back once an ABS equipped bike hits my area's dealers.

There's no ABS switch, but you can obviously pull the fuse. Or save yourself $500 and get the version without ABS.

It couldn't be rocket science to wire in a switch to do a ground-interrupt to disable ABS, could it?

Better to pull the fuse. The potential to cause many, many DTCs and potential electrical shorts to the ECU aren't worth the risk.

The Abs may well work fine off pavement. The Super Tenere's certainly works fine for most off pavement stuff. Much better than not having it, except on extreme low traction surfaces like the beach. But for mud, grass, semipacked dirt etc., a big bike like that is , at least for normal guys, more controllable with Abs almost everywhere it has any business being ridden (again, by normal guys.)

From what I hear, the new Vstrom 650's Abs is of similar quality and calibration.

I wonder how a 21 front - 18 rear spoke set-up would work. I'd really like to be done with KLRs forever.

That would be a cool customization. Based on Wes' comment below, it sounds like the 700 would be a better platform for KLRification, though.

I've ridden the 700, no amount of KLRification will get that thing anywhere near off-road worthy, it's a street bike.

Like so?

Exactly!

anymore information on these bikes? where, when, who?

Saw them on advrider.com which links to this:

https://www.facebook.com/th...

This isn't a KLR. If you want a truly dirt-capable ADV bike, the KTM 990 Adventure is the only game in town.

What about the Tiger 800XC? Or the BMW F800GS/GSA? With the new KTM Adventure bike moving up to a very street-oriented 1195cc, the two 800s are the only game in town...until KTM releases a new middleweight twin, that is...

And BTW, just rode the new KTM... it might be one of the best bikes i've ever ridden. Full stop.

I will take a WR250R any day for dirt riding. Look up BigDog @ advadvantures.com

I sat on one of these in a showroom, I'm 6'5" and 250lbs. I found it fairly comfortable, not comfortable enough to sit on and say "We're going to ride to Peru tomorrow!", but for what it is... it's good. This is a pretty good pick for someone tall, on a tighter budget and wants new instead of used. But I'm glad I bought the used Versys for half the price of a new CB500X.

I Wouldn't be caught dead on anything inder 1,000cc, bro!!

Cody Blank everybody! He'll be here all week, and don't forget to tip your waitress!

I think Honda has taken a peek at BMWs financials, and realize there is crazy markup potential in accessories. Selling someone who previously could not afford a new bike a good, reliable one for a low price, and then releasing a plethora of high margin accessories one can buy slowly over time as one gets hold of a few more bucks, may end up being very lucrative for the MC makers.

As a former Wee Strom owner I'm a bit surprised at how this compares with the DL650 and Versys. I mean, sure, the V-Strom is slower-steering, but you'd think the ZING of that sweet engine would make up for it both on corner exits and for general grins per mile. And the Versys is supposed to be very sweet-handling and grin-inducing also.

You're making me wonder if I didn't just waste an extra $4K on the Tiger 800 I'm picking up today.

Nah.

Hey Steve, haven't heard about this Tiger 800 yet:) Ill need a test ride since I'm sure it was me who convinced you to get the triple.
- Jeff

Come to the May "Friends of the VX" Rally and I'll let you have a ride, Jeff. Since we'll be switching bikes, though, PLEASE bring the DR-Z400SM.

"The little Honda didn't engender much respect from Harley poseurs when I rode it into their party."
I view this as a positive!