2024 Honda NX500 Review

Reliable, practical, versatile, and fun: If ever there were a bike that exemplified the Honda ethos, it was the CB500X.

Editor’s note: We tested the outgoing CB500X during the 2020 Honda CB500X MC Commute Review.

The modest 500 has been many things to many people since its introduction in 2013. Broke college kids love it as a stalwart commuter that’s cheap to own, experienced riders love it as a versatile addition to the fleet, and senior riders love it as a graceful last dance with a lifelong passion.

Despite this beloved do-it-all character, the decade-long arc of the CB500X has consistently bent toward a single direction: Slowly but surely, it’s become more and more ADV-focused with each passing year. The front wheel has grown larger, the suspension has grown longer, and the bars have grown wider.

Related: Best Affordable Adventure Bikes of the Year

With the introduction of the NX500 (read the Honda Replaces the CB500X With Its NX500 Adventure Bike article), Honda is giving its loyal fans more of what they want: more capability, more refinement, and a little more ADV-tude. Here’s our take on Big Red’s beloved all-rounder after a month in the saddle.

So what’s new with the NX500, apart from the obvious face-lift? In truth, the lion’s share of the NX’s underpinnings are carried over from the previous-generation CB500X, but there are a few notable upgrades worth mentioning.

Related: 2020 Honda CB500X MC Commute Review

The most significant is the addition of traction control in the form of Honda’s HSTC technology. The torque control system is simple yet effective, and can be quickly switched off on the fly using a toggle switch on the left handlebar.

The other major improvement here comes in the form of a hefty 7-pound weight reduction over the outgoing bike. Most notably Honda managed to shed 3.3 pounds of rotating mass by switching to a new set of cast aluminum wheels.

Chassis-wise Honda has also made a few improvements by refining the familiar Showa components front and rear. The new suspenders have been tuned to provide a bit more supportive ride, keeping with the NX’s new all-terrain attitude.

As for the engine, the NX sports the same beloved 471cc two-banger as the outgoing CB500X, albeit with revised tuning for improved acceleration. The 2024 NX500 also gets Honda’s latest 5-inch TFT display (essentially the same unit we saw during our recent test ride on the E-Clutch 650 machines), as well as new LED lighting front to back to round out the modernized package.

Don’t let the sexy new clothes fool you: Honda’s NX500 isn’t some hard-nosed, laser-focused version of the CB500X, and that’s a very good thing. In fact we’d go as far as to say the two bikes are essentially identical, save for the fact that the NX is slightly better in every way that matters.

Take that tried-and-true 471cc engine, for example. Low- to midrange torque is still great, and the engine still starts to really hustle above 5,500 rpm. It’s quite literally the exact same powerplant found on the CB500X, yet acceleration is improved thanks to Honda’s ECU tweaks.

Is the difference minor? Yes, absolutely. Is it a better motorcycle because of it? Hard to argue otherwise.

The same applies to the tweaked chassis. Where the old bike was always light, nimble, and confidence inspiring around town, the NX is a bit lighter and a bit nimbler still, thanks in part to those lighter wheels that make direction changes that much more effortless.

Get out of town and pick up the pace a bit, and the difference becomes even more apparent. As anyone who’s ever owned a CB500X will tell you, the bike delivers a much larger fun factor in the twisties than its easygoing personality implies. The NX500 is the same, but… You know… Better.

The dual-caliper Nissin brakes remain unchanged from the CB500X, which means they deliver the same great stopping power and progressive feel at the lever. Improved damping on the Showa SFF-BP fork makes for even less brake dive when shedding speed into a corner and an even more planted feel through the apex.

Those suspension improvements carry over into the NX500′s off-road performance as well. While the bike feels much the same as its predecessor, it’s also a bit more willing to push the boundaries in the dirt. We even managed to take it off a few small jumps on our local double-track trails, and we’re happy to report landings were surprisingly plush despite the NX’s limited 5.9 inches of travel.

The NX500 is happy to fly down gravel roads all day, and with the right set of tires (we spooned a set of Bridgestone’s AX41 tires onto our tester) it’s the kind of bike that would feel right at home tackling just about any Backroad Discovery Route trails in the country.

Related: Motorcycle Adventures: Riding the Path of Exploration

With that being said, the NX isn’t designed for more technical pursuits, and its limited ground clearance (7.1 inches), 19-inch cast front wheel, and road-biased suspension aren’t the sort of thing you’ll want to go hopping logs with. We’ll also note that while the switchable traction control makes the NX a fun machine to slide around in the gravel, you’ll want to keep in mind that the ABS can’t be turned off by conventional means.

Out on the highway, both ergonomics and wind protection feel identical to the previous CBX. It’s comfortable, relaxed, and happily cruises at 80 mph with only minor vibrations, although a slightly taller windshield would make big improvements to buffeting around the helmet.

Top-gear passing power isn’t exactly bottomless, but you can haul the NX up to around 100 mph with a little patience when desired. The bike still feels a bit small for riders taller than 6 feet and a little cramped with a passenger, but overall it’s plenty comfortable on the long haul and we wouldn’t hesitate to take it on a cross-country epic to pretty much anywhere.

What else to say about Honda’s beloved little do-it-all 500? The new 5-inch color TFT looks great, the new backlit joystick makes the menus simple to navigate, and the updated bodywork and LED lights look sharp and modern. Fuel economy is still excellent, which means the 4.7-gallon tank still yields an adventure-worthy 230–300-plus mile range.

The fact that all of this, plus traction control, only comes at a $100 premium over the outgoing CB500X means the NX500 still offers the same great value, but better.

It’ll also come as good news for current CB500X fans that, because the NX500′s underpinnings are essentially identical to the previous bike, the lion’s share of aftermarket upgrades for the CB carry over to the new model. That includes all the usual Rally Raid goodies like suspension kits, engine guards, luggage racks, and spoked wheels, as well as Seat Concepts’ popular “tall/rally” seat kit.

All things considered, that means the new NX500 is both a handsome redesign, a major upgrade, and the same budget-friendly do-it-all motorcycle that’s easily transformed into a globe-trotting ADV with a few simple bolt-ons. Same, but better across the board.