Is the Honda NX500 Worth R132,000? A Tall Rider’s Brutal Honest Verdict After Thousands of Kilometres

For a 2 metre tall, 115kg lump like myself to enjoy riding an entry level, small adventure bike like the Honda NX 500 may seem like I am trying to blow the proverbial smoke up the arses of Honda Wing South Africa, and why wouldn’t you think that? The truth is, Honda Wing South Africa doesn’t spend a cent with us on advertising, so in actual fact I should really have my knife out for them. What this situation does do however, is put me in a very unique situation within the Motorcycling Media of South Africa giving me complete freedom and latitude to say whatever I actually really and truly feel about their bikes.

Justifications and managing expectations.

Thus, even before riding the Honda NX500 again, I already knew what I wanted to say about it, because, since the first iteration as the Honda CB500X a good few years ago now, I have spent many a happy kilometre in the saddle of both the Honda CB500X and its facelifted upgrade the Honda NX500. Really, I just needed the bike for a few days to take some fresh pics and test if I still feel the same about it as I always have.

What you do need to understand is that you have to manage your expectations based on engine capacity, the spec sheet and the price point of any machine. If you’re expecting an Africa Twin or even a Transalp for little bike money, then you are living in La-La-Land. This isn’t the 1990’s even less so the early two thousands or the twenty tens. The world has gone berserk, inflation is out of control and the average salary is just not keeping up, so yes, we all want the best bang for our buck

A quick look at the pricing versus the market segment

At a shade over R132,000.00 for the Honda NX 500 non-clutch you are fishing in barely the entry level of the Adventure Bike Market these days. The Ktm 390 Adv ranges from around R85k to R140k, Kawasaki has a launch offer of R130k but advertises its regular retail price at R165K, the CF Moto 450 MT ranges from R125 to R140k depending os spec, The Kove Rally tips the scales at R170k, and the disruptor to the market is the QJ Motor SRT 700 with aluminium panniers and top box for R130K.

So! Now that all of that justification and managing expectations is out of the way - I really do like the Honda NX 500 very much and I do think it does offer really good value for money. As I mentioned, I have done many, many kilometres on both iterations over the years and have yet to find something about the NX500 that really annoys me…. Other than that, there isn’t one living at my house permanently.

A bit about the rider and their experience with the Honda NX500

Firstly, it fits my 2 metre tall Orangutan shaped frame quite nicely, even if I do look a bit dof on it with my oversized body. I have ridden more than 500km in one day along our highways and byways. I have tilted it through numerous mountain passes in Lesotho and E.T. covering and easy 500k’s a day there chasing The Roof Of Africa. I have buzzed around town, I have donnered down bush paths, I have tackled sand and mud and rocks and and and and… and I have been as comfortable on the Honda NX 500 as I would have been on any other bike. The seat is wide and comfy where it needs to be and narrow where it matters. Wind protection is fairly good from the standard windshield. The riding position is relaxed and the cockpit is elegantly simple and well laid out, with everything placed where you would intuitively look for it.

What do you get for your money?

For a smidge under R132k, you get the Honda NX 500, with all its various Rider modes, Traction control, the app connectable TFT dash and that is it, an extra R10k or so, you get the E-Clutch model, which we are scheduled to ride that in a few weeks and will let you know if the extra R10k is worth it or not. There are also a whole host of OEM and third party aftermarket bits available, we always highly recommend the bash plate, but even more so on the current crop of Hondas. It has 17”/19” mag wheels and they do very well and are surprisingly good in soft sand because of the wider footprint they offer as well as how light the NX500 is. The brakes are good as they get and the Showa BPF shocks are the little Honda’s party piece in my opinion. I can jump the bike without bottoming out the shocks, I can tilt it into corners and it remains planted, I can clatter along South Africa’s crappy roads and it doesn’t get out of shape or destroy my kidneys or my dental work.

Honda also have a cool little smart phone app, that can essentially tell you on the TFT display whose calls you are ignoring, show you which turn offs you missed, which traffic fines you haven’t paid and where the next lekker burger joint is and help you out with the name of the song playing along in your helmet and how hot or wet you are going to be on your ride as well as some other stuff as well, but those were the ones I used.

Fuel consumption.

The Honda NX500’s other party piece is possibly the most important. It is like a camel, it doesn’t drink very much and can go very far on the little that it does drink. In a previous life I went along for moral support, hold the camera and score a free lunch riding alongside wine barrel riding the new Honda NC750X doing an economy run. Said ‘Wine Barrel’ dawdled along a speeds that I thought I might need to put my feet down so as to not tip over, cruised behind big busses and trucks doing everything possible to clock the full 500km round trip on one tank of fuel on the NC 750. I tootled along next to this lot until I got bored, boomed ahead, dropped back and repeated every so often… until we got into the twisty stuff and I lost interest in filming a rotund bloke riding a nice bike slowly, and went whipping through the bends.

On the way back, we had spent too much time enjoying our lunch and the venue and ended up having to race the sunset the last 90 kays or so. I wont kiss and tell about the fluffy guy on the NC and its fuel consumption, but I will say this - at points I was running the NX500 at 160kmh plus for very many kays on end still on the same tank of fuel we left with that morning and we were already nearing the 500km target for the day. The fuel warning light came on at just under 500km’s and was only filled up the next day with over 500 kays on the tank by a colleague riding it for the day. So, it is very fuel efficient in my experience, I wasn’t partaking in said fuel economy test, but just riding normally.

The Honda NX500 and your ego?

I am also a fan of the weight and the agility of the Honda NX500. My  days of showing off how small my todger is by manhandling overweight, oversized adventure bikes over ridiculous terrain are long behind me. These days I value comfortable, easy light and fun bikes to ride over most anything else. And the Honda NX500 is a lightweight, comfortable, fuel efficient and fun bike to ride for hours and hours everyday. And I really don’t give a rats naught what people think about me either, my cats and dogs think I am great and that is enough for me.

How does it stack up against competitor machines?

And just in case you were wondering how it stacks up against the other bikes I mentioned, here is a bit of a side by side comparison for you to argue with your mates over:

Feeding all this info into the various Ai’s around and asking them to return a response of the best value for money light weight adventure bike on the market in South Africa today, they all came back with the same ranking - make of it what you will:

Overall Ranking.

1. Honda NX500

The NX500 takes the top spot. It pairs a competitive entry price, R131,399.00 with build reputation, reliability, low depreciation and a large national support network in SA.

2. CFMoto 450MT

Sheer "spec for rand" at R125,900. It backs up its low price and high end hardware, KYB/J.Juan, with a 3 year factory warranty, making it a low risk proposition despite being a newer brand.

3. KTM 390 Adventure R

At R139,999, it offers the highest electronic and suspension specification in the lightweight class. While performance reputation is top tier, maintenance demands drop it just behind Honda and CFMoto.

4. Kawasaki KLE 500 SE

Solid Japanese engineering and a great promotional price, R129,995. It holds a strong reputation, but slightly lower power to weight figures and standard feature counts keep it in the middle of the pack.

5. Suzuki DS 800

Good electronics, SIRS quickshifter. However, its higher price tag of R173,800.00 naturally lowers its pure value for money score against smaller parallel twins.

6. QJ Motor SRK 700

Strong output of 54 kW and a 3 year warranty for R129,995, but held back by heavy kerb weight at 225 kg, lower brand recognition, and uncertain long term resale value in South Africa.

7. Kove 450 Rally

A purpose built, high strung light weight adventure tool for enthusiasts. At R169,995 with minimal electronics and a 6 dealer network, it offers the lowest general value proposition for regular road or adventure buyers in South Africa.

Some Frequently Asked Question about the Honda NX 500, their origins and the answers:

1. "How noticeable is the off idle throttle jerkiness, and how do you fix it?"

• The Context: Because the 471cc parallel twin was updated with tweaked ECU mapping to meet Euro 5+ emissions standards, owners frequently report an abrupt, "on/off" snatchy feel in 1st and 2nd gears below 3,000 RPM.

• The Reality: It isn't present in 3rd gear or at highway speeds, but it pops up during slow speed urban riding or technical gravel crawling, and truth be told - I have never noticed it.

• The Solution: Riders commonly adapt by using friction zone clutch control (lever pull is remarkably light thanks to the assist/slipper system) or by installing minor aftermarket fueling mods/booster plugs to smooth out low end throttle transitions, but… you eventually do learn your bikes foibles and naturally start adapting to them with time in the saddle.

2. "Can the 19 inch cast aluminum wheels handle real offroad adventure riding?"

• The Context: Hardcore adventure riders coming from 21 inch wire-spoked rims frequently ask if the 19"/17" cast wheel setup can take a beating on rocky trails without cracking or denting.

• The Reality: While cast wheels lack the flex of spoked wheels, Honda’s updated lightweight wheels are surprisingly resilient for non enduro trail work, high speed district gravel roads, and twin track touring.

• The Solution: For aggressive rocks, riders recommend keeping tire pressures monitored, installing a proper aftermarket alloy skid plate (the factory setup leaves the sump exposed), and upgrading to a 50/50 tyre. And don’t fall for the bullsh!t that you have to deflate your tyres to ride off road. Any rim run in a deflated tyre is so much more likely to get an impact puncture (snake bite here in S.A.) or severely dented (Smiley). Run your tyres at the recommended OEM pressures - only deflate for thick sand and mud.

3. "Is it actually worth retrofitting an aftermarket quickshifter without the E-Clutch system?"

• The Context: With Honda making headline news around their electronic clutch tech, prospective buyers opting for the manual non E-Clutch variant frequently ask if they can fit a traditional mechanical quickshifter.

• The Reality: Unlike the CB650R/CBR650R platform, Honda does not offer a plug and play OEM quickshifter for the 471cc twin.

• The Solution: The standard slipper clutch makes manual clutchless upshifts effortless under load. Third party electronic quickshifter kits (e.g., HealTech) exist, but most owners agree the light cable action and slipper clutch operation render aftermarket kits largely unnecessary for touring.

4. "How is the wind buffeting at highway speeds (120 to 140 km/h), and does the stock screen cut it?"

• The Context: Prospective tourers want to know if the factory rally style fairing and screen protect the rider on long distance highway stretches.

• The Reality: While the aggressive fairing styling is a big aesthetic step up from the old CB500X, the stock windshield is relatively narrow. Riders taller than 5'10" (178 cm) frequently complain of helmet turbulence and wind blast directly at chest level above 110 km/h…. (Above 110kmh??? What kind of softies are riding these days??? I am 2m’s tall and really only noticed wind turbulence one I got past 160kmh)

• The Solution: Installing an aftermarket windshield riser/deflector extension or fitting a taller touring screen (e.g., Givi or Puigs) is the single most common day one modification made by owners…. And buying a new colour coordinated hair dryer I imagine.

5. "What are the key real world differences between the NX500 and the older CB500X it replaced?"

• The Context: Used CB500X models are that good that they retain their value well on the pre owned market, causing a lot of buyers to question if buying a brand new NX500 non E-Clutch is worth the extra price tag.

• The Reality: Mechanically, the frame and 35 kW motor remain fundamentally identical. However, the key upgrades on the NX500 include:

1. Front Suspension: Dual disc Nissin brakes and Showa SFF BP inverted forks (significantly better front end feel under heavy braking).

2. Cockpit & Tech: 5 inch full color TFT display (replacing the outdated, dim negative LCD) with handlebar toggle switches and Honda RoadSync navigation.

3. Electronics: Selectable Traction Control (HSTC), which can be turned off for gravel riding.

Keep your eyes open for the Honda Road Tour making its way to dealerships around the country and book yourself a test ride at your local Honda Wing.