I think the reason the 500x has dual disk isn't for stopping power for occasional braking. I think it's for less fade under repeated or prolonged braking with the bike loaded for touring. Stopping a scrambler unloaded and on a flat surface is a different animal than coming down through the mountains on a bike that's loaded up for a trip. I had one motorcycle that the brakes were fine for years but when I started touring on it with cargo I ended up warping a rotor.
I feel very drawn to a Himalayan. amazing price and value. I want to be able to go on more adventures off the beaten path. The only issue is that I live in the US and people usually drive 70-90 on the freeway. Coming from an Indian Scout, it'll take some getting used to driving slower, but not a bad thing to be honest, especially when there is so much traffic where i live. I will also say, I rode my friend's meteor 350, and it was honestly much more enjoyable than my big expensive bike!
Went out on mine this morning for the first time in 3 weeks. (I recently bought a Honda ADV 350 and can't keep off it!). However, I was reminded what a great bike this is. It goes great and has a unique look. Totally agree with all that you said. Ride safe.
Thanks for the video!, I'm on the market looking for a new bike, when I was young (I'm 58 now) I always had enduro bikes, Honda XL125 at 16, Yamaha XT600 around 30, then at 36 my daughter was born and the scooter era began... but now I want to get back on a "real" bike and the CL 500 seems to meet all my needs: neither extreme engine nor extreme riding position (I wouldn't have the ability anymore), driving in the "jungle" of Rome traffic (the city where I was born and where I still live) and taking beautiful trips out of town on weekends with my wife. I love the style of this bike and the green color too. Ciao!
Excelente! Estoy esperando que me entreguen mi Interceptor que seguramente será la próxima semana. Tuve ocasión de probarla en varias oportunidades y me encanto. Saludos @JuamphyCocina
I have been trying to find a Dealership in the United States, with absolutely no luck, Can't buy one if you can't find one. Sure would like a list of States with Dealerships.
@@jeff-s8x agree. You need to have a dealer close by for peace of mind. I know there's one in Warrendale PA - I'm hoping to visit them in a couple of weeks when I'm out there. I'm sure the RE website has a dealer search?
Mine was the battery too, but that was only part of the problem. Battery terminals were damaged, they are cheap and can warp, so it wasn't getting a good connection. I replaced it with another brand, and had to replace the relays. It was good for a whole year! And now I have complete power failure... so a new issue
Had the same problem just last week never seen so much grease balmed into a plug !! Cleaned them out started instantly . I absolutely love the bike rides really well handles like a dream and has enough power for me now ! I have been riding since 16 I’m now 68 and it reminds me of my youth !! And that is the best thing ever for me !🤔😁😁
I have a CL. I owned a few bikes and this is close to my favorite. My 1970's Yamaha XS650 with all its vibes was still my fav. I really enjoyed your review.
Yes, you’ve got it in one, I have one of these and I share your views with positivity. I ride this bike more than any other I’ve owned so that tells me how diverse it is to me.
@Fergutron Thanks Fergutron. Much appreciated. I kinda ran out of post worthy content as I'm just riding all 4 bikes now when time & weather permits. I think the CL500 is really cool and have wanted one a while. Sub'd to you as well. I'm looking forward to your future stuff on it.
Something I found interesting was the CL has the same engine, sprocket size, and wheel size as the CB500X (2021ish version). You mentioned riding a CB before. Was that an X or F? I'm just wondering if it kind of feels pretty much like an X? Thanks for any insight.
A great review! I've just bought an Interceptor 650 on Bank Holiday Monday. I only went for a look and ended up leaving a deposit, it's being delivered next week. It's in the Barcelona Blue colour scheme, I don't think I could commit to all that polishing even though it looks superb. Mine has upgraded Powerage end cans too so sounds fantastic. It'll sit perfectly at the side of my Tracer 900.
@anthonyfox5337 So many thanks for the kind words. I'm trying to find the time to keep making content. Hopefully you check out some other videos. I have a young family and a busy job and they have to come first, so im not uploading super regular yet. Really appreciate you watching and taking the time to leave such kind feedback mate.
I bought a three year-old Interceptor, in gorgeous Orange Crush, just over 3000 miles on the clock from a reputable nationwide dealership, with six months warranty for £3995. Bargain of the century in my opinion! It's shiny as new and is simply brilliant. Downsides? The ride is a bit hard, as is the standard seat. The bike can be a bit twitchy on poorly maintained roads, so you have to choose the best line. The bar grips are a bit hard for longer distances, but I'm looking into that one. It will easily do motorway stuff, but I won't. It's far too boring. Thankfully, I live on the edge of the Peak District. Happy Days. But such a fun, reliable bike! Love and peace.
@mac2i2 sadly, I had all the footage of fitting saved on a memory card that decided it was time to stop working :( it's very simple though - there is a small bracket that mounts where the oil cooler mounts for the front. The rear mounts to the tank mounts.
Nice video, FERGUTRON. My interest piqued when you mentioned your lower back and the CL's riding position. Osteoarthritis has set in with my back and riding position makes all the difference. But my question relates to the servicing of the CL. I'd really like to know how much an actual valve shim adjustment service is likely to cost? I had a CB1100F many years ago, and although that bike had twice as many cylinders, the regular valve/shim adjustment would make ownership a financial nightmare these days. Cheers
Basic service on these 500s is generally cheap, even from a dealer. In my experience, when valve clearances are involved, the dealers always bump the price up significantly. The beauty of a Honda is that you have got 8000 mile intervals for starters, so much less frequent services. You'll also never struggle to find a local mechanic with the knowledge to work on a Honda for far less than dealer prices. I have a guy locally who did the big service on a couple of my bikes - bith times including other items like brake pads or fork seals and neither was over £250.
Mine is also a 2022/23 model, without LED lights or alloy wheels. To me, it's better this way. I don't need technology except for fuel injection and ABS. I don't need anything more than that. Give me a mid sized twin (or more cilinders) with only those features, and I'll ride it until the end of my days.
I got one of these last summer and have about 7000 miles on it. Love the bike. The seat is a little hard after a couple of hours for me, and mine had some shifting issues that finally worked themselves out after about 1000 miles. Otherwise, these are a blast to ride. They seem to get a lot of hate for the looks, but like you, I think it looks really cool. Even like the ginormous muffler, though that took awhile to get used to. Great review. I look forward to more videos.
Thanks for commenting Tim. I think I'll do another review in a couple of weeks as some of my thoughts are beginning to change slightly the more I ride it. The saddle being one...I have started to notice a bit of a sore butt 🤣 I think the negative comments from others makes me love it more. Recently put a high level black mudguard on the front and it's looking cooler. Going to put a cowl and handguards on too (in black as I don't like the White Honda ones with the orange model)
Great review.I hadn't heard of the CL 500 until a few weeks ago.I know they have the tried and tested 500 twin engine but the styling seems to come in for a lot of criticism which initially put me off Then I thought I like the look of the bike so other people's opinion shouldn't matter. My everyday bike is a 03 blackbird which is superb but heavy and I have stumbled a couple of times lately .Think I will pay the local Honda dealer a visit here in Northern Ireland.
My love for the bike has only grown since this video. I've put a black high level mudguard on it now, which I think makes the bike look even better and I just love riding it, as much as any other bike I have owned probably. And it's different. I've never bumped into another owner yet, and every other biker I've met along the way has told me it's the first time they've seen one on the road. I like that, personally. :) Thanks for watching and taking the time out of your day to leave a comment mate. Let me know how you get on test riding one!
Thanks for the review. I have mine in green and love the looks too :) The dealer had added one of those white accessories - around the headlight and I think this, and the white covers for the grips explain a bit of why some people moan about the looks. I test rode one without the accessories and loved the sound and easy handling as well as the looks. It is all so subjective until you test ride I found, since from RU-vid reviews I was sure I was going to get a KTM 390 Adventure or a Triumph 400. Once I tried them I was really surprised that I didn't like riding the KTM at all as it was too high for me even with me at same height as you, and even more surprised that I didn't like the sound of the Triumph exhaust, which is the very thing all the reviewers love most. Everything else was great about the Triumph, it was even cheaper but I just couldn't love the sound even after 2 test rides. So yes, all personal taste :). I have fitted a Puig New Generation Touring Screen (clear version) to mine and I can definitely recommend that for looks on this bike, and also cutting down the pressure of the wind on the body, if not the head.
The orange color looks great on RU-vid for some reason, but IRL the blue one is nicer. I was going to get an orange one but changed my mind when I actually saw them side by side.
I like the blue too, but my last two bikes were blue and I've never had an orange bike! I actually think the orange is much nicer in person than on camera. Has a really subtle but deep metallic sparkle up close.
Really good review...I got a one new 4 weeks (and well over 800 miles) ago and prior to taking a trip up country to stay a few day with family, my BMW K1600gt never cam out of the garage. Been riding the thick end of 50 years and for much of this had big powerful bikes, like Honda Blackbird, GTR1400 etc etc, but finding the CL to be great fun and perfect for exploring picturesque back roads and rough lanes that I avoided on those big bikes. A big bang for the buck in terms of smiles per mile. It would be interesting to hear your comparison with the interceptor, which I strongly considered before the CL won the day.
Great review! Thank you! I did the same thing with my Royal Enfield 350 Hunter. I just watched couple of YT videos, sat on it at the dealer "Yup, that's what I want, take my money please." I was considering the 500 Hondas but the CL was not born yet. Compared to the RE 350 platform, the Honda is faster, smoother, requires less maintenance. Just what you'd expect Honda to be. The Enfield has more charisma, looks awesome. Seriously, they really do their homework to make all their bikes look cool and desirable at RE. The air cooled engine has SUCH presence and sounds so good, it puts smile on my face every single day on my commute, especially downtown where those deep thumps reverberate from buildings. Both bikes are sweet on twisty roads. Forget highways or even faster A roads on the 350. I don't do any on it so I am very happy with it. I do some mild offroad stuff tho and I reckon the performance of both bikes would be pretty similar. The Honda is lighter with more powerful engine but the RE is surprisingly offroadable thanks to the low rev torque, smooth, flat power curve, decent ground clearance and universal ergonomics. The Enfield is 20% cheaper than the Honda brand new. On the other hand the Honda keeps value MUCH better. In fact it really annoys me how expensive 10 year old little Hondas are. Meanwhile these RE350s can be bought incredibely cheap with just couple hundred miles on. More relevant competitor to the Honda CL500 would of course be the freshly new RE 450 Guerilla. Which is just a weird name for a motorcycle. Small War? Really? Then again CL500 is a little generic in 2024...
Thanks for taking the time to leave such a detailed comment! Absolutely agree that the Enfields have an unmatched and almost indescribable charm. I love them. I've always been a bog fan of Hondas too, especially the 500 twin. It's an engine that's just perfectly refined to offer the most a 47hp bike can offer. I did have a LOT of issues with Enfield reliability with my Interceptor, so that was one reason I was gravitating elsewhere, but for me, there's just something really cool about the CL. Alot of folks don't get it...but I think the styling is a very deliberate (not a lack of effort as some would suggest) attempt to reimagine a 70s scrambler as a MODERN machine, not create a retro bike which looks old. I think the Guerilla is kind of similar I that sense actually - however it hasn't captured my attention particularly. I was considering waiting for it, but I'm glad I didn't now that it has been fully revealed. I just expected something cooler. It was underwhelming for me. I bet it's a joy to ride though as that's always the case with RE (providing you don't get one that breaks down alot!!)
@@Fergutron I think all the Honda 500 incarnations look decent... maybe except the CBR500, not a a big fan of that one. The thing is it's a modern platform through and through and Honda designers know they can't hide it so they go as far as they can with the classic styling. Royal Enfield 350 and the 650 is ancient tech enhanced by few very minor contemporary gadgets. Fuel injection, disk brakes with abs and a tiny display. All the rest is 1960s stuff. A little bit more reliable, because it's made with modern machinery, but it will never ever be able to hold the pace with modern platforms like Honda's. Just as modern platforms are not able to quite look or feel the part. And I am happy we live in an era where we can actually choose what suits each of us!
@barriewilliams4526 Damn - that's a lot of riding in a short time! It's a great bike, sadly I don't think it will be a big seller for Honda but I love mine! Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment mate 👍
@@johnj2766 Either as fast as YOU can or as fast as IT can - whichever is less likely to cost you your license or your life 🤣 Important question though - which colour!?
Came very close to buying a CB500 back in the day (2005 ish), went to look at one and came home with a 1200 bandit. 😂 The new offering is a tidy looking bike though, and would fit my needs perfectly.
I see the comparison and I know what you mean. They have tried to make it pretty in any way (the new one is an example of how it looks when they do try!) It's aesthetics are driven purely by it's functionality. I love it
a concise and informative report, nice looking bike and should be a good all rounder. Would i swap my Himmi for one ? probably not but if your in the market for something new it has to be worth at least a test drive
I loved this, informative and enjoyable. As an owner of an RE Conti 650, this may be a good alternative for some of the gaps I find in RE's design. And with more support in the US as Royal Enfield has little to no dealers out here in Wyoming.
That conti is a sweet ride though! I love the Enfields and I'm sure I'll have another Enfield 650 in the future, but I'm really loving this little Honda. Think it will be a keeper for a couple of years at least
My royal enfield has been nothing but problem after problem the dealership won't even touch it anymore takes YEARS to get parts. Japanese bikes all the way
Nice one, I think Honda could've made a bit more of an effort with the styling, particularly the exhaust but I'm sure third party manufacturers are already onto that....😊
And we have an example of that subjectivity! I actually really like the look of the exhaust (with the exception of the big ugly catalytic converter hanging below the bike!) I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment mate!
