Had my son’s Covid/Senior recognition night last weekend. Wide open parking lot.

There was a very awesome Honda adventure bike, that looked very much like an African Twin, but it was clearly marked “500”. It didn’t appear to be a full size tourer, and the guy who owns it, definitely uses it the way it was intended. I wasn’t able to track him down.

Is there such thing as an African Twin 500? I googled and everything, nothing came up. It wasn’t an XR/XL, but it was freaking awesome. I told my wife I could live with something like that for awhile. Maybe even sell the VMax.

I toy with the idea of getting another bike, and an adventure bike is what I'm leaning toward. But I have enough toys already, so probably not.

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I googled it and got the same info. It doesn’t list any specs. I’m wondering if it really is a twin at 500cc. No price, weight, or even listed on the Honda website.

CB500X? Been around since 2013.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hG67BCZpSM

Go to the Honda motorcyle site. It's there with specs and all that.

Honda Adventure cycles

Sounds like a CB500X to me.

https://powersports.honda.com/...ure/cb500x?year=2020

I’m guessing it was the CBX 500, but it looked nothing like the one on the Honda page. Maybe the owner accessorized it. It looked like a legit off-road bike. Crazy ass knobby tires, crash guards, and mud everywhere. But it was awesome. I must have one.

XR650L?

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Definitely not an XR. It looked like a Paris to Dakar bike. It stood out, thats what drew my attention. Then I saw the “500”, and thought that would be the perfect weekend getaway bike, for really getting away. And probably under $17,000, those adventure bikes aren’t cheap.

I may have to think about this. My wife and I have retirement plans including an RV. Something like that would mount perfectly on the back. Lol.

Half-rica Twin

Seems like you found a farkled CB500X, which is cool. Throw on some knobbies and add a crash bar, you've got a recipe for fire road heaven. I'm sure there's a company or two already getting bits and pieces together to make it more capable offroad.

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That’s a bargain of a bike. If you ever read “Long Way Round”, there biggest complaint of the Beemer GS’s was fully loaded, the weight was unforgiving on technical trails. Not to mention hard to pick up. I can see one of these in my stable.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ASKSmith:
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there biggest complaint of the Beemer GS’s was fully loaded, the weight was unforgiving on technical trails./QUOTE]

Watched the series. Watching Long Way Down currently and will watch Long Way Up once all episodes are aired. On Long Way Down, the biggest complaint is still an 8-900 pound bike that is difficult to manage in talc like sand. A smaller bike with a lower center of gravity would have been the way to go. This would have been the best choice (though not available in 2007). I'd like to get 3 of these and haul ass across the country with my wife and daughter.

Sounds like you saw a CB500X with a Rally kit. There's a UK company called Rally Raid Products who makes upgrade kits for various bikes. The CBR500X looks great with their products.

If you like the idea of a small off-roader, maybe look at Yamaha's Super Tenere 700 too. A little more money to start with, but might scratch the itch a little better. Super Tenere 700

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I like the idea of a lighter, smaller bike. I’m just in planning and research phase. I just happened to see this bike, and I never knew it existed. I pretty much love all bikes, but this would be a cool bike to mount on an RV, when retirement comes. I can see the light through the tunnel, but I realistically have about 10yrs to retire. I’m already planning on a retirement GoldWing, as my wife and I want to travel. I currently own a V-Max, and it’s not really a touring bike. Gets 100 miles to a tank. Lol. But it is a fun bike.

But that Honda 500 is a nice size for the type of exploring I’d like to do. And the cost and weight are big positives for me.