Sure - but spend a few grand on a CB500X Rally Raid kit, and you've solved that problem quite comprehensively. Where there's demand, there's supply - just a question of money. And at 7k EUR for a brand-new warrantied bike, I am not going to complain about Honda's budget bits.

Yes, and to be honest it's not really even a 'few' grand, unless you also want their spoked wheels - which are nice if you genuinely are going to ride a lot of off-road/rough road terrain, but not essential for your average RTW style rider - the OEM cast wheels (on the 2019-on models with a 19" front end as standard) are actually pretty strong unless you're really unlucky or a total clutz.

fwiw. I'd say that 471cc CB engine is the 'perfect' engine size - physically about the same size as the old XR650R lump (and I use that word advisedly), with 47bhp in very economic fuel-injected form - and with a wide spread of gears which allows you to crawl along over rocky terrain and still sit at 80mph all day if required.

As Maz has shown above, if you've the skills and/or the money, you could squeeze one into a different chassis (personally I'd have used the XR400 or 650L frame myself, for a bit more room and adaptability), but equally, the stock CB500X chassis is actually a very competent all-terrain platform once you've fitted better quality suspension components.

The only real thing against the stock CB is it's slightly heavy compared to a dual-sport bike, but at the same time it is still usefully lighter and more compact than any of the other bigger capacity twins out there - and really the only bike which you don't need to rag to keep up with them on the open highway - ergo the reason John (at Rally Raid) and I chose that bike back in 2015 for modification into a true 50/50 all-terrain travel bike.

Jx


photo. they are only [a bit] heavy when you have to pick them up, and their compact size and easy going/forgiving nature means that doesn't tend to happen a that often anyway.

My bmw g650 x Challenge is a pretty good fit for an all adventure bike.

One thing I really like about it is that you can run it fast "comfortably" on the highway.

It is light enough that you can push it down the street if your battery dies. It is also fairly manageable to lift on your own after a fall.

It has 3000 mile oil change intervals. Don't think I'm cut out for a bike with 600 mile oil change intervals.


I think the V-strom is a good all around bike too. I mean if you had to buy a bike in a foreign country quickly.

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