Been there and tried that. It's fine so long as the Wee has been dropped previously to lessen the cost of the damage and you have a good back.

Is the Wee the better road tourer though or no real difference? I moved back to a road bike as I only ever used the off road capacity when I needed to, so wondering if you can have the cake and eat it?

Andy

Interesting...

I should say, I did have a V-Strom in the past, so know all about its good qualities as a road bike, but never took it off road.

I'm a pretty big guy and could get both feet flat on the ground on the V-Strom. Would that change your calculation here at all, or does the shorter wheelbase, slightly lower weight (I believe around 20lbs difference) and lower CG of the Honda still make all the difference?

The CB500X is actually closer to 20Kg (40+lbs) lighter than the V-Strom when they are both fully fuelled, and combined with the lower centre of gravity, this really does help - it is also very slim between the knees, which also helps off-road - particularly when standing for example.

Certainly the shorter wheelbase also has a significant effect on how the bike feels and handles both on and off-road - it feels a lot more eager and 'sporty' if you know what I mean?

note. the CB500X has a 56" wheelbase - so more similar to a sports-bike in that regard. The V-strom has a 61.4" wheelbase, so significantly longer, and longer than than many other dual-sport/adventure bikes too. That is great for stright-line stability of course, and increased cockpit space if riding two up, or if you want to fit large panniers - but the compromise is the much larger turning circle, and less agility - around town, on twisty highways or off-road.

I would add that in combination with the 19" front wheel that is part of the Rally-Raid kit, the CB pulls off the clever trick of remaining nimble while increasing stability at the same time.

Although the CB is more compact that the V-Strom, it does have excellent ergonomics for all sizes and shapes of rider, and even 6'+ riders say they find the relationship between the seat, bars and pegs very comfortable.

If you're big/tall you probably won't mind the CB500X Adventure (that is with the longer travel Rally-Raid suspension fitted) has a seat height of 34.25" (970mm) compared to the V-Strom at 32.9" (835mm) - so just under an inch and a half.

I would concede that the CB is probably not as ideal if you regularly ride two-up, especially touring (although I have carried and been a pillion on a number of occasions over shorter distances on the freeway, and it is surprisingly comfortable two-up too). However, as a solo long-distance all-terrain travel bike, I honestly believe it is nigh on perfect - and taking everything into account, I think Chris Scott would probably agree.

I'd suggest you try and get a test ride on a CB500X to see what I mean. Obviously with the Rally-Raid kit fitted it's going to be a couple of inches taller, but otherwise the dimensions are the same.

Hope that helps!

Jenny x

In that case, very interesting!

To be honest, I still think I'll probably get a big 1000cc bike (against all good advice on here... Sorry guys!! lol). But I did always think that if I ever gave in to sanity and decided on a cheaper bike for these sorts of travels I would just get another V-Strom. But now it sounds like there's perhaps a better option...

Thanks mate!

Hi Andy - as I mention above, the V-Strom will be an excellent mile-muncher, and offers a little more room - two up and with hard luggage particularly.

However, having ridden the CB500X (with a Rally-Raid kit) for many thousands of miles over this summer, I can honestly say it is exceptionally good at covering big distances, at anything close to the legal speed limit or a little beyond (ultimately it pretty much runs out of puff by 100mph - although it is geared nicely to pull keenly all the way up to that maximum, and even at 75-80mph, there is enough urge in reserve to pull out and overtake slower traffic easily enough).

For me though, it's really forte is picking those roads away from the main multi-lane highways... I had what I considered probably my best day ever on two wheels (well, on paved roads at least) riding the CB500X in the Appalachian mountains in Virginia on my way east this summer - usurping a previous epic trip to the Alps on my Ducati Monster!

At the end of the day, the CB500X (actually only 471cc) has a little less than 50hp - so you have to keep that in mind. However, the combination of a linear power delivery and well spaced gearing means it never feels anything less than lively and I find the engine really is a joy to ride - particularly if you snick it down a gear or two and use the revs above 5000rpm - you'll be surprised how eager it feels.

Some may feel the engine is a little 'bland' or at least un-characterful, but so often 'character' is used to justify what can turn out to be a tiresome trait, particularly if you're planning on riding day-in and day-out...

Someone else described [riding the CB on a long trip] perfectly recently: that more often than not the bike itself ends up fading into the background, allowing you to concentrate fully on where it is you are actually riding.

Again, I can only recommend to try and test ride one, and make up your own mind.

Jenny x

Good thread really
Wondering what should be the price here ( France) because the bike in this configuration is not for sale here .
What are the price in your countries ?
At this moment I am making up my mind about
- buying a nice second hand just runned in pegaso 650 , whic should be nice for pavement on a Russia/Georgia/Armenia and so trip and OK for the rest as i feel it, some kind of a xt i found nicer ( yamaha engine 650, 5 valves), less than 3000 euros . and almost prepared .
- going again to Morocco mostly pistes with my DRZ ,
- or riding north by road with the B8 !!! that is a bike .

Hi ex-xt - do you mean the Honda CB500 is not available in the X version (as opposed to the F and the CBR-R model), or you mean the Rally-Raid kit?

Rally-Raid can ship all over the world (although US customers can buy direct from Giant Loop), and the Rally-Raid website has a currency converter to Euros to help you price everything.

Hope that helps...

Jenny x

Thanks Jenny,

I need to try one for size with the wife on the back (does about 250 miles a year, but is a necessary feature to consider) , but looks good to me.

The power is spot on IMHO. My current 48 HP Guzzi V7 will break any UK speed limit, two up with luggage. 70 HP just cost me tyres. The CB appeals because unlike a lot of 50 HP bikes it has range, they didn't spec it like a commuter bike.

Andy

thanks jenny
Honda CB500F - Présentation
no "X" model in France . As I have heard around in the "bike" world , Honda is not "targeting " this market so much now !