Honda NX500: The Middleweight Adventure Bike Gets Some Tweaks

[advrider]

The CB500X is gone from the Honda lineup! Well, not really. For 2024, the Honda NX500 will be the new official name for the Halfrica Twin. Along with the new name, it has a few small but important update, all announced at the EICMA show today in Milan.

First of all, note that the engine itself is still a liquid-cooled 471cc parallel twin. Max output is unchanged, at 47 hp and 32 lb-ft of torque. Why not give the bike more jam? Because it’s an A2-legal machine. Under Europe’s strict graduated licensing program, these machines are legal for less-experienced riders, and Honda wants to keep it that way.

However, the engine should feel like it has more muscle thanks to an electro-tweak. There’s an ECU update that Honda says “improves acceleration feel.” The Honda Selectable Torque Control system is now standard as well.

There’s a new set of 5-spoke aluminum wheels that cut about 3.3 lb of unsprung weight; overall, the bike is down about 6.6 lb. Not a huge decline in weight, but definitely a step in the right direction. Honda updated the suspension to match the new wheels and other weight-saving measures, but it’s still the same 41 mm Separate Function Fork-Big Piston setup from Showa.

Honda also put new brakes on the NX500. Previously, this machine had four-piston calipers up front; now, it has dual two-piston calipers. There’s a new LED headlight, and a new 5-inch TFT screen that connects to Honda’s RoadSync smartphone app. The TFT is operated by a backlit 4-way toggle switch. It’s the same screen that the Transalp gets, and it comes with three different screen layout choices.

Honda continues to push the “nicest people” marketing line! Note that despite those new wheels, we still have a 19-inch front, which is exactly what most buyers want. Photo: Honda

In 2024, Honda will build this bike in the Grand Prix Red, Matt Gunpowder Black Metallic or Pearl Horizon White paint schemes. No word yet on which of those options will make it to North America, or what they’ll cost.

 

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