Let's See Your Motorcycles!

With your experience level/confidence, I think you'd feel the same about the CB500X as the GROM. Fun little mess around bikes, the pair of them, when compared to the skin peeling speed machines you're used to.

 

He’s just getting back into bikes. We had 600’s right after highschool. he wanted something him and his wife can ride, shes a newb, so he bought something with a low enough seat for her, and is shopping for his next bike now. I doubt he’ll go off road much.

He likes the size and weight of the of the 500x.

I know im gonna hate the ulysses’s weight when i take it down tight trails, but i like the wide seat and soft suspension compared to the firebolt.

 

My two girls.

 

For sure it's a big touring rig. Running weight stock is 846 lbs. empty, easily 900 lbs. with chit in the saddlebags filled with everyday stuff. Add the tourpak, motor mods, and everything else. It's tips the scales close to or over 1000 lbs!

But my Rig eats up the Concrete Jungle and can ride it all day long and not be whipped!

I have more miles on my 2009 Harley than I do on my 2007 Tundra CrewMax.


Life is good!




O.S.T.

 

thats crazy. Both my buells dont weigh that combined.

 

Yep. That's without 6 gallons of fuel added either.


O.S.T.

 

Smaller bikes can be so much fun, though. My ZRX is 14 years older and not nearly as sophisticated at the FJR, but it's a couple of hundred pounds lighter and so much fun on a crooked road

 

Yes it is - that’s why I stick to the DIRT- too many texting idiots on the road for me - if I hit the tree it’s my own dam fault

 

2012 FZ8 with some time and money into it

 

Uly is around 420lbs, if I Remember correctly

 

@AzureNightmare you should check out a yamaha mt-07. Or copy me and get a ninja 650. Perfect starter bike.

 

I'll do some Google searching on the Yamaha. Havent heard of that one. Ninja is a bit too street oriented for where I live, and hope to go. It does look sexy though.

 

Damn. That Yamaha is slick, too! Same trouble as the Ninja though. I need the bike to be a mild all rounder that can handle shitty pothole and washboard roads. I'm easing into this and I'm not craving speed on it. I think you're a bit more of an adrenaline junkie than I am, and less of a chicken, at this point.

If I feel I need a bit more than the Honda CB500X can do I may look into something like the Yamaha Tenere 700 as a starter, or a step up after the Honda.

I look at my commute and it's 35% gravel, dirt, pot holes, shitty paved side street, and gravel. The other 65% is 55 MPH highway. The adventure/adventure touring class just seems to fit.

Plus, I'm biased toward Honda, with Yamaha being a very close second choice.

 

Kawasaki Versys would fit the bill. Not a Honda, but still ..........

 

It was definitely in the running! It's a bit heavier than the Honda and has a smaller front wheel, but the tipping point for Honda is the looks. To my eye, it just looks a bit leaner and slick than the Versys.

Honda is a wee bit cheaper, too.

 

Truly curious, would you do this on your bike?


https://youtu.be/e161OXTnmEE

 

Nope. I'd pick the tenere over the 500x though. I know you're not down for speed, but the way these class of bikes work the extra ccs will help. Think of it like buying a v6 double cab tacoma vs a v8 double cab 1st gen. It's just more umpf, not a lot more speed.

 

Winter prep maintenance and some new S22 Battleax's going on this week. Might get some decent weather in the 60s next week before she's away for good.

 

Ive done some dirt roads like the beginning on my firebolt. Gotta go a little slower so i can see the rocks and dont cut the street tires, and gotta plan the route, so i dont scrape the belly muffler, but sirfive’s dual sport of the day is the husqvarna 701 svartpilen.

i was unaware how expensive those little husqies are.

 

Azure,

What kind of riding are you planning on doing? Short distance, long distance, bar hopping, 1 up, 2 up, etc. (2 bikes, 1 for the Mrs.)

Before you truly decide, check out other forums to see the good, the bad, and the ugly for every bike that your considering.

Just like this forum, learn from the pros and not make the mistakes that 1st timers make. NOT saying you are a 1st timer, but you know what I mean.


Sometimes nice shinny stuff may have the worst crap underneath the shine.



O.S.T.

 

Solid advice, and much appreciated.

I'm pretty late in my research process and I started out with the exact stuff you're recommending. A good hard look at what I want out of it, and lots of research on reviews and owner's takes on various bikes. I've been looking at bikes and researching for about a year at this point, and I'm still quite a way off from making a purchase.

I'll be riding solo. No Mrs. in the picture, so just me on the bike. I want to use it for my short commute, and short rides around town/the local forests and mountains to start with. Once I've built up some skill and experience I don't want to be barred from making a trip to see friends and family a couple hours away. Maybe long term a road trip way down the line, but that would be over the course of several days.

Pros I have learned about for the CB500X:

1. Very linear power and torque makes it very consistent and approachable.
2. Lower seat height is easier to manage for short riders.
3. Global popularity of the platform means parts are cheap and plentiful. Honda shops are everywhere, and they've all seen the 500 series bikes.
4. Honda reliability is well represented here. Very few recalls and great resale value.
5. Slipper clutch makes it a simple learner bike.
6. Enough power to run, but not enough to run away.
7. 19 inch front wheel added in 2019 makes rough roads much more manageable.
8. Long service intervals and cheap maintenance.
9. Stupid good fuel economy.
10. Great aftermarket support for accessories, and even increasing capability of the bike.

Cons that I've found

1. Varying levels of complaint about vibration in the bars and pegs. (Each 3 year refresh has improved this issue)
2. Low ground clearance for an adventure bike. Technical trails are not something you'll be going hard on.
3. Cast wheels are not as robust off road. (I've yet to find a review that has actually broken one, though.)
4. Bike lacks oomph at higher speeds. Still capable of passing, but not a crotch rocket.
5. Not great for 2 up riding.
6. Valve service is a bit more complex than I'm likely to tackle, so I'll have to find a reputable shop.
7. Heavier than other starter bikes, but light enough that wind pushes it about.
8. Instrument cluster can be hard to see in bright sunlight.
9. Running interstate speeds winds it up pretty solidly. Not a lot of extra surge at high speeds.
10. Bike is a jack of all trades. It's not the best at anything.

And that is why I'm not looking at KTM or BMWs.

 

Got out my 13 year old leather jacket.

who here has an armored cold weather jacket they like? My fabric jacket isnt as waterproof as id thought. So, im shopping for a winter jacket.

dunno if ill go back with leather. I forgot how heavy this thing is.

 

Is that just weathered, or are those some skid marks?

 

Armored? no, armed? definitely....

 

just a little rash. I high-sided the zx6r back in the day.

 

That Husky looks good, but I thought it was more in the naked class. Not much faring for wind/weather protection to it. With reliability being paramount I've shied from the KTM/Huskies, and BMWs.

Entertaining video on it, if you are so inclined.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vf7uyYa0LU

 

Looks like they did their job. Can I be nosy and ask how fast you were going?

 

Like 30. That bike could powerslide better than i could. But im better now. The ulysses can powerslide, partially because the tires are old, But its way more controllable.

 

I'm not that ballsy.


I got tossed pretty good around 30-35 when my VTX's front wheel dropped in an invisible pothole. I was wearing a Carhart coat, and it didn't do too badly, mainly because it was a gravelly pull off from the highway, so I wasn't on pure asphalt. Had a bit of rash on my outer forearm, a few inches below the elbow. Had a gnarly goose egg under the rash too. At the time I wasn't certain I hadn't broken something. Everywhere else was just sore from the tumble. Except my head. Oddly enough my helmet didn't have anything even resembling a scratch on it.

 

this one, i was in my old neighborhood. No clue what happened, i was knocked out about 3 days. looked to me (and a few others) like i was hit by a car that didnt stop at a stop sign, but nobody ever admitted to it. My fault for running to the gas station without a lid.

the light spot is a blood clot.

i met god, there is no afterlife.