The Drift King - Honda NX500 Review

Quick Overview

The review concludes that the Honda NX500, despite inheriting the engine and chassis from the CBR500 line, offers a surprisingly capable and nimble adventure-tourer experience, particularly due to its short-stroke engine characteristics and excellent quick-shifter performance, ultimately making it a highly accessible and enjoyable motorcycle.

Key Points: The Honda NX500 uses the same 471cc parallel-twin engine and chassis as the CBR500R/F/X models, maintaining a 180-degree crank firing order. The bike costs $9,525 CAD, which is $1,500 less than the Honda Africa Twin. The clutch and gearbox are praised for being incredibly smooth, allowing for clutchless shifting up to 6th gear even at low RPMs, and the engine feels strong down low. The engine produces less than 170 horsepower, unlike the previous NX650 Dominator. Weight savings from accessories totaled 1.5 lbs off the rear wheel and 1.8 lbs off the front wheel. The digital TFT dash offers multiple display types, including 'Bar,' 'Circle,' and 'Simple' (tachometer), and features traction control (TC) and ABS modes. The bike's handling characteristics, especially its low center of gravity and nimble nature, make it feel secure and confidence-inspiring for beginners.

Context: The video provides a comprehensive review of the Honda NX500, an adventure-touring motorcycle positioned below the larger Africa Twin segment. The reviewer, Ryan F9, compares its engineering roots—specifically its engine and frame derived from Honda's 500cc line—against its intended use as an adventure bike, highlighting how small weight changes and the engine's specific tuning affect its performance, particularly off-road and in urban environments.

Detailed Analysis

The review of the Honda NX500 confirms it is built around the existing 471cc parallel-twin engine found in the CBR500 series, featuring a 180-degree crank, which results in a predictable, smooth power delivery, although it only produces around 47 horsepower and not the 170 horsepower of the older NX650 Dominator. The bike is priced at $9,525 CAD, making it significantly cheaper than the Africa Twin. A key feature highlighted is the smooth quick-shifter, which allows for clutchless upshifts even at low RPMs, contributing to the bike feeling very nimble. The reviewer notes that the engine tuning favors low-end torque, making it feel strong without needing to rev high. The bike also features a modern TFT display with customizable layouts (Bar, Circle, Simple) and switchable traction control and ABS modes. Demonstrations show the bike handling both gravel roads and tight city streets with ease, benefiting from a low center of gravity that inspires confidence in new riders. The reviewer also points out minor weight savings achieved by removing stock accessories (1.5 lbs from the rear wheel, 1.8 lbs from the front). The video concludes with the reviewer praising the bike's precise, almost 'fly-paper' smooth gearbox, which allows for aggressive shifting without needing the clutch, even at idle, making it an elegant engineering solution for an accessible adventure bike.