Formerly known as the CB500X, the newly renamed 2024 Honda NX500 is probably one of the most conventional, bike-flavored bikes you can buy. NX stands for New X-over—or crossover. Like Honda’s own four-wheeled crossovers, there’s a mild pretension of adventure that comes with them, but their real purpose is just to be a comfortable commuter that you can have some fun with. This bike does that beautifully.
For 2024, the NX500 is the beneficiary of several substantial upgrades to go along with its new name. The fairing design is overhauled, looking more angular and squared off to suit the new LED lighting, and neatly integrated graphics displaying the NX logo pops against the pearl white paint. It’s a nice update that makes the bike look much more contemporary and athletic over the outgoing CB500X.
The chassis changes are few but meaningful. It dropped some weight, half of which is unsprung thanks to lighter Y-spoke wheels, now weighing in at a total of 432 pounds. The 41-millimetre Showa SFF-BP front fork remains unchanged with 5.9 inches of travel, and the rear is Honda’s Pro-Link monotube setup, with 5.3 inches of swing and 7.1 inches of clearance. Brakes are unchanged, with dual 296-mm discs up front and Nissin two-pot calipers.
The 471-cc parallel-twin that Honda’s been using for years remains largely unchanged, putting out the same 47 horsepower and 31 pound-feet of torque as before, albeit with slight tweaks to the engine mapping for better low-end torque and smoother operation. The NX500 likes to rev, making most of its power across a broad spread through the midrange, and enough low-end grunt to trundle around town and crawl along a trail.
The old instrument panel is swapped out for a new five-inch TFT display, with multiple tachometer layouts and light or dark backgrounds. It’s bright and easy to read even in direct sunlight, and simple to use via a four-way rocker on the left handlebar. As you’d expect from a Honda, all the switchgear and materials feel excellent, and build quality is impeccable.
Also as you’d expect from a Honda, this NX500 is easy-breezy to ride. The riding position is upright, the seat height is fairly low, and the ride is compliant, with minimal vibrations through the seat and handlebars. The slipper clutch is very light and even more forgiving, the six-speed transmission is super easy to shift even without quick-shifters on board, and the tall windshield and fairing design offers good wind protection. My only nitpick is that as a long-legged six-footer, I felt just a tiny bit cramped; the position of the handlebars inhibits adopting a more aggressive riding position.
It may not be built for particularly serious off-roading, but the NX500 can handle itself fairly well and tackle some pretty serious obstacles with ease. The NX500 employs Honda’s torque control system to limit wheelspin, and I torture-tested it on a steep incline on wet grass. While it isn’t variable like on bigger Hondas such as the Transalp, it works quite well and it diligently kept the bike trundling uphill with stepping out or stalling. If you’re worried about it bogging down, it’s easy defeatable via one button-press on the left handlebar. Honda’s ABS system is on board, too, and helps provide an additional layer of protection.
The CB500X was a terrific do-it-all bike that blended excellent riding dynamics, terrific ergonomics and ease-of-use, and enough refinement and potential for practicality to use every day. The NX500 is a meaningful improvement that only makes the recipe better: it rides better, handles better, and looks better. And, it’s easier to live with, just as unflappably reliable and cheap to operate as before, and at $8,549 as-tested, it’s affordable up front, too. Just like their own crossovers, the 2024 Honda NX500 has the tall task of being the every-bike that works for everyone, in every situation, every day—and it rises to the task comfortably.
