Honda CL500 Scrambler Review - First Ride Impression!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ก.ค. 2024
- I spend a day with the Honda CL500 and see what all the fuss is about for the latest Scrambler offering.
The CL500 is based on the Rebel 500 cruiser from Honda, and part of the popular parallel-twin model line, offering an ideal beginner to intermediate machine.
The Scrambler theme is mainly seen across the tyre, exhaust and ergonomic features, without going to the extremes of more hardcore off-road suspension, but for most newer riders will make for a fun and versatile machine.
MotoHub in Sydney were kind enough to lend me their demo Honda CL500, so check them out if you're in Sydney and would like a test ride:
www.motohub.com.au/
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To each their own opinion. I know a lot of riders will not like this CL500 for whatever reason it may be. I saw another review from an experienced Canadian rider, he had nothing but excellent review of this CL500. I personally believe if you are looking for simplicity & basic functions, this might be the bike for daily commuters/occasionally riding. I'm considering this scrambler for my first bike for the summer of 2024. Great review 👏🏽 👍🏽
This is my 1st bike. I self taught myself on it and have really enjoyed it everyday. It being my 1st I imagine I'm biased but as a 6'3 300 guy it's been nothing but comfort.
@Abolistable well, I'm 5'10 & 150lb. I should be a lightweight on it.
Being that light, I'd go with a 300 something, unless you really need to go 200 mph on the highway
@Abolistable Thanks for the suggestion, but a few friends have suggested that I start on at least 700CC. I'm 46 years old. I don't want to ride 100 or 200 mph. Also, I like naked/standard motorcycles, just for enjoyment, and the most important thing is I know my limit.
All the Honda 500s are great options honestly, it's always just a matter of finding the right bike for you, and what ticks all the boxes really does vary wildly from rider to rider.
Takes me back to my first bike when on my L's. 1977 was the year and the bike was a 1974 Yamaha TX-500. Here I am nearing retirement age ending up my riding days on a 2020 Yamaha XSR 900 and I couldn't be happier. No doubt so many others will start out in a similar fashion on bikes like this CL 500. Very good introduction and presentation with good audio and video production quality. Well done. Cheers.
They are an ideal place to start honestly, and I think the dual purpose tyres encourage new riders to be a little more adventurous which never hurts either!
Maybe except for the adventurous part. I tried my hardest to see 200KMH on the old TX 500 but it wouldn't have it! So I bought a K3 CB 750. Cheers.@@MotoJournoKris
That's not bad, I remember on my FZX250 you needed a generous downhill section to hit 140 lol. @@theaustralianconundrum
Well a 500 jap twin even in 1974 was still 48bhp with near on double the torque of a 250.@@MotoJournoKris
Great review. I've had one of these for a couple of months and have put about 2500 miles on it. Had some shifting issues at first that got sorted, otherwise, has been a great bike. I love everything about this bike. Even that huge exhaust has grown on me, though I will probably replace it with an aftermarket that looks more like the original 70's scramblers. The upright seating makes it windy at speeds over 70 mph. I've ordered an aftermarket flyscreen, but it won't be in for another month or so. I've been riding since I was about 5 years old and I'm in my late 50's, so not a beginner. I love small displacement bikes, and this thing does everything I want it to, and is fun doing it. The dash kind of sucks, and I hope someone comes out with an aftermarket one that can actually be read during the daytime, but really, that's the only thing I'd change on this bike. One of the most fun bikes I've ever owned.
Yea these are great machines, really ideal for new riders but also plenty good enough for experienced riders who want enough performance for everything they'd want to do too. I do wonder if some kind of anti-reflective sticker could help with the dash, maybe there's some kind of matte finish phone screen cover or something.
I will look forward to the comparison with the 401. I am considering replacing my 390 with a CL500. Lovely wheels. I like your jacket, Kris. And strides. Very good, thorough review, mate. Nick J
Thanks, working on that one now. It's quite a difference between the two, but I can definitely see the appeal of each.
Howdy from Texas! I've been commuting to work on the CL500 (SCL500 here in NA) for about a month now. New rider, and my first bike so grain of rice opinions BUT I love mostly everything about this bike. I was originally going to go for the Rebel500 but Im 6 foot 3 inches tall and it just felt way too low to the ground for me. 420miles later and zero regrets. If I was to be hyper critical about this bike and really be honest with the only downsides it would be: No tachometer, the instrument cluster is unreadable in the sun with no ability to make it higher contrast/brighter, and lack of color options from NA Honda. So the rest of the globes gets several nice color options...USA only gets orange and green. The no tachometer really sucks at first because as a new rider I'd like to be able to know what my rpms are. Its basically inconsequential because of how bulletproof and low compression the engine is...but yall can get where im coming from. Imagine being a new rider, with no manual transmission experience...without a tach you feel like you're guessing rpms and missing out. In the long run I do admit not having a tachometer will make me a more intuitive rider when it comes to being in tune with the machine. I'm beyond happy I went for the scrambler over the cruiser style because the bike is far more nimble at all speeds, and that lil extra height makes riding where I live so much safer for both myself and the bike (road hazards/debris, dirt/gravel roads, changing road surfaces on the highway) handles it all way better than a cruiser would and has adjustable suspension with enough height and travel to take it all on and keep a smooth ride and undamaged components. I really don't think I will ever get rid of this bike or tired of it, the power is plenty for my needs (emphasis on needs) however I will fully admit that the same day its paid off I will be shopping around for a higher cc bike for fun. The (S)CL500 will more than likely be my daily commuter bike for the rest of my life but with more experience and skill down the road I'd love to have something more powerful in the stables just to have fun with (yamaha R7 is my dream bike hehehe) Happy and safe riding friends!
Yea these are a great option, the dash visibility was definitely an issue though, and the lack of a tacho while disappointing in some ways, you can get used to. The bike just sits in that perfect commuter/everyday point, with enough of everything, and some great advantages. Having something more powerful is always fun though.
Definitly on the list to consider for the misses, cant get over the white accesories panels, why not color match the tank? Also why no red!
The orange looks better in person than I managed to capture in pics/video, but a red would be good too. I guess the plain plastics look is in the dirt bike/scrambler theme, but I'd expect them to be fairly cheap if they aren't colour matched. The panels look like they may be $100 (for a set? not sure), but the dirt bike front guard is $300!!
Doesn't matter how hard I try, I can't bring myself to like it. It looks $hit and has basic specs but is pricey. Kawasaki Z400 would eat it for breakfast.
I reckon this would have the edge for a bit of light gravel roading or similar, but for pure performance that's true.
Flop bike
There was a lot of hype where I think it's more of a niche machine.