My Honda CB500x Mods for ADV & Long Distance Travel
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 มิ.ย. 2024
- Things I mention in this Video:
▶ RAM Mount Quick Grip Phone Case: imp.i104546.net/YgVmJO
▶Bike Master Heated Grips: imp.i104546.net/kj0erL
▶Barkbuster VPS Hand Guards imp.i104546.net/mg4y7D
▶Rogue Hippo Hands Hand Covers: www.hippohands.com/products/r...
▶USB Charging System: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
▶GIVI TN1121 Engine Guards: imp.i104546.net/WjWnJ
▶SW-MOTECH Skid Plate for the Honda CB500x imp.i104546.net/9WVdRe
▶SW Motech Quick-Lock EVO Side Case Racks (no longer available)
▶SW Motech Street-Rack Luggage Rack: imp.i104546.net/nOrGV
▶Tractor Manual Tubes: www.agrisupply.com/manual-can...
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The New 2020 Wolfman Luggage Line
▶Blackhawk Tank Bag: bit.ly/362PRvp
▶2 Small Rolies on the Engine Guards: bit.ly/3c7aavi
▶Rocky Mountain Expedition Saddlebags: bit.ly/3pcewoU
▶Expedition Duffel Large: bit.ly/2LPuhDR
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00:00 Introduction
00:33 About my Motorcycle
02:45 Accessory Bar & Phone Mount
03:35 Heated Grips
04:30 Hand Guards & Hand Covers
06:30 USB Charger
06:45 Engine Guards
07:18 Skid Plate
07:54 Saddle Bag Racks
09:10 Rear Luggage Rack
09:50 Tool Tubes
10:43 Heat Guard
11:41 Overview
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The best color the CB500X came in.
Much better than the current model.
1st upgrades: kickstand enlarger, windscreen, engine guards.
.
Also, I think the way that you address your audience is so genuine and it really makes me feel like you are talking WITH us... and not “at us”
Feels sincere and honest!
Love your videos!
Awww!! Thank you so much Matt!! I'm so glad it comes across as a conversation and not a lecture haha 😊
I think I’d get a shield for the radiator #1 before any freeway for sure.
I love how simple you always keep it! Cant wait for the next season on wherever you go!
this is what ive been looking for. a real owner review of a cb500x mods and accessories!!! excellent video!
My first mod on my first bike was to slightly adjust the straightness of the frame by crashing into a ditch... a mod I have unsuccessfully tried to avoid doing to some of my other bikes 😜
I love how thought out and practical everything is!
Excellent w heat sheild! Love the tractor tubes!!!
Awesome share of your kitted-out rig! I installed the Bikemaster heated grips on my Super Tenere and have to agree, they are great.
I always enjoy your videos engine guards were the first thing I put on my cb500x
You are so genuine and awesome!
I stumbled onto your channel researching my as still undecided CB500X vs Himalayan purchase.
Binged your Flight and subbed! Hope you're in Colorado again and I get to see you on the road! Keep up the great work
Same position and predicament though swapping the Hima with a Versys 300. What did you eventually go with?
Great video Amanda. Absolutely agree with you about the hippo hands and the heated grips which were my first upgrades for my street twin. Like you I bought cheap ‘hippo hands’ and they just don’t work, defo a ‘buy cheap buy twice’ example. I love the appreciation you give your fathers handiwork on the exhaust guard 🤗👍
GPS mount, Bark Busters and new grips. I bought it used and it already had a bunch of performance mods done. Suspension, air box and exhaust. My favorite so far is my Mosko Moto bags and Wolfman tank bag.
Great video Amanda..Thanks for sharing.
I've got that same Ram mount, and love it.
The first mod I made, was accidentally damaging the wires to the side stand sensor while doing the first oil change. So I took the sensor off. And it's still that way.
The first intentional mod was the boring addition of a USB charging port.
Thank you for making all of these videos.
Just picked up the 2023 modell, ordered it with heated grips, and a 12v charger port. Really happy with how it turned out. Now im looking to make some kind of cargo setup for this summers roadtrip😊
Just found this channel. ADV bikes and Nerd references. I love it. Immediately subscribed.
I think the cb500x will be my first motorcycle. I want something under 500cc with an upright seating position and everything I read about this bike makes it sound incredible.
I've just discovered your channel a few weeks back and I'm loving it. The fact that you are an anime geek is just cherry on top! lol I have a 2020 CB500x that I got late in the season last year and this will be my first full year. You've really inspired me to simply go out and ride more. Looking forward to seeing many more videos :)
Hi Amanda! My first, and only, mod to my Honda 919 was a smoked cafe style windshield. It didn’t look like much but it did make a huge difference while riding on the highway. Thanks for the video!
Love that CB!
Oh! I did add a factory center stand, before I took delivery of my bike. It made oil changes and chain cleaning/lubing soooo much easier!😊
I'm always thinking how surgically perfect everything must be engineered. Yet here you are doing what you have to as you need to. Thanks for keeping it real. Maybe we'll see you on the road someday. Regards and best wishes from Western Australia.
Thanks for another great video. I have similar stories from previous bikes about “tried the cheap route but had to replace it with the good parts.” So now I just buy the good parts first-it ends up being cheaper at the end of the day.
I love the coffee can mod! lol. I also like how you have such a personnel connection to your bike. My KLR (Silver Fox) and I are pretty much brothers and best friends at this point. My favorite mods so far have been my auxiliary lights. They've saved me a couple of times on the trails with blind turns. I find they make me a lot more visible to other riders. They're also incredible for riding at night through the woods. Great build out for the Honda. Thanks for sharing this.
I know and it's two years since you actually posted this TH-cam clip but I've just got myself a 2018, 500 x and I'm loving it. Plenty of power, very comfortable ride and so cheap on fuel. Appreciate your TH-cam clips. I'm in Australia so I won't see you on the roads any time soon but good luck with everything.
Hello Amanda, I came across your video today and it's the first time I've seen any of your work.
Just wanted to say that you seem so down to earth, nice and approachable, just the type of person I'd like to have as a friend if I met you in person. Hard to find people like your nowadays.
Keep up the good work makings videos and safe travels!
I love your channel, I ride a 2018 RoadGlide and love it, that being said....if I was younger and didn't have to put so many miles on the interstate, I think I could go this route! I really enjoy your videos, informative, entertaining, and great content. Thank you 😊
New here! Love your content, so original and relatable. Ride On!
Great video, I always enjoy seeing what others do to make their bikes theirs. Rack and luggage (my end screen answer), then skid plate, crash bars, tires, and mud 🤪 happy weekend, my friend 😁✌
Great job, very practical mods.
I bought the hippo hands after watching your video...unbelievable how this single product makes a huge difference....they are Awesome!!!!
Glad you love them as much as I do Matt!!
Man, you're awesome. Ride safe!
Thanks for the heads up on the RAM Mounts Quick-Grip XL Phone Holder! Game changer! 2013 CB500X RR2. Best bike ever! First mod, Heavy Duty Footrest-Black RRP 434.
That heat shield can tip helped me last weekend during a short camping trip. The exhaust almost went through my saddlebags and my friend remembered of this video of yours. So we've took a lipton ice tea can and made something similar. hehehe So thank you for sharing!
Enjoyed the video, great upgrades to the 500x, my first upgrade was tank bag from s&w motech, love it, doesn't actually touch the tank.
I’ve watched other videos you’ve done, and this is by far my favorite! 🤣 I love the heat shield, the tractor tubes, how you have them placed, the honesty re: storage being the reason for the crash bars. So many people just get a bike and outfit it all at once with what they think makes it “look cool.” I saw one guy say he liked s mod he did because it made his bike look “wider.” 🤦🏽♂️ Bless their hearts. Lol. But yours sprang from necessity or experience in what you wanted/needed. I commend you! I’m looking to get a ‘22 CB500, and am looking through videos to get ideas of what I might want. I’ve ridden long enough to know what I need...so it’s a fun process! Thank you for your video, and keep having fun “doing the thing!” 😂 I’m in Montana, but am in WA, OR & CA quite a bit. Maybe I’ll see you out on the road! 🤟🏼
Thank you thank you thank you for this all the questions answered.
I have Givi guard on order and the heated grips on order. These are for my cb500x and my Kawasaki I put on a voltage, temperature and usb port (after my stator went needed to know my charging system was working)
Addicted to your amazing videos
Yay!! I'm so happy it was useful!!
I just found your channel. Wow are you a nerd.
Okay, I’m in.
Good stuff. Nice edits and visuals. Great delivery.
The first things added to my new babyGS were done for me at the dealership in Medford, Oregon. SW-Motech handguards and (yikes) crash bars. They work really well (Oh yes, I've tested them) and they look good too. After that my awesome boyfriend has added a proper skid plate, radiator guard, windscreen, flashing brake lights and the thing that really warms my heart --- ability to plug in my heated gear. Looking forward to a great summer of riding this beautiful planet and seeing LOTS more of your adventures!
Side bags are always the first thing I out on my motorcycle... Got to carry all my swag....
Fun and informative as always!!
1st mod is the SW-Motech pro racks. Best ever! Love a home made mod, nothing beats a can and a pipe clamp. I keep getting teased for my home made mods, but they are some of the best I have on the bike. As others have said, your vids a great - casual and informative. It feels like a conversation around the fire, always enjoyable.
Great video , I like that your mods com from need rather than having cash you Don,t need 😀
Hello! Love your video! I just purchased a 2020 CB500x and love it. I have added the OEM center stand, an SRC Moto tail rack, OEM hand guards and 12V accessory outlet. I also added AUX lights on a SW Motech light bar that is switched separately. Looking to try some two up moto camping with my oldest son and found your video for ideas on loading out the bike. Thanks!!
My first and only modification was adding the back rest. Spyders come pretty well equipped. 😎
A good honest review, thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
I enjoy your vids. I particularly like when you go over your gear specifics. The whys and how’s. I have ‘17 that I’ve thrown a few bits on. Starting w/ Barkbusters, Ram mount on the bars, SW Motec’s skid plate, a radiator guard, larger kick-stand pad, Givi racks w/Dolomiti luggage (30 liter top box and 36 liter cases) and one of the most uneconomical/useless purchases, but really, really satisfying-a MIVV exhaust. My bike’s name is Candy. Carry on... and have fun.
Itd hard not to smile listening to your vids.;) Stay you grl!;)
😊 thank you
Great vid! Center stand, engine guards, adv foot pegs, hand guards, ram mount, grip puppies.
Oh my gosh I totally forgot we added my center stand when we bought the bike 🤦 I knew I forgot something haha it's so essential my brain doesn't think about it as an add on haha
Hey, thanks, it was interesting seeing what you’ve done on the bike. Like you, I’ve not touched my suspension, I can’t afford it! But it runs down the highway and gravel roads here in MN just fine. (I think my 60+ body will break before my bikes suspension anyway!) Love these videos!
Hey! Just recently got the same bike than you, I very much like it. I also plan to do long distance, so your videos are very helpful. Thank you!
I adore your custom heat shield!
Lol thank you Faith!
Hi Amanda, Excellent as always! The AGI Tractor Manual Tubes are genius I will have one for each scooter very soon. It will come on most handy for the little scooter Flint, being a cruiser he only has a 2.5 gallon tank on longer trips even within the state (Oregon) my .5 L fuel cell is indispensable. This is a much safer way to carry it than me wrapping it in thick plastic sheeting at the bottom of one of my soft Pleather saddlebags (yes Pleather I am on a budget lol) End screen crew question.... The first mod Flint got was a Lexan windscreen. I highly recommend this mod game changer for sure. The first mod on the Goldwing was actually the deletion of a P.O. mod. I removed the Janky and fire hazard laden wiring that was done to bypass the Thermofan switch. It was done with multiple pieces of household appliance wire (for the wall cord) that was spliced 3 or 4 times using only poorly wrapped electrical tape to cover the splices. Those were then connected directly to the scooters battery positive terminal with an uninsulated ring terminal. No fuse only the on/off toggle switch, no care in routing or safety in anyway. To top it off there was a brand new Thermofan switch in one of the fairing pockets. That is now installed (a 10 minute job) in the scooter and works perfectly. Honestly it would have been easier for the P.O. to install that switch than to run the bypass nightmare.
Really informative, thank you!
My first mod is always grip puppies--game changer for me and my arthritis! :0)
I used Grip Puppies for years on my bikes, but when I started riding my GS off road, they were a hindrance. I have arthritis and trigger finger and the stock grips feel like I'm holding on to a straw. I ended up using Super shark Smart Skinz. Ha;lf the thicknes of GPs, but still work to ease the stress on my hands. Much improved my clutch control.
Good job Amanda!! I just love to hear the female biker view of mods. I learn a lot from you. Thank you!!
I know this is an older video, but It's still a real trick looking bike Amanda.
My first bike. 1970 Kawasaki 500 triple 2-stroke. Fabricated and mounted a sissy bar for camping gear. Just proves that literally any bike can be your travel buddy!
Love your vid. As ex courier I must admit that's exactly what's need when you fully on it. Stay safe, and have as many come backs as go outs 🏍️🙂
🙌
Having the extra bar to mount things on, definitely is a plus. Nothing wrong with having heated grips and hand guards.
I found that heated grips as essential in any condition and weather. First upgrade to me
Good tips, thank you!
The first mod I did on my ST1100 was change the seat. Then I got Helibars. I added electronic cruise control, Oxford heated grips. I like your hippo hands, very practical. I use scuba divers gloves for riding in the rain. Your hands will get wet with these but the neoprene insulates and you will then have a thin film of water that heats up from your body temp or heated grips and it’s nice and warm and surprisingly comfortable.
Love your heat shield! I did wind deflectors, handle bar and seat risers and peg lowering kit all in one weekend after the first month on the bike.
Sounds like all necessary upgrades for comfort!
Nice mods Amanda, Considering the hippo hands. Have the oxford dry hands but they are a bit long for getting your hands in/out hippo ones look good!
Loved your video and presentation.Lovely way about you.👍
Thank you so much 😊
The first mod on this bike was heated grips! Love em to death! Have you looked at any of the accessories for your tail rack? They mount on with a really clever cam system. I have the one that mounts my Evo top box, but there's a big dry bag rack with lots of strap points that looks really useful (not pretty, but very useful).
Please don’t be embarrassed about your coffee can heat shield. Coffee cans have a long, storied legend of saving people from searching high and lo for the “right” metal for a car body repair. My dad bought a ‘51 Pontiac sedan when we moved to Guam in 1963. It had rust holes in the quarter panels that would spray all the cars you went by when it was raining. There’s was an auto hobby shop you could use on Anderson(the Air Force Base on the North end of the island). We used a small grinder to clear the rust and welded in #10 coffee cans to close the holes up. You could still see the ribs in the cans where we put them in the fenders. We were only there two years but they held up really well after we painted the car.
Necessity is the mother of invention! Really enjoyed your video, I've got some of these already on my V-Strom 650 but an accessory bar would be good for making better vlogs. It surprises me how many people ride with their jacket sleeves inside their gloves when it's raining and then conclude that their gloves are not waterproof. Go figure!
for absolutely no reason I've not had any trust in the brand SHAD..until now .. I MUST get HIPPOHANDS though !~ inspiring video Amanda !
Great video - thx! Have a 2021 and some good ideas hear. Appreciate it!
Your scoot is nice lookin 👍
Interesting stuff, Amanda. So, no bling for bling's sake - like it 👍. My BMW R1250RS got 5 'first' mods all on the same day: MachineArt X-Head head protectors, MachineArt Mudsling to protect the rear shock, front Fenda Extenda, Evotech radiator guard and front (clutch) cover protector plate.
Love your channel....thanks....
Not my first mod but I have the RR level 1 kit on my '13. Adds a bit of refinement and extra composure to a bike that already punches above its weight. I also endorse bar muffs (I have made my own out of plastic jugs, but that's another story). With those and heated grips you can wear summer weight gloves down to sub freezing temperatures. Love the dexterity!
love the heat shield lol
my first mods to my 500x was the 12v power outlet, center stand , radiator guard and crashbars. Waiting for the cobra handguards right now.. then i am pleased for the moment.. some time maybe a heated grip set. Windshield may follow
Just wanna say, absolutely love this. Simple and effective. My mods list runs something like SW motech tank bag and mount, Vps bark busters, custom made wind deflector, black widow exhaust, SRC rear rack, SRC bash plate, SW motech adjustable pegs, quad lock phone holder and charger (it's my dodgy GPS 🤣), foam over grips and most recently a set of Motoz tractionator GPS tyres. All up a little louder, way more positive off road and slightly more capable. Yet to really go on an off road expedition as such (done plenty of gravel roads etc) but shall see how she goes. Oh, and a detachable fishing rod holder for the rear rack, no joke 🤣 Ride safe 🤙
My bike is a 2015 with ABS. My first mod was hand guards and heated grips. And I just put a level 1 rally raid fork springs on the front, level 1 rear shock with preload-adjuster. I won't be moving to level 2. I'm a shorty as well and I like my bike the height it is. They do make spoke wheels for the level one as well
My first mod was risers for my handlebars so my short self wasn't stretched out trying to reach my bars while staying in my seat, lol
Rear wedge saddlebag lights, since I ride early morning to work and sometimes come home late on weekends. Thanks, Amanda, good information! Knee's in the breeze🏍👍
Great video. Love the mods you have made. Made for function, not just for looks.
My first bike, a dirt bike, WAS a modification. It was cobbled together from junk. Poverty is the mother of invention. I called it a YamaKawaZuki. Yamaha engine, Kawasaki frame, Suzuki tank and seat. It was unreliable, dangerous, and fun.
My first street bike mod was changing to a blade fuse block after one of my factory inline glass fuse carriers completed its UJM plastic to powder transfiguration.
looks pretty damb good !
It all works for you and your bike 👍🏽
I enjoy your videos a great deal, and respect your candor in adverse settings: high winds, rain and snow. I am very interested in the CB500x but have a few questions hopefully you could answer for me. What is the typical range of a tank of gas, and how many miles do you go between oil changes? I apologize if you have covered this in another video. Keep up the great work and be safe!
Super helpful thx
My first bike was Honda 1973 CL350, which had some mods to it when I purchased it, but the engine seized up on me, so I had gotten a newer street bike and friend and I converted it sort of to scrambler, we did not know that at the time lol. We put motocross bars on it changed the back tire to a tire off an Enduro and proceeded to beat myself to death on the trails with it lol. Have fun and be safe.
Thanks for inspiring me.
I have not had a motorcycle in 30 years.
But I’m getting a new 500x tomorrow.
Mods planned:
Skid plate/ crash bars
Brush busters,
Hippos.
Panniers
Thanks for sharing your modifications, currently looking for one of these bikes! Kind of hard to come by. Actually love the coffee-can exhaust heat deflector. If it does the job, why not? Thanks!
The very first mod I did and still do first is a skid plate. I love Giant Loop but I can't justify spending $85.00 for a heat shield so I am going to do like you and your dad did and make my own for my Suzuki DRZ400S. Oh and I have the tool tubes made from pvc pipe mounted on my Honda NC700X just like yours.
Great idea with the coffee can.
great review.
Glad you enjoyed it :)
I don't have a CB500 but I do have an old Suzuki cruiser. My first mod was to add oil, tire pressure, and coolant. She was low on all three.
My first Mod is usually grips but on my Road Glide my first mod was highway pegs (because per my deal when I bought it the dealership threw a set on for me) followed shortly thereafter by grips.
I had 2 mods done before I bought my bike: higher & wider mirrors and a scooped seat to make sure I could get my feet totally flat on the ground. I've since added a sissy bar with rack pack and panniers. Latter I added fatter grips. As for getting wet hands back into gloves (arghhh!), on my last, very wet trip, I found a trick where I push the gap between each finger/thumb on the mirror stem which forces the glove on much better than pulling at the base of the glove.
The tail pipe shield, Your dad would call it a… Farmer fix. lol Love your videos.
That’s the ram mount I use for my phone. It’s great. And on the front wheel, I was considering the 500X and that was a big consideration for me. I ended up with an older F800, though, which has a 21” front.
Still think the 500X looks like a great bike.
That exploding saddlebag situation was dodgey :D SW motech seem to make really really good stuff, I think I'll try one of their tank bags soon :)
I do sit tall on bikes and have never really wanted to get a bigger windshield either! I do wear earplugs tho so maybe that helps?
Oh, first one.....I think the first one I ever made was braided brake lines....I have a thing for good braking :D
Great video i am thinking of buying a 2016 also i am from Australia and 73 years old. Stay Safe.
First mod was bar risers so I could sit upright more. I still do it on almost every bike I get. I just don’t like having to lean forward (hurts the wrists!).
I have a 2018 Kawasaki KLR 650 which I bought in late August 2018. I ordered the following: A National Cycle V-Stream 18" 5% gray tint screen; An extended shift leaver; An Hepco & Becker centre stand.
I then ordered a large lockable plastic top box with a mounting plate so the box is removable only with the key. It was sold as a large scooter top box that can hold 2 full-face helmets. All that stuff was ordered direct or via eBay so I had to wait for them to be shipped.
While I was waiting, I bought some RAM Mount stuff: An X-Grip IV phone/table mount for phone/tablets up to 7" in size because I have an 7" tablet: A medium length arm; A motorbike handle bar U-Bolt base clamp. The clamp is mounted on the handle bars permanently but the rest is now locked away in the top box ready for use. To power the phone/tablet, I bought a weather proof USB power socket that has a fuse in the cable and connects directly to the battery for power all the time.
I think the first thing I think I got on the KLR was a pair of cheap 23 litres per side saddlebags before all the stuff above arrived. After they were toasted and roasted, last was a set of saddlebags of almost 36 litres per side. They are roll tops. Those bags are not destroyed yet but the RHS one is toasty where it connected the muffler and the buckles on the rear strap are melted together. The bags are still usable but I think I burnt about $1000-$1200 worth of saddlebags over the years, including the current and previous KLR and other bikes.
Then I got a set of pannier rack mounts for my KLR in early Q4 last year. I should have done this years ago. The big bags, mentioned above, are now mounted to the racks tightly with the bag's back straps. When empty, I strap up the saddlebags with bungee straps to to the pannier racks to make traffic filtering easier (it's legal here). I don't want the empty bags flapping around in the wind.
Besides holding saddle bags and hard pannier boxes, the pannier frames are useful for strapping down other stuff to the back seat of the bike. I have "OZtrail Easy Fold Stretcher Shelter - Single" camping shelter, it's nice, it's big, it's heavy, 113*22*22 cm & 16.7kg packed. It is comfy with the right sleeping pad. And easy to strap it across the back seat of the bike to the pannier frames.
Tractor Manual Tubes was my take away from this video. Brilliant!
First mod on my 2015 CB500X was a musarri exhaust.. It sounded so good. First mod on my 2020 NC750X was the exhaust again but my first mod on the new Africa Twin was omg, there has been so many I've gotta really think to remember what was first... I think it was a windscreen extender and fork guards to stop the buffeting on it..
I got my CB500X last August. This is my first bike ever. I put barkbusters, RR skid plate, RR foot pegs and RR level 1 fork upgrade. I wanted to go to Alaska this summer but unfortunately border crossing is not an option due to COVID.