The Honda CB 500x is a great motorbike for the money
.
In Vietnam, it can be bought for around $9000 or 200,000,000vnd.
For this money, you are getting an unbelievably reliable and low maintenance machine. That will see you thousands of miles on the road without issues. You are getting a comfortable and practical motorbike on the road, combined with some minor offroad capabilities.
It has quickly become one of the most popular adventure motorbikes in Vietnam.
For Tigit the CB 500x is commonly used for weekend getaways. But it also popular for the entire length of the country where people drive for one month or more.
The Tires we use on a Honda CB 500x
The first upgrade we do is the tires. They come stock with Dunlop trail max tires. These tires only last around 6,000km and may as well be called road tires. The value and cost of OEM Dunlop tires in Vietnam aren't great.
We switch them out with
Metzeler Karroo Street 3
tires.
Tires on the Honda CB 500x
Boxes and panniers
for the Honda CB 500x
At Tigit we install 37 litre Givi aluminum side boxes on all our CB 500x motorbikes. They hold up well when clients crash and drop the motorbike! These aluminum boxes cost around $1200 all in.
However, if you own your own CB 500X, you should probably invest in
soft panniers
to save on weight.
Here we have two choices. The
Kriega US series
if you have no mounts. Or the
Enduristan Monsoon
if you already have metal mounts on the bike.
Honda CB 500 Givi Trekker boxes
Enduristan Monsoon
Top box
As for the top box, we don't recommend them because the high centre of gravity creates a wobbly bike. However, if you must roll with one, then Tigit has plastic top boxes from Givi. Ultimately any
Givi top box
of various shapes and sizes will do the job.
Top Box CB 500x
Tank bag
The CB 500x will fit any tank bag, but for upmarket ones, we recommend
Enduristan
. Alternatively, if on a budget, get one of these $15
cheap tank bags
!
Enduristan Tank bags are amazing
The Chain and sprocket combination
OEM chain and sprockets from big bike Honda Vietnam are ludicrously expensive and are basically "unbranded". Tigit imports JT sprockets from the UK and then we use DID 520V chains which are real and not fake. For a full
category of Chain and sprockets
Tigit uses.
This set comes is cheaper than any OEM that can be found in Vietnam, and will last more than double the distance. With a fleet of 11 CB 500x motorbikes going in circles, we look for the best value over time.
Getting the right chain set is a huge money saver
Skid plate
for the Honda CB 500x
The exhausts hanging from the bottom of the bike on an ADV bike will need a skid plate. So we go ahead and install one! Brand I can't remember, but if you are interested, we can find them again! Message Tigit.
An ADV motorbike with no skid plate hmm
Crash bars
for the Honda CB 500x
To provide some protection to the motorbike, we have tested the SW-Motech Crash bar system and an unbranded version. We found the unbranded bars provide better all-around protection, and we have started installing them on all our CB 500x motorbikes.
Crash bars Honda CB 500X
Handlebars
for the Honda CB 500x
OEM Honda CB 500x handlebars
are not bad, and it does take a sizable crash to make them bend. Nonetheless, they do bend. We upgrade to R
FX motocross bars
that have a similar fitting to the OEM's. The nice thing about quality motocross bars is that they are impossible to destroy.
OEM are ok, but RFX motocross are bulletproof
Mirrors for the Honda CB 500x
Nothing more annoying than dropping a motorbike and having the mirrors snap. So we have started using the
Double-Take Adventure mirrors
, full video on that here.
Overlooked are the dangers of driving with broken mirrors. OEM's are not good enough
Phone mount
We use the simple
motowolf phone mount
, which mounts up to all motorbikes and provides a great platform for any mobile phone.
We are lucky in Vietnam to have this basically perfect phonemount for tiny money. No need to look elsewhere
Conclusion
For casual ADV riding, the CB 500x more or less comes ready to rock and roll. Hopefully, you find the upgrades mentioned useful!
Tires on the Honda CB 500x
Honda CB 500 Givi Trekker boxes
Enduristan Monsoon
Top Box CB 500x
Enduristan Tank bags are amazing
Getting the right chain set is a huge money saver
An ADV motorbike with no skid plate hmm
Crash bars Honda CB 500X
OEM are ok, but RFX motocross are bulletproof
Overlooked are the dangers of driving with broken mirrors. OEM's are not good enough
We are lucky in Vietnam to have this basically perfect phonemount for tiny money. No need to look elsewhere
