The £5999 CL500 is Honda’s loose homage to the ‘soft-roader’ concept it had in the Sixties and Seventies. Bikes like the CL72, CL350 and CL450 were very successful on the west coast of America and based on its 305, 350 and 450cc road bikes, but given larger front wheels and longer travel suspension, wide handlebars, flat bench seats and a signature high-level exhaust to behave better on the large number of ‘unpaved’ roads, as well as give that minimalist Baja desert vibe. All looks and little substance they may have been, but younger riders loved them and they sold a shedload to wannabe SteveMcQueens. I still have one…
Honda’s new CL500 follows the same ethos, partly to engage with those new riders again; partly because that care-free look is en vogue presently; and partly to make a great do-it-all bike. It’s based on Honda’s trusted 500 Rebel platform, using the 500cc parallel twin-cylinder engine, mated to a slick, six-speed gearbox. It gives 47bhp and 32lb-ft torque, the maximum amount of power allowed on an A2 licence (that’s for if you’re 19 or older), but with a punch of the robust twin and an overall wet weight (fuel, oil and water on board – how the hell do some manufacturers still get away with quoting a dry weight?) of just 192kg, the CL doesn’t feel a slouch. And spoiler alert: it’s a smile-inducer – Royal Enfield, I’d watch out.
Technicals
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Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track
Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff
Portuguese Perambulations
Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored
Highway to Heaven
Three friends take on the challenge of riding the length of Canada, from Vancouver in the southwest to Inuvik in the north. The road is long, the conditions merciless, and wildfires are tearing through the country. To top it all off, the final leg of the journey is the ultimate test of gravel riding skills, nerves, and courage - it's the legendary Dempster Highway...
Battlaxes at the ready!
We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet
Ducati Riding Experience
When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...
Four pot flyer
Many said that sports bikes, and particularly bikes in the traditional Supersports class that was populated by 600cc inline fours, were dead. Maybe they spoke too soon?...
Eastern adventurer
With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry
First Time Lucky?
It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.