Honda NX500 E-Clutch: A hard goodbye

You don't need more bike than this. The Honda NX500 left us with that thought pretty often over the course of this season. It joined our fleet just in time for Newchurch 2026, and in mid-October, after a good four months, it's due to go back to Honda Austria. In between, it has been one of the most popular bikes in the office. Of all things, this supposedly boring Honda. When our colleague with an A2 licence wants to nip to the supermarket, Gregor commutes to Vienna or someone plans a relaxed weekend tour, the first question is often: "Is the NX500 here?" Time for five reasons in its favour, and five that make it a little less than perfect.

The 471 cc parallel twin is an old friend in Honda's 500 family. With its 48 hp it won't move mountains, but it happily handles everything everyday life throws at it. Keeping up with traffic, rolling along country roads in a relaxed way, winding out a gear now and then: it's enough for all that. Overtaking, however, is best planned. When you have to keep an eye on oncoming traffic, you can't simply make up for missing reserves with a hefty twist of the throttle. In return, the engine is easy to use and remains an uncomplicated companion. And it's exactly this accessibility that counts for more every day than a particularly impressive peak output.

Confidence in its durability plays a part too. Our trusted workshop reports that this engine has never caused them any problems and that they're not aware of any recall for it in over ten years. That workshop assessment matches our impression of a reliable daily companion. Our verdict is based on a good four months of use by many different colleagues.

The second plus point sits right at the clutch. The E-Clutch takes care of engaging and disengaging when pulling away and stopping, and you don't need the clutch lever for gear changes either. Shifting is still done with your foot. If you want to step in yourself, simply use the lever that's still there. In city traffic the system takes work off your hands, and on country roads it can be used much as conveniently as a quickshifter. Without ride-by-wire, there's no classic blipper with automatic throttle blipping here. Instead, when downshifting you can feel the clutch re-engaging.

The good news: during our time together the system never hiccupped or caused any problems. It adds around two kilograms of weight. In Austria, the price difference between the NX500 and the E-Clutch is currently around 500 euros. For me, the benefit is still clear: less clutch work in town, pleasant gear changes on country roads and still the option to do everything yourself. If you have the extra budget, it gets my clear recommendation.

At 1.75 metres, I rarely end up on the big adventure bikes in the office. Maybe the Africa Twin of Poky's that I once dropped has something to do with it too. On the NX500 there's no such problem: I stand securely, and my knees even stay slightly bent with my feet on the ground. On the move you sit naturally and upright, the handlebar is right where I want it, and the knee angle suits my height. Longer distances are comfortable too. Taller riders should check whether a higher seat suits them better. Hopping on without fuss and getting off again without anything pinching – the Honda can do that.

The small windscreen isn't height-adjustable. For me, the wind protection works decently in standard configuration. Schaaf, as a taller rider, reports turbulence around the helmet, however. So comfort here depends on your own height, and the package can be adapted with accessories if needed. The fitted hand guards provide extra wind protection for the hands. Our everyday office routine shows that the NX500 is fundamentally accessible: nobody has to think long about the right riding position before setting off on it.

During our time together, Jakob is still riding on an A2 licence. Whenever he asks for a bike, we regularly recommend the NX500. It's pleasant to ride and makes getting started easy for him. Declaring it a pure beginner's bike because of that would still be a mistake. In Newchurch, the legal crew rides the Honda in a sporty way on country roads. The NX goes along with it. In the twisties and on gravel, it can do more than you'd expect from looking at its output. Its strength is the combination of easy handling and versatility, which experienced riders can also appreciate.

The fifth strength is visible even when it's parked: the NX500 looks like a full-size bike. Especially for beginners, taller riders or returning riders deliberately looking for less power, that's an argument. The fuel consumption fits the picture: we can ride it on under 4 l/100 km. In Austria, the E-Clutch costs 7,890 euros. The NX500 without E-Clutch sits alongside it at 7,390 euros. Given its versatile range of use, you get a proper bike whose performance you can actually use in everyday life. Running costs for this vehicle also remain manageable.

Our NX500 carries quite a few SW-Motech accessories: a STREET-RACK luggage rack, a TRAX ADV top case, the PRO Enduro WP strap-mounted tank bag, the Adventure hand guard kit and PRO side carriers with side bags. That suits its role as a road and touring bike. For the trip to Vienna, Gregor takes off the side bags, and the carriers can also be removed quickly if needed. That keeps the Honda slimmer in city traffic. Personally, I especially appreciate the top case: shopping or helmet goes in, and a pillion can still come along. Schaaf, for instance, has already ridden along on the way to grab a kebab.

The sturdy hand guards help against the wind and are supposed to protect the levers in a tip-over. Fortunately, though, we haven't put them through a crash test. Another plus is the wide range of accessories available. There's a lot of CB500X under the new name – that designation is even still on our bike's registration document. Accordingly, there's a large selection of new and used parts from various suppliers. We opted for SW-Motech here to make daily use and tours with luggage more pleasant.

Where there's light, there's shadow. The first negative is the weight: we weighed our NX500 without accessories at 204 kg ready to ride. For 48 hp that's noticeable, both when manoeuvring on sloping ground and when accelerating. The same engine feels peppier in the lighter CB500 Hornet.

The second catch concerns the stated payload of 185 kg. Two-up and with touring luggage, you approach this limit correspondingly faster. For me, the NX500 is therefore above all a good solo touring bike. That leaves more room for luggage, and the engine has less extra weight to haul. Riding two-up is of course possible too. Then you should calculate the load more carefully and cut back on luggage if necessary.

The next two weaknesses mainly affect commuters. At motorway speeds, high-frequency vibrations run through the handlebar, and some of it reaches the footpegs too. Sixth gear isn't particularly tall, and at the 5,000 to 6,000 rpm in question this becomes unpleasant on longer stretches. After a while your hands start to feel numb. So you think more carefully about when the next stop makes sense. On top of that, there's no cruise control. In this price class that's understandable, but the colleagues commuting to Vienna would still appreciate it. If you ride a lot of motorway, you should deliberately check these two points on a test ride.

That leaves the fifth point of criticism: for some, the Honda will simply be too well-behaved. It rides unexcitedly, the engine works, the paint looks good, the big thrill is missing. For these riders, it's more of a head bike than a heart bike. That's exactly what makes it so popular with us. Hop on, ride off and know what to expect. In other countries you see plenty of NX500s and their predecessors as everyday tools, with a backpack or top case on the way to work and the shops. Our Honda fulfils this role too. Which is why its imminent return to Honda Austria leaves a noticeable gap in the fleet.