Interesting, I really like this type of bike but I have to wonder the purpose. Even those these are only 500cc bikes they make the same power as the NC700 family of bikes. Seems odd to compete with yourself.

- 470cc liquid-cooled, parallel-twin
- Six-speed manual
- 46.9bhp
- 30lb/ft of torque
- 401lbs (dry)/430lbs (wet)
- 105mph top speed
- 31-inch seat height
- 120/70-17 (front)/160-60-17 (rear)

http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2012/ ... 00-family/

Interesting.

The 700 is near 50% more torque, although 12% heavier. There'll be plenty of bikes at 47bhp as that's a new EU licence classification.

This looks like a new rider option, but also a jolly decent commuting tool. I wonder what the pricing will be, I suspect in UK Honda will push the 700X to £6.5k and pitch the 500X at £5k.

At least, assuming they bring these in, it's just adding choice and reducing excessive focus on Sportsbikes.

Thay aren also supposed to be coming out with a CBR version with normal front fork etc.. (not upsidedowners). Great to see a few more practical everyday machines appearing on the scene..

But it isn't practical.
Thin uncomfortable looking seat, unnecessarily complex rear suspension, chain final drive, no centrestand, stupidly massive gap between rear wheel and minimal mudguard, tiny rear light and indicators.
That's just from a first glance.
We'll have to wait to know for sure if there will be any isolation between the engine and frame or if it will be yet another vibrating agricultural pile of poop.

gn2 wrote:But it isn't practical.
Thin uncomfortable looking seat, unnecessarily complex rear suspension, chain final drive, no centrestand, stupidly massive gap between rear wheel and minimal mudguard, tiny rear light and indicators.
That's just from a first glance.
We'll have to wait to know for sure if there will be any isolation between the engine and frame or if it will be yet another vibrating agricultural pile of poop.

At the end of the day at the end of the day if it's at the right price it will sell (and the new CB500s are supposedly budget bikes) whether there's too larger gap here and there, or the suspension is too complicated, it will still sell. I think the stop/start system on the PCX125 is totally unnecessary and completely daft on a 125, but you and many others like it. At the end of the day though there are more economical 125s on the market.
The DCT model on the NC700 is also totally unnecessary and you didn't like it, which is fair enough, but there's plenty of people who do and sales have caught Honda out by surprise.

wozza wrote:At the end of the day though there are more economical 125s on the market.

With CVT?
Name them.

gn2 wrote:

wozza wrote:At the end of the day though there are more economical 125s on the market.

With CVT?
Name them.

He didn't say "At the end of the day though there are more economical 125s on the market with a cvt"

All Wozza was trying to say is different strokes for different folks.

I agree, this doesn't look too practical from a comfort point of view. However, there is a market for this bike and I'm sure Honda will sell tons of these.

I do hope Honda bring out a Pan Euro style bike with the helmet storage using the nice DCT 700 setup though, I'm sure it would sell by the bucket load to commuters and couriers alike.

Seems like not a real progression on the old CB500s?
By that i mean the usual rider i see in London is a) courier b) commuter. Neither of which wants sporty stuff, they want practical and reliable.

They should of launched it with either shaft or rubber band-chain, lost the sporty plastic and had standard a luggage-frame, hand covers, fat-arse comfy seat and fitted a cow-catcher to push pedestrians and cyclists out the way. Job done.

gn2 wrote:But it isn't practical.
Thin uncomfortable looking seat, unnecessarily complex rear suspension, chain final drive, no centrestand, stupidly massive gap between rear wheel and minimal mudguard, tiny rear light and indicators.
That's just from a first glance.
We'll have to wait to know for sure if there will be any isolation between the engine and frame or if it will be yet another vibrating agricultural pile of poop.

The seat may look uncomfortable to you but I will withhold judgement until I can give it a go. My ER6f seat looks about the same and it is one of the most comfortable seats I've ever had on a bike. What makes the rear suspension so complex? I agree about the chain drive, would be nice to have a shaft or belt, especially since there is no centerstand. I'm guessing a centerstand is an available option, just a guess of course. It is a parallel twin so you are probably right about the vibrations, even with all the care Kawasaki has done over the years my new 650 still sends vibes through the bike though they aren't too strong. I think the only parallel twin that I had tried that was smooth was a Bonneville.

wisart wrote:What makes the rear suspension so complex?

Unnecessary levers and pivots which require maintenance.