First published at 08:29 UTC on November 9th, 2022.
Let’s talk Honda’s new CL500 Scrambler for 2023, built on the Honda 500 parallel-twin platform, with some obvious shared DNA with the CMX500 Rebel. However this bike is taller, runs a dual-purpose clad 19-17 inch wheel combo and the telltale tall sc…
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Let’s talk Honda’s new CL500 Scrambler for 2023, built on the Honda 500 parallel-twin platform, with some obvious shared DNA with the CMX500 Rebel. However this bike is taller, runs a dual-purpose clad 19-17 inch wheel combo and the telltale tall scrambler exhaust that suggests that river crossing isn’t such a bad idea after all.
Add fork gaiters, tall bars, an inviting 790 mm seat height and the CL500 seems like an accessible option for most riders, in a package that’s slightly different to the CB500, CBR500R, CB500X and Rebel.
So let’s run through the specs, a parallel twin engine producing 34.3 kW to stay under the A2 restrictions in Europe, or 46 ponies, alongside 43.4 Nm of torque. Naturally it’s a six-speed, with slip and assist clutch. This is a modern bike afterall and I’ve always found the Honda 500s fun to ride and capable of delivering the thrills in a no fuss manner that’s ideal for new riders and will keep experienced riders who don’t demand heaps of performance happy.
The tubular frame is matched to 41 mm forks and preload adjustable rear shocks, so nothing earth shattering there, with it up to Honda to produce a setup that’ll work in varied conditions, for various weight riders. Whether the dual shocks perform better than the more common monoshocks we see now will be interesting to see, but meets the scrambler theme.
A single 310 mm front rotor gets a dual-piston caliper, and is linked to that 240 mm rear rotor and single-piston caliper combo, with ABS providing further backup. Not ground breaking but it can be argued that enough brake is probably better than too much on anything likely to be ridden off the tarmac by new riders.
That dual-purpose rubber is a set of Dunlop Mixtours, run as a 110/80 front on the 19 inch rim, and a 150/70 rear on the 17 inch. Notably Honda have retained the alloy wheels, aligning with a fairly light expectation of off-roading more suited to simple trails.
Not that that’s a bad thing, much of the appeal is just be..
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