Well the deal is done. It's not what I wanted exactly...but it is. Let me explain. About a bazillion other riders and myself have all been waiting for a lightweight Adv bike. The 250cc are a bit small (engine performance), the 800cc are a bit big (and heavy). We've been waiting for something in the "just right" 400-450cc size. KTM has been talking about it, and confirmed it. But it just hasn't materialized. What was supposed to be spring 2017 has now gone to fall 2017 at the earliest. Which means not in stores here until (maybe?) 2018. My scooter sold (which was to be temporary anyways) and now I needed something new. Yes, I still want a KTM 690 Duke...but I just don't want to spend $10K at the moment. So in light of that, I wanted a do-it-all bike. Able to commute, have some fun and be able to do some soft roading/Adv riding.
I had originally test drove this bike in 2014/5 and came away really impressed with it. Fits me perfectly (seat height is 32", my inseam 30") weight is fine (432lbs wet), power is just OK but not light-your-hair-on-fire great. Aftermarket is huge. Bike is bullet proof. There's even a full hard core off-road worthy conversion kit for it. I heard there was going to be improvements for 2016 and there was: slight transmission improvements, full LED lighting, slightly larger fuel tank with a hinged cap, adjustable windscreen, front fork pre-load adjustment (a big thing for me), and slightly revised styling. So it had to be a 2016. Lots of shopping and persistent haggling has paid off. MSRP of $7200 and I got mine for $5500, plus the usual dealer fees. To put that in perspective, used 2013+ models go for that. So I'm pretty pleased. The color is "meh", but kinda cool (or not) in an understated way: Matte Brown Metallic. At least dirt and mud won't show!
2016 Honda CB500X ABS
It's currently in Ottawa and soon to be in Wing's garage (thanks, man!).
