[handsofsteel]

Originally Posted by RT13

If only…. The V is about 9 ex showroom and in our blighted Karnataka, over 11 on road. The Versys is 7.8 ex showroom and nearly 10 on road. The 660 Tiger is nearly 9.5 ex showroom and a shade under 12 on road but may very well represent the best value overall though the V is the only one of the three which is less than purely road oriented.

Karnataka OTR prices are always on the higher side. My idea was to just give an idea of the price band (price recollection was from my ownership days of the V650). didn't realise that the Tiger sport is more expensive than the Vstrom. 11-12 L for a 650 cc is seriously pushing it

[ManneAtWheelz]

Originally Posted by handsofsteel

The Vstrom retails at the upper end of the 650 cc segment and is closer to 10L OTR. Triumph Tiger 660 sport sits midway, and the versys 650 (7.8ish now if I am not wrong) at the lower end of the 650 price spectrum.

Forgot Moto Morini X-Cape?

[handsofsteel]

Originally Posted by ManneAtWheelz

Forgot Moto Morini X-Cape?

oh yes! great bike, but, does it even sell?

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

NX500 launched. 5.9 lakhs is the magic figure finally!

[shabih]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

NX500 launched. 5.9 lakhs is the magic figure finally!

Finally indeed. Would have liked it to be at 5 lakhs ex-showroom though. But it's stil better than what was feared. Admin can remove the below meme but it goes so well for Honda right now after all the non sense pricing

[AtheK]

How well did CB500X sell after price correction, I have hardly seen any on the road. This with it's styling might sell a bit more. It's still a very tough pick over Himalayan at almost double the price.

[Sebring]

The red was sold out immediately, Black sold out in two weeks. I remember wanting only the red so I held out. Even the new black is matte, doesn't stand out.

Originally Posted by AtheK

How well did CB500X sell after price correction, I have hardly seen any on the road. This with it's styling might sell a bit more. It's still a very tough pick over Himalayan at almost double the price.

[handsofsteel]

Originally Posted by AtheK

How well did CB500X sell after price correction, I have hardly seen any on the road. This with it's styling might sell a bit more. It's still a very tough pick over Himalayan at almost double the price.

Apart from i20 (thanks to the launch of the Honda Jazz), I don't think many other products have been revived after drastic price cuts in the market. We, as a market lose faith in the product (continued availability, value etc) and the company with such price cuts. Not surprised at all with the fact that it didn't sell much after the price cut.

The himalayan and this appeal to two entirely different segments (target audience wise). Price and value wise, there is no big-bike manufacturer in India who can beat the REs. However, there is an entire set of people willing to spend for that extra bit for reliability/ finesse/ exclusivity and, most importantly, peace of mind. RE might have narrowed the gap a great deal, but if I were in the market to buy a big bike now, no questions on who I'd rather consider - Honda/Kawa/Triumph or the REs.

Mind you, I've owned both - the RE and the Kawasaki V650.

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by Sebring

The red was sold out immediately, Black sold out in two weeks. I remember wanting only the red so I held out. Even the new black is matte, doesn't stand out.

Sold out is nice, but how many did they actully had to sell, 10-15 bikes?

Any where we can see the bigwing sale numbers, guess last time it was tock clearance, this time hopefully they get more bikes.

Originally Posted by handsofsteel

Apart from i20 (thanks to the launch of the Honda Jazz), I don't think many other products have been revived after drastic price cuts in the market. We, as a market lose faith in the product (continued availability, value etc) and the company with such price cuts. Not surprised at all with the fact that it didn't sell much after the price cut.

The himalayan and this appeal to two entirely different segments (target audience wise). Price and value wise, there is no big-bike manufacturer in India who can beat the REs. However, there is an entire set of people willing to spend for that extra bit of reliability/ finesse/ exclusivity and, most importantly, peace of mind. RE might have narrowed the gap a great deal, but if I were in the market to buy a big bike now, no questions on who I'd rather consider - Honda/Kawa/Triumph or the REs.

Mind you, I've owned both - the RE and the Kawasaki V650.

Agreed Honda has better quality, but at double the price they pretty much loose majority of customers. The himalayan gives a big bike feel also now, and I won't be surprised if in real life Himalayan looks like a bigger bike then Honda. RE anyway will continue to churn out numbers, and at this price point even if I was in the market I would pick the himalayan over the honda. That said if you have double the money Honda is probably a better product but not by a huge margin.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Attaching the press release, as received, for reference:

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India launches All-New NX500

‘Bookings Open’

New Delhi, 19 January 2024: Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) today launched the all-new ‘NX500’ adventure tourer at an attractive price of Rs. 5,90,000 (ex-showroom New Delhi). The new model will make its way to the Indian market through CBU* route (*Completely Built-Up).

Inheriting the popular traits, it features new styling and a host of upgrades. Meaning ‘New X-over’, the NX500 is crafted to offer a delightful experience across a spectrum of terrains, on everything from a winding road to a gravel trail or long-distance adventures. Bookings for the All-New NX500 are now open, and it will be sold via BigWing dealerships across India.

Introducing Honda’s latest premium adventure motorcycle, Mr. Tsutsumu Otani, Managing Director, President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, said, “Today marks a significant milestone as we proudly unveil the highly-anticipated NX500 in India. This modern street adventure motorcycle is a testament to our unwavering commitment to innovation and offers pure riding thrill. With its daily crossover design, premium technology & lively twin-cylinder engine, the NX500 is set to redefine the riding experience of customers and celebrate the spirit of adventure on two-wheels."

Commenting on the launch of the NX500, Mr. Yogesh Mathur, Director, Sales and Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, said, “We are pleased to introduce the all-new NX500 in the Indian market within three months of its global debut at EICMA 2023. As we embark on this exciting journey, we are confident that the NX500 will surely excite the ADV buyers in India. The bookings for the NX500 are now open at our premium BigWing dealerships and its deliveries will begin from next month onwards.”

Styling and Equipment:

Directed by the design theme of ‘Daily Crossover’, wherever it goes – city block, winding road, highway or gravel trail – the NX500 looks the part, wearing new style that has an amalgamation of compact adventure-style usability with an imposing silhouette. The motorcycle’s new all-LED headlight and tail lamp are compactly designed to contribute to its imposing yet nimble impression.

Honda’s latest adventure touring bike boasts premium technology in the form of a new 5-inch full colour TFT screen that uses optical bonding to improve visibility in bright sunlight. It is also customizable, and the rider can select a display style between Bar, Circle & Simple along with a background colour from White, Black & Auto.

The NX500 offers IOS/Android smartphone connectivity of Honda RoadSync along with a backlit 4-way toggle-switch on the left handlebar that allows on-screen turn-by-turn navigation as well as the option for the rider to make calls or listen to music (via a Bluetooth headset). It also gets an emergency stop signal feature that communicates sudden braking to the vehicles behind by flashing turn signals at high speed.

Engine and Performance:

Powering the all-new Honda NX500 is a 471cc, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke DOHC engine with a parallel twin-cylinder layout that offers a well-proportioned balance of enjoyable performance with an energetic high-revving character and zappy top end. This motor churns out 35kW power at 8,600rpm and 43Nm of peak torque at 6,500rpm, paired with a slick-changing 6-speed gearbox.

The NX500’s powerful characteristic in the low to mid-RPM ranges facilitates high maneuverability and a strong feel of acceleration on city roads. There is also an assist/slipper clutch which eases upshifts and eliminates rear wheel hopping under hard braking and downshifting scenarios. It gets switchable HSTC (Honda Selectable Torque Control) system as well to manage rear wheel traction for increased peace of mind while riding on slippery terrains.

Suspension, Brakes and Tyres:

Ensuring an optimal balance between lightweight body and structural rigidity, the NX500 carries forward the steel diamond-tube mainframe. This adventure touring motorcycle gets a 19-inch front and a 17-inch rear trail-pattern radial tyres which are sized 110/80-R19 and 160/60-R17. Its alloy wheels, however, are completely new cast aluminium Y-shaped 5-spoke units.

To ensure superior comfort on-the-road as well as on off-road trails, this ADV is equipped with Showa 41mm SFF-BP upside-down (USD) front forks and a Pro-Link mono-suspension at the rear with a 5-stage preload adjuster. Braking duties are performed by dual 296mm front discs with two-piston calipers at front & a 240mm disc with a 1-piston caliper at rear with dual-channel ABS as standard.

Colours, Price and Availability:

The All-New Honda NX500 has been attractively priced at Rs. 5,90,000 (ex-showroom New Delhi). It will be available in three colour schemes that complement its adventure persona. They are – Grand Prix Red, Matte Gunpowder Black Metallic and Pearl Horizon White. Bookings are now open at HMSI’s premium BigWing dealerships across India. Deliveries will begin from February 2024 onwards.

Do note - NX500 is a CBU and not CKD as speculated earlier. And Honda was still able to price at 5.9 lakhs. Raises two questions:

1. Wouldn't a 5.5L or lower ex-showroom be easy to achieve had it been CKD? As I've mentioned in an earlier post, the math is simple based on Thai prices and 5.9 with CBU taxes proves it. Honda could show more commitment to this market, one of their largest!

2. How much premium Honda had charged when pricing the original CKD CB500X at 6.8 lakhs?

[Senotrius]

Still going to be a niche product which will be sold out completely due to the low numbers Honda's importing. Hope they launch it as CKD with lower price in 3-4 years time when I plan to upgrade. Provided Triumph and other players don't come with competing twins.

[antz.bin]

This launch is roughly as relevant as a Benelli 500cc motorcycle launch.

Thanks to the CBU Road tax, the price is roughly 7.5 Lakh OTR Pune OR roughly the same as Himalayan 452 (3.4L) + KTM Adventure 390 Alloy Wheels (4L).

For context, 35k more buys you a Kawasaki Z650. That gives you 20 more horses to play with.

I see no reason to pay so much for an A2 license motorcycle in India. But then I am probably not their target customer.

Best of luck to all future Honda NX500 owners in India. Ride safe.

[windiesel]

Originally Posted by AtheK

It's still a very tough pick over Himalayan at almost double the price.

Well, it has double the cylinders!! Jokes apart, the CB500X has been a best seller the world over, as a do it all motorcycle for a decade plus, for a reason- it's supremely versatile engine. While the Himalayan has a cult following amongst the ADV riders, the CB is a do it all, even the Brazilian president has one! And being an almost perfect square twin with equal bore and stroke, the new short stroke (a la KTM) Himalayan is just no comparision where low end torque and spread of power across the rev band is concerned...they aren't even in the same pin code!.

[davelok]

Directed by the design theme of ‘Daily Crossover’, wherever it goes – city block, winding road, highway or gravel trail

They're being careful not to call it an offroad bike. Their local competition has no such hangups. Honda might need to stress the reliability and smoothness of the bike more than its ruggedness.

[hikozaru]

Can someone tell me who the target audience for this bike is.

I want a refined multicylinder bike. Understandable. Get the Aprilia RS457 for 4.1L
I want a refined multicylinder bike that is reliable. Understandable. Get the Yamaha R3 for 4.65L
I want a reliable, refined multicylinder bike that is comfortable. Understandable. Get the Ninja 400 for 5.25L (or 5L on discounts)
I want a reliable, comfortable, refined multicylinder bike that can take two side panniers, a top box and a pillion. Why not buy a used 4cylinder car at that point. It does everything the CB500X does better except for slightly better acceleration and top speed?