HONDA CL500 (2023 - on) Review

The Honda CL500 is the fifth model in Honda's range to be powered by their rev-happy, dependable 471cc parallel twin motor. An easy-going scrambler-style motorbike dressed in minimalist bodywork, it shares the same tubular steel main frame as the Honda CMX500 Rebel cruiser - with a new subframe and swingarm - plus an extra tooth on the rear sprocket for an added spring in its step.

Revealed at the 2022 Eicma trade show in Milan and launched at the beginning of 2023 with a UK base price of just £5999, it goes up against the likes of Royal Enfield’s Scram 411 as a gently set road-biased naked soft-roader that’s capable of cutting through congested city streets and buzzing playfully along a wiggly back road.

Styling is said to be inspired by the early Honda CLs of the 1960s and 70s, with a charming twin exit raised exhaust swept up to the right, dinky 12-litre fuel tank, bench seat, and rubber fork gators as standard creating a look that’s bang on trend with the current crop of modern retros.

Up front sits a set of non-adjustable 41mm forks, with twin rear shocks offering five-stage adjustable preload. It’s soft at both ends, but appropriate for the endless potholes and speedbumps of urban living - with a charming ability to playfully flick from one corner to the next when the going gets twisty. There’s even enough travel for some light scrambling, however the 155mm of ground clearance and road-biased Dunlop Trailmax Mixtour tyres preclude any serious off-roading.

You also get ABS at the front and rear to help meet Euro5, which will only kick in if you’re being particularly unkind and - being a Honda - you can expect the indicators to flash under hard braking.

These hazards are LED (as are all the lights) and there’s a single-unit LCD display lifted straight from the Rebel up front. This became hard to read in the intense Spanish midday sunshine on our European launch test and lacks features such as a rev counter.

The similarities between the CL and Rebel are clear and whilst a new air intake makes for a smoother throttle response down low, Honda’s claims of boosted low-end torque are less evident. Being an A2 licence compliant 46bhp parallel twin, the motor still needs to be worked hard, like the rest of the firm’s 500 line-up, when out on the open road.

Adding to the CL’s appeal is a wide range of accessory packs, offering everything from heated grips to beaky off-road mudguards, and strap-on luggage to flattrack inspired rear number boards. We were able to sample a variety of these mix-and-match bolt-ons and while the choice is impressive, the added bodywork is only available in white, and the off-road foot pegs generate an uncomfortable vibration through your feet at motorway speeds.

Watch Dan's full Honda CL500 video review here: