2019-2021 Honda CB500X

Once you ride a 2019 with RR2, you’ll have great difficulty being happy with the stock CB500x, especially if you ride dirt roads.

Thank you Sir!

I had the same issue. Don't know if the ABS has more stuff under the seat and in the way but damn that was harder than it should be. I actually fitted a foam prefilter to my intake snout so that when I drop it in a creek it might just give me that 1 extra second to hit he kill switch before it floods the intake. Makes it easier to service regularly too. My buddy actually did this to his DRZ400 and it took about an hour to pump the cylinder out before you felt safe hitting the starter. Sure am glad it wasn't dark or raining.

Selling some takeoffs from the bike I just bought.

https://advrider.com/f/threads/honda-cb500x-parts.1473072/

If anyone is interested, I reached out Madstad Engineering and they said they should have their windshield bracket for the 2019+ CB500X available on their online store very soon.

My Seat Concepts Comfort Seat Kit came in & I installed it yesterday. They do a Taller Rally Seat Kit also.



Rode it this morning and I really like the change. The oem seat seemed high in the middle of the saddle to me. Did not fit me there. :-(

This saddle is slightly dished out in the middle-to-back of the saddle region & very comfortable to me. Your ass may vary...
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During my last adventure ride (Usal Rd. & Lost Coast), I discovered max compression damping on my Ohlins shock is not quite enough for my fat-ass offroad. Bottomed more times than it should. Getting estimates for a compression re-valve soon.

The Michelin Anakee Wild front tire is pretty amazing. And stiff. I started at 28psi & it did ok on-road & offroad. Dropped to 24psi by the last day of the trip. Much improved offroad "side-bite". And it was GREAT at full lean on the paved roads!

I need to wear out my Anakee3 rear so I can put a Wild back there next.

Catfish ...

"During my last adventure ride (Usal Rd. & Lost Coast), I discovered max compression damping on my Ohlins shock is not quite enough for my fat-ass offroad. Bottomed more times than it should. Getting estimates for a compression re-valve soon."
Are you sure the spring rate is the right one for your weight? You came across as a technically capable person so I'm not sure whether you've already considered this or not.
Normally it' is not advised to try to cure undersprung suspension with increased damping. Do you have properly set sag on your shocck? Do you still have static sag left after the rider sag is set to your (rider and luggage) weight? How much preload did you need to dial that in?
For a heavier rider a higher spring rate is almost always resulting in a more compliant ride, as it requires less preload to start moving, and also requires less damping to stay in the stroke meaning less movent is transferred to the chassis.

I agree with your spring versus damping assessment. I've done quite a few dirt bike and dual sport shock/fork valving and spring setups. catish's description sure sounds like a spring deal. The spring is also way cheaper than revalving unless you have the DIY capability. I have an Ohlins rear shock coming for my Z650, and I noticed that while the shocks are decently expensive, the Ohlins springs are relatively affordable. catfish, go for a spring first.

I appreciate you guys concern that I'm doing something wrong. Ok, details you are obviously missing ...

Static sag = 0.5" after preload adjustment
Rider sag = 22% (with stiffer spring already installed)

Hey Oyabun, remember our last suspension exchange when you said my rider sag should be 30%? That would make my bottoming problem WORSE!

Like I said, compression damping is not enough & it needs a re-valve. This info is for those who might be considering the Ohlins, weight more than 180 lbs, and are aggressive offroad.

Normal-weight street riders will like the Ohlins shock as delivered.

Catfish ...

How much do you weigh, catfish? Man, that's disappointing that the Ohlins is delivered with that soft a compression damping. Yeah, I wasn't aware you had already confirmed your sag...and that's with a stiffer spring? Just to confirm, is the Ohlins you have the STX-46?...no piggyback? That's the model I have coming for my Z650. I realize the damping and spring rate requirements on our different bikes probably won't match, and I'm hoping the compression damping and spring rate will be spot-on or at least close. If I recall there are only two springs for this shock...I think...at least from Ohlins.

Don't forget that damping is there primarily to control the [action and reaction of the] spring, not to provide a progressive bump-stop - unless you have a PDS circuit specifically for that purpose, I fear all you'll achieve is a harsh ride unless the damping circuit in that shock can be tuned so it acts progressively towards the end of the stroke?

I'm not saying you won't see some improvement - but that ultimately this is a 6" travel bike, you can't hack it off-road with impunity.

Jx

Catfish,
Please bear with me, I have so many conversations on several forums in my private life and exponentially more in my professional life, that I cannot recall that conversation, just that we have discussed suspension here or another forum before.
And yes, there is no hard rule it is rather a rule of thumb thumb to set 30% sag at the front and 25-30% at the rear but it also boils down to individual preference. Excessively decreasing the sag means that the bike will travel very high in the suspension stroke, and if you're crossing a hole the suspension will not be able to stretch out to keep contact with the road.
The fact that you're still frequently bottoming your rear suspension when you're at 22% of total travel with rider sag at the rear to me shows that you are asking too much from that 145mm of travel by either trying to be too fast to the terrain (as JMo has suggested) or your shock is still under sprung for the weight that the bike has to carry.
Your situation might be different, but I still believe that one step further up on the spring rate instead of cranking up the compression damping would result in a better ride.

Here's an easy to understand video on setting rear suspension sag for those of us (especially me) that is mystified by suspension settings! Luckily I have smart friends.
Overall, this is a fantastic motorcycle channel on youtube, Bret Tkacs' Mototrek - how to adjust sag

I don't have my STX-46 for my Z650 yet, but it does seem strange that someone at the level of Ohlins would have such a poor level of compression damping built in to this shock that is specified for a particular bike. Not saying it can't happen. I realize the STX-46 isn't one of their MotoGP, piggyback level shocks, but they don't usually miss the mark that badly. It's usually the spring selection that has to be tweaked, along with rebound which this shock does come equipped with. catfish, that's one reason I asked about your weight.

Something else came to mind after a bit. catfish how are you determining bottomout and rear shock travel during your test ride? While it's easy to check on a fork, it requires a bit more putzing to determine the rear...and please understand I'm not challenging your knowledge or technique in how you determined this because you may be spot-on about the compression damping. Sag is relatively easy to check because you do it with the bike stationary, and there is an easily obtainable measure. Checking suspension travel while moving under varying conditions is harder. The front is easy to check after a ride with a skinny zip tie or checking the "dirt line", if there is one, to see how much travel was used. The rear shock is a bit harder due to access and the usually present, thick, bottomout bumper. Again, not claiming that you haven't assessed your rear travel condition as a "bottomout", but is there a possibility you're experiencing a compression spike instead of bottomout? I would still have expected Ohlins to do a better job as it relates to too soft a compression damping or compression damping resulting in a "spike". That's why I was curious about how you determined full or partial travel out of the rear shock.

I just noticed something else in one of your earlier posts, catfish. You mention your max compression damping. Is your compression damping adjustable? Do you have a piggyback version or the base STX-46?

Here in Iowa our weather took a turn for the worse and we woke up to snow, frost, and just chilly windy nasty ...but today at least it was dry so I donned my riding gear along with my essential heated jacket and took off for a ride along the Mississippi river road...the little Honda brushed off any thoughts of winter and hummed along like a frisky puppy dog..the handguards shielding the wind and the jacket doing it's thing..just reminding me what a sweet little bike the CB 500x is.There will not be many more days in the year I will be able to ride, but until the ice and salt cover the highways I will be out there...The Honda is about the easiest and friendliest bike I have ever ridden..

It's a pretty brilliant machine. That thing could be sitting in a cold shed all winter and still start up first try with no issue.

My 2019 bike sat out last year not even in the shed, just under a cover!(I didn't mean it to go that way but due to some unforeseen circumstances I couldn't get it indoors) All I did was put in a little fuel stabilizer and pull the battery out. After a cold 6 month long Manitoba, Canada winter, I walked out, fear and regret filling my mind(What have I done to my Baby?) I put the battery in turned the key on, waited till the fuel pump cycled, and thumbed the starter.

it started on the first crank. literally the first crank. not even a single hesitation or cough. it just ran flawlessly.

there's a reason Honda has it's reputation!

Wheels and fork gaiters finally on....

For all you CB500X folks who think they have a real dirt bike, I'll see if I can post this link for your entertainment. I am a computer/tech luddite so beware.

https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/adv-bike-in-real-enduro.125474/

Mmmmm well, I've never ever thought my bike was a real dirt bike...it's just a general do most things bike to me. I don't think anyone really thinks that do they ?