Thank you everyone for your inputs! After reading all this I think the cb is better suited for my riding needs. Will wait and see which one I get my hands on first. If I end up with x300 I guess it won't be too bad, as I'm used to the high revving ninja already... But will def prefer the cb. Thank you everyone again!
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Versys 300 or cb500x
- Thread starter Chrispy
- Start date
Well revving in the 7-8k range is fun lol
But having lower end torque without revving high is quite nice too
the only way to truly decide is to take both for a ride. the opinions of people who own one and have not ridden the other are biased...don't judge a bike by the spec sheets. there are intangibles at play, including comfort, reach, feel of the bike, wind protection, looks and fun to ride.
I have had two CB500x's , one whose motor imploded because of the recall that came out on earlier models, it was replaced by Honda for another one. It was a great bike in many ways, but it was dare I say it , boring.
I had a Yamaha R3 after, which I would say is similar engine wise to the Versys. And you know what, it was an absolute blast to ride. I enjoyed shifting, revving it up and yet never being at hyperlegal speeds.
A CBX that is turning over 5000rpm at highway speeds is at 60% of its redline. A Versys at 7000 is just a tic over 50% of its redline. It is designed to rev higher and as long as vibration and damping are under control there is no harm caused to the engine.
fuel economy is often used to compare as well. (these are just rough numbers off the top of my head). if you ride 10000 km year and the cbx gets 4l/100 and the versys gets 5l/100 thats going to be a whopping $113.00 difference in the total fuel cost.
Its great asking others for advice, but its your money being spent on the bike. try to take each one out (or a similar engined model) before you pull the trigger
I have had two CB500x's , one whose motor imploded because of the recall that came out on earlier models, it was replaced by Honda for another one. It was a great bike in many ways, but it was dare I say it , boring.
I had a Yamaha R3 after, which I would say is similar engine wise to the Versys. And you know what, it was an absolute blast to ride. I enjoyed shifting, revving it up and yet never being at hyperlegal speeds.
A CBX that is turning over 5000rpm at highway speeds is at 60% of its redline. A Versys at 7000 is just a tic over 50% of its redline. It is designed to rev higher and as long as vibration and damping are under control there is no harm caused to the engine.
fuel economy is often used to compare as well. (these are just rough numbers off the top of my head). if you ride 10000 km year and the cbx gets 4l/100 and the versys gets 5l/100 thats going to be a whopping $113.00 difference in the total fuel cost.
Its great asking others for advice, but its your money being spent on the bike. try to take each one out (or a similar engined model) before you pull the trigger
Versys 400 if they ever make one will be a damn good bike
Riding small bikes quick is awesome especially on some twisties, in a straight line I can see how people would want more power. Sucks that Ontario is full of straights.
Riding small bikes quick is awesome especially on some twisties, in a straight line I can see how people would want more power. Sucks that Ontario is full of straights.
Haven't found a dealer that allow test rides and I don't have friends.. That ride ? just me and the wife scooting around doing errands or wknd road trip to grab a bite. Haven't had a chance to sit in a cb, went to a couple dealers but they didn't have it. I did sit on a v300 a very long time ago, so I gotta go refresh my memory.
thats why your on the best bike forum in the whole wide world. start a thread asking if anyone who owns one of these would be willing to meet up for a test ride. let them ride yours and agree beforehand to pay for all damage should you drop it. meet up on a nice quiet country road. most people are quite paternal about their rides but there may be an open minded few...its not like you want to try it on a track or are going to pull wheelies. of course, if you don't have friends because you don't wash, don't wear clothing and have the body of a sasquatch you might have some difficulty....
thanks bub. i dont own the bike to look at , took my info from this review
Quick Read: 2018 Kawasaki Versys-X 300 Review .
where they state in the article
"The high-revving (redline is at a howling 13,000 rpm) parallel twin feels and sounds like a sportbike, and requires plenty of shifting to stay in the powerband. It handles freeway speeds easily, the windscreen keeping the elements at bay and weights on the footpegs and grips taming the worst of the vibes, and the 4.5-gallon tank is good for about 215 miles. "
so going by those numbers 7000 is 53.84615384615385% of 13000. I included the words tic over
Quick Read: 2018 Kawasaki Versys-X 300 Review .
where they state in the article
"The high-revving (redline is at a howling 13,000 rpm) parallel twin feels and sounds like a sportbike, and requires plenty of shifting to stay in the powerband. It handles freeway speeds easily, the windscreen keeping the elements at bay and weights on the footpegs and grips taming the worst of the vibes, and the 4.5-gallon tank is good for about 215 miles. "
so going by those numbers 7000 is 53.84615384615385% of 13000. I included the words tic over
Well it's somewhere between 12 and 13 tho more seem to say 12 ...not a biggie but good for a tease. Still too high for distance.
Now a 400 version of that bike with 42 HP ( the limit for learner bikes ) gets my attention for Australia as not that different than the 471 on the CBx....especially if they keep the redline high as the Honda is 8500 which is on the low side.
Then I think you have a shootout
Now a 400 version of that bike with 42 HP ( the limit for learner bikes ) gets my attention for Australia as not that different than the 471 on the CBx....especially if they keep the redline high as the Honda is 8500 which is on the low side.
Then I think you have a shootout
Mad Mike
Well-known member
Nice thing about that little Kawi motor is it's durability. It's designed to rev high all the time. Ask anyone who has done miles on these little bikes, they go all day long at 10,000RPM without a wimper. I've met riders with 100,000+ hard miles (160,000km) still running strong on an original Ninja250.
Expect the same or better from a Honda - you'll have a hard time destroying a CB500 motor.
Expect the same or better from a Honda - you'll have a hard time destroying a CB500 motor.
former CB500x owner did 30,000km over 3 years (now on a NC750x)
The CBX is a great bike. great engine with broad power that rev's nicely but does redline a little early (8500 I think)
Going +1 on the front sprocket really relaxed the hiway ride and with a good screen you can travel the world.
Its light enough for some mild off-roading even on street tires (pilot road 4's are great), keep it on gravel or compacted trails and you'll be OK. It is street biased suspension, watch the exposed oil filter and pipe, It's not an enduro or MX bike, but for exploring its fine. Add a topcase and it's a great commuting bike. fuel economy averaged 3.8 l/100km.. Touring? not bad, smooth enough at up to 140, and great when you reach some twisty roads.
I'd love to ride a Versys X. Watched a bunch of videos on it. That screamer of an engine looks like fun.
Compared to the Honda it's probably down on torque, but it is lighter.. And the spoked wheels give more off-road options.
I'm waiting for the Versys 400 (must me coming soon the 300 engine is not Euro 4) it should be more powerful and lighter than the 300 as the Ninja 400 is.
Both are good choices
The CBX is a great bike. great engine with broad power that rev's nicely but does redline a little early (8500 I think)
Going +1 on the front sprocket really relaxed the hiway ride and with a good screen you can travel the world.
Its light enough for some mild off-roading even on street tires (pilot road 4's are great), keep it on gravel or compacted trails and you'll be OK. It is street biased suspension, watch the exposed oil filter and pipe, It's not an enduro or MX bike, but for exploring its fine. Add a topcase and it's a great commuting bike. fuel economy averaged 3.8 l/100km.. Touring? not bad, smooth enough at up to 140, and great when you reach some twisty roads.
I'd love to ride a Versys X. Watched a bunch of videos on it. That screamer of an engine looks like fun.
Compared to the Honda it's probably down on torque, but it is lighter.. And the spoked wheels give more off-road options.
I'm waiting for the Versys 400 (must me coming soon the 300 engine is not Euro 4) it should be more powerful and lighter than the 300 as the Ninja 400 is.
Both are good choices
@lornejack nice, thank you for that. I wish v400 was available, I think that's an automatic winner.
GVH
Well-known member
2018 Honda CB500X ABS Black Friday Special | Street, Cruisers & Choppers | Hamilton | Kijiji
2018 CB500X $6800
2018 Kawasaki Versys 300 ABS | Sport Touring | Barrie | Kijiji
2018 Versys 300 $5899
Not a huge difference for new models. Been looking at downsizing to a CB500X but need to sell a few others first.
2018 CB500X $6800
2018 Kawasaki Versys 300 ABS | Sport Touring | Barrie | Kijiji
2018 Versys 300 $5899
Not a huge difference for new models. Been looking at downsizing to a CB500X but need to sell a few others first.
Supernam
Well-known member
While I’ve never ridden a Versys X300, I did own a Ninja 300 and a CB500X at the same time. The CB500X is by far the better bike if you intend on riding highways or having a passenger/luggage. The X300 is 45 lbs lighter which can be good or bad depending.
It all depends on what type of riding you will do. If you want to do everything, I would highly recommend the CB500X. I’ve had mine since 2013 and have thought about getting a 2019 version just so I can get the 19” front wheel.
It all depends on what type of riding you will do. If you want to do everything, I would highly recommend the CB500X. I’ve had mine since 2013 and have thought about getting a 2019 version just so I can get the 19” front wheel.
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