HONDA CB500X ABS (2012-2013) Specs, Performance & Photos

At the 2012 EICMA Motorcycle Show, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer announced for 2013 a trio of mid-sized motorcycles based on the same engine and chassis but tweaked in a specific way to handle various niches.

In the next year after the presentation, Honda released the CB500X ABS, a taller, heavier, and more adventurous motorcycle compared to its CBR500R sports and CB500F naked siblings, capable of riding longer distances with only a tank of gas.

The 2013 CB500X ABS model, as its name says, it received a touch of safety with the added ABS braking system that enhanced its stopping capabilities on hard braking or even on wet surfaces maintaining stability and giving more peace of mind.

Other than that, the CB500X ABS retained the versatile character and performance specifications as the base model, with excellent on-road capabilities and enough nerve, comfort, and maneuverability for unpaved trails.

In the performance department, the 2013 Honda CB500X ABS had its heartbeat set by a 471cc parallel-twin four-stroke liquid-cooled engine, fed by an electronically controlled fuel injection system that helped deliver an output power of 47 hp at 8,500 rpm and 43 Nm (32 lb-ft) of torque available at 7,000 rpm.

As for braking performance, the bike rolled on a set of lightweight cast aluminum wheels fitted with a 320 mm wave-style disc with a two-piston caliper on the front and a 240 mm disc squeezed by a single-piston caliper on the rear that provided optimum stopping power.