2020 Honda CB500X vs Kawasaki Versys X 300

The world of modern adventure-touring motorcycles is expanding. What started decades ago as an odd mash-up of street and off-road capability has grown into a category that overshadows almost every other—and of course the expansion has been in more ways than one. Flagship ADV machines are positively massive, so much so that referring to a BMW R 1200 GS or Yamaha Super Ténéré as a small moon is basically just an overused joke. It’s no real surprise that along with the success of these flagship bikes has come an endless stream of satire and complaints that they’re simply too big, too complicated, and too expensive.

As dazzled as we are by the ultra-lux ADVs, there’s no doubt the upper crust of motorcycling has become an extreme. So for every one of you who has penned an angry letter or rolled your eyes at a 1,200cc “dirt bike” with electronic everything and a $16,000 price tag, there are these two machines before you: the Honda CB500X and Kawasaki Versys-X 300. They are simple, small, and can be had for less than $7,000. To get a feel for this awesomely accessible end of the adventure class we took these two machines for a long loop around Southern California. We tackled fast-flowing freeways, choppy back roads, city streets, and single-track trails to see how these two competitors have defined their segment.

First Thing’s First: Do They Have Enough Power?
When 850cc is rapidly becoming the norm in the “middleweight” ADV class, you may be wondering whether the Versys’ 296cc engine or the CB500X’s 471cc mill are going to be adequate for your globe-trotting adventures. Rest assured both engines will propel you down the highway or along a ridgetop trail, but know that they’ll do it with drastically different demeanors.

The Versys-X 300 uses the same engine that graced the Ninja 300, and its sportbike heritage is evidenced by the 12,750-rpm redline. Power is linear but not particularly abundant, which may help explain why Kawasaki geared the bike so low. The Versys will sling you down the highway at 75 mph, but its crankshaft will be turning a dizzying 9,000 rpm and you’ll be praying for a seventh gear. Dial it back to 60 mph and the bike feels less frenzied, gets better gas mileage (mid-50s versus mid-40s at 75 mph), and leaves you with a bit more roll-on power to use for passing.

If the Kawasaki’s engine is a frantic terrier, the Honda’s engine is a relaxed labrador. The 500X’s extra 175cc offers more acceleration and a higher top speed, but it’s the engine’s loping character that’s most appreciated. It’s happy to lug along in the dirt with plenty of low-end torque or trot along the highway at a few thousand rpm, all the while netting at least 50 mpg. If you intend to stack miles on your mini ADV, the Honda is a more suitable touring partner. And if it sounds like we’re throwing Kawasaki under the bus for not using the newer, 399cc Ninja 400 engine in the Versys-X, you would be right. But keep in mind that the Ninja 400 uses different chassis architecture so it’s not as simple for Kawasaki to upgrade the wee Versys as we would like to think.

Besides having entirely different characters, the biggest difference between these two engines is the feedback you get from the clutch lever. Kawasaki’s quest to lighten lever pull may have gone too far here, as it’s genuinely difficult to feel the engagement point of the clutch. That’s not a huge problem on the street, but off road, where clutch finesse is crucial, the Kawi’s weightless lever becomes oddly distracting and difficult to use.

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