Today’s motorcycle community is brimming with new riders, all of whom are slowly learning more about their personal vibe, moto style, and bike preference, thanks to the lockdown of the pandemic and the countrywide skyrocketing of gas prices.
Because of this new influx, bike manufacturers are taking the opportunity to appeal to a bigger crowd by creating motorcycles that can do more – you know, units like Harley’s adventure-oriented (yet surprisingly comfy) Pan America, Aprilia’s electronically-stacked Tuareg 660…even the all-new electric, flat track-inspired LiveWire Del Mar features a dual-purpose vibe, with Harley’s LiveWire website coining the new bike as “informed by the lineage of winning, rethought for the urban riding experience and beyond.”
What we’re trying to say is that bikes with multiple talents make their brands more money – which is why we were tickled pink to see that Honda’s filed a patent for what we think could actually be a lower-cc sibling to the original big single: The Honda NX650 Dominator.
“One could look at the NX650 as Honda’s first go at building an ‘adventure’ motorcycle, a concept initiated by the BMW R80G/S back in 1980,” comments Rider Magazine – and they’d be right. The build became popular for high scores in both the reliability and versatility sectors, with custom community prizing NX650 donor bikes even today.
With the NX650 discontinued as of the new millenia (purportedly due to poor sales in the Americas, though the European ‘Dominator’ lasted a tad longer), the dual-sport thumper was officially out of the game – at least, until Honda found a ready community waiting to spill some green on a refreshed model, that is.
The report from VisorDown says that Honda “intends to make a 500 for 2023, with the established 471cc motor which is already used in the CB500X, and is anticipated to be used in the CL 500.”
We haven’t got much else to go off of, apart from the fact that this particular bike will be needing a bit of finessing to ensure that it hits the right market; the build won’t want to get too close to its sibling CB500X, nor should it be trying to emulate the brand’s iconic 1084cc Africa Twin.
What’s between the two? I suppose we will find out soon enough. Drop a comment letting us know what you think (and subscribe to our newsletter if you want the new stuff sent to your inbox), and as ever – stay safe on the twisties.