[58 guy]

Gentlemen and Ladies
First post. I currently have a 500F and am planning on trading it in for a 500X in 3-4 weeks. My plan is this: I am working with the Honda shop in Beaverton and everything I get for the bike will be 10% off. They found an adjustable lower kit that I believe can be set at 1.25 or 2.25 inches lower. This will bring the height about one inch lower than my500F which puts me just under 30 inches seat height. I plan on getting a Corbin seat that will lower me about another inch. My questions are
1. will I have to lower anything in the front suspension with the lowering kit?
2. do you know a source where I can get a kick stand that is 2 inches shorter? I would rather not have mine cut and welded, plus I like a bigger foot on some I see in the after market. What do you think about a center stand?
3. I have looked at the Blaze Pannier for side bags and heard some of you sing their prasies. Givi makes hard cases but they are to big for what I need. I use my bike primary for commuting and grocery shopping. I presently have a T-Bag for behind my seat. The Honda shop has located a side rack and I am waiting for a picture so soft bags can lean against and attach to. Any recommendations?
4. I read your posts on sprocket sizes and plan on I believe it is one tooth smaller on the front for better top end speed and improve my mileage. I presently am getting around 70 miles per gallon with my 500F. I am 58 years old so I ride like an old guy. It just seems at 60-65 mph the engine is working hard

My F does not fit me well with my arm length and the X with the wider bars and more pull back seem just about right for me. I just need it to be a low rider for my height. I was going to wait for the Harley 500 to come out but to my disbelief the Harley site says all around mileage they project to be 42 mpg. Any ideas from the crew would be appreciated.
Gary

 

[talespin]

1. will I have to lower anything in the front suspension with the lowering kit?

You'll need to lower the front the same amount as the rear in order to maintain suspension geometry. You should have room to do that on the X, and its done by loosening the pinch bolts on the triple tree, dropping the front, and retightening the bolts.

2. do you know a source where I can get a kick stand that is 2 inches shorter? I would rather not have mine cut and welded, plus I like a bigger foot on some I see in the after market. What do you think about a center stand?

Center stands can be useful, but on a lowered bike, a stock stand may be a bit tall for easily getting the bike up on it. I'm not familiar with the center stand for the X, but they often reduce the ground clearance a bit, and that could be an issue on a lowered bike.

You might want to look at the lowering links and kickstand shortening kit at Honda CB500X

3. I have looked at the Blaze Pannier for side bags and heard some of you sing their prasies. Givi makes hard cases but they are to big for what I need. I use my bike primary for commuting and grocery shopping. I presently have a T-Bag for behind my seat. The Honda shop has located a side rack and I am waiting for a picture so soft bags can lean against and attach to. Any recommendations?

The Blaze bags are a great design, with the strut that keeps them from sagging into the bike, but some people find them a bit small for their needs, and I think they're rather expensive for soft bags ($350 vs $100-$150). Hard cases have the advantage of being lockable and weatherproof.

It all depends on what works best for you.

 

[talespin]

Adjustable kickstand:

Amazon.com: Powerstands Adjustable Kickstand - Aluminum 03-01107-21: Automotive



The entire lowering package:

CB500X

 

[jsonder]

58 guy: Why not just put risers or the X handle bars on your F? There are discussions of this on the F section. There are also discussions about adapting the center stand; that appears to not be an easy fix.

I have a minuscule inseam (27.5 or 28 inches) but bulk a bit (165 pounds). I can just barely back the bike out on tippy toes, but that's all that I need. I'm happy with the standard height and standard center stand and wouldn't want to lower the bike.



addition: "I am 58 years old so I ride like an old guy. It just seems at 60-65 mph the engine is working hard"

You are younger than I am so no excuses there (I'm getting about the same mileage).

At 60-65 the engine is just starting to get into the power zone, or are you still in forth gear? 6000-8000 rpm is roughly the Power engine speed range. If I'm cruising at 60-65 in 6th gear, I downshift if I want to accelerate rapidly.

By "working hard", could you mean lugging? Or do you think that the engine is turning too fast? One tooth smaller on the drive sprocket is roughly equivalent to adding 3 teeth to the sprocket on the rear wheel. More acceleration but reduced top speed (assuming that the bike can redline in 6th with standard gearing). That makes me think that you figure the engine is lugging. I just downshift. I ride a number of roads in 5th gear and a few in 4th or 3rd gear because 50 mph is as fast as I can go without getting a ticket.

 

[58 guy]

Thanks for your responses. Before I bought the F, I had a Suzuki TU 250. It had a seat height at 30.3. That seemed perfect for me being flat footed on the ground. Awhile back near my house I was at a stop light. When the light went to green, unknown to me I was in second gear. It lurched forward and the engine died. It caught me off guard and the bike fell over and bent the break lever only. I am confident with lower foot placement as with the Suzuki, I would have caught it and not ended up red faced embarrassed.The Suzuki was very low geared and I was always reaching for another gear. I felt if I went 30 miles at 55-60 the engine would blow up. I read a Cycle World review before I bought the bike and they said mileage was at 75 mpg all around and 55 mpg highway. I thought this was a miss print as how can that be. After owning it I can see the engine worked so hard the mileage suffered. By one tooth smaller on the front sprocket, I increased the top end speed, not a lot but better but it seemed more friendly for the engine, plus it helped my mileage. I had gotten as high as 83mpg. I burn only non ethanol fuel. Granted I am a novice in motorcycle talk as compared to you guys, but it seems the 500 F is slighting winding out at 60 so I thought I would do the same and maybe bump up my mpg a couple of miles. I thought of bringing back the handle bars but I am told the cables may not allow this. I pulled them back as far as they can go. The riding position of the F bothers my arms, and on a longer ride would be trouble. Not comfortable a tall. Now the 500X seems much better for my situation. I am hoping with my thinking this might be my last bike if I can get the comfort and size to my liking. One more thing about the F. I am getting very small scratches on the tank. The only explanation I can come up with is my cycle jacket is rubbing the tank when I mount up as the height of the bike makes me lean over to far. The 500X tank is a lower profile another advantage the X has over the F, not to mention fuel capacity. I just wish there was more after market options for storage as I am not seeing much that gets me excited. A smaller would be preferred over zippers in the soft ones.

 

[Dalotel]

Why not just putting risers on the F handlebars?

 

[jsonder]

Risers have been successfully added to the F.

I gave the F a very serious look, but decided to wait for an X the next year hoping for a non-black color and wanting ABS and the center stand.

I'm happy that I waited, even if the X was a belated 72nd birthday present to myself. :thumbsup

 

[Thump]

^ Wow, you got 72 presents on your birthday?

 

[tomanddeb]

Gentlemen and Ladies
First post. I currently have a 500F and am planning on trading it in for a 500X in 3-4 weeks. My plan is this: I am working with the Honda shop in Beaverton and everything I get for the bike will be 10% off. They found an adjustable lower kit that I believe can be set at 1.25 or 2.25 inches lower. This will bring the height about one inch lower than my500F which puts me just under 30 inches seat height. I plan on getting a Corbin seat that will lower me about another inch. My questions are
1. will I have to lower anything in the front suspension with the lowering kit?
2. do you know a source where I can get a kick stand that is 2 inches shorter? I would rather not have mine cut and welded, plus I like a bigger foot on some I see in the after market. What do you think about a center stand?
3. I have looked at the Blaze Pannier for side bags and heard some of you sing their prasies. Givi makes hard cases but they are to big for what I need. I use my bike primary for commuting and grocery shopping. I presently have a T-Bag for behind my seat. The Honda shop has located a side rack and I am waiting for a picture so soft bags can lean against and attach to. Any recommendations?
4. I read your posts on sprocket sizes and plan on I believe it is one tooth smaller on the front for better top end speed and improve my mileage. I presently am getting around 70 miles per gallon with my 500F. I am 58 years old so I ride like an old guy. It just seems at 60-65 mph the engine is working hard

My F does not fit me well with my arm length and the X with the wider bars and more pull back seem just about right for me. I just need it to be a low rider for my height. I was going to wait for the Harley 500 to come out but to my disbelief the Harley site says all around mileage they project to be 42 mpg. Any ideas from the crew would be appreciated.
Gary

My husband got an adjustable lowering kit and kickstand for my 500X at SoupysPerformance on the net.

 

[MichaelInVenice]

Putting on a smaller sprocket on the front will increase engine RPM for any speed and gearing, It will reduce your possible top end, though that doesn't seem like an issue for you because top end on these bikes is over 100mph.

Rather than a smaller sprocket, if you want to run at a higher RPM, just shift down one. Many people run in much too high a gear. RPM should never be below 4000 in normal cruising and I find it's better higher.

Honestly, it sounds like you're trying to buy a bike that doesn't fit you then figure out a way to make it fit, rather than looking for a bike that fits. That is rarely a satisfactory situation, especially if you lower things to where the height impacts your ability to turn, etc.

Sounds like you fit well on a classicly styled bike. Might want to look for another. The new (to the US) Yamaha SR400 might be one to consider.

 

[talespin]

Have you considered a scooter, such as the Burgman series or the Silver Wing?

 

[58 guy]

Thanks for all the ideas. I do like the classic style bikes. Thats why I went for the Suzuki TU 250. It reminded me of the first bike I had when I was 18 years old, a SLR175 Honda. Years later I bought a classic 1974 250 that I had restored. What a beauty.I like traditional looks of those style bikes. I read about the 400 Yamaha, but I want a water cooled engine. In the summer I have have to negotiate two stop lights to get on the freeway after work. Those two lights can take 20-30 minutes to reach the freeway. An air cooled engine just cooks under me in 80 plus degree weather when it does not move. The 500 is what I am looking for in a bike. Lighter weight, good mpg and at a fair price. I find it hard to find a bike to meet those standards in today's world. Not sure what direction I could have gone if Honda didn't come back with the 500 series. The thought bigger the better, which means higher profit margins for the manufactures. I like the F, but the X might be the icing on the cake. It is just a hassle to modify, kick stand, lowering kit, what type of bracket to keep bags in place etc. Sure wish Honda would come up with side cases that don't break the bank as they offer now. It seems with their buying power they could offer them cheaper, sell more, and end up making more money so people don't have to chase after market products.
Mr. Sonder- I hope that I am still alive, not to mention still riding at 72. Hats off to you.

 

[Thump]

It just seems at 60-65 mph the engine is working hard.

That's probably because you're in top gear; shift down to 5th and it will run better. Heck, this bike can even do 65mph in 4th gear!
Maybe someone should post the speeds in each gear from 4,000 to let's say 7,500 rpm where most of the "normal" riding is happening.
I can't because I don't own one!

 

[talespin]

Just as important as the style of the bike (more important, in my mind) is how the bike fits the style of the owner.

Any bike can be made to fit someone. The only questions are how much is it going to cost, how much the original bike's design is going to be compromised by the modifications, and whether the modifications will result in a bike that's perfect for you.

I spent about $1000 trying to get my F800ST to fit me. The problem with these modifications is that you don't know for sure what the resuts will be until they're on the bike, and if they don't really solve the problem, you've wasted the money spent. Then it's back to the farkle cannon to see if another mod will be the magic potion.

For the record, my F800ST came with the low suspension and extra low seat, and was still a little too tall. I got a new seat, bar risers (and the longer cables they required), peg relocators, and a new windshield, and still wasn't comfortable. I decided I couldn't afford the "Just one more mod, and it'll probably be perfect!" syndrome. Sold it.

I went through three windshields on my Nighthawk before finding the one that worked for me. Every one of them was highly recommended by other Nighthawk owners as being the perfect windshield for the bike, but we never know until we're riding with mods what their actual impact will be.

 

[Baggy]

I have GIVI E21N hard side cases on mine for everyday use. They are about the same size as the Blaze cases but lock to the bike.

I got the cases and the rack cheaper then blaze cases as well.

 

[MichaelInVenice]

I have GIVI E21N hard side cases on mine for everyday use. They are about the same size as the Blaze cases but lock to the bike.

I got the cases and the rack cheaper then blaze cases as well.

The E21s and newer E22s are a really nice deal and well made.

 

[Dukie]

I agree with Michael. Maybe shop a around for a small seat bike. Honda black spirit/ phantom

 

[58 guy]

I may be missing something as Baggy (from England) suggested the E21 and E22 and it was then confirmed they are nice. On the GIVI website, they don't include those for the 500X. Some months ago I e mailed GIVI and replied back the only one would fit is the V35. Will the pannier for the V35 work with the E21 case? They do look exactly what I would think would be my choice..

 

[58 guy]

I should have looked before I leaped. I called GIVI and they said this will indeed fit the 500 X. Good deal.
I sure can't find it on there their site still??

 

[MichaelInVenice]

I may be missing something as Baggy (from England) suggested the E21 and E22 and it was then confirmed they are nice. On the GIVI website, they don't include those for the 500X. Some months ago I e mailed GIVI and replied back the only one would fit is the V35. Will the pannier for the V35 work with the E21 case? They do look exactly what I would think would be my choice..

The bracket for the V35 will only work with the V35 cases. You can not put any other case on it. Givi only seems to make racks to fit the V35 and the Outback cases, not the standard monokey cases like the e21/22. SW-Motech makes a rack that is compatible with Givi and others, but it's pricey. http://www.twistedthrottle.com/sw-m...-micatech-givi-trax-alu-box-krauser-sidecases