2023 Honda CL500 is released: 500cc street scrambler inspired by ’60s and ’70s CLs

Honda has launched the 2023 CL500 in Europe, its new 500cc street scrambler motorcycle, which arrives with a design inspired by the CLs of the 60s and 70s and a modern heart, based on the adventurous CB 500X.

With a simple, clean and tough design, the new Honda CL500 brings just what you need for a daily ride in the city and the possibility of taking a dirt road on weekends.

For this, it has suspensions with good travel, 19″ front wheel and mixed-use tires, which allow light off-road and urban adventure, especially in places where the pavement has holes, speed bumps and ditches.

The fuel tank, headlight, panel and taillight are very similar, if not the same, to the custom bobber CMX500 Rebel.

The engine is the same as the CB 500X and CB 500F but tuned for the scrambler, with specific ECU settings and a shorter final ratio.

With that, the 2023 CL500 has a 471 cm³ twin-cylinder liquid cooled engine, which is capable of generating up to 34.3kW (46.6 hp) of maximum power at 8,500 rpm, and 43.4 Nm (4.35 kgfm) of torque at 6250 rpm.

In addition, it features aluminum alloy wheels, 17″ at the rear and 19″ at the front, fitted with Dunlop Mixtours dual purpose tires measuring 110/80-19 at the front and 150/70-17 at the rear. To brake, brake discs are used on both axles, 310 mm at the front with 2-piston caliper, with ABS also optimized for use on dirt and asphalt.

Finally, the model features Full-LED lighting, a 100% digital LCD panel and Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), which flashes the rear turn signals in hard and sudden braking to alert users of the road behind, before automatic cancellation.

Anyway, the 2023 Honda CL500 hits stores in Europe in the colors Candy Energy Orange, Mat Laurel Green Metallic, Candy Caribbean Blue Sea and Mat Gunpowder Black Metallic.

For more information, visit https://www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles.html.

photos: Honda