New Honda CB500X vs Used Triumph Tiger 800: Which One To Buy?

If you, like many, find the CB500X’s premium pricing a little hard to justify, why not look at a pre-owned Triumph Tiger instead?

The good news is Honda has finally launched the CB500X adventure tourer; the bad news is the price. Its ex-showroom price is Rs 6.87 lakh meaning the on-road price is going to be close to Rs 8 lakh, which is rather expensive. So expensive, in fact, that if you were to put the same money towards a pre-owned motorcycle, you could bag yourself something a whole lot more powerful and competent. Something like say, a Triumph Tiger!

With the Tiger 900 having been introduced recently, many Tiger 800 owners are looking to upgrade, so the classifieds are flooded with Triumph’s popular ADV. Widely regarded as the bike that kickstarted the middleweight adventure bike revolution in India, the Tiger 800 is a rugged workhorse, so you don’t need to worry too much about a high odometer reading. The examples available in this price range will mostly be the base-spec XC (off-road oriented) and XR (street-focused) variants, though you might be able to find the odd XRx.

All versions are powered by the same 800cc inline-triple motor, which, in addition to producing 95PS and 79Nm, also belts out a glorious soundtrack. In comparison, the CB500X is only about half as powerful, at a relatively paltry 47.5PS and 43Nm. The Tiger also gets an upside-down fork, compared to the X’s right-side-up unit, and more ground clearance too.

Of course, the higher power output and kerb weight (213kg vs the Honda’s 197kg) mean the Tiger isn’t really a beginner’s bike. So if you are looking to take your first plunge into off-roading, you might be better off with the lighter, more manageable Honda. If you have the experience but not the height, the Triumph actually has the lower seat height -- adjustable between 810mm and 830mm -- as opposed to the CB’s fixed 830mm saddle height.

In summary, it’s quite clear the Tiger offers a whole lot more bike for the money. But for that very reason, it isn’t well suited to novice riders. So if you’ve been riding something like the KTM 390 Adventure or BMW G 310 GS and are looking for an upgrade, you should definitely consider a pre-owned Tiger over a new CB500X. But if you’ve only been riding smaller bikes or have no previous off-road experience, the friendlier Honda is the better choice for you.