Honda Developing NX500 Dual Sport/ADV Machine

Honda recently filed in the European Union for rights to use the name “NX” and “NX500″ on potential upcoming motorcycles. 

Is Honda building a new model similar to the NX650 that was sold between 1988 and 2003?

Those were followed a day later by another trademark application in New Zealand for the “NX” name. Those letters are synonymous with the Dominator range of dual sports offered in the ‘80s and ‘90s in a variety of capacities, ending with the NX650 Dominator that ceased production early in the new millennium. With the current enthusiasm for adventure bikes across all capacity classes showing no sign of slowing down, and with a particular focus on machines inspired by the Dakar Rally’s popularity in the late ‘80s, it makes sense for Honda to dig into its heritage and make the most of it.

The Africa Twin has already proved to be a hit since the name was unearthed from Honda’s archives, and the introduction of a new Transalp is looking increasingly likely, with Honda expected to use the upcoming 750cc parallel-twin engine—that’s due later this year in the new generation of Hornet roadster—in a midsize Africa Twin-style dual sport. The NX500 name clearly indicates a bike positioned below even that in terms of displacement.

While the previous NX models were widely known by the Dominator branding they wore, that may not be an option for Honda. Norton has a grip on the trademark rights to the Dominator badge in much of the world, and Honda’s last registered Dominator trademark, held in Europe, was canceled in 2019 due to lack of use.

Even so, the NX name can play on Dakar history, as the Honda NXR750V and NXR800V prototypes took four successive wins in that race from 1986 to 1989.

Will the original Africa Twin please stand up! Honda’s NXR750V won the Dakar Rally in 1986 with Cyril Neveu behind the bars.

The last bikes to wear the NX name, including the old NX500, were singles. However, it seems likely that the new NX500 will be a parallel twin. Honda is likely to use the 471cc twin from the CB500 range as the basis for the bike. Indeed, the simplest way to create a retro-styled dual sport in that capacity class would be to simply reskin the CB500X in some ‘80s-inspired plastics, aligning it more closely with the Africa Twin.

The chances that Honda will take that route appear to be bolstered by the fact that the company trademarked the name “NX400″ in Singapore last year—the existing CB500X is offered in 399cc form as the CB400X in some Asian markets. Last year, Honda also applied for rights to the “NX200″ name in India and “NX150″ in Indonesia, suggesting that smaller bikes with a similar look are being prepared for those markets. Once again, that mirrors what Honda did in the past, as the old Dominator was offered in capacities ranging from 125cc to 650cc during the bike’s heyday.

The revival of the NX500 name seems to be part of a wide-ranging move toward retro-inspired bikes from Honda. The company’s Neo-Sports Café range of machines, which includes the CB650R and CB1000R, have recently been reinforced by the Africa Twin-based Hawk 11 cafe racer, which is soon to go on sale in Japan, reviving an old Honda name and old-school styling. The Hornet 750 that Honda teased last year, and that is expected to be shown in full in the next few months, is another example of raiding the company’s heritage. Japanese sources are also convinced that a new CL500 scrambler, based on the Rebel 500′s chassis and the same 471cc twin that’s used in the CB500 range, is also coming soon.

Check out our offroad bikes here!