Honda NX500 Tyre Size
The NX500 runs 120/70/17 front tyre and a 160/60/17 rear tyre.
The front tyre is a promising off-road contender. The later model CB500X actually came with a 110/80-19 front and 150-70-17 rear, which is much common for off-road riding.
The NX is possibly aimed more at road riding, hence the rider 160-section rear tyre. However this combined with the 110/80-19 front limited your choice of decent rubber. So for this guide we will suggest in places to switch your 160 rear for a 150.
You can click those links to see all the different tyres available in the sizes for this bike. However below we have recommended what we consider to be the best options for the NX whether you’re riding purely on the road or heading to muddier terrain.
As motorcycle tyre specialists, accredited by the major manufacturers, we can supply any tyre to you by mail order or you can have them fitted in our London motorcycle workshop.
Honda NX500 History
Honda’s NX500 can trace it roots back to the CB500X. It’s essentially a very similar bike and it shares the same common platform as the CBR500R and CB500 Hornet.
The NX is a frugal bike with an Adventure-bike twist. The last NX bike we remember was the Honda NX650 Dominator, which was actually quite a decent trail bike.
We wouldn’t call the NX500 a trail bike or a full-on Adventure bike. It’s a decent budget commuter if you ask us.
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Honda NX500 Stock Tyres
The NX500 comes with Dunlop Trailmax Mixtour tyres as standard. These tyres are OK for the road but pretty hopeless if you want to go off-road.
However if you’re regularly taking this bike off road, we’d suggest you’ve bought the wrong bike.
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Honda NX500 Best Tyres
The stock Dunlops are pretty poor. Which means it’s quite easy to make a big difference to the way the bike handles and your confidence when riding it.
If you ride on the road you have loads of choices.
Road riding:
Michelin Anakee Road (switch the 160/60-17 rear to a 150/70-17)
Continental Trail Attack 3 – Yes they have trail in the name but these are very much a road tyre, with a slightly ‘adventure’ tread pattern.
Metzeler Tourance Next 2 – Again, switch to the 150.
Light off-road:
Continental TKC70 + the Rocks rear if you want a little more bite
Michelin Anakee Adventure 2 (150/70-17 rear)
Proper off-road:
If roostering your mates on the weekend is your thing.
Bridgestone AX41 – Run with the narrower 150/70-17 rear
Continental TKC80 Gen 2 – As above
Honda CB500X and F Tyre Pressures
You can find your motorcycle manufacturer’s recommended tyre pressures in your owner’s handbook. You’ll also find a tyre pressure chart sticker on the swingarm.
If you have no idea what pressures to run, this is our general rule:
Scooter: F 30psi, R 30psi
Normal Motorcycle: F 36psi, R 42psi
Big Tourer: F 42psi, R 42psi
125cc Bike: F 33psi, R 36psi
You should always check your tyre pressures when the tyres are cold. Check out our range of motorcycle tyre pressure gauges here.
About Two Tyres
Our mission is to ensure we listen to every customer’s needs and ensure they’re riding on the right tyre. Out of the showroom, your motorbike is a compromise, designed to suit a huge range of riders and riding conditions. To get the best out of your bike in terms of handling, performance and safety, tyres make all the difference. In fact we think it’s the most cost-effective performance enhancement you can make!
We are based in London where we supply and fit motorcycle tyres and consumables in our workshop. We also mail order motorcycle tyres around the UK, across Europe and even to places as far-flung as the USA, Canada and Japan.
Need help choosing the best tyres?
Choosing tyres can be tricky. We’re here to help. We hold direct accounts with every motorcycle tyre manufacturer, so we’re well placed to give comprehensive and honest advice to help you choose the best tyres. If you can’t quite make your mind up, give us a call on 0207 205 2205 and we’ll help you narrow down your choices.
We are motorcycle and scooter tyre specialists, with over 25 years in the trade. Between us we fit 10 pairs of tyres a day in our workshop, so we have good real-world experience of what works and what doesn’t.
We ride to work, we ride for fun, we race and ride off-road. If it’s got two wheels, we’re into it.
Give us a call or drop into our London motorcycle workshop and we’ll do our best to help you.
Are your tyre pressures letting you down?
We couldn’t find a tyre pressure gauge that was well-built, easy to get on-and-off the valve without pressure loss and could stand up to day-to-day abuse in our workshop. So we found a manufacturer to build one to our exacting standards.
We’re confident this is the best motorcycle pressure gauge out there. That’s why it comes with a 3-year, no-nonsense, money back guarantee.
Whether you want a digital tyre pressure gauge or a good old-fashioned analogue pressure gauge, we’ve got a gauge for you. Now you can quickly and easily check your pressures, to keep your bike handling well and to ensure you stay safe.
Here at Two Tyres, we stock more than just tyres. Take a look at some of our essentials for any biker.
Motorcycle puncture repair kit – Our top-rated kit includes everything you need to carry out a roadside repair and get back up and running.
Motorcycle tyre pressure gauge – Our tyre pressure gauge has been rated in RiDE magazine and features a clever design to make it easy to get accurate readings.
Motorcycle first aid kit – a DIN-rated first aid kit that’s compact and also includes extras that are handy for any biker. A must-carry in some EU countries.
HyperCharge battery charger – The HyperCharge is a smart charger that can charge lead-acid and lithium batteries and it’ll charge bike and car batteries too.
Cordless tyre pump – Small enough to fit in your luggage, this tyre pump doubles as a powerbank, so you’ll never have a flat tyre or phone battery again!
All of these products have been well tested and are top-rated by our customers.
