Honda’s Plucky Retro-Styled Scrambler

On a beautiful, cool Autumn morning, my friend and Road Dirt colleague Phil G and I set out on a day ride together. Pointing north, we rode up toward the old historic towns of Dahlonega and Dawsonville in the North Georgia foothills. Caught behind a slow moving dump truck for several miles at one point, suddenly Phil lurched left and throttled hard on his Harley, roaring past the dump truck on a long, empty straight stretch. Already in sixth gear, I followed suit on the Honda SCL500, hurrying to catch up. The “Scrambler” howled as I pinned the throttle, and the diminutive twin hurtled forward, hitting 90 mph by the time I caught up with Phil’s Road Glide.

Impressive, for a little motorbike not a third the displacement of Phil’s big Hawg.

We had the chance to sample the SCL500’s twin motor in another of Honda’s remarkable lineup, their CB500X, a bike I personally very much enjoyed. The 471cc parallel twin mill is also utilized in the Rebel 500, CB500F, CBR500R, and the NX500. It’s a popular powerplant for the legendary brand, and Honda sells a great many of them around the globe. This newest iteration in a classic 1960s-70s scrambler motif is a bike I’ve wanted to try for a year or so now.

Recalling an earlier time. Photo by Phil G.

When I first picked up the SCL500 for a prolonged review, I instantly loved the bright “Candy Orange” tank paint. Looking it up prior on their website, I initially didn’t like the orange color scheme. But up close and in bright sunlight, I saw the paint had metal fleck in its finish, and I was struck by how beautiful the color was. Honda’s paint was every bit as glistening as a Harley finish, a brand known for their incredible paint jobs. This year’s SCL500 also comes in matte black and matte “Laurel Green”, but this orange metal fleck just knocks me out. Oh, and it’s a metal tank, not plastic or fiberglass. So magnetic tank bags affix nicely on it.

I’m pretty old-school, so I always lean toward motorcycles that are older, or newer bikes that have vintage-inspired design cues. This Honda SCL500 ticks several boxes immediately for me, as in the round headlight, the single round instrument pot, rubber front fork gaiters, round mirrors, single front disk, traditional-styled two-up seat, and of course, that scrambler 2-into-1 high pipe. It’s a nice looking, classic-styled motorcycle with great curb appeal.

The old meets the new. Photo by Honda.

Case in point, while up in Dahlonega and Dawsonville, nearly wherever and whenever we stopped, I was somewhat surprised that the little Honda garnered more attention and comments than Phil’s big beautiful Road Glide. In town, at a restaurant, at gas stations and scenic overlooks, men and women came up to have a look at the bike, to complement or ask questions about it. Clearly the SCL500 look resonates with folks, young and old. It’s a good looking motorcycle.

The Honda 471cc parallel twin DOHC engine is a tried-and-true mill that the brand has utilized for some years now. It makes 46 HP, yet with a bit more torque than the predecessor 450cc powerplant. The SCL500 rolls on a 6-speed gearbox, which is a pleasant surprise, and even runs stock with a slipper clutch. Not to be confused with a quick shifter. They are not the same. Blip-shifting is possible and relatively easy, if not very smooth. The seat height stands at 31.1 inches, and with 5.9 in. front and 5.7 in. rear of suspension travel, the bike is well-sprung and comfortable for a rider of my size at 5’8”, 155 lbs. Honda installed an ABS system on the SCL500, which works adequately considering the bike only has a dual-pot 310mm single disc up front, and a 240mm single in the rear.

This bike fits me nearly perfectly. The more I ride it, the more I like it.

The SCL500 recalls the early scrambler models Honda produced back in the 1960’s-70’s, i.e. the CL450 (pictured previously), and like its heritage, this new iteration should only be considered “light duty” off-road, as in gravel and light dirt, rolling on a 19-in. front wheel and 17-in. rear, with ADV style Dunlop Trailmax Mixtour tires. We rode it down some of the aforementioned road types, and the SCL500 performed admirably, given its limited dirt chops. Hey, if you want to do more hard-core off-roading, you already know this bike isn’t for you. But for fun road riding and only the occasional dirt or gravel stint, which is about all I’d do, this bike works just fine, and looks great doing it.

Aesthetically, I don’t like two design/styling elements. First, the ignition key location is somewhat awkward to me, on the left front panel instead of on top with the instrument display. Just jutting out there, seems to me that it can get hit easily in tight quarters, whatever circumstance that might be. Then on the right side, the stark white rear brake fluid reservoir looks totally out of place against the blacked-out engine parts around it. A black covered or dark clear plastic reservoir would look much better than that white one, in my humble opinion.

Ignition key location is kind of strange; Cover that cover; The single display is simple and unobtrusive.

Functionally, the footpegs are in an uncomfortable location when coming to a stop, at least for my leg length. I have to stand wide or tuck my feet behind the pegs at their current locations. Yet when riding, I like the placement. So I guess it’s fine as-is. The seat is comfortable enough, better looking and more plush than many stockers on bikes we review. The rider triangle suits riders between about 5’ and 6’ well enough, with taller riders probably feeling a bit cramped on it. The SCL holds 3.2 gals of go-juice, so I’ve been getting about 190+ miles when just loping along or around the ‘burbs, but a bit less when I’m feeling froggy with it. Which happens on occasion.

Let’s ride. Shots by Phil G.

Honda offers a decent number of OEM accessories that can be added, from functional luggage to various accoutrements to make the bike your own distinctive scrambler. You can virtually kit one out with their online “Build Your Own” tool, which is fun and super easy to use. Honda is sending us a few of these bits, so we’ll do an install video or two when we get them in.

Overall, I really like this scrambler offering from Honda. Suits me well for my size, age, riding style, and I’m not bored with it given my years and miles of riding. The SCL500 strikes a nice balance of form, function, and enjoyment, whether you’re a new rider or a seasoned veteran. With a price point under $7000 (after tax, tag, title, etc.), its a worthy fun machine. This crusty old curmudgeon is very much at home on it.

Rob

For more on the Honda SCL500, click HERE

(top featured photo by Neale Bayly)

*Check out our video ride/review here: