Hello from Mississauga | GTAMotorcycle.com

Hello from Mississauga

M

mmagdy

New member
Hi there, Noob rider here. I just got my M2 in October and I bought a used 2020 CB500X online. Currently shopping around for some accessories to install when I pick it up in March.
I have a couple of questions:
1 - Where can I go off-roading in the GTA?
2 - For crash bars, do I buy SW-Motech, Givi or something else?
3 - For handguards, everyone seems to be recommending BB Storm, do you agree?
4 - Is the skid plate a must? SW-Motech seems out of stock everywhere in Canada
5 - Can someone recommend a motorcycle jack/ lift? i think it'll be better than a center stand for maintenance work

thanks
Moe
 
mmagdy said:
Hi there, Noob rider here. I just got my M2 in October and I bought a used 2020 CB500X online. Currently shopping around for some accessories to install when I pick it up in March.
I have a couple of questions:
1 - Where can I go off-roading in the GTA? This totally depends on where you live and where you are willing to ride. The futher away form the GTA you go, there more plentiful the non-paved areas are to ride in. Check the OFTR website for some good background if you haven't already: Ontario Federation of Trail Riders (OFTR)
2 - For crash bars, do I buy SW-Motech, Givi or something else? Both of those brands make great products and there are a few others too, but typically you can't go wrong with either SW-Motech or Givi. Check the CB500 forum for specifics or other brands that will work for your bike: Honda CB500X
3 - For handguards, everyone seems to be recommending BB Storm, do you agree? I have them on my bike (DL650) and I like the metal brush guard under the plastic. If you want air flow in the summer you can take off the plastic covers and just have the metal bar. They are super strong and I've severely bent my handlebars when I dropped my bike and the Barkbusters were only scratched up. In cooler weather or rain, they do a great job of keeping the hands protected from the elements.
4 - Is the skid plate a must? SW-Motech seems out of stock everywhere in Canada If you are planning on doing a lot of jumps, going over really rocky terrain then it might be a good addition. I have one on my bike and the underside of it has been hit a number of times by big rocks and tree roots. If you are only planning on doing light off road stuff like gravel roads or maintained trails, then it might not be needed. Check the CB500X forum to see what other options there are and also check various online classifieds, since they will come up for sale every now and then.
5 - Can someone recommend a motorcycle jack/ lift? i think it'll be better than a center stand for maintenance work A centrestand is super helpful for sure, but if you have the space, Princess Auto sells decent lifts which often go on sale down to around $500. Having a centrestand and a lift makes things very easy. They can also be found used on Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace. https://www.princessauto.com/en/100...ic-motorcycle-lift-table/product/PA0008667784

thanks
Moe
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See above in bold. Welcome and safe riding:)
 
Welcome to GTAM. Dual Sport Plus carries or sells everything you mentioned.
 
mmagdy said:
Thank you so much for the valuable information. I really appreciate your help.
I found a good combo of upper and lower crash guards from outback motortek (local Canadian Company). Have you heard of them?

thanks,
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Yes they are pretty popular in the adv and dual sport world. I haven't specifically purchased anything from that brand, but have read of many riders who have. Those crash bars look pretty good assuming the welds are good and Dual Sport Plus is a good shop who only sells good products in my experience. I like that those bars are quite tight to the bike and the lower bars will allow you to attach hwy pegs down the road if that's something you are interested to do, or attach aux lighting on the upper bars for increased visibility. I see that brand also makes a skid plate that can only be used with their own crash bars, so that may be an option if SW-Motech is out of stock. If you get a different brand of skid plate, you might want to also think about how it will mount to the bike, and whether it will be compatible with that crash bar set-up, since they likely share similar mounting points or mate together.

Last of all, if you buy a skid plate, it's always nicer to be able to do oil changes without having to remove the skid plate. So there should be easy access to the drain plug and/or filter unless you don't plan to put on a lot mileage.
 
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Enjoy, cb500x was my first bike and was a real hoot! Is it the greatest bike of all times? No.

Is it quite versatile? Definitely.

I've toured on it (1k in a day)
Done some off road on some gnarly fire roads.
Used it as a commuter
Used it for spirited riding (esp great in corners, not so much for straight line speed)

It's a great bike to grow on and it's quite forgiving.
 
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