Motorcyclist Magazine publishes its official review on the 2023 Honda SCL500 scrambler ($6,799).
Video: Adam Waheed
Photography: Drew Ruiz
Motorcycle Riding Gear Worn
Helmet: Shoei RF-SR
Jacket: REV'IT! Hyperspeed 2 GT Air
Gloves: REV'IT! Avion 3
Pant: REV'IT! Reed SF
Boots: TCX R04D Air
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Video: Adam Waheed
Photography: Drew Ruiz
Motorcycle Riding Gear Worn
Helmet: Shoei RF-SR
Jacket: REV'IT! Hyperspeed 2 GT Air
Gloves: REV'IT! Avion 3
Pant: REV'IT! Reed SF
Boots: TCX R04D Air
Insta360 Video Footage Courtesy: https://store.insta360.com/product/x3
Read the best motorcycle news and reviews: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/
Motorcyclist Shirts: https://teespring.com/stores/motorcyclist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motorcyclistonline/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/motorcyclistmag/
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SportsTranscript
00:00 Alright folks, there it is, American Honda's 2024 SCL500.
00:08 This thing is a new scrambler style street bike in American Honda's 2024 street bike
00:15 model lineup.
00:16 It's underpinnings are Honda's tried and true 471cc parallel twin engine.
00:23 This is the same engine it uses in its Rebel 500 and CB500X.
00:27 It's a really nice engine.
00:29 Look at this thing.
00:31 We have an upswept exhaust, these covers over the fork, over the fork leg.
00:39 We have this accessory seat which is a little bit taller, thin stock, it's a nice touch.
00:44 And that is what gives us this scrambler motorcycle.
00:48 This motorcycle is designed for an entry level rider or someone who's more experienced who
00:52 wants to add a second bike in their garage, wants something that's easy to ride and affordable
00:58 and really reliable.
01:00 We have suspension right here, telescopic fork, just about 6 inches of suspension travel,
01:06 fore and aft.
01:07 There is the rear shock absorbers.
01:10 This thing rides on a 19 inch front rim and a 17 inch rear.
01:16 We have a single piston slide type rear caliper and double piston slide type front caliper.
01:24 Of course this engine is fuel injected, water cooled, dual overhead cams, 8 valve cylinder
01:29 head.
01:30 It puts out right around 43 horsepower at the business end of that 17 inch Dunlop Trailmax
01:38 tire.
01:40 So 43 horsepower, about 30 pound feet torque.
01:46 Well folks, that is a run down of this bike.
01:50 We're about to giddy up on it and go for a ride.
01:53 All right folks, here we are at the official press introduction for American Honda's SCL
02:01 500.
02:02 Here's the mechanical key.
02:04 It has a side ignition, so you put the mechanical key there and you start this thing up.
02:15 So we're on American Honda's 2024 SCL 500.
02:19 This marks the return of Honda's CL generation scrambler bikes.
02:28 These bikes were made in the mid 60's and they were designed to offer scrambler like
02:38 styling and riding dynamic.
02:42 So here we are at the official US press introduction for this model.
02:48 We just had a nice lunch here at the airport in Santa Paula, which is in Southern California.
02:59 We're operating this 2024 SCL 500.
03:03 It's kind of funny the name.
03:05 I was asking American Honda, why if the old 1960's bikes were called CL, why is this called
03:13 SCL?
03:14 And they let me know that they couldn't actually use CL 500 because that name is already trademarked
03:21 in the US, probably from Mercedes-Benz.
03:25 So they had to add an S to the model name.
03:29 So that is why this bike is called the SCL 500.
03:37 This bike retails for $6,800.
03:41 It is manufactured in Honda's Thailand factory.
03:48 That is a Honda owned facility that manufactures many of its vehicles, including this SCL 500.
03:59 Now this bike is powered, we talked about what it's powered by, American Honda's tried
04:05 and true 471cc parallel twin.
04:10 And that parallel twin just makes for a very slim cockpit.
04:15 I love how slim this bike is between my knees.
04:21 It's very slim.
04:24 It has a very low seat height.
04:26 I'm six foot tall, weigh 205 pounds.
04:30 And this bike, it's very easy to have your feet planted flat footed at a stop.
04:38 If you're someone who is shorter or more height challenged, you're really going to like how
04:45 you sit on this motorcycle.
04:48 The seat is nice and low.
04:52 The handlebar, we have a steel handlebar.
04:57 It has a decent amount of rearward sweep.
05:01 So a good amount of rearward sweep just helps make for a comfortable hand and arm position
05:07 on street rides.
05:10 And it's fairly, it's not crazy tall, but it's not crazy low either.
05:15 I'd say that this handlebar has a nice, has a nice bend to it.
05:19 Nice silhouette.
05:20 It's not too far forward, not too far back, not too high, not too low.
05:25 Pretty neutral, but it does have a little bit more rearward sweep than full neutral.
05:32 The foot pegs on this bike, they're a little bit small, but they have nice rubber material
05:38 inside which helps quell any vibration from this 471cc parallel twin.
05:46 Feel a little bit of vibration through the handlebar and the foot pegs.
05:51 I wouldn't say it's overwhelming, but you definitely feel it.
05:57 It just makes you feel like you're riding a motorcycle, so we're okay with that.
06:04 The position of the foot pegs on this, this bike has traditional rear controls, but they're
06:09 very mellow.
06:11 You're not going to, this bike doesn't require any weird body contortions to ride it.
06:17 It's a very cozy motorcycle.
06:19 I love how broad the seat is.
06:23 It's well supportive.
06:24 We haven't been riding too much today.
06:27 I think we've logged about 60 miles so far, but no discomfort in our posterior region.
06:36 It's a very comfortable bike.
06:38 With its 3.2 gallon fuel tank topped off, this bike weighs in at 419 pounds.
06:47 It's a very nimble little street bike.
06:50 It's proportioned well.
06:53 It doesn't feel too big.
06:54 It doesn't feel too small.
06:56 Obviously I'm a bigger human being, and I don't feel like this is necessarily a mini
07:01 bike.
07:02 This feels like a full-size motorcycle.
07:05 Yet also, it's not too big or cumbersome.
07:08 It's very easy to park.
07:10 It only weighs 419 pounds, which is pretty light for a street bike.
07:16 Really light would be sub 400 pounds, but 420 pound region generally is a light motorcycle,
07:23 and it feels that way when the wheels are spinning in motion.
07:27 Very apt to change direction.
07:30 Very nice Honda.
07:33 Now we talked about the engine, 471cc parallel twin water-cooled dual red camshaft, eight
07:39 valve cylinder head.
07:41 This engine configuration is good for right around 43 ponies at the business end of that
07:48 17 inch rear wheel.
07:51 So 43 ponies, 30 pound feet of peak torque.
07:56 So this thing's surprisingly peppy.
07:59 It puts power back via a six speed transmission.
08:03 Here's an indicator showing we're in sixth gear through a left hand side traditional
08:09 chain final drive.
08:12 We're rolling on a set of 19 inch front and 17 inch rear wheels, which helps give it that
08:20 scrambler type stance.
08:25 Obviously a scrambler or flat track bike, you generally want a 19 inch front and even
08:31 a 19 inch rear is what you want out back.
08:33 But because this is a road going street bike, American Honda chose to fit it with a 17 inch
08:39 wheel, which is a traditional wheel size, which allows you access to basically any type
08:46 of motorcycle tire rubber.
08:49 So pretty neat that they just kind of followed the traditional wheel size playbook and made
08:55 it easy for us to mount really any type of tire we would like for this application.
09:03 Got a cable actuated clutch.
09:07 That is what controls the engine and the six speed transmission.
09:14 Cable actuated clutch, gosh, it's got really light lever pull.
09:17 If you're someone who doesn't have a high level of arm strength or hand strength, you're
09:23 going to like this bike because this clutch is easy to use.
09:26 You can literally use it with your index finger.
09:29 That is how light this clutch is, which is always a big plus, especially for someone
09:35 who's new to riding motorcycles.
09:38 Cruising along this road at 65 miles per hour, the engine does have a little bit of vibration,
09:47 but it's definitely not over off putting.
09:50 The rear view mirrors, I like how they're shaped, very aesthetically pleasing, round
09:55 shape and easy to see what's going on behind you.
09:59 They blur a little bit with the engine vibration, but I wouldn't say it's excessive.
10:04 But the higher you rev the engine, the more you feel the engine vibration creep through
10:09 the controls.
10:10 We now feel it here in the fuel tank.
10:13 There's some vibes in the seat.
10:16 So definitely this engine has some vibration to it, especially at higher RPM.
10:21 Whoa, now I really feel it.
10:24 But I think it's okay.
10:27 These scrambler style bikes, old school scrambler style bikes, they have some inherent engine
10:33 vibration, so I think it's okay.
10:39 Obviously we have no front fairing or windscreen, so we are fully exposed to the elements.
10:46 This motorcycle's good for right around 85 miles per hour.
10:50 So it goes about 85 miles per hour in top gear on a flat surface.
10:57 So it's definitely highway and freeway capable, but this isn't the fastest thing on the road
11:03 by any means.
11:07 Still it is plenty capable for freeway duty, even in Southern California where everyone
11:14 drives crazy fast, except us of course.
11:22 Now this bike uses a traditional telescopic type fork.
11:29 It offers nearly six inches of suspension travel.
11:35 Back we have a pair of preload adjustable shocks, which offer right around six inches
11:42 of rear suspension travel.
11:45 Shocks work directly between the subframe and the tubular swing arm, so no linkage.
11:53 And this thing, typical Honda fashion, this bike rides really nice.
11:58 This thing floats over the road really well.
12:02 These small to medium sized bumps, you don't really feel them, it just floats over them
12:07 really well and really offers pretty exquisite ride quality.
12:13 Of course when you hit some big bumps or undulations in the pavement, you're going to see that
12:18 chassis get a little unglued.
12:21 But for small to medium sized obstacles, God this thing glides right over them.
12:27 It rides really, really well.
12:33 We haven't really had a chance to ride this thing at pace.
12:36 There was a couple of fun stretches of pavement where there was a couple of corners and we
12:40 could kind of get some a little bit.
12:42 So we're not really wailing on this bike, but it has decent amount of suspension support
12:47 around turns for an entry level scrambler bike.
12:53 The thing I'm most impressed about though is just the ride quality, the ride quality
12:57 is superb.
12:58 This thing rides so nice.
13:00 Ergonomics are super awesome too.
13:02 It's a very comfortable motorcycle.
13:04 It doesn't feel wimpy.
13:05 I really like this bar bend.
13:07 I like the foot peg placement.
13:09 It doesn't feel like a wimpy motorcycle.
13:11 It feels good.
13:12 It feels solid.
13:17 Now we have this single color LCD round face gauge package that keeps tabs on the vehicle
13:29 running settings.
13:30 Got a nice clock right here.
13:33 Fuel meter to keep tabs on the 3.2 gallon capacity fuel tank.
13:38 We have dual trip functions.
13:40 You can also measure the fuel mileage.
13:48 Now this fuel mileage says we've been getting, if you can even believe it, nearly 66 miles
13:54 per gallon on this ride.
13:56 Isn't that crazy?
13:58 66 miles per gallon.
14:01 Unbelievable.
14:03 To be fair, we've been riding not crazy fast, mostly low speed stuff.
14:08 But still pretty impressive that this 471cc parallel twin is able to register that kind
14:17 of fuel mileage.
14:18 I was kind of thinking the 3.2 gallon fuel tank, you know us, we always want the biggest
14:24 fuel tank possible.
14:26 Anything less than four gallons is almost just a waste of time.
14:30 But considering this thing's high fuel mileage number, maybe 3.2 gallon fuel tank capacity
14:38 isn't so bad.
14:57 Brakes on this motorcycle.
14:59 We have a four piston axial mount front caliper that bites a single cross drilled disc brake
15:19 up front.
15:21 And then we have a single piston caliper grabbing a cross drilled rotor out back.
15:30 Brakes are nothing fancy, but they get the job done.
15:34 Kind of surprising that Honda didn't fit a radial mount front brake.
15:39 Instead it's got traditional axial mount where the bolts go into the fork leg like that instead
15:44 of radial, which is that.
15:46 Radial mount braking systems generally are, they offer greater rigidity and greater stopping
15:53 power because the force you put in through this master cylinder and into the caliper,
16:00 it just is more effective at slowing the vehicle down when it's in radial configuration.
16:07 Still 419 pounds, this thing stops just fine.
16:13 Fixed always on ABS.
16:17 Eliminates any wheel lock up.
16:19 So let's say you grab the rear brake or the front brake lever too hard, the wheels will
16:27 not lock.
16:28 You might feel some pulsing in the lever, but the motorcycle will stop without any problem.
16:35 So that's a nice touch, especially for a new rider.
16:40 Still would be nice if you could disable ABS, at least rear ABS, so you could lock up the
16:45 rear brake and do some slides.
16:47 I mean, after all it is a scrambler.
16:51 So slides are going to be limited to power only because there is no traction control.
16:58 There are no adjustable power modes or throttle mapping, which is fine.
17:07 Electronics are cool and all, but you don't need them on every vehicle, especially something
17:11 that's so simple and easy to ride like this motorcycle.
17:19 Now right now we're doing a lead follow type ride during this official US press introduction
17:26 for this vehicle.
17:27 We can't just do what we want.
17:30 We're guests of American Honda today, so we can't put this bike through our usual battery
17:36 of tests.
17:39 But we have ridden this headlight configuration after dark, and the headlight, these LED headlights
17:45 on these Hondas, on the Rebel 500 and that type of bike, they work really good.
17:52 Nice and bright.
17:54 They look aesthetically pleasing.
17:56 They really help you stand out when you're on the road riding in bright, sunny conditions
18:01 like we are today, or riding on the highway after dark.
18:05 So good job, American Honda, fitting all LED light architecture on this bike.
18:14 Yes, some turns.
18:18 I love how effortless this thing is in terms of handling.
18:25 For sure this bike isn't the most aesthetically pleasing new scrambler out there on the market,
18:32 but gosh, it rides really well.
18:34 It's built really solidly.
18:37 You know how Honda does it.
18:38 No motorcycle manufacturer, not no motorcycle manufacturer, a few motorcycle manufacturers
18:45 out there today assemble and engineer street bikes like Honda does.
18:51 These things are just, they're built Ford tough.
18:56 Of course, American Honda stands by its product with a one year warranty, but knowing how
19:04 reliable and durable these vehicles are, this thing will probably go for decades upon decades
19:10 upon decades with no problems aside from its routine maintenance as required by the owner's
19:18 manual.
19:19 Yes, some more turns.
19:21 I love turns.
19:27 This engine has plenty of get up and go, especially at this lower speeds, this 40 to 55 miles
19:34 per hour.
19:35 This thing's got some good, some good power.
19:37 It's definitely not the fastest thing on the road.
19:40 What's enough to put a smile on your face?
19:43 The engine tone is in typical Honda fashion.
19:48 It's pretty muted, but you can still see, hear something from underneath this metal
19:54 fuel tank.
19:55 Of course, you're not going to wake the neighbors with this bike because it runs so quietly
20:04 all right folks, we are just heading to a photography stop where we're going to gather
20:09 some more quality images for you folks at home to feast your eyes on.
20:17 We are going to check in with you folks in a little bit.
20:21 All right folks, we just got done with our official photo stop.
20:25 Now let's set up our Insta 360 one X three video camera.
20:32 This Insta 360 one X three video camera is so boss, it allows us to get crazy angles
20:41 and crazy perspectives that you wouldn't normally get to see without this camera.
20:47 There's a little bit of a learning curve to learn how to use it.
20:51 There's also a little bit of learning curve in terms of post-production, importing the
20:56 footage, processing it and exporting it, and then publishing it to your favorite digital
21:03 platform.
21:04 So Insta 360 makes it really easy with their proprietary OS enabled app.
21:11 They also have an iOS and Android powered smartphone app, but I don't use the smartphone
21:16 app.
21:17 I like to use the OS program on my notebook computer.
21:25 All right, we're about to go.
21:26 We mistakenly said the front brake's a four piston brake when it's not.
21:31 It's only a two piston.
21:32 It's a two piston slide type front brake, but the brakes work plenty good for slowing
21:42 down this 419 pound bike.
21:44 Whoa.
21:45 As we're going down the steep hill, we are recording 360.
21:50 Yes.
21:52 Maintenance on this motorcycle, obviously Honda motorcycles are renowned all over the
21:58 world for their exquisite build quality and their durability and reliability.
22:04 So in terms of maintenance, it should be no surprise that the maintenance intervals on
22:09 this bike are few and far between.
22:14 Honda recommends after initial 600 mile service, Honda recommends you change the engine oil
22:21 every 8,000 miles.
22:23 So every 8,000 miles you're supposed to change the engine oil and every other oil change.
22:29 So every 16,000 miles you want to replace the cartridge style oil filter.
22:37 Pretty neat.
22:38 These motorcycles go 8,000 miles between oil changes and 16,000 miles between oil filter
22:44 changes.
22:45 Realistically, most folks, if they're changing the oil, they're probably going to replace
22:49 that $15 oil filter too, but still good to know that these components are built to last.
22:58 In terms of valve inspection interval, Honda wants you to take a look at each of the eight
23:05 valves every 16,000 miles to make sure they're within specification.
23:11 Of course, this motorcycle could probably go 160,000 miles between valve inspections.
23:17 That's how tough these engines are built, but 16,000 miles is the valve inspection interval.
23:24 Honda also wants you to change the spark plugs at 16,000 mile increments and replace the
23:31 air filter at 12,000 miles.
23:34 And that's it for maintenance.
23:37 Of course, you always want to bleed and flush the hydraulic fluid inside the front and rear
23:44 brake circuits.
23:46 Every two years, it's a good idea to do it every other year, especially if you want your
23:53 brakes to feel nice and sharp, not spongy.
23:59 So really neat to know that Honda builds these machines to last, and they don't even require
24:07 much maintenance.
24:08 So the operating cost on this bike is, it's crazy.
24:13 You pay $6,800 for this bike, we're getting 65 miles per gallon.
24:21 Maintenance is limited to changing the oil, which is four quarts of oil every 8,000 miles.
24:27 The running costs on this vehicle are very low, and I like that.
24:33 What a practical vehicle to ride.
24:35 All right, folks, we're taking a little break, waiting for the guests that are along with
24:42 us on this ride.
24:44 We will check in with you folks in a little bit.
24:47 All right, folks, now we're riding on a little bit rougher road.
24:51 It's hard to see the indolation in the pavement, but this road is a little rougher, and that
24:57 is where you feel the limitations of the suspension, at least for this heavy 205-pound rider.
25:05 So it gets a little, little pogo-y, but not too bad.
25:12 Again, these are bigger bumps on the smoother pavement.
25:15 Obviously, they're redoing the road because of these bumps on the smoother sections where
25:20 the bumps aren't that big, but this thing rides awesome.
25:25 Another gripe we have with this motorcycle is while this instrumentation, I love the
25:31 shape of it, I love that it has the MPG meter, the dual trip meters, the gear position indicator,
25:37 the fuel level, no air temperature, and it's also hard to see in direct sunlight.
25:45 It's not the easiest thing to read in direct sunlight.
25:49 Honda, can you fit an instrument panel that has greater contrast range for riding in the
25:57 midday sun?
25:58 That would be a helpful improvement to this vehicle and any other vehicle that is fitted
26:05 with this round face digital instrument pod.
26:10 Well, folks, we are on our way back to our home base/launch point.
26:20 We're going to wrap things up for you there.
26:24 We'll check in with you folks in a little bit.
26:26 Thanks for riding with us.
26:30 Hey, folks, that wraps up today's 100 mile ride on Honda's 2023 SCL500.
26:40 I know we called it a 2024 model earlier.
26:43 I presumed that it was a 2024 model because this model release is halfway past the 2023
26:49 current model year, but in fact, it is a 2024.
26:53 We had a fun 100 miles on this bike.
26:56 Really nice bike to ride.
26:58 It is crazy comfortable, peppy without being too slow nor too fast.
27:04 It rides really easily.
27:05 420 pounds, this thing is really easy to change directions.
27:09 It goes over bumps really well.
27:12 Of course, that instrumentation, it's not the easiest thing to see in the direct sun,
27:17 but we'll forgive Honda because it's got awesome LED headlamps.
27:21 Like we said, we weren't able to test the headlights on this vehicle after dark like
27:26 we normally would, but we've operated the Rebel 500 headlight after dark and it works
27:31 really well.
27:32 We look forward to riding this thing after dark.
27:34 $6,800 for this bike.
27:37 If you're looking for just a really easy riding scrambler, of course, this thing's not going
27:42 to knock your socks off in terms of performance.
27:45 It's really not going to turn heads.
27:46 It's not the prettiest bike we've seen, but if you're just looking for a reliable and
27:52 functional 500cc scrambler that's going to stand the test of time, this thing's not going
27:58 to break down in five years.
28:00 The bolts on it aren't going to rattle out.
28:02 Of course, this is made by Honda Motor Japan.
28:05 It's a high quality product.
28:07 If you're someone who really wants a high quality scrambler style motorcycle, I think
28:11 the $6,800 scrambler 500 will work really good for you from Honda.
28:17 All right, folks, that wraps up our official review.
28:20 Of course, make sure to surf on over to MotorcyclistOnline.com.
28:24 That's where all of our content comes to life.
28:26 Give this video a thumbs up if you liked it, thumbs it down if you didn't, and we'll see
28:30 you in the next episode.
28:31 Thanks for riding with us.
28:32 [engine revving]