Honda CL500 Scrambler: Rumours And Guesses

When Honda hit the show circuit last fall, the CL500 scrambler was perhaps its most exciting new model (except for the Transalp, arguably). While the CL500’s neo-retro looks are polarizing, those who like this bike really, really like it—and yet, we still have no confirmation for the Canadian market. That doesn’t mean we can’t speculate a bit, though!

Pricing around $9,000?

Although the CL500 isn’t confirmed for Canada, brand-new machines are already being shipped to the European and British markets. In those regions, pricing will be €6,990 and £5,999 respectively. While exchange rates shift constantly, that roughly works out to $10,000 CAD.

However, Canada often catches a bit of a break on new motorcycle pricing when compared to other countries. Currently, the Honda Rebel 500 carries a $8,975 MSRP in Canada (including freight, PDI and other fees). The CB500F sells for $8,635 (again, including a host of other fees tacked on—your dealer may add their own mark-ups).

Given the pricing on those models, it seems reasonable to expect the CL500 scrambler would be priced right around the $9,000 mark in Canada … if it ever gets here.

Maybe for 2024?

It seems Honda Canada is finally ready to pump some new bikes into our market, with the long-awaited Trail 125 confirmed for 2023, and also the XR150L (a bit of a surprise, that one!). But we still don’t have the new 750 parallel twin platform confirmed—no Honda Hornet, no Honda Transalp for Canada. And no CL500.

However, unlike that 750 series, this 500 is a rehash of an earlier platform; it’s a modified Rebel. That means the engine has already passed emissions testing, and it should be legal here with no hassles. If Honda has enough machines to sell in our market (and that’s actually a good question), then it’s hard to imagine it won’t be here by next year. We wouldn’t be surprised to see it announced as early as August, but if it’s not confirmed by next February, well—ask your dealer what the hold-up is.