HELMET : SMK RETRO ADVENTURE JACKET : HIGHWAY 21 WINCHESTER GLOVES : HIGHWAY 21 JAB FULL PERFORATED PANTS : FLY RACING RESISTANCE JEANS BOOTS : FLY RACING TRADESMAN

As much as I appreciate hightech features on many of today ’ s motorcycles , there ’ s something to be said for a bike with nothing to figure out . Swing a leg over the SCL500 , thumb the starter button , drop it into gear , and just ride . Throttle response is user-

Above left : The block-tread pattern and narrow width of the Dunlop Mixtour tires made for fun and confident cornering . Above right : The gauge is hard to read in bright light .

friendly , power delivery is linear , and the slip / assist clutch makes gear changes effortless . The engine is smooth and doesn ’ t vibrate much , nor does it radiate excess heat . But it doesn ’ t exude much character either .

A sturdy tubular- steel trellis frame holds everything together , and the bike , which has a narrow 3.2- gallon tank , is slender between the knees . The SCL500 ’ s suspension , a nonadjustable 41mm fork and dual shocks with two- step preload adjustment , has 5.3 / 5.7 inches of front / rear travel , which is more generous than its adventure- ish CB500X stablemate ( 4.7 / 5.5 inches ). For a sub- $ 7,000 bike , the ride is surprisingly plush , though the suspension ’ s softness leads to some fork dive during braking and seesawing over big bumps . More rebound damping would be nice , at least for a 200- lb galoot like me .

The SCL500 rolls on 19- inch front and 17- inch rear cast wheels shared with the CB500X , and they ’ re shod with Dunlop Mixtour block- tread tires that provide reasonably good grip and handling . ABS is standard , and there are single- disc Nissin brakes front and rear , with a 2- pot caliper pinching a 310mm disc in front and a 1- pot caliper slowing a 240mm disc out back . The brakes don ’ t offer much power or feel , but they ’ re perfectly fine for riders who are newer , lighter , or less aggressive than I am .

The SCL500 ’ s chassis geometry favors stability over agility , which further adds to the bike ’ s approachability . But its lightness ( just 419 lb ready to ride ), the width of its handlebar , and the narrowness of its tires ( 110 / 80- 19 front , 150 / 70- 17 rear ) mean that the SCL can be tossed around like a ragdoll . With my 34- inch inseam , I was a little folded up on the SCL500 with its low 31.1- inch seat height and high footpegs . The cleated footpegs have

40 / FEBRUARY 2024 / RIDERMAGAZINE . COM