Did This Dazzling New Retro-Styled Motorcycle Just Out-Honda Honda?

As rumors swirl about an upcoming CB500 Super Four, a brand you’ve probably never heard of jumps the gun with an impressive near-dupe.

Close-up of a red motorcycle's rear section showing the exhaust pipe, rear wheel with disc brake, footpeg, and part of the engine with "ZXJC" engraved on a circular metal cover. The frame and various mechanical components are also visible.

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published 5 hours ago

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“Actions speak louder than words” is one of those adages that has really held up over time.

It’s also how I feel Zhang Xue might respond to any Honda exec who dared asked him WTF is going on with his eponymous new moto brand’s upcoming launch.

White and black modern motorcycle with red accents, featuring a round LED headlight, dual front disc brakes, black alloy wheels, and a chrome exhaust pipe, parked on a paved street. — While not a 100 percent dupe, the 500F does have strong CB vibes — and unmistakable UJM ones.

Because as the whispers get louder about a new Honda retro four-cylinder to replace the CB400SF (discontinued in 2022), Zhang Xue Motorcycles (ZXMoto for short) has released images and specs on a pretty dang similar — and damn good-looking — bike.

It’s not identical, but by beating Honda to the proverbial punch, this pre-emptive move means you could say ZXMoto has duped Honda two different ways.

No time to waste

Honda is such a big brand that I doubt they are sweating, and they certainly should not be surprised.

After all, former motocross rider Xue has proven to be a pretty fast mover off the bike, too.

White and red sport motorcycle parked on a paved street in front of a building with colorful signs and windows. The motorcycle features a sleek design with a black seat, black wheels, and visible engine components. — With a curb weight well under 400 pounds and seat height less than 32 inches, the 500F should be pretty approachable for most riders.

Having launched off-road-centric Kove Moto in 2017, Xue left to start ZXMoto in early 2024.

That brand has since showcased a prototype 820RR three-cylinder sportbike claiming 150 horsepower, 15,000 rpm and shockingly low weight of 331 pounds.

A white motorcycle with red accents is parked on a paved street. The rear view shows a large rear tire, a chrome exhaust pipe, and two round rearview mirrors. The background includes blurred pedestrians and buildings. — Round mirrors and analog gauges are retro staples that never get old, as far as I’m concerned.

However, it appears that the 500F is closer to actual fruition, considering it is scheduled for a public launch at the CIMAMotor show in Chongqing, China beginning September 19.

It’s still possible that a 500cc replacement for Honda’s CB400SF will also debut there, which could make for a pretty juicy showdown.

Same difference?

In fairness, as Cycle World points out, the 500F’s aesthetic is generally inspired by the “Universal Japanese Motorcycle” (UJM) era of the 1970s, marked by a proliferation of very similar-looking standard Japanese bikes.

Though Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha were all copying each other’s designs, the New York Times identifies Honda’s inline-four 1969 CB 750 as the template.

Close-up of a motorcycle front featuring a round headlight with a silver rim and a horizontal black bar with a "Z" emblem across the center. Above the headlight are two black circular components, and below it are two chrome-trimmed circular horns. The motorcycle's front forks are black, and clear turn signals are visible on either side. — The twin horns right under the big round headlight are the most unmissable CB touch.

The 500F circular instruments above the headlight and dual horns below it definitely carry Honda vibes, there are differences.

Most notable is a progressive suspension setup, boasting an upside-down fork (all the rage these days) plus a rear monoshock, a marked departure from Honda’s telescopic fork and dual rear shocks.

The paint schemes are obviously different too. While ZXMoto mostly showcases a white-heavy bike with red accents, there’s also an almost reverse painted red-heavy option — plus a black version with red and white accents I would love to see more of.

Dimension-wise, the curb weight is 386 pounds, the wheelbase is 54.9 inches and the seat height is just under 31.3 inches, all pretty approachable numbers.

A woman with long dark hair wearing a brown leather jacket and black pants is sitting on a red motorcycle. She is holding a bouquet of white and blue flowers wrapped in white paper, resting it on the motorcycle's fuel tank. The background shows a blurred outdoor setting with greenery. — Though this image looks like a still from one seriously dramatic moto-based Chinese soap opera, it does provide our best look at the 500F’s punchy 470cc power plant.

The 500F packs a 470cc inline four-cylinder engine making 74 horsepower, the bigger engine providing significantly more juice than the CB400SF, which topped out in the mid-50s.

To be honest, I’m not that concerned about acceleration and top speed. After all, on a bike with throwback good looks like this one, you should be perfectly happy slow-rolling across town.

Availability and pricing

The ZXMoto 500F is expected to make its public debut later this month. Pricing has not yet been announced, nor have plans for a release outside of China.

However, considering that Xue’s Kove has made the jump to our shores, anything is possible.

Black and red sport motorcycle with a sleek design, featuring a round headlight, dual rearview mirrors, and a silver exhaust pipe. The bike has a comfortable seat, disc brakes on both wheels, and a visible engine with the label "ZXJC." The motorcycle is positioned on a stand against a plain white background.

ZXMoto 500F

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About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.