Honda’s Affordable Retro-Styled Scrambler Has No Business Looking This Good

The new SCL500 promises to tackle city streets and two-lane twisties with equal aplomb.

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published March 24, 2025

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When I started shopping for my first motorcycle nearly a decade ago, I was proper obsessed with the Triumph Scrambler.

Then I went to a dealer and sat on one, only to realize my feet could barely touch the ground on either side.

That realization combined with the salesman saying “we really don’t recommend this bike to first-time riders” and the price tag quickly added up to me reorienting toward a used Bonneville T-100 Black, which has brought me loads of ~~headaches~~ joy ever since.

honda scl500 full — The classic scrambler-style silhouette will never not turn heads and stir memories.

However, the story might have been quite different if Honda’s SCL500 had been an option.

With a significantly smaller engine and lower price tag, modern performance elements and classic scrambler aesthetics, the 2025 edition looks hella compelling, even for newer riders.

Style points

While scramblers originally appeared as conversions of road bikes for dirt riding, the particular aesthetic is so damn cool that we now see street bikes getting scrambler looks.

Running parallel to the urban appeal of outdoor gear — and off-road-ready SUVs that never leave the suburbs — this trend is very much present in the SCL500.

Considering this bike has a curb weight of just 425 pounds, I imagine the 471cc power plant delivers sufficient oomph to negotiate city traffic — and throttle out of jams — with agility and grace.

(To be fair, it’s still more dirt-ready than most street bikes, a topic I’ll explore in the next section.)

Inspired by Honda scramblers of the 1960s, this bike’s classic design is very much on display via its upright, muscular silhouette, high-riding muffler and flat (passenger-friendly) double seat.

honda scl500 beauty — The SCL500’s high exhaust pipe placement is a trademark scrambler touch that stands out from the pack.

Other intentional aesthetic touches include the round LED headlight and turn signals, blacked-out mechanical components, twin shocks and fork gaiters.

It also has a pretty barebones (albeit digital) round gauge indicating key metrics such as gear, fuel level and miles per hour.

Performance bonus

Though fairly stripped down, the SCL500 offers function-first features you might not expect in a sub-$7,000 package.

These qualities not only boost performance but also ride-ability, making it appealing to both beginners and more experienced riders.

From a power standpoint, the SCL500 packs a Rebel 500-derived liquid-cooled 471cc parallel twin.

honda scl500 engine — Not unlike Royal Enfield, Honda makes the most of its 471cc engine, which also appears in the Rebel 500 and a number of other popular smaller-displacement bikes including the NX500, CB500F and CBR500R.

While Honda is a bit cagey on actual numbers, it says the engine offers “strong bottom-end torque and a smooth, linear power delivery.”

Considering this bike has a curb weight of just 425 pounds, I imagine that power plant delivers sufficient oomph to negotiate city traffic — and throttle out of jams — with agility and grace.

The 31.1-inch seat height is fully 1.4 inches lower than that of the 2016 Triumph Scrambler I coveted back in the day — and together with the bike’s narrow frame should make it approachable to those with shorter inseams and less experience.

Additional rider-friendly features include a slipper/assist clutch that reduces clutch-lever effort by 30 percent versus previous systems and an anti-lock braking system, standard.

honda scl500 action — Thanks to its size and weight, the SCL500 is relatively approachable for newer, shorter and/or female riders.

As far as off-roading is concerned, this bike is somewhat more qualified than other street rides (including the similarly sized Rebel 500) thanks to relatively generous suspension travel: 5.9 inches up front, 5.7 inches in the rear.

The SCL500 also boasts a mullet wheel configuration (19 inches front, 17 inches back), somewhat lug-y Dunlop tires and 6.1 inches of ground clearance (compared to the Rebel 500’s 5.4).

Don’t get it twisted though: This bike should be far more fun and functional taking on city streets and two-lane country twisties — and look damn good doing so, too.