Adventure Country Tracks (ACT) Italy | Honda CB500X | Solo Trip

[@olliecassidy9562]

Great trip, well done 👏

[@titicharpi9611]

Merci pour le partage ✌️🍀🙋

[@jimwood1068]

Really enjoyed this. Thanks. Will be doing this ACT next year. Cheers, Jim. UK. 👍🏼

[@bigd3904]

Awesome Job Bud, enjoyed the whole film immensely and well done for A solo ACT, Ride safe and looking forward to your next adventure 👍

[@J2Wlz]

Thank you very much!

[@jhonnatantravels]

Me imagino que fue difícil la ruta, pero a la vez genial. No había visto a alguien hacer tanto offroad en una CB500X. Buen vídeo, saludos desde Colombia

[@J2Wlz]

Thank you! There are indeed better bikes for offroad riding but it's capable enough after some upgrades.

[@Stig4n]

thank you for this impression of ACT Italy and taking us on this trip.

[@J2Wlz]

@@Stig4n my pleasure!

[@Stig4n]

@@J2Wlz it is my plan to make this also and was thinking of doing a solo, because of the non matching time for friends. This was a good impression what to expect.

[@J2Wlz]

@@Stig4n glad I could help. Riding solo is actually pretty cool as long as you can lift your bike on your own :)

[@Stig4n]

@@J2Wlz not really a problem even my V85TT is not the lightest bike. But the low center of gravity allows for that.

[@J2Wlz]

@@Stig4n nice bike! She will be happy to cruise in her homecountry 🙂

[@gunthergilch4111]

thank you for this nice video👍

[@holygoalie73]

Great Trip, amazing Video! I made in June an Offroadtrip for 4 Days in Friaul with my 28 Years old KLE 500! This Area is totally underrated! After heavy Rain the Gravellroads are in really bad Conditions and I had feels with you when i saw your Bike goes stuck. Next Time someone ask’s you if you drive alone, you must say: no, we are three of us, me myself and i!😂 Good luck for your next Trips, hope to see more of your journey’s! Greets, Didi

[@J2Wlz]

@@holygoalie73 Thank you :) I know what it's like to have an old bike, my previous one was the bmw r1100gs from 1997 - a heavy beast! Getting stuck is not fun but the adventure begins when things start to go not according to a plan, they say... I'll remember 'me, myself and I' :) Normally I consider that there are 2 of us, my bike and me ;)

[@charliel.3865]

Great video my friend! I did the same ACT in June 22 with three colleagues and i recalled challenges i had at the same places. Take care and always rubber down!

[@J2Wlz]

Thank you! I can imagine that in June the tracks in Emilia Romagna were in even worse conditions due to the very recent storm.

[@dougiverson4297]

Great video. I really enjoyed it. The map graphics were a nice touch and the narration and subtitles added to the story. Looks like a challenging solo adventure. I enjoyed the part where you made the wrong decision as to with line to pick but often they change part way thru. Next time the line could be different. I started watching on the CB500x forum but came here to complete it as I am never sure if linked videos capture your number of views. Will watch for your next video.

[@J2Wlz]

Thank you!

[@gerdmueller4095]

thanks for this great video ! will be on the ACT Croatia and Italy in September. happy and safe travels, mate !

[@J2Wlz]

@@gerdmueller4095 thank you :) Wow, are you going to ride both ACT's during the single trip?

[@gerdmueller4095]

@@J2Wlz yes, that´s the plan...if you didn´t travelled the ACT Croatia yet, you can join me .

[@J2Wlz]

@@gerdmueller4095 I would love to but my busy life has started again. Thnx for offering 👍 Have a great time on both ACT's!

[@martinhogge3311]

Nice video mate. U did well. Hopefully do the ACT italy this year. Thanks for info also 👍

[@J2Wlz]

You'll love it!

[@ChaiNinja]

Great video

[@caiojulio3100]

wow very good job ;) cb500x is good bike, in Italy few people use it for offroad, however it is very versatile. I'm from Rome, I love the CBX, I have the 2021 model. I happily subscribed to your channel, good luck!

[@J2Wlz]

Thnx! You live in a beautiful country 🙂 The CBX is indeed a great allrounder.

[@porter5877]

Great video dude...

[@J2Wlz]

Thank you :)

[@piesya]

Nice ride, keep it up !!

[@davidmatthews3093]

Well done. That looked quite a challenge but you and the 500X got through to the end. 🥂 It looked very challenging for an ACT route, it would have been a nightmare on a big adventure bike. I too have a 500X which I have done a fair bit of off-road riding on but I also have a Voge 300 Rally. Riding the Rally has shown me that riding a bike with a bit less weight, a bit more ground clearance and a bit more suspension travel makes a huge difference when the going gets tough or things start to go wrong. Full marks to you for doing it and doing it solo but having watched your experience I will be taking the Voge not the Honda especially if I go on my own. Thank you also for the great quality of the video, you really took us a long with you. 🙂🙂

[@J2Wlz]

Thank you for your kind words! A couple of weeks ago I did an offroad training on a rented Voge 300 Rally. This thing is amazing and inspires much more confidence than bigger bikes. For the first time in my life I felt like a good offroad rider :) But in my case I first have to travel long distances on the highways within a short period of time to reach some beautiful places in Europe. If I had more time and could avoid highways I would strongly consider a light bike like a Voge. I wish you a good luck and a lot of fun with your adventures!

[@davidmatthews3093]

@@J2Wlz The Voge is up to long distance travel. I wouldn’t take it on a motorway but I don’t use motorways on my 500X either. I do several winter rallies every year and from now on if the weather forecast is anything other than very good I will be taking the Voge.

[@J2Wlz]

@@davidmatthews3093 I'm sure it's going to be much more fun 👌

[@fromua]

Захватывает, прямо пережил с тобой этот трип😅😅Молодцом!!

[@stefanosioli5294]

ciao, I did same ACT 3 weeks ago on a Honda crf 300 rally, so this was easier for me than for you on a heavier bike. On the other hand, I am surely more than double your age, so this was less positive. You did this trip in August, you didn't mention it, but it must have been VERY hot, this is why I did in mid september. The track is perfect on a single cyl adv bike like the crf 300, on big twins is the fatigue who makes it difficult. I loved most the Abruzzo part, so I decided to stay there for 4 days, just in that region (had downloaded before leaving some extra tracks from Wikiloc). The lake Trasimeno and the Orvieto parts had too much tarmac. The Pienza and Tuscany parts were so so beautiful, but also hot still in september. I will be in Greece by mid October

[@J2Wlz]

I really like the CRF300, but in my country it's nearly impossible to arrange a test ride with this bike because there are no demo models available. Wow, respect for doing this at your age! I truly hope I'll still be able to do trips like this in my 70's! Believe it or not, but actually it wasn't really hot until I arrived at the coast. The wind was still fresh in the mountains, especially in the mornings. Sometimes it was even a bit cold as I started my riding days around 6.00. I found all regions to be equally beautiful, but Abruzzo was definitely the most rough one! Have a good luck in Greece and ride safe!

[@luigiparisi4749]

wonderful!!! WHO DARES WINS

[@ktm-Triumph]

Mooie video. Heel avontuur alleen, met name de moeilijkere secties 'ontbreekt" dan het extra handje. Rij je op de langzame moeilijke stukken zittend of staand? Staand geeft meer balans en kan je ook sneller over deze losse stenen. Met meer snelheid en momentum maak jet het moeilijke deel een stuk gemakkelijker. Zoals je zelf in dag 3 ervaarde met het steile stuk , wat gemakkelijker leek. Let op , bovenstaand is natuurlijk ook afhankelijk of je vering het gewicht en de gaten aankan. Ik heb zelf de ACT Portugal gereden en besef dus dat alles wat je op camera ziet veel gemakkelijker eruit ziet dan in werkelijkheid. Met name de hoogte verschillen zijn niet zichtbaar. Nogmaals TOP gedaan.

[@J2Wlz]

Dankjewel! Ik probeer altijd te staan maar als het voor mij heel moeilijk wordt, ga ik idd steppen 😂 Deze Honda heeft relatief korte veerwegen, weinig bodemvrijheid en hij is ook best zwaar (197kg af fabriek, nu een stuk zwaarder met alle accessoires),, daarom is het soms lastig om snelheid te maken op de moeilijke stukken. Mijn plan is om volgend jaar ACT Portugal te rijden. Hoe is dat bevallen?

[@ktm-Triumph]

@@J2Wlz ACT Portugal is ook geweldig mooi. Ik heb alleen 4 etappes gereden vanwege beschikbare tijd.. De etappe (dag 5 ACT) onder Lissabon naar de Algarve heb ik niet gedaan. Ik denk dat de moeilijkheidsgraad vergelijkbaar is met Italie. De ACT noemt het easy met enkele stukken medium. Maar er zitten best ook steile en lastige klimmetjes en afdalingen bij. Ik had een CRF300 gehuurd. Deze is beter geschikt dan jouw CB denk ik. Lichter en kan je meer snelheid geven op de slechte stukken.

[@J2Wlz]

@@ktm-Triumph Dat "Easy" op de website van ACT vertrouw ik ook niet meer 😅ACT Italy zou volgens de website ook makkelijk moeten zijn en dat was het ook voor ong. 80% maar de rest was toch best technisch. Zo'n CRF300 is de ideale motor wat mij betreft. Als ik de lange stukken snelweg niet hoefde te rijden had ik de mijne meteen ingeruild. En mag ik vragen waar je de CRF hebt gehuurd in Portugal?

[@ktm-Triumph]

@@J2Wlz In Santarem. Ca 75km van Lissabon. Offroadoffcourse.

[@J2Wlz]

​@@ktm-Triumphthnx!

[@demdrys]

Ordered an NX500 and your video really shows the capabilities of the CB500x platforms. Would you be kind to share the extras you have on the bike, engine guard etc as well as what issues you ve faced eg with tubeless tires? Everybody says get a crf300L or a Tenere, but many of us have to drive long distances on tarmac before getting off road and only the CB500x fits that place along with being easily used in the city and with a good fuel consumption efficiency.

[@J2Wlz]

Hi! Thanks for your comment. You've made a good choice, as these are great multi purpose bikes that are mostly limited by the lack of right accessories from the factory. That's what I have on mine: Bridgestone AX41 tires; Hyperpro shock absorber and progressive fork springs, SKF heavy duty fork seals and acerbis fork socks; Outback motortek skid plate and crashbars; Barkbusters hand guards; Givi radiator guard; Sw motech evo footpegs; Sw motech 2cm bar risers. It's still not a T7 but easier to pick up and to handle in tough conditions. Though the new CF Moto 450 looks very interesting. Wrt the tubeless wheels, absolutely no problems but I don't ride fast off road and pick my line carefully.

[@demdrys]

@@J2Wlz thank you a lot for the info. About saw and axe, if i may suggest either the Fiskars Xtract SW75 (foldable) or the Samurai Ichiban GC series (non foldable, very light and in my opinion cuts better than the Fiskars. And instead of an axe, this is super light weight bush cutter Fiskars XA3, especially with a custom leather sheath, it s great to cut bushes and quite thick branches, small trunks too & Plus self defense from wild animals, if need arises

[@J2Wlz]

@@demdrys Thank you! I'll check them out 👍

[@enduromotorradtouren]

You're brave doing an ACT on your own, well done. It's much easier in a group. Especially when you're dripping a heavy bike, many hands to help, saving your energy. I have a similar bike, the old middleweight Transalp 600 PD06. Did ACT Pyrenees last year and ACT Romania this year. Enjoyed your video thoroughly. What are your next plans? Cheers, Günter/Nürnberg PS: Just a hint about riding, if you don't mind. Just before the more challenging points come up you tend to hesitate, and get into difficulties. With a different mindset (Yes I can) you'll be out of trouble in future.

[@J2Wlz]

Thanks for your comment! I was indeed hesitating a "couple" of times when the hard stuff came but it was my first time ever dealing with rocks. All I did previously was sand and light gravel roads with some mud in between :) I've owned a TA600 as my first adv bike 10 years ago. It was great, wish I never sold it. But at that time bigger was better, they said...😂 My plan is to ride more ACT's but being a family guy with a full time job means that the next big trip will only happen somewhere in the next season. How did you like the ACT Pyrenees and Romania in terms of difficulty?

[@enduromotorradtouren]

@@J2Wlz You did very well. It's a solo ride, therefore much more demanding. You stayed calm in difficult situations, that's the most important thing. I started to ride off asphalt on the Transalp with Metzeler Tourance tyres, even did TET Germany in this configuration. Good for learning. The Pyrenees (last September) and Romania (this August) on our group were nicely challenging, ideal for Transalp or a CB 500 X on 50-50 tyres, but never too much - BUT we had perfect weather. Hot and dry. A friend told me not to ride offroad on ACT Romania when it's wet and muddy. He met some guys who had to pick up their GSes dozens of times, because it was too muddy/slippery. I can recommend both regions in these months, since there are not many tourists. Sights, accommodations, tracks are more enjoyable. Hope your family lets you go on that trip. All the best, Günter/Nürnberg

[@J2Wlz]

@@enduromotorradtouren Thanks for your tips!

[@jannis6585]

Hi, do you use another suspension with more ground clearence? Nice Ride!

[@J2Wlz]

@@jannis6585 thnx! The bike has Hyperpro progressive fork springs and the rear shock but the travel and ground clearance are the same.

[@therollingpebble2138]

Can you tell me what software you used to show the ariel 3D image of the route?

[@J2Wlz]

Hi! It's just a screen record from Google Earth. You can upload a gpx file in Google Maps/Earth

[@therollingpebble2138]

@@J2Wlz ok thanks. I'll look it up. Was the gpx file from an app or something (sorry this may be a dumb question...)

[@J2Wlz]

​@@therollingpebble2138 yes, you can download it from the adventure country tracks website after subscription

[@zoltankaracsony2846]

Congratulations, the video is very good. I would like to ask what brand of engine guard and crash bar what you use?

[@J2Wlz]

Hi! Thanks for watching! These are from Outback Motortek.

[@kai-uweoch1159]

On the nest trip carry a chainsaw! :-) Ok, seriously, I always carry one of those Fiskars telescopic saws with a 16cm blade, it just weights 120g!

[@J2Wlz]

thanks for your advise :) I was thinking of getting a nordic pocket saw but I'll also check out the telescopic one 👍

[@robertgoetz2678]

Thanks! Awesome! Is your rear time mounted in the correct direction? When i go on gravel i donot grease the chain, as the dust in combination with grease is doing the contrary of your intention…

[@J2Wlz]

Thanks! The tire was mounted correctly, the thread pattern looks indeed a bit strange. The chain lube I've used was from the Motul off road series which is much less sticky. However, strangly enough, the can didn't survive off road usage, unfortunately 🙄

[@edg9374]

Hi. I am looking for ride solo the act italy last week of april on a f850gs adventure. How do you think about it? I had done act portugal with same bike solo and i love it. What do you think about tech parts? And what do you think about weather? I would like to do in 5 days… thank you for your opinion

[@J2Wlz]

Hi! I think, if you've alread ridden the act Portugal solo then you should be fine. From what I've seen on the videos, Portugal has even more technical parts than Italy. I can't tell you anything about the weather, during my trip I've encountered no mud but it wasn't raining. In case of rain some parts will definitely be muddy. 5 days should be doable if you're in a hurry but if you have more time I would recommend at least 7 days to really enjoy beautiful surroundings.

[@dittmerkevin95]

Which App are you using for navigation on your smartphone?

[@J2Wlz]

Osmand

[@dittmerkevin95]

@@J2Wlz Just import the gpx and start navigation is osmand really that simple ?

[@J2Wlz]

@@dittmerkevin95 It's relatively simple but you have to play around with it a little bit because Osmand doesn't have a very intuitive GUI imho and it also has a lot of other functions that you might never need. There are a lot of alternative outdoor gps apps on the market btw.

[@dittmerkevin95]

Currently i am using locus and from your writing i think it is quite the same. So much functions which i will never use but i have to admit it is quite intuitiv. Considering trying both i comparison to see which suits my demands. ​@@J2Wlz

[@dittmerkevin95]

​@@J2Wlzstill Happy with the honda?

[@husnudwa9211]

Congratulations, it looks like it was a great trip. There were a lot of difficulties on the roads but you did well. Did you specifically decide on mountain roads or did the maps take you there?

[@J2Wlz]

Thanks! This is the official track provided by Touratech - ACT Italy. It can be downloaded from adventurecountrytracks.com

[@husnudwa9211]

@@J2Wlz Thank you so much. Actually i was in Italy a few weeks ago. But i came there with my scooter (Burgman 650), i hope next time it will be an adventurer bike. 🙃

[@J2Wlz]

@@husnudwa9211 you will enjoy!

[@djpunisha29]

are those stock tires?

[@J2Wlz]

No, I'm not that brave. The Bridgestone AX41.

[@giacbira]

@@J2Wlz but what size did you put on the rear? because it seems to me that the AX41 160/60 R17 doesn't exist...or am I wrong?

[@J2Wlz]

​@@giacbira150/70/17

[@giacbira]

@@J2Wlz but can they be mounted regularly?...is it written in the registration document? because here in Italy, from what I read, the rear only fits the 160/60R17...sorry if I insist, it's for mkia information

[@J2Wlz]

@@giacbira 150/70 fits just perfecly. That's what my mechanic said and a lot of people also confirm this on different forums on the web. For example, take a look at cl500, it has the same rims as cb500x but the rear tire is 150/70. However, I'm not sure about the legal permissions in your country.

[@moto.in.travel]

Congratulation - you did it well brave hart. I made the tour with a friend in June 2021 and expected less temperature, but it had also 30°😅 If I compare your video with mine I published herein, I could detect some parts of tracs but not many. Seams we used sometimes different 😊 At the end, I will also suggest: better using a light wight bike! Would make me happy, to get your comment also on my video.

[@J2Wlz]

Thanks! I rode the latest version of the track which I downloaded from the act website just a couple of days before leaving. Maybe they changed something? During my trip the temperature wasn't that bad, especially high in the mountains. And the mornings were even pretty chilly on some days. The heat caught me only at the coast where I stayed for a couple of days after finishing the track. That's where I really started to miss the mountain area. I agree that a light bike is the way to go but in Europe we actually don't really have any other options other than the crf300 or expensive ktm's. I can't really see myself doing 1400km on the autobahn on a crf 🫤

[@ChaiNinja]

What is your height bro?

[@J2Wlz]

182cm

[@HondaWanderer]

This would be so much better without so much music. Let us just hear the bike. I find it relaxing. The music is ok occasionally but all the way through I find a bit unwatchable.

[@J2Wlz]

Thanks for your comment! I've tried to make the music volume not to loud so that the bike sound would still be audible.

[@HondaWanderer]

still enjoyed it i just love raw sound sometimes :) @@J2Wlz

[@davidmatthews3093]

I enjoyed the music. I thought it was tasteful and appropriate.

[@NatsTorresfranc]

Got boring on your video Feel dizzy,,😢😢

[@J2Wlz]

@@NatsTorresfranc you could try Teletubbies, maybe it's gonna be more fun?