Brixton Crossfire 500 X quick ride review: Shot in the dark

The Crossfire 500 X is a retro-style motorcycle that embodies a mix of vintage aesthetics and modern engineering. It’s positioned as a middleweight bike, aimed at riders who want a stylish, versatile, and performance-oriented machine. Does this Austrian motorcycle have the credentials to carve its niche in the sub 500cc segment? Unfortunately, we were only allowed a glimpse at its performance inside the confines of a private property. Here’s what we discovered. 

Brixton Crossfire 500 X design and features

Its bold “X” tank design, which has become a signature of the Brixton line-up, tends to stand out. The minimalistic approach to bodywork, paired with LED lighting, gives it a contemporary touch while retaining the retro vibe.

The Crossfire 500 X gets a long single-piece seat that felt adequately comfortable during my short stint. Its scrambler styled riding seat has a relatively accessible seat height of 795mm. 

The bike uses a monotone LCD speedo, which was dim and showed limited information in small fonts, making it hard to read under direct sunlight.

Switchgear quality felt budget and should have been better for its asking price. While the overall design is quite eye-catching, fit and finish levels could have been better.

Brixton Crossfire 500 X performance and handling

The Crossfire 500 X is powered by a 486cc parallel-twin engine that is paired with a 6-speed gearbox and produces 47hp at 8,500rpm and 43Nm at 6,750rpm. Its motor feels torquey and strikes a balance between approachable performance and power delivery. The engine is smooth, with a linear torque curve that makes it easy to handle around tight corners. 

It features J.Juan brakes, paired with dual-channel ABS for strong stopping power. However, the brakes lacked feedback and felt rather wooden. This motorcycle is equipped with an adjustable KYB USD fork and monoshock, which are on the softer side.

The Crossfire 500 X wafts over uneven surfaces at slow speeds, but wallows over them at higher speeds. Despite that, it felt surprisingly engaging and fun around the tight bends of the premises. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to test this motorcycle on public roads and it remains to be seen how the Crossfire 500 X does in the real world. 

While we primarily rode the road-oriented model, Brixton also sells the Crossfire 500 XC, which is a scrambler-styled motorcycle. It is mechanically quite similar but gets larger wheels and a different design. It also costs Rs 45,000 more, and will be sold alongside the Crossfire 500 X through Motohaus’ limited dealership network. 

Brixton Crossfire 500 X verdict

The 500 X may lack some high-tech features, but its charm lies in its simplicity and seemingly rugged appearance. While it is priced respectably for a CKD, the Crossfire 500 X is significantly more expensive than the 650s from RE, which will be a big challenge for Brixton.

Given that Brixton is a very young brand in India and globally, Its long-term reliability and after-sales service also remain to be seen given the small footprint the brand currently holds.

Also see: Brixton Cromwell 1200 quick ride: Most affordable 1200cc motorcycle