Honda X-ADV

The design of the Honda X—ADV looks just how you’d expect an adventure scooter. Honda’s treatment goes for a robotic aesthetic. The wide front fairing and the five way adjustable windshield, gives the rider the same sort of wind protection as offered by a maxi scooter. The widespread dual LED headlights with the scoop between them gives it a fish-like appearance. Riding high near the windshield are slim LED indicators. The wide handlebars come with rally style handguards. The side view is dominated by a futuristic profile with a lot of smooth sectioned panelling.

There are two color options to choose from – Matt Bullet Silver and Victory Red. Making the scooter like body look good with a lot of ground clearance is not exactly easy and Honda does a decent job. The short tail end rides high and comes with large handles that can be used as mounting points for luggage compartments. Under the seat though is a large 21-litre storage box that can store a full-face helmet. This storage also has its own power outlet for charging devices. The fuel tank hides behind the front apron, leaving a step through for the rider with a small footboard. The large upswept exhaust and the long swingarm, however, quickly remind you that this as just as much a motorcycle as it is a scooter. One that looks like something straight out of science fiction. The instrument display is equally space age is the rally style fully digital instrument display that is easy to read and very informative. Even the foot pegs for the pillion rider disappear among the body panels when folded.

The X-ADV is indeed very well put together and not merely a Honda Integra with a longer swingarm. It is slightly large at 2245 mm (L) x 910 mm (W) x 1375 mm (H). The wheel situation mimics larger adventure bikes with a bigger 17-inch front wheel and a smaller 15-inch rear wheel. Both of which use spokes along with semi off-road 120/70 front and 160/60 rear tires.

There is no reworked maxi scooter frame to be found here. The Honda X-ADV gets an all-new tubular steel frame. The bike is tall like an off-roader. The ground clearance is 165 mm leading to a seat height of 820 mm and a high centre of gravity. The bike feels a bit cramped when driven off road standing up. So, standing up is only reserved for larger bumps. But driving it otherwise is very easy. It is stable at high speeds and agile while cornering. 41mm cartridge-type USD front forks are adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping and come with lots of travel.

Rear gets a Prolink with preload adjustment. The ride is comfortable. This makes it best suited for city commuting and some soft off-roading.  The gear and brake levers are adjustable. The bike weighs 238 kg but the weight does not get noticed often.

The uniqueness of the scooter meets adventure bike format just keeps getting stranger as we move on to the heart of the Honda X-ADV. For starters, it uses a six-speed dual clutch automatic transmission with a chain drive. This transmission is very smooth in true Honda fashion and allows seamless shifts. But it can also be used as a manual from the handlebars. While the transmission is very much scooter like the engine itself isn’t. It has a water cooled 745 cc L-Twin 8 valve SOHC engine. Fueling uses Honda’s PGM-Fi. It produces 54 hp at 6250 rpm and 68 Nm of torque at 4750 rpm.

There is also the Honda Selectable Torque Control with two levels of traction control. The engine power delivery is controlled using a three-preset power mode selector that shifts the gear shift points. This provides tailor-made power curves for different riding styles and terrain. The engine is fed by a 13.1-litre fuel tank and can manage 27 kmpl of fuel economy.

Honda has given the X-ADV some very good brakes with 296 mm discs front and rear with four-piston callipers. Then there is the 2 channel ABS that comes as standard. There is even keyless ignition, a parking brake, a side stand switch, and even a centre stand.

As odd as the Honda X-ADV might seem, it is in fact a very good motorcycle scooter like thing. It has just the right amount of power, futuristic styling, versatility on and off the road, modern equipment, and great riding characteristics. If nothing else, it is a very good scooter. One that is no more expensive than its equivalent competitor scooters. But much more unique.