Must admit, i'm not getting this one at all.
£11,000 and 236kg...58bhp.... i can't see why.. at all.
Although undoubtedly a Marmite bike, there is something strangely appealing about the Honda X-ADV. It’s not an off-roader, not by a long stretch, but it is a cool-looking super-scoot that is fun to ride and also practical (for mainly solo riders).
The big sticking point is the price tag, however if you are into maxi-scooters but don’t want a 'traditional' scooter look the X-ADV is your only option to be different. If we are being picky an IMU would have been nice, and a better connectivity system, but really that’s about it aside from maybe heated grips and cruise control.
If you like the idea of an SUV scooter, the X-ADV won’t disappoint. Believe it or not, 32,000 have been sold to date and in 2019 it was Honda’s second best-selling bike – so it certainly appeals to a lot of riders.
Under the 2021 Honda X-ADV’s bodywork lurks an all-new chassis that helps trim 1kg off the bike’s wet weight while also increasing (marginally) the underseat storage. The geometry is unchanged and so is the X-ADV’s wheelbase, so it handles like the old bike and the 3kg total saving over the outgoing version is negligible.
On the road the X-ADV is surprisingly agile and sure-footed in bends (helped by its fat tyres) and its radial brakes deliver more than enough bite. Off-road? Well, don’t let its looks deceive you, that’s not really its speciality...
Although the Honda’s parallel twin remains the same 745cc capacity as before, changes to the valve timing sees it gain 4bhp as well as Euro5-compliance while the DCT’s gearbox’s first three ratios are lower and the final three taller. So in theory that’s more poke when you need it and better economy once you are up to speed.
Not a radical change, you spot the extra acceleration in ‘Sport’ mode or using the manual gearchange option but it is when overtaking at 50-60mph that it is most noticeable. When the DCT ‘kicks down’ to get an extra zap of speed in response to a wide throttle opening, third gear is sprightlier than before, giving far better acceleration than fourth and making overtakes much faster as a result.
If these were belt/shaft drive, I'd be tempted by an older model, but can't see any advantage of my NCX tbh.
