Honda X-ADV

The Honda X-ADV is quite a looker – a very different one for that matter. Blending in the design cues of both a maxi-scooter as well as an off-road adventure motorcycle, the Honda X-ADV has got a very unique road presence, which is like no other.

The Honda X-ADV looks captivating the moment you see it head-on, with its tall stance having a futuristic-looking front fascia, which comprises of a pair of sharp and angular LED headlamps separated by a small trapezoidal air vent at the bottom. The lower portion of the headlamp gets a nicely finished black plastic cladding, while the upper part of the headlamps has the main apron on which a large and fully adjustable windshield is mounted.

The side profile of the Honda X-ADV looks very snazzy and sharp, with the side portions of the front fairing flowing down towards the side in a zig-zag manner. There are a lot of busily styled plastic panels surrounding the split floorboard which the X-ADV gets, which flow towards the rear in a very sporty manner. The sharply uprising single-sided exhaust pipe gives a very sporty character to the bike, whereas the long seat with its stepped and wide profile adds to the large appeal of it.

The tailpiece of the Honda X-ADV looks simple when compared to the rest of the design of the bike, with a wide shape of it having a small hexagonal LED tail lamp nestled in the middle. The large split pillion grab rails at the back of the pillion seat and the small fender which also accommodates the slim LED turn indicators make the rear look very macho.

The handlebar of the Honda X-ADV, with its wide layout, gives the rider a feeling of riding a middleweight sport-tourer. In the middle of the cockpit, just behind the windscreen, sits a rectangular full TFT instrument console, which has a complete digital readout theme for the speedometer, tachometer, odometer, trip meters, fuel gauge, gear indicator, clock and many other data while on the go.

The fancy clothing of the Honda X-ADV hides in a very robust mechanical setup, with the bike having a steel diamond frame underneath and a suspension combination of 41 mm cartridge-type USD fork adjusts for spring preload and rebound damping at the front and Pro-link with rear shock preload adjustment at the back. The Honda X-ADV has a pair of disc brakes at the front and a single disc brake at the rear for halting duties.

Matching the offbeat styling of the Honda X-ADV is its unique engine and gearbox combination. The bike is powered by a four-stroke, liquid-cooled, 8-valve, L-twin, fuel-injected 745cc engine, which makes 54.8 PS of maximum power and 68 Nm of peak torque output. It is the only vehicle in Honda’s portfolio to get an L-twin engine paired to a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Honda claims a fuel efficiency of 27 kmpl, which is respectable for an engine of this size and performance it packs in.

Apart from the compulsory inclusion of a dual-channel ABS, the Honda X-ADV also gets the manufacturer’s smart key system for keyless ignition and an engine kill switch. There is a dearth of electronic safety aids, which could have raised the appeal of the Honda X-ADV even more.

The Honda X-ADV is one niche vehicle to start with. It offers the best of both the worlds, by having the practicality and ease of riding of a scooter with its automatic transmission and capacious under-seat storage, while offering the stance, handling and performance traits of an adventure tourer.