Honda is one manufacturer that has always been a bit adventurous with its scooter concepts, and the Navi and Grom are enough proof of that. Conceived by Honda's R&D team in Italy, the new X-ADV takes all the fun of an adventure bike and packs it into a scooter. Of course, it misses out on floor-board storage and goes more the way of an adventure scooterette; a very rugged crossover one at that.
The 2017 X-ADV will be powered by a 745cc mill that churns out a whole 54hp of peak power. And the craziness continues, with it weighing 238kg. It's got a strong, elevated stance, and a rugged body, which Honda claims gives it an 'Off-road-ready attitude’. It will also have Honda's DCT (dual-clutch transmission), which has a ‘D’ mode for automatic low-ratio shifts, a Sport mode which will shift gears at higher revs, ideal for urban riding. And it even gets MT mode for manual gear shifting. Clearly, this X-ADV is going to be one versatile and very capable machine.
The X-ADV gets a tall 820mm seat that has 21 litres of storage capacity, and with the bars set at 910mm, it’s going to have a really tall enduro-scooter sort of riding position. It gets long travel suspension with 17-inch front and 15-inch rear, spoked rims that are shod with dual-purpose tyres. There are ABS-enabled dual radial-mount four-piston calipers at the front as well.
Other features include a five-position windshield, all-LED lighting, a tapered aluminium handlebar, a centre stand, a rally-style multi-function LCD dash, and a Honda Smart Key system. It even gets the Africa Twin’s hand guards to make its intent a little more clear than it already is. This is one scooter crossover that has really piqued our interest; the experience of riding this X-ADV would be a whole different sensation.