Honda recently filed a patent for its NT1100 sports tourer in India. Globally, the NT1100 is offered as a tourer with long-travel suspension, and is based on the CRF1100L Africa Twin. While this patent filing is no guarantee of an India launch, it is possible that Honda could introduce this new tourer to the Indian market, especially since the Africa Twin it is based on, is already on sale here.
The NT1100 is currently priced at £11,999 for the manual and £12,999 for the DCT, which works out to around Rs 12.20 lakh and Rs 13.22 lakh, respectively, making it around £1,000 more affordable than the Africa Twin. So if and when launched in India, it will likely be priced around the Rs 14 lakh mark, as opposed to the Rs 15 lakh Africa Twin.
The NT1100 is powered by a 1,084 cc, parallel-twin engine that produces 102hp at 7,500rpm and 104Nm at 6,250rpm. It can come mated to either a 6-speed DCT or a 6-speed manual, with the option for a quickshifter.
It gets its stopping power from radially mounted dual 310mm floating discs at the front and a single 256mm disc at the rear. The NT1100 also features a steel double-cradle frame with a bolt-on aluminium subframe that is suspended by a 43mm Showa USD fork at the front and a Showa monoshock at the rear, both offering 150mm of travel suspension. The motorcycle has a ground clearance of 175mm and a seat height of 820mm.
It comes equipped with Honda’s Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), wheelie control, three default riding modes (Urban, Rain, and Tour), as well as two customisable riding modes. It also comes equipped with a 6.5-inch TFT Touch Panel with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth. Standard fitment on the motorcycle also includes heated grips, throttle by wire, self-cancelling indicators, and emergency stop indicators.
If launched here, the Honda will go up against bikes like the Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX and the Triumph Tiger 900 GT, which are priced at Rs 11.51 lakh and Rs 13.70 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), respectively. The demand for such motorcycles is on the rise, with the market maturing and actively looking for a ride capable of tackling our roads with ease, and the NT1100 seems to be a rather tempting proposition from Honda, provided it is priced correctly, of course.
Do you think the Honda NT1100 will be a part of Indian garages soon? Let us know in the comments below.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
