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2017 Honda X-ADV News

I now believe I am very close to purchasing one of these motorcycles.

Strangely enough it is the acquisition of a CRF250L some months ago that has helped this decision. I had more or less given up any serious trail riding when I parted with a KTM 690, and the Africa Twin was purchased to both replace my former NC700X and take over some very light trail riding duties. Then a good second hand CRF250 came on the market and I purchased. That little bike is an absolute gem and in recent months I have had a ball on it. I am back again on the rough trails and even some bogs on it.

However ownership of the 250 combined with a long test ride on the X-Adv have left me thinking that the AT is now somewhat redundant. I have always liked the NC motors and I also liked DCT when I tried it. I also like scooters.

Lastly, the AT is a very nice motorcycle. It is competent. It also has some teething issues which will be sorted in due course just like my Triumph did. However I never "bonded" with it. It makes life very easy, too easy. I found the X very engaging to ride. One can relax if one wants but one can also clip along briskly and that is when the engagement comes into play.

It will be nice to be back in the NC fold if this purchase progresses. I had always said I would probably return some day but I never envisaged the format of the NC that I would eventually choose.
 
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The dreadful deal is done and Friday is the provisional pick up date. I had a closer look yesterday and sure enough there was the very familiar NC cylinder head cover and quite unique header/cat peeping out from beneath the radiator. I wonder if it will be as easy to do the valves on as the NC was for me. I really liked that aspect which is so rare to be able to do on modern motorcycles.
 
I like it but at CAD$15000 I doubt it will come to Canada.

Honda scooters available in Canada (Canadian dollars):
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I had a Silverwing FJS600 for many years . It may be discontinued now. It was an excellent scoot though. I am surprised that the Integra is not sold over in Canada. The X is basically a development of the Integra. I was looking at one yesterday to compare. It has the bigger wheels of the NC but they probably would not have worked with the longer travel suspension and the close proximity of the cylinder head.
 
I trust y'all will recognise this cylinder head. I doubt very much that checking the valve clearances will be as easy as it was on my NC.....

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Sorry about that, I messed up posting the pic 'cause I got signed out. The pic shows just about all you can see of the NC motor on the X-Adv. As usual the panels are a nightmare to get off and I have given up for the moment. Accordingly some more research is needed before I can start routing GPS cables etc. Those panels are the only downside of this bike so far. A friend is already lusting after the front suspension for his NC. I am glad to say the suspension is good. He also fancies the adjustable screen and the tubeless spoked wheels. Tyres are Bridgestone Trail Wings.
 
Well, I am now 1500kms into X ownership and very happy. The first oil change has been done and everything has been checked for loose nuts and bolts etc. Nothing evident of course.

There are many categories of bikes out there. We all know them. Adventure, offroad, touring, cruiser etc etc. There is one other category as far as I am concerned and that is pure fun and enjoyment of riding. Over the years I have owned a number of such "fun" motorcycles. The little Kawasaki KMX200 was one. Another was the KTM 950SM. There were one or two others. These bikes were not practical by any stretch of the imagination but they were an absolute hoot to ride. To me, that is the category that covers the X-Adv. The more I ride it and get used to its DCT and its tyres and suspension, the bigger the smile. Yesterday I came home after a long ride only to get some food and go straight back out on it again. That is how good it is and I sincerely hope that the powers that be import it into the US for You folks to at least try out.

Is the bike practical ? Probably not from a luggage point of view. It has the frunk under the seat and now I have also added a top box (despite a thorough dislike of top boxes) out of pure need for luggage space. If I were to go long distances I would have the frunk, top box and a roll bag on the pillion seat. As yet there is no provision for panniers. In this regard its NCX cousin is a more practical motorcycle.

Is it an offroader ? Despite the hype from Honda, not really. It is primarily a road bike with the ability to handle graded dirt roads and the like. Anything rougher would probably result in damage underneath. As yet there is no bashplate and I suspect there would be difficulty in mounting one because of the all enclosing bodywork. The Bike does however feel very "planted" on loose surfaces and that instils confidence. In that regard also its suspension handles rough roads well, but definitely not as well as my former Africa twin, and considerably better than my former NCX. In short it is a road bike with some loose surface ambition. For my purposes it will remain mostly on the road.

As a road bike it turns quickly and with confidence. Its OEM Bridgestones grip well and I will be happy to use them again. The riding position is very comfortable and relaxed. Standing on the footboards is not comfortable as they are too high for that purpose, and at some point I will get the optional pegs to facilitate that. The saddle is good, as is the seat to handlebar position for me. The adjustable screen is excellent.

The one practical aspect of the bike which is a feature of the NC motor as we know, is the good fuel consumption. The first tank produced 71miles per Imperial gallon. All others since then have produced a regular 72. The range to reserve (leaving 1.5 litres) is 300km.

It took some time for me to decide to part with my AT in favour of this motorcycle/scooter, but the delight of ownership and the riding experience has left me with no doubt that I made the right decision. Of course my recent acquisition of a CRF250L helped that decision. There is still a lot of prejudice out there though because of the X-Adv's scooter like features. At an Adventure event that I recently attended, most of the demo rides were taken on the larger adventure bikes and some on the CRF 250 Rally. The X sat there forlornly with folks coming to look at it but nobody asking for a test ride. I pressed one or two friends to have a test ride but no takers. The importers tell me there are three or four that they have sold so far. One of the owners is already scraping underbody parts. As yet I am not that brave .........
 
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As of today I am 7000kms into ownership. All is well. I still enjoy this bike as much as the day I purchased. I still get the same question "what is it". Indeed I was asked that just today. I again reiterate that despite Honda's hype with vid clips etc, this is not an offroad motorcycle. It is a road bike in Adventure clothing. To me it is a hell of a good road bike and despite its 50+ bhp is is possible to ride it very quickly indeed on a twisty road. In short in such conditions it is a blast to ride. Its performance on Freeway/Motorways is similar to any other NC albeit with considerably more weather protection.

Are there any downsides ? Well yes, a couple. The rear half gets incredibly dirty in a days backroad riding in the wet. I don't think a hugger will contribute to a cure for this so I am living with it for now. The only upside of this is that it is very easy to wash with all the bodywork.

The other downside is the usual tendency of Honda to put in too much compression damping in their budget suspension from the getgo. Over certain rougher surfaces that will result in a harshness of ride being transferred thru the chassis. The NC family tend to suffer from this as indeed did my former NC700X. I believe that as the shock bedded in, the compression damping became stronger. This will peak at some point when due to wear over mileage, the shock will gradually soften up a little in the compression damping area. The forks are pretty good overall and have spring and rebound adjustment so I may just replace the shock with an aftermarket item.

The OEM tyres are good and I have another set ready to go on. As yet there is not an alternative brand available as a set but that is not a problem. The original set have 7000kms on board and there is still 1000kms+ left in them.

Fuel consumption remains as before and that is similar to the others of the NC family.
 
15,000 Kms now and all is well. Alternative tires are now available as in Dunlop Roadsmarts and Michelin PR4. I will be trying the Michelins. Suspension has mellowed and I am now happy to live with it into the future.

I fitted these items today.........

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Probably because you can't get them here. And most likely never will.

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Very nice Griff, how is it that i have never heard of one of these... :{)

I suspect Flyinfree has answered that question. Hopefully not a "never" situation tho. They have'nt sold here in Ireland or in the UK because of an ingrained anti scooter culture. My understanding is that in Italy where they were conceived, and in France they are selling well.
 
Saw a few when we were traveling in Barcelona last year as well...

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It looks nice and all BUT would never get a scooter, and NEVER at that price!!!

Call it a scooter if you like, but when the body work is stripped off your NC700X, and off the X-ADV, they’re pretty much the same machine.
 
Not a fan of the square instrument panel, though it is nice having a complete readout. Don't know how I feel about a scooter crossover adv bike--I'm not really a scooter guy....

Ride em sometime, brother. Ya might have a change of heart :cool:
 
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