To say that the arrival on the market of the Honda NT1100 is a bolt from the blue would not be appropriate, given that for several years there has been talk of a crossover that can take advantage of the excellent parallel twin of the Africa Twin. Now the moment has arrived and the new Japanese motorcycle expresses a purely tourist character, albeit inserted in the scheme of the crossover with high handlebars and upright riding position that in recent years has been the most popular.
According to Honda, the NT1100 is aimed at those looking for a motorcycle to grind kilometers with safety, comfort and fun, whether in everyday driving or on shorter or longer trips, even with the passenger and fully loaded.
Nestled in the steel semi-double cradle frame – the seat post is made of aluminum – is the two-cylinder in-line that delivers 102 hp and 104 Nm, with specific intake and exhaust tuning that favors smooth delivery and defines a very personal sound. All this with an eye to efficiency, given that the average consumption is 20 km / l and the autonomy of 400 km by virtue of the 20-liter tank. The 6-speed gearbox can be traditional or DCT double clutch, a technology in which Honda has long invested and which has so far been chosen by over 200,000 motorcyclists. The suspensions have an excursion of 150 mm: both the Showa SFF-BP fork and the rear shock absorber are adjustable in preload (at the rear with the external knob).
In any case, the chassis geometries are based on maximum efficiency on the road, with a relatively short wheelbase and an agile front end which also guarantees stability at high speed.
The braking system uses 4-piston radial-mount calipers on 310 mm discs at the front, while the tires measure 120 / 70-17 ”and 180 / 55-17”. The windshield is adjustable in five positions; together with the deflectors on the windshield and on the fairing it maximizes the aerodynamic shelter. As standard there are the lights are full-led with automatic drl system and pure side cases, the heated grips, the central stand, the cruise control and the USB and ACC sockets. The saddle is placed at 820 mm from the ground, the weight with a full tank is 238 kg with the manual gearbox and 248 kg with the DCT.
As for the electronics, the dashboard features a 6.5 ”TFT color touch screen with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth connectivity. The throttle is Throttle by Wire and the engine management offers three preset riding modes and two fully customizable, including traction control and anti-wheelie levels. The Honda NT1100 is available in three color variants – white, gray and black – the price and availability have not yet been formalized, but the first should be around 14,500 euros, while the second is scheduled for January 2022.
