Honda’s X-ADV stitches together the best bits of bikes and scooters into a functional hybrid that should not work – but really does
What do you call something with a 749cc parallel twin engine, a 17-inch front wheel, a DCT transmission, chain final drive, long travel suspension, protective bodywork and step-through style? Honda calls it the X-ADV.
I hired Frankenstein, as I called him, for a few days while in Albania, because Honda doesn’t import them into Australia.
This is because the capacity is too high for LAMS approval and the company has struggled with other models around the 750 mark for years. So what are we missing out on?
Well Frankenstein is a bit of a parts-bin special, with a real mix of scooter and motorcycle that can easily do 160km/h – even two-up – has heaps of storage under the seat, offers an automatic gearbox with manual override (via buttons on the left switch block) and can even take on decent dirt roads. So definitely Frankenstein in my book.
Yes, it’s scooter… sort of
Most scooters have their engine at the back, under the seat, so riders can put their legs together out front with some protection for the shoes courtesy of the bodywork – important considerations back when stiletto-wearing young women were buying Vespas back in the day. The X-ADV has its twin-pot engine mounted under the bodywork at the front, so there’s mechanical bits running between your feet but there’s still bodywork to protect your shoes from road grime.
The seat, however, has a gap at the front so shorter riders can slide forward to help get their feet on the ground, but really, this is a scooter built for taller people.
Adding to the seat height is a motorcycle-sized 17-inch front wheel. The 13.2-litre fuel tank is under the seat but there’s still room (in part thanks to a scooter-sized 15-inch rear wheel) for a helmet-sized storage space there too, which is super-convenient.
No, it’s a motorcycle
Sure, the styling is a bit scooter, but with a bike engine, DCT transmission with manual override – no boring CVT here, folks – traction control, plenty of room for two, a decent (adjustable) screen and modern tech, this is not the scooter your grandmother rode to college on. It’s a motorcycle in scooter clothing.
Maybe it’s a scooter for bike riders
For decades I’ve been a little jealous of scooter riders – weather protection, twist and go, super easy to ride, park and do the shopping thanks to heaps of storage, low maintenance, cheap tyres… but not enough to become one of them, because the wheels are too small, Australian speeds are too high, they often won’t carry a passenger easily and, well, who wants to be seen on a scooter?
The X-ADV could change that. It rides far more like a bike than I expected. Having a DCT transmission means you can flick it down a gear with the stab of a button, the long seat is pretty comfortable and there are even riding modes to tailor the ride.
Then there’s the tech – convenience features like a key fob you can leave in your jacket, because the ignition, underseat storage and fuel filler can be all operated without a key.
There’s traction control, which might have a use for new riders or those on loose surfaces but isn’t something I’d bother with, nor the sports mode – just give us all the power, all the time!
The LED lighting and cruise control are also good things to have.
Performance and handling
With 43kW (58hp) pushing 236kg, nobody is going to consider this a performance motorcycle, but by scooter standards it’s a rocketship. I saw over 145km/h on the freeway before I got a dig in the ribs from my pillion (she thought getting arrested in Albania might be a bad idea) and it still had a little left to go.
With 69Nm of torque, it’s no surprise the bike copes well with a passenger. Where smaller scooters struggle with adding weight, the X-ADV is relatively good at this.
The DCT transmission makes extracting the performance easy. Just twist the throttle hard and, while it won’t rocket off the line, it’ll take off a lot quicker than the vast majority of cars – and other bikes are also in trouble if the rider isn’t on the ball.
The six-speed gearbox (the X-ADV doesn’t have a conventional CVT transmission found in most scooters but rather a dual clutch automatic similar to that found in many Hondas) was updated in the 2021 and later models to include a full manual override – shifting with the finger paddles. The earlier version had a DCT that allowed the rider to temporarily override the automatically chosen gear, but would go back to changing itself when the computer decided it was time; usually when the rider backed off the throttle.
Like the engine and transmission, the X-ADV’s chassis and suspension are more motorcycle than scooter. There’s a diamond-type tubular steel chassis, 41mm Showa upside-down fork and a single rear shock.
There’s 153mm of front wheel travel and 150mm at the rear, so it can take the bumps… another reason the bike is popular in places like Albania and Italy, where the road surfaces can be, let’s say, unpredictable.
Unlike many a scooter, the final drive is by chain, so the weight of an engine isn’t sitting on the swingarm.
All these features combine to make the X-ADV handle like a motorcycle, not a scooter.
Sure, your feet are out in front somewhat, on the floor panels, but the steering response, performance over bumps and the bike’s ability to be flicked through corners is far more like a motorcycle than most scooters.
I had a ball charging through the Albanian countryside, solo and two-up.
Talking of two-up, having the space under the seat and a topbox gave plenty of carrying capacity. The bike I rode also had pannier frames, so it could easily become a touring scooter with a luggage capacity far exceeding most motorcycles.
Loading up doesn’t just push the engine of course – brakes and suspension need to be up to the job too.
While I wasn’t able to adjust the suspension for two-up riding, the X-ADV coped pretty well – although it did feel like it would have benefitted from more preload (mind you, almost every bike does). There are twin discs up front to haul the bike down from speed and while they aren’t exactly the last word in performance or feel, they’re definitely up to the job required.
A big deal in Europe
Launched in 2017 and updated in 2021, the X-ADV seems to be one of the most popular scooters in Italy. During a couple of weeks touring the European boot, I seemed to see them everywhere.
In Albania, where I hired the bike you see here, the X-ADV is popular, although there’s no Honda dealership network, so all the bikes are grey imports. This makes the quantity of them on the streets even more surprising – until you ride one.
Popular as an all-rounder in the countries where it’s sold, the X-ADV is bought by riders brought up on scooters who are looking for more performance, more style and a better riding experience, without having to buy an actual motorcycle.
Why not for Australia?
Honda has never really considered importing the X-ADV and there are three reasons behind this. Firstly, the market is too small; maxi-scooters have never sold well in Australia. The fact it’s over 660cc brings me to the next point – it can’t be LAMS approved, no matter what its power-to-weight ratio is like.
The last problem is one that tempered my enthusiasm for the machine: it would cost over $20,000 in Australia. For that much money you could buy a host of different Hondas and not be too far away from buying an NT1100, a versatile touring bike well suited to Aussie conditions.
The X-ADV should be a popular bike in Australia; its performance, versatility, ease of parking, load capacity and suitability over a wide range of sealed and unsealed roads should encourage people to use a machine like the X-ADV as everyday transport instead of a car. However, our LAMS rules, running costs being partly determined by engine capacity, ridiculous parking rules almost everywhere and a lack of scooter culture mean it simply isn’t worth bringing into the country.
And that’s a shame, because he’s a pretty cool looking Frankenstein.
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE
Type 745cc liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, 8-valve, SOHC parallel-twin
Fuelling PGM-FI injection
Transmission 6-speed. Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) with automatic and manual modes, and multiple riding modes (Standard, Sport, Rain, and Gravel)PERFORMANCE
Power 43.1kW (57.8hp) @ 6750rpm
Torque 69Nm @ 4750rpm
Top Speed 168km/h
Fuel consumption 3.6 L/100km (claimed)
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
Kerb weight 237kg
Seat height 820mm
Ground clearance 165mm
Wheelbase 1590mm
Overall dimensions (L x W x H) 2215mm x 940mm x 1370mm
Fuel capacity 13.2L
CHASSIS, BRAKES, SUSPENSION
Frame Diamond Steel Pipe
Front suspension 41mm inverted fork with 153.5mm travel
Rear suspension Monoshock damper with Prolink swingarm and 150mm travel
Brakes Dual-channel ABS
Front Twin 296mm discs with radial-mounted four-piston calipers
Rear Single 240mm disc with single-piston caliper
Wheels Spoke
Front 17in with 120/70R17 tyre
Rear 15in with 160/60R15 tyre
