EXCLUSIVE: Honda Hornet 2.0-Based ADV India Launch Soon?

The Japanese bikemaker has filed a trademark for the name NX200 which we think will be for its smallest ADV bike for India

[UPDATE: Honda has launched its most affordable ADV in India, called the CB200X. You can read all about it in our launch report here.]

The prices of the 2021 Honda Africa Twin and the Honda CB500X may have deterred you from having Team Red’s ADV in your garage, but fret not, Honda got something else in store for us. The Japanese bike maker has filed a trademark for the NX200, indicating that the Honda Hornet 2.0-based adventure tourer is closer to being launched in the country.

Last year, Honda announced that it has heavily invested in the Hornet 2.0 platform and hinted that an adventure motorcycle based on the Hornet’s platform is in the works. If done right, Team Red could rake in good cash, considering the country’s new found love for adventure tourers.

The Honda NX200 is unlikely to be a hardcore trail scorcher, and could be more on the lines of the Honda CBF190X unveiled in China last year. So, expect the NX200 to have a slightly altered chassis of the Hornet with long travel suspension, a taller handlebar, mid-set footpegs and a slightly more comfortable seat. The CBF 190Xcame equipped with 17-inch wheels at both ends, and we expect the same from the Indian sibling. Since the190X isn’t a hardcore ADV offering, it featured came road-spec tyres and it might be the same case with the Honda NX200.

The styling, however, could be slightly different than the CBF190X. Remember the CX-02 Concept showcased at the Auto Expo 2016? The Honda NX200’s design could be inspired by the radical-looking ADV. So, a slightly front-heavy design and creature comforts like a tall windscreen, knuckle guards and provision to mount luggage could be on the cards.

Will Honda develop a completely new engine? That’s unlikely. Honda could use the Hornet 2.0’s 184.4cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine producing 17.27PS at 8500rpm and 16.1Nm at 6000rpm. The 5-speed transmission too is likely to be carried over as well.

At Rs 1.29 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the Honda Hornet 2.0 is an expensive machine. The NX200 will carry a premium over the Hornet and could be priced around Rs 1.45 lakh. We expect Honda to launch the ADV in the second half of this year to cash in on the festive season. The bike will lock horns with the likes of the Hero XPulse 200T.