New Honda Adventure Bike Launch: What We Know So Far

The upcoming Honda ADV will be based on the Hornet 2.0. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of tomorrow’s launch

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

Honda is all set to launch its first small-capacity adventure tourer in India tomorrow. It will be based on the Honda Hornet 2.0’s platform and is likely to be called the Honda NX200. If you haven’t really caught up with the latest developments regarding this upcoming ADV, you’ve come to the right place.

Launch, Pricing Details And Rivals

Honda had revealed it was working on an adventure motorcycle based on the Hornet 2.0’s platform way back in October 2020 itself. Then, in April 2021, the trademark for the name Honda NX200 surfaced online, hinting this could be the name of the upcoming ADV. You can read more about it in our exclusive report here. And just as we had reported exclusively, the bike is all set to be launched this month, tomorrow, to be precise. The event will start at 11.55am, so stay tuned for all the updates.

Honda is known to command a premium for its products and we expect the Japanese bikemaker to follow the tradition with the Honda NX200 as well. With this in mind, expect the motorcycle to cost around Rs 15,000 more than the Hornet 2.0, which retails at Rs 1,31,182 (ex-showroom Delhi). 

The Honda NX200 is more of a road-biased ADV and will compete with the Hero XPulse 200T. Another alternative would be the off-road-friendly Hero XPulse 200. Honda’s upcoming bike will be the company’s most affordable adventure tourer. Honda’s other ADVs in the country include the much more premium Honda CB500X and the large-capacity Honda CRF 1100L Africa Twin.

Buff-looking Design

The upcoming Honda ADV was teased recently. Going by the teaser video, it looks like a much more butch version of the Honda Hornet 2.0. The LED headlamp looks similar, albeit mounted onto the fairing. It gets a short windscreen, an easy-to-reach single-piece handlebar (for an upright riding stance), and knuckle guards with premium-looking integrated LED indicators. The instrument cluster is also fairing-mounted. It is likely to be fully digital, and if we’re lucky, it might get smartphone connectivity with turn-by-turn navigation like the Honda H’ness CB350.

The fuel tank extensions are beefier and much larger than the one on the naked bike. The motorcycle sports a split seat layout with chunky split grab rails for the pillion. It also gets a plastic engine cowl, although we hope Honda offers a proper metal bash plate for extra protection while taking on the trails.

Trail-friendly Powertrain

For representation

The Honda NX200 will share the same air-cooled, fuel-injected 184.4cc single-cylinder engine as the Hornet 2.0. In the naked, it produces 17.26PS at 8500rpm and 16.1Nm at 6000rpm. To keep costs in check, the Japanese bikemaker might retain the engine tune. That said, the Hornet’s heart offers a healthy spread of torque in the low-mid-range, making it perfect for the ADV anyway. The engine will be paired to the same 5-speed transmission as the naked.

Slightly-tweaked Underpinnings

The teaser video also revealed a gold-finished inverted front fork that looks similar to the one on the Hornet 2.0. We hope it offers more travel to go with its ADV demeanour. The rear comes with a monoshock and the motorcycle comes to a halt using petal discs at both ends. Expect the motorcycle to feature a dual-channel ABS as standard. The ability to switch off the rear wheel’s ABS for trail rides would sweeten things even further, but one can only hope. 

While the alloy wheels look like they’re the same 17-inch units at both ends like the naked, they’re wrapped with dual-purpose tyres for better off-road grip. 

All in all, the upcoming Hornet-based ADV is the right step for Honda to build its base in the fast-growing small-capacity adventure segment. Stay tuned for more details from the launch event tomorrow!