Test fleet:
Honda’s X-ADV may be unique, but our Mossy is expecting that it will suit him well.
Getting to ride such a variety of bikes as a tester has given me a chance to broaden my experience and preferences. It’s something I feel I’ve really benefited from. If I’d not become a journo, it’s unlikely
I’d have ever got to sample some of the sorts of machines I have. I dare say I’d never have got to ride stuff like Harley cruisers and super tourers such as Honda’s Gold Wings.
Okay, there’s a fair chance my former obsession with sportsbikes would have waned in the end, and I’d have probably gone down the adventure bike route. After all, they’re just too damned capable to ignore. But perhaps the biggest surprise my line of work has helped me develop is my penchant for maxi scooters. Before I ever had the chance to give them a go I would never have expected to find them in any way appealing.
Since I tried the first one though, and I can’t remember exactly which one it was, they’ve got my vote every time. I’ve done thousands of miles on many different ones. They’ve all won me over with their comfort, practicality and convenience.
Better still, their middleweight motors give them more than enough performance to take you far and wide. I’ve ridden a Silver Wing 600 all the way home from Barcelona, and toured Scotland on a Suzuki Burgman 650, both coping with the journeys with absolute ease. There’s not much they can’t do, and do well.
Which brings me nicely up to date and the chance to give you the news of my new long term test bike, Honda’s X-ADV adventure scooter. It’s a slightly curious machine and unlike any other scooter on the market. It’s perhaps an advantage that I rode around 500 miles on an X-ADV about a year ago. That baptism allowed me to understand the Honda a little more and realise its potential. Like everyone else, I did wonder who on earth the scooter was aimed at when I first took the keys.
But within a few miles I didn’t care, having come to appreciate it’s a machine with many real world virtues. It’s right up my street really as when I’m away from some of the more thrilling higher performance machines I get to test, I’ve always got a soft spot for anything that’s easy to live with. On that basis, I admired the X-ADV enough to take up the offer of having one for a longer period as soon as I got the chance.
Of course I need to spend a few months with it and ride it regularly to discover if it’s actually as agreeable as I expect. But I’m confident the Honda will fit the bill and earn plenty of approval from me. I already know it performs well, is very good on fuel and has enough comfort to let me sit in its saddle all day long. And I’ve no doubt I’m going to praise the clever DCT semi-automatic gearbox and standard-fitment heated grips on a regular basis. What I want to learn more about is stuff like how well it copes with a few days away and all the luggage I’ll need for that. Its underseat storage is decent, and as it comes with a roomy top box it should serve me well enough in that respect.
There’s a couple of things I don’t care for, and although I’d say they’re minor at the moment, it’ll be interesting to see if they become more irritating in time. My aim is to use the X-ADV for all manner of tasks and treat it like a bit of a workhorse. I may modify it a little to see if I can improve it, though as I’ve not even done 200 miles on it yet I’ll leave thoughts of that for a while yet. I’m look forward to spending some time on it and telling you all about my experiences next month.