Here’s What To Expect From Honda’s New 200cc ADV Bike

(The Honda CB200X has been launched in India at Rs 1.45 lakh. To know the full specification, availability and other details, read this story)

We had big expectations from the Honda CB500X, and while the bike delivered with respect to performance and dynamics, the high price meant that finding buyers for it turned into an adventure for Honda dealers. All is not lost, though, as Honda has teased a new bike which will not only be its first made in India ADV, but also its most affordable one. Here's what we can expect from the upcoming bike.

What's it going to be called?

Honda had recently filed a trademark for the name “NX200”. The NX name is already in use for Honda’s small- to medium-capacity dual-sport bikes across many other parts of the world. So we have every reason to believe that Honda’s small ADV offering for India could be called the NX200.

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Not a brand new motorcycle

The upcoming Honda NX200 is likely to be based on the Hornet 2.0 and wouldn’t be an all-new motorcycle. It will be sharing the same frame, engine and braking hardware. It will be powered by the same 184cc motor as seen on the Hornet 2.0 that develops 17.3PS and 16.1Nm of torque.

The 5-speed gearbox shall also be carried forward and ideally we would have preferred revised gear ratios, but that’s wishful thinking. The fully digital LCD instrument console will be shared with the new Honda ADV bike, however, it will be interesting to see whether the bike gets bluetooth and navigation as an option or not.

How different will it be to the Hornet 2.0?

While the motor and most of the underpinnings of the Honda NX200 will be similar to the Honda Hornet 2.0, the new bike will be different. The biggest distinguishing factor will be styling. From the teaser we can see that the Honda ADV features a sharper face with a tall windscreen and an LED headlight and taillight. It also gets knuckle guard-mounted LED indicators and split seats.

Based on the teaser, It also seems to take design cues from the Honda CX-02 concept (showcased at 2016 Auto Expo) and the Honda CBF190X. In fact, we expect this new bike to be heavily inspired by the CBF190X, which gets long-travel suspension in the Chinese market. That said, given Honda’s conservative approach in the Indian market, we are a bit skeptical about whether they’ll actually offer a suspension setup that’s different from the Hornet 2.0. But we really hope we’re wrong about this.

You can also see dual-purpose tyres and a bash plate in the teaser video. The ergos are different too with a larger seat, raised handlebar and a revised footpeg position for a comfortable riding position.

Wouldn’t be a hardcore off-road bike

Since it's based on the Honda Hornet 2.0, the upcoming Honda NX200 is a more road-specific ADV tourer. Even in the teaser video you can see it ridden only on tarmac with a bit of off-road shots. It should be fine on mild trails and might have good ground clearance, but if you plan to do any hardcore off-roading, we recommend you stick with the Hero XPulse 200. In fact, the new Honda ADV will be somewhat similar to the Xpulse 200T and will feature alloy wheels with tubeless tyres.

Launch date and price

The Honda NX200 will make its India debut on August 19 and bookings are expected to commence on the same day. The first lot of deliveries are scheduled in the first half of September.

Pricing has never been Honda’s forte, but we expect the new bike to carry a Rs 10k premium so it could retail for around Rs 1.45 lakh (ex-showroom). It’s nearest rival, the Hero XPulse 200T is priced at Rs 1.18 lakh.