After teasing us for what seems like an eternity, Honda has finally unveiled the Hawk 11 cafe-racer in Japan. While the official spec-sheet is yet to break cover, here are five must-know things about the bike.

Honda Hawk 11 - Looks The Business

When the first teasers of the Hawk 11 rolled out, it was the styling that blew everyone away and this remains the case post its unveil too.

Being a cafe-racer, the Honda Hawk 11 looks quite sporty and boasts a semi-fairing upfront equipped with a low, flowing transparent windscreen and a round all-LED headlight. As expected, this headlight is similar to the unit we've on the Honda CB650R and the CB1000R}, and ups the neo-retro charm of the Hawk 11 further.

What’s surprising, though, is that the Hawk’s tail lamp is reminiscent of the long-gone Honda CBR650F, a bit disappointing if you ask us.

Honda offers the Hawk 11 in two colors: Deep glossy blue with white alloys and a silver/black paint scheme with black alloys. The former takes the cake for us.

Honda Hawk 11 - Features Galore!

The Hawk 11’s design might be based on classic cafe-racers but its feature list is nothing short of ultra-modern. Here’s a list of everything on offer:

- All-LED lighting

- Fully digital negative LCD instrument console

- Ride modes (three preset, one customizable)

- Traction control

- Power modes

- Engine braking control

- Immobilizer

All this seems to be borrowed from the Rebel 1100, so expect the bike to also get wheelie control.

Honda Hawk 11 - Proven Powerhouse

Yes, Honda is yet to reveal the power figures of the Hawk 11 but we know it’s powered by the same 1,082cc, parallel-twin engine that does duty on the Honda NT1100, Rebel 1100, and even the Africa Twin}. All three bikes adopt different engine tunes, though, and we expect the Hawk 11 to make around 102 horsepower, the same as the NT1100.

For now, the Honda Hawk 11 comes mated to a six-speed gearbox but it could get a DCT variant too, just like its siblings.

Honda Hawk 11 - Sounds Raspy

Honda might not have revealed the power figures of the bike, but the company has released an exhaust note video of the Hawk 11 and it sounds quite raspy. Take a listen in the clip below:

Honda Hawk 11 - Modern Underpinnings

Like the engine, the Hawk 11’s underpinnings seem to come from the Honda NT1100. So you get 43mm Showa separate function forks up front, a Showa mono-shock with dial adjustment at the rear, and Nissin brakes at both ends.

Also, the bike has a slightly tall seat height as the bikemakers' photos show that a 5’8 can almost flat-foot on it. The positive here, though, is that the tall seat height, coupled with the low clip-on handlebar, gives the bike a very sporty riding posture that enthusiasts will appreciate.

From what all’s been revealed, what’s your take on the Honda Hawk 11? Would you buy this if it came to the States? Let us know by commenting below.

Image Credits: Young Machine