Honda's->ke291 company bigwigs, in their infinite wisdom, have decided to test the European market with a UK release of its serious scooter->ke2256 with an adventuresome streak, the X-ADV. So far, it doesn't look like the X-ADV will be making it into the North American market in the foreseeable future, but if it is well-received, we can expect the rest of Europe to open as well with Canadian and U.S. dealerships adding to the mix eventually. Yeah, there's a lot of “maybe” and “if” in all of that, and we can sit and speculate all day, so let's take a look at what we do know.

Continue reading for more information on the Honda X-ADV.

An Adventure Scooter?

This ain't your grand-daddy's scooter, that's for sure. You can see influence from Honda's proven Africa Twin from the head-on perspective with laced wheels, usd forks and windshield plus handguards to protect the rider. We don't have much of a step-through on the X-ADV. We do have a fairly tall seat at 32.28-inches high, so the X-ADV isn't quite as easy to mount as some scooters and you can go ahead and forget about the between-feet storage, but adventure bikes->ke5318 do have tall seat heights, so this falls within what is typical of the category.

The lines between scooter and motorcycle are further blurred by this model with its 53 horsepower, 745 cc engine and the same, six-speed DTC transmission Honda uses on some of its full-size rides, to include the Africa Twin. It provides full automatic convenience beside push-button manual shifting for a superior ride experience compared to what you would get from the typical, CVT gearbox normally used on scooters. Wheel size is larger than we are used to seeing on scooters with a 15-inch rear hoop, and a whopping 17-inch hoop up front plus laced rims that are always desireable for off-road work.

Pricing is a bit high with a £9,599 MSRP. That's going to pass the 12-grand mark if it makes it across the pond, so don't wait to see what happens with the market if you're on a budget. Having said that, I gotta say I kinda like this scooter, it does have a certain appeal. I mean, let's face it; the only thing that makes this a do is the swingarm.