Honda beefs up its ADV model family with the new-for-2022 ADV350 adventure scooter. Dual-surface hoops, stiffer underpinnings than its smaller siblings, and long-stroke suspension join with a Euro 5 / A2- compliant engine for the base platform. Ride-quality electronics and safety gear also comes with the stock equipment package to cover the basics, and the factory has a line of accessories that let you further set up for your own personal needs.

2022 Honda ADV350 Performance and Capability

• 330 cc, enhanced Smart Power+ engine
• Smooth power delivery
• Honda Selectable Torque Control
• Same enhanced piston cooling used on the CRF450R

Here it is folks, the real star of the show, Honda's 330 cc Enhanced Smart Power+ that delivers the goods with 21.5 kW (28.8 horsepower) at 7,500 rpm and 31.5 Nm (23.2 pound-feet) of torque that comes on fully at 5,250 rpm. And, the delivery is quite smooth with very little engine vibration making it back to the pilot due to the balancer shaft that tames that single-cylinder buzz to better-than-tolerable levels.

A single over-head cam times the four-valve head that in turn is fed by a voluminous 5.5-liter airbox and 36 mm throttle body through 28 mm intake poppets. The 77 mm bore and 70.7 mm stroke give it a medium-spicy compression ratio of 10.5-to-1 along with the 330 cc displacement, so you'll want to feed it mid-grade fuel, I reckon.

Pumping losses and rotational drag were reduced through the use of a scavenger oil pump that keeps the lifeblood from pooling in the sealed cases. Friction is further reduced through a 5 mm offset in the cylinder. Honda chucked on its Selectable Torque Control with its traction-control function to round out the electronics.

Power flows through a centrifugal clutch for convenience at stops, then a CVT-style gearbox that delivers the seamless twist-and-go operation that scooter riders expect without the extra weight associated with the DCT automatic tranny that Honda has already sitting on the shelf. In a review of the ADV350 by MCN, the CVT is far smoother than the jerky DCT on the X-ADV.

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Design

• Adventuresome styling
• LED lighting
• Negative-bias LCD display & Honda Smartphone Voice Control system
• Emergency Stop Signal

Honda borrowed from its own street-tastic Forza line and adventuresome X-ADV models for this ADV350 project, and why not since both enjoy a measure of success in their respective categories? Blocky bodywork gives it a bit of a chunky look that is edgy and confidence-inspiring on both turf and tarmac. The molded front fender copies a look that's more commonly associated with sportbikes, but it isn't all about aesthetics. It throws the incoming air outboard into something approaching laminar flow with the sides and protects the swept area of the inverted fork tube.

Angry-alien LED headlights join with LED blinkers to ensure good, two-way visibility up front, day or night. Up top is a clear screen that sorta' sports a rally look due to its narrow build, and it comes with a four-position height adjuster that unfortunately takes both hands to manipulate, so you can't do it while underway. However, the glass is well vented for a nice smooth transition from the pocket to the slipstream and a much-reduced head-buffet effect for effortless cruising.

Behind the screen, a negative-bias LCD display delivers high-vis metrics with a dark background behind a light-colored font and manages the nifty Honda Smartphone Voice Control system that links to your device for hands-free phone calls and music control. Don't worry about running your battery down, the 2.5-liter glove compartment also houses a USB-C power source to keep you rockin'.

A Smartkey feature lets you leave the key in your pocket while the actual ignition switch is finger actuated and will work with gloved hands, within reason. Speaking of hands, stock handguards protect your hamburger shovels from bug strikes and wind, and it pairs well with the accessory heated grips for you intrepid cold-weather riders.

As is typical of the ADV line of scooters, the step-through is rather shallow by scooter standards, but still deep enough that it's well below the saddle height that rests at 795 mm (31.3-inches) off the deck. Wide bars join with the seat and footboards to form a relaxed rider's triangle, plus the foot area provides a few different positions for the pilot's feet so you can shift about some as comfort demands.

Naturally, there's a large, 48-liter storage compartment below the seat that the factory claims will hold two full-face helmets. That may be true with compact brain buckets, but I doubt you'd be able to cram in a pair of modular monstrosities. A pillion pad grows out the back of the molded bucket seat with a pair of flip-out footpegs that are housed in recesses when stowed for an overall clean/solo look.

LED lights complete the illumination out back in the tip-tail taillight and mudguard/plateholder assembly to complete the gear in the rear. The Emergency Stop Signal flashes the rear blinkers upon aggressive braking actions to better inform the following traffic and keep you safer.

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Chassis

• Lightweight frame
• Motorcycle-like forks and yokes
• Agile handling
• Front & rear disc brakes with ABS

Tubular-steel members on the Honda ADV350 lend the main frame its strength but also are responsible for some of the step-through obstruction. It's a worthwhile trade-off since this machine is built with actual off-road use in mind as a secondary capability to the street smarts, so it needs some extra buttressing to take the strain.

Out back we find the usual swing-mount drive system that runs with the engine on the left side, the exhaust on the right side along with an aluminum swingarm-half that completes the yoke. Twin piggyback Showa shocks float the rear end on triple-rate, coil-over springs that deliver 130 mm (5.11-inches) of travel, while up front, beefy 37 mm Showa forks mark an improvement over its smaller siblings and similar scooter lines with 125 mm (4.92-inches) of travel. That's plenty for urban, country, and off-road work, though it's a tad hefty at 186 kg (410-pounds) wet for serious rough-terrain service.

Cast wheels mount tubeless Metzeler Karoo Street tires in a 120/70-15 with a block pattern tread that takes bumpy terrain well, followed by a 140/70-14, with a speed rating that'll tolerate the 90 mph-ish top speed. A two-piston Nissin anchor bites a single 256 mm disc up front with a single-pot caliper and 240 mm disc taking care of business out back, and here we find the first of the safety fandanglery in the two-channel ABS system that'll keep you from overbraking and losing traction if you squeeze the levers a little too hard.

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2022 Honda ADV350 Price

As for the Honda ADV 350 price, the adventure scooter made its MY22 debut with a £5,699 sticker, which works out to $6,440 at the current conversion rates. You get to choose from 3 paint packages, Spangle Silver Metallic, Mat Carnelian Red Metallic, or Matt Carbonium Grey Metallic. This at least provides a little variety for what is likely to be a transitional rider as far as licensing is concerned.

2022 Honda ADV350 Competitors

It was tough to find something with capabilities, both on-road and off, equal to the Honda's brilliance, but since I reckon the vast majority of the service most will see is actually on paved roads, so Yamaha's XMAX looks like a good fit in that regard.

Yamaha XMAX

Smooth urban-wise lines and gentle curves give the XMAX an elegance that the Honda, with its rather angular bodywork, lacks. It leads the way with a similar slant to the LED headlights and vented windshield, and behind the leg guards you'll find a step-through that is similarly obstructed by the bodywork, but that sort of fits in with the whole metropolitan-commuter thing.

Yamaha runs with the typical front forks for a bike this size, the 33 mm telescopic fork, which is going to be a skosh wimbly compared to the beefy Showa stems on the ADV350. Wheel size and braking capacity are likewise a tie with ABS a constant across the board. Credit where it's due, Yamaha even built the thing with traction control to more-or-less match the ride-control electronics suite the Honda enjoys. This includes the Smart Key feature.

The XMAX surrenders a few cubes with its 292 cc mill versus the 330 cc engine in the ADV350, and that shows up in the 27.62 horsepower output that falls a skosh shy. But it's just a skosh, and is by no means a dealbreaker. Neither is the price difference that sees Yamaha looking a bit prouder, but just a bit, with a £5,950 sticker.

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He Said

“It's a mid-size scooter version of a soccer mom's SUV. The rugged design is cool and all, but it may convey a false impression as to its rugged-terrain capabilities. That said, when ridden, it's very smooth to operate and it handles urban riding like a boss.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “Okay, yeah, adventuresome enough, but definitely with an on-road slant. The motorcycle-like suspension leans handling more toward full-size bike than scooter, but with scooter conveniences afforded by the almost-there step-through, large underseat storage, and twist-and-go operation. The ride is more sophisticated than your run-of-the-mill scooter, enhanced by the dual piggy-back Showa rear shocks, not something you'd usually see on a scooter. Overall, it's a nice commuter.”

2022 Honda ADV350 Specifications