– by Andy Bisson.
Well the reviews I’ve read on the NT 1100 have either compared it to the Pan European or the Africa Twin so this was my opportunity to give it a run and share my thoughts with you. The model I had for demo was a DCT so that in its self would be interesting.
The liquid cooled parallel twin engine purred as it sat ticking over waiting for me to get my act together, stop chatting and head on out.
As a sports tourer, it holds a nice upright riding position more like an adventure bike but it felt so natural and it has a very comfortable yet slightly lower seat than the Africa twin. It’s a spacious ride with plenty leg room and the pegs are well positioned. The fairing provides ample weather protection and the screen has 5 settings and it is easily adjusted so it should have a position to suit most riders.
Handling was easy as its nicely balanced for slow speed manoeuvre and nice and low to get both feet down when stopped.
The DCT offers a semi-automatic feel that may be perfect for touring but I felt that it didn’t change down enough when cornering or at slow speed which gave it a drifty feel. Being in 6th gear at 30mph didn’t feel right. Selecting the sports mode made it better and S2 held onto the gears for much longer and dropped it down far quicker. You also have the option of manual mode and can flip through the gears with the paddle shifts. The one thing that I did like about the DCT is that it automatically drops to 1st at junctions including when in the manual mode.
The 6.5-inch colour TFT touch screen is very clear with variable screen options which has Apple car play and Android auto functions. It has loads of added extras as standard such as cruise control, a USB and ACC adapter, heated grips with 5 settings, centre stand, 5 rider modes, traction control with wheelie control, ABS, self-cancelling indicators and LED lights. It also comes with panniers with a combined storage area of 65 litres with the option to add a top box. Everything you would want or need on a tourer.
I rode it through our test route and it was faultless. It feels great, sounds great and handles great. It’s a perfect bike for all conditions in that it was smooth and balanced in slow moving traffic, light to flip through the tighter bends and ready to roar as the roads opened up a little. Honda is renowned for its great build quality and you feel that throughout. I think this bike gives its competitors in this class a good run for the money. I highly recommend a demo ride.
