2022 Honda NT1100 DCT Review

The 2022 Honda NT1100 is Honda's latest attempt at translating the popular Africa Twin platform into another genre. It's upright, and has plenty of touring chops, but where exactly does the 2022 Honda NT1100 fit in today's very broad 'adventure touring' sphere?

Times, tastes and interpretations change, but if you went on an ‘adventure’ ride in days of yore you were probably aboard a sports-tourer of some description. Enterprising tackle like the Honda VFR800 or naked Suzuki Bandit, and off-road excursions were more a function of errant map reading (yes, we’re talking a while ago…) than a dedicated attempt at taking a sneaky shortcut or pushing the boundaries of bike and rider.

Today, sports-touring has cast a bigger net and now includes adventure-esque models such as the BMW S 1000 XR that tread on 17-inch rubber and have all the other hallmarks, spec attributes and setup of a traditional sports-tourer. In fact they really are, even though the ‘Adventure Sport’ moniker is now an oft-used term and quasi market segment.

So that means riders are more spoilt for choice than ever – and Honda has now added to the aspirants with its NT1100 sports-tourer, available with either a six-speed manual transmission or dual clutch transmission (DCT). Bikesales rode the DCT version.

Based on the company’s Africa Twin adventure bike, the NT1100 has parachuted into a hotbed of opposition from all quarters – obviously not all at the DCT’s sharp $22,699 (plus on-road costs) price point, but nevertheless still mentioned in the same breath.

The NT1100 joins the Goldwing in Honda’s touring line-up, but obviously at the opposite end of the paradigm compared to the company’s fully appointed capable-of-towing-a-trailer behemoth. There’s nothing in between, so Honda is really placing a lot of responsibility on the NT’s shoulders to fill the void at the lower end of the scale. Let’s see if it can handle all that pressure.

Requirements for sports-tourers have remained the same since day dot: strong power, comfort aplenty and cornering dexterity. Industrious and thrill-seeking at the same time.

The NT1100 certainly takes its place under that agreeable umbrella, and no surprise considering the 1084cc engine (101hp/104Nm) and semi-double cradle steel frame are straight from the Africa Twin – but the chassis has been tweaked via a shorter wheelbase and a slightly steeper rake to add some extra fast-twitch fibres into the cornering equation.

Related Reading:
Honda NT1100 touches down
EICMA 2021: Honda NT1100
Quick spin: Honda VFR800F

The NT1100 looks great in the Matte Iridium Grey Metallic livery (Graphite Black is the other option), and the optional panniers ($2277.74) add rather than detract from the overall look – but the bike also looks good without them, too. The panniers latch onto a rear bracket which can also accommodate the accessory top box.

The other touring assets are obvious – the upper and lower wings, heated grips, cruise control, USB socket, adjustable screen, centrestand and nicely contoured and well-padded seat – but what’s not so obvious to the naked eye is the expansive gap between the seat and footpegs. The tape measure says so, so lots of room for taller folk.

The NT11100 also has as TFT screen with smartphone connectivity to activate either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and the dash has a huge array of head-spinning buttons. In fact, most of the dash’s real estate has a gadget or adjustment mode somewhere to the extent the indicator switch is a little overshadowed and clumsy to make contact with. A self-cancelling function eases the access angst, though.

The heart of the matter is the parallel twin engine, and without thumbing the starter you just know it’s going to lend itself to a sports-touring application with its chunky bottom end and midrange. The numbers tell the story: plenty of torque (104Nm) which reaches its peak at just 6250rpm. It’s the same as the Africa Twin narrative: bigger that the sum of its parts, and with miserly fuel consumption the NT1100 provides a functional range north of 350km.

And it’s the same level of satisfaction for the DCT, which does frenetic just as well as mellow with its drive and sports modes. There’s also the option of using the manual toggles to move through the six-speed gearbox, but my enthusiasm for that feature has always been muted. Just can’t see the point.

In fact, the weather was abysmal during the NT1100 photo shoot and D mode on the DCT transmission was brilliant: it trimmed the excitable edges of S mode – higher revs and more aggressive down changes – and kept everything smooth and compliant.

The bike was settled and the connection to the sodden roads was impressive through the Dunlop Sportmax rubber. Premium DCT technology that’s doing the business, although I’d be just as happy with the standard six-speed transmission ($21,690 plus on-road costs) – except on the daily commute where the DCT is the clear winner.

The NT1100’s Showa suspension, 45mm Showa upside-down fork and Showa monoshock, is at the lower end of adjustability – preload and rebound on the front and just preload on the rear via a remote dial – which puts it a rung or two below its major opposition. But, just like the Nissin brakes, the suspension works in a, well, no-fuss kind of Honda way. And for the majority of riders and pillions, that’s more than enough.

The NT’s suspension travel (150mm) and ground clearance (175mm) are both impressive, so the bike shouldn’t have any problems traversing – or getting caught out – on some of the worst roads that Australia can deliver.

The same industrious report card which can be thrown at the smart-looking colour-matched panniers, which are just about a must on the NT1100 with its touring-leaning flavour.

Safety features on the NT1100 include cornering ABS, traction control, wheelie control and daytime running lights, while there are five ride modes – three preset and two customisable.

The manually adjustable screen has a solid amount of movement, but you must get out of the bike to reposition it. At the highest setting it creates a nice bubble, which came in very handy during the driving rain on the photo shoot.

However, the screen does get a fair dose of the shakes, and not even at warp speeds either. It looks – and feels – quite flimsy. Weather protection is top notch, though, when the upper and lower wings and fairing are also factored in.

The NT1100 is a no-fuss motorcycle that does everything very well without hitting fever pitch. You don’t get blown away, but you’re not left underwhelmed either.

But one thing is a given: you know you’ll get to the other side in absolute comfort. And on that score, the NT will still win plenty of admirers and takes its place in the Honda line-up with an impressive portfolio of attributes.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, eight-valve parallel twin
Capacity: 1084cc
Bore x stroke: 92.0mm x 81.5mm
Compression ratio: 10.1L1
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 101hp (75kW) at 7500rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 104Nm at 6250rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: DCT
Clutch: Wet
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Steel semi-double cradle
Front suspension: Showa 45mm upside-down fork with rebound and preload adjustment, 150mm travel
Rear suspension: Showa monoshock with preload adjustment, 150mm travel
Front brakes: Dual 310mm discs with twin-piston Nissin calipers, ABS
Rear brake: 265mm disc with twin-piston Nissin caliper, ABS
Tyres: Dunlop Sportmax GPR-300, 120/70R17 front, 180/55R17 rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed wet weight: 238kg
Seat height: 830mm
Wheelbase: 1534mm
Fuel capacity: 20.4 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $22,699 plus on-road costs (manual transmission: $21,690 plus on-road costs)
Colours: Matte Iridium Grey Metallic or Graphite Black
Bike supplied by: Honda Motorcycles Australia
Warranty: 24 months/unlimited kilometres