Honda NT700V Deauville 2006

There was a CX650-powered full dresser at one stage (the original Silverwing -- not a local model), then a gadget called the PC800 (or Pacific Coast) which the company would probably rather forget, and now we’re seeing the second generation of the Deauville.

Version one was a 650 with very good carrying capacity and halfway decent road manners. It was capable, but not the most inspiring performer on the planet - in fact a little 'soft' in that direction, particularly when ridden two-up.

Its powerplant was a variation on a very long string of three-valve V-twins which have powered a range of road and adventure bikes, and was perhaps a tad overwhelmed with the task off punting a reasonably substantial tourer.

We've all moved on since then and Honda has decided to go through the Deauville like the proverbial dose of salts, revising pretty much every aspect of the bike, except the overall design brief.

 Gone is the rounded bodywork of old, in favour of the more angular look that runs across the road bike family.

It's closest in looks to the ST1300.

The engine is effectively a new toy, with a bump in capacity from 647cc to 680, via a 2mm increase in bore.

While the conrods are much the same dimensions, they are considerably lighter than before, which the company says improves engine response.

In addition, the heads have come in for a complete rework and are now a four-valve rather than three-valve design. This is matched to a version of the company's in-house electronic fuel injection.

According to Honda: "All these modifications to the Deauville's engine add up to much stronger performance, especially in its wide midrange, for a more impressive surge of roll-on acceleration whenever the throttle is opened wide, even when carrying a full load of passenger and gear. Maximum power output has been improved by 7.3kW in overall engine performance (from 41 to 48.3kW), while maximum torque has seen an increase of fully 15% (from 55 to 66.2Nm) in hard-accelerating thrust that greatly improves its two-up touring performance potential."

 It also begs the question: can we expect to see this powerplant in an updated Transalp in the near future?

In the saddle
So what does it add up to? In short, a much sharper bit of kit. The engine is noticeably more lively than before, with solid bottom range, an excellent mid-range burst and reasonable top-end. We managed an indicated 180km/h on it, which is significantly up on the older model. It redlines at 8500 and has about 4200 on the dial at 100km/h.

Fuel injection on this machine is excellent, with instant starting from cold, followed by a fast idle until it warms up. Petrol consumption is a very miserly 18-19km/lt if the bike is ridden more or less at legal pace.

The gearshift is a five-speeder with cable-operated wet clutch and it all ties together reasonably well. Final drive is by shaft, which feels tight and unobtrusive.

Braking is via a version of the linked three-piston/two-piston disc set-up used across several models in the range and works well enough. Feel isn't great, but the Deauville squats nicely and feels very stable even under maximum stopping power. All up it's quite reassuring in this area.

 Suspension is relatively basic spec, though we like the inclusion of fork leg protector blades -- a very practical touch for anyone planning on some long trips. The ride is on the plush side and the damping can be overwhelmed if you hit a long series of bumps, but we really have no complaint as it does the job. Rear preload is the only adjustment and is done via a very convenient knob which pokes out from under one of the sidecovers. Can we have this feature on all motorcycles please? I never understood the idea of preload adjustment that is damn near impossible to use -- which unfortunately tends to be the rule rather than the exception.

As a package it is very easy to handle around town - despite its substantial weight -- and is quite competent in sports mode through some tight turns. It won't take a Fireblade but you'd arrive only a few minutes later, in a much greater degree of comfort.

Rider and pillion accommodation is fairly generous and the screen, which can be manually laid down in a 'sports' position (why bother?) does an excellent job of providing an envelope of still air. At close to 190cm, I find it one of the most effective screens out there.

The very, very, long accessory list includes a variety of creature comfort add-ons, such as heated grips, mini amplifier and speakers for an MP3 player, sat-nav, bigger panniers and a topbox.

 Standard luggage space is generous for one person -- the panniers are fixed and actually have a tunnel under the tail that links them. There is also a pair of gloveboxes in the fairing, one of which is lockable.

The dash is comprehensive, with twin analogue gauges and a digital cluster that gives time, tripmeters and fuel consumption.

Overall finish is good, if rather muted. When you look at the $15,000 price, it offers a hell of a lot of motorcycle for the money. It may not be the most exciting bit of kit on the market, but is nevertheless very competent and feels like something an owner would get a lot of fun out of over the long term.