The Multifunctional Honda NT1100

Agility

The first indication that Honda had built something special came when pushing the bike around the garage. Despite a 238 kg curb weight and with 20 litres of fuel, the NT1100 carries its weight with ease.

My Ducati Multistrada weighs 235 kg, has a 20-litre fuel tank, and is a lump and a half to drag around the garage by comparison.

The even weight distribution of the NT1100 is also evident in its road manners. It is easy to thread through traffic, especially if you have the DCT gearbox. It rolls through the bends on the back roads, and if you hustle the NT1100, the Metzler OE tyres will complain long before the chassis or suspension does.

Ergonomics

Honda is famous for getting the ergonomics of a motorcycle right, and the NT1100 is another example of their skill. You sit comfortably, with good weather protection, and the bars fall naturally into your hands. The 820mm seat height doesn’t require any gymnastics to get on or off, and with a 31-inch inseam, I can flat foot on both sides.

The NT1100 I have on test is fitted with the Honda Comfort Seat, which costs £126 if bought standalone. I’ve ridden for over three hours without stopping and easily for five or more hours in one day, all without thinking about my backside. Given the choice between the Honda Comfort Seat and the Touratech Performance seat on my Ducati – I’ll take the Honda seat.

The standard screen works for me. Some say it should be electric and that it is a pain to adjust while moving. I set it in the same position my notes say I used on the DCT road test last year and never thought about it again, so I’m not sure why being able to adjust the screen on the move is a big deal.

The switch gear on the left has an impressive array of buttons, and when you use CarPlay or Android Auto, they all come into their own. However, the 14 buttons and switches on the left leave no space for the cruise control, so this is on the righthand switch gear and is the one ergonomic choice that doesn’t work for me.

I found I was reaching over with my left hand to turn it on, and at a stretch, I could just about set, resume and control the speed with my right-hand thumb without taking my hand away from the front brake. It is a minor irritation in the otherwise excellent ergonomics.

Weather Protection

Given that we are having a very damp summer in the UK, I could be considered foolish to have ridden for the last two days in my Hood Motorcycle Jeans without packing my waterproofs.

I got caught out a couple of times with moderate showers lasting 10 minutes and once in an isolated heavy downpour that lasted only a few miles.

What impressed me back in October and again this “summer” is the weather protection the NT1100’s bodywork delivers. It is subtle and blends with the lines of the bike, but when it is raining, and there are only a few damp spots on your jeans, you can appreciate the effort Honda put into the bodywork design.

The only change I’d make would be to fit handguards to supplement the weather deflectors that Honda fit.

As a motorcycle for touring and all-weather commuting, the NT1100 has a lot of hidden advantages.

The Engine

The parallel-twin motor is the same one as found in the bullet-proof Africa Twin but with tweaks to the mapping and longer intake ducts to deliver a broader and smoother spread of power.

Peak torque of 104Nm is found at 6,250rpm with max power coming 1,250rpm later – 75Kw (101 BHP) at 7,500rpm, all of which combines to make fourth gear Sunday scratching a delight. There is always power on tap for overtaking, and the selectable engine braking allows you to finesse the engine characteristics to your riding style.

It might not sound like much power, yet how it is delivered belies the actual horsepower number. More than once, I’ve unintentionally found myself in the company of machinery with more horsepower and bigger reputations.

Naturally, if it got serious, I’d lose. Yet rolling on and off the throttle, changing up or down one between the bends, and the NT1100 was there or thereabouts without having to try too hard.

The Brakes

They could stop a runaway train. The front brake requires a degree of finessing. If you grab at them, you will stop abruptly. It is easy to discover how to be smooth with the NT1100 brakes, and if impending doom is looming large, it is reassuring to know you have a lot of stopping power at your fingertips.

The rear is also effective and remains a delight to use even if you have the (bad) habit of trailing the rear brake into a corner. There is a good amount of feel, making it the perfect partner for filtering through traffic.

The callipers and master cylinders are all standard Honda. There are no fancy Brembo components or uprated pads. The brakes are well-engineered and highly effective – exactly as they should be.

Factory Luggage

I’m known to rant about frustrating factory luggage and how it is all fancy looks and fecking useless when it comes to carrying things. I would love to go off on another rant, but I can’t.

Honda – or that might be Shad – has struck an excellent balance between practicality, weight and aesthetics.

All Honda NT1100 come with side cases (panniers) as standard. For some reason, the left pannier is one litre bigger at 33 litres than the right (32 litres). I’m guessing it is an accommodation for the exhaust.

Whether they look good or not is a subjective point of view. For me, the design is an excellent balance between form and function. The mounting points are blended into the bike, and my simple test, “Can I go to the office on this bike?” shows their ability to carry everyday objects.

The panniers will take a laptop and a change of clothes in case the British weather does its usual thing and rains on a sunny day.

Add the Voyager pack to your NT1100, and along with the lights and comfort seat comes a well-shaped 50-litre top box. It is more square than oval without looking like a shipping container, and my LS2 Explorer helmet, complete with peak and intercom, fits inside with space to spare.

An extended tour might need an SW-Motech Pro Rackpack Tail Bag across the pillion seat. Still, the factory luggage is perfect for everything from the daily commute to a long weekend away.

The Technology

The NT1100 shares a lot of components with the Africa Twin, which is perhaps why the ever-popular six-axis-IMU isn’t present. I initially wondered why Honda had committed such an apparent oversight compared to other contenders for your cold hard cash and then wondered how an IMU would improve the motorcycle.

Honda has gone in a different direction. I’m trying to recall any other manufacturer that gives you control over the engine braking characteristics. Adjustable traction control and softer throttle maps are commonplace, but only Honda offers engine braking control on everyday motorcycles.

Blend all the adjustable characteristics to your liking, set the suspension correctly and fit some decent – non-OE – tyres, and you have a well-honed – flexible – motorcycle.

Honda has also taken a different path when it comes to utilising the 6.5-inch colour TFT screen.  As standard, an impressive array of information is presented in an easy-to-read layout, but the party piece is Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

Android Auto

The connection process is the same for Apple CarPlay, but I can’t speak to the suitability of the Apple applications as I’m not part of the Apple Universe.

Connecting your phone to the NT1100 is a simple enough affair – if you use a decent USB cable – and have a Bluetooth intercom. If you want to explore connectivity and how to convert it from wired to Bluetooth, there is more information HERE.

Android Auto is a neat solution and makes much more use of the Honda’s 6.5-inch TFT than just turning it into a fancy-looking speedo.

I can display my navigation app and music player on the TFT and control both of them through the lefthand switch gear, which partly explains why it is covered with so many buttons.

The issue I ran into was the quality of the apps. Each application has to be designed to run with Android Auto, which appears to be a work in progress for many of them. Google Maps works well – which is expected as Google owns Android – but I haven’t yet worked out how to load a GPX route or zoom the map to my taste. I’m stuck with whatever zoom setting Google thinks I want.

I could even get Google Maps to understand voice commands. When suddenly overcome by an attack of the munchies, the words “Hey Google, navigate to the nearest McDonald’s” worked perfectly and with turn-by-turn voice instructions.

The sound quality through the NT1100 and Android Auto is superb, strangely even better than directly from my phone, and as it is all working through Android Auto, the output from the apps is blended together rather than fighting with each other.

To keep everything legal, Honda fits a smaller LCD screen below the TFT, which displays the warning lights and a permanent speedo.

If there is one oversight with all this technology, it is the lack of a visible fuel gauge when using Android Auto. Switching between the Android Auto screen and the traditional Honda TFT display only requires me to push and hold one of the lefthand buttons, but it is a distraction I could do without when I want to glance at the fuel remaining.

Honda NT1100 – Bottom Line

We described the DCT version of the Honda NT1100 as defining a new category for motorcycles, those that are “Multifunctional”. To be included in this category, the motorcycle must be suitable for all weathers, economical, comfortable, quick when you want it to be, get the job done and go home without any dramas or compromises. The 2023 Honda NT1100 takes nothing away from that solid reputation.

If someone tells you it is boring, they are wrong. It isn’t Fireblade exciting, but you’ll be 100 miles further down the road and won’t be able to hear them complaining about a sore arse and aching wrists while on tour.

Come the mountain climb, and you will dance around the hairpins while the cruisers drag their bulk.

The Voyager pack brings a few enhancements to the bike, but I would want to cherry-pick my way through the options catalogue and see if I couldn’t save a few quid.

The list price has gone up £1,000 in the last year, and the NT1100 now retails for £12,499 at your local Honda dealer. The Voyager pack adds a further £1,495, or cherry-pick the accessories you want, remembering to include the £270 quick-shifter if opting for manual over DCT.

The typical financing options are available, and of course, there is always some old-fashioned haggling to be done.

While I’ve had the NT1100 on loan from Honda, I’ve ridden all of our regular test routes, but I can’t remember the last bike I had on test where I was thinking of extra places to visit just so I could ride the bike.

So, if you will excuse me, the NT1100 goes back to Honda in a few days, so I’m going to make the most of the time we have left together.