Honda NX200 is likely to be priced at a slight premium over Hornet 2.0 and will directly lock its horns against Hero Xpulse 200
Honda’s two-wheeler division in India has been on a roll since last year as it has shifted focus from commuter motorcycles to more performance-oriented machines. It started with the launch of Hornet 2.0 and was followed by the likes of CB350 range, CB500X and CB650 range.
All barring Hornet 2.0 are retailed through the Japanese brand’s premium chain of dealerships called BigWing. The company has earlier mentioned that it is looking to develop multiple new models based on the platform all premium bikes that are locally manufactured in the country. Only then can the products be viable and could be priced competitively in the market against their rivals.
Hornet 2.0 Based ADV bike
It has been revealed that the bikemaker is planning to develop a new adventure motorcycle based on Hornet 2.0. In fact, the manufacturer has also registered a trademark with the name ‘NX200’ which is almost certain to be utilised for the Hornet 2.0-based ADV. Honda had already made its intentions known that it wanted to bring an entry-level adventure bike in India when it had earlier presented the CX-02 Concept.
The Japanese automaker already has an entry-level adventure tourer in its international lineup in the form of CB190X which is retailed in China. It is also one of the most affordable ADVs currently. Although, the India-spec model will be slightly different from the one sold in China. The NX200 is likely to incorporate styling elements from both CB190X and CX-02 Concept. This means, as in the case with most contemporary ADVs, the new NX200 will wear a front-heavy design.
Expected Styling Attributes
It should feature a tall windscreen, a full-LED headlight, muscular fuel tank with long extensions, an upright tail section, knuckle guards and luggage rack at rear. It will be built on a slightly tweaked version of the frame underpinning Hornet 2.0 which will suit its characteristics.
This means it will be equipped with a long travel suspension setup, dual-purpose tyres, raised handlebars, better seat cushioning and a revised footpeg position for an upright riding posture.
Expected Mechanical Specs
One can expect 21-inch front and 17-inch rear wire-spoked rims on the adventure bike. Despite these qualities, it will be wrong to expect a hardcore off-roader. NX200 will most probably be a road-biased tourer just like CB500X.
Powertrain, however, is unlikely to be tinkered with. It will be powered by a 184.4cc air-cooled single-cylinder currently powering Hornet 2.0. This unit is rated to return an output of 17 bhp and at 8500rpm and 16.1 Nm of peak torque at 6000rpm while being mated to a 5-speed gearbox.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
