2022 Honda NT1100 Revealed for International Markets

We’ve been closely watching the development of Honda’s new Africa Twin-derived sport-tourer since late last year and now the NT1100 has finally been revealed—although Honda has taken a surprisingly subdued approach to its appearance and stance.

Adventure-bike-style sport-touring models are a growing phenomenon at the moment, encompassing machines from BMW’s S 1000 XR and F 900 XR to Yamaha’s Tracer 7 and 9, but while Honda’s new NT1100 is directly based on the Africa Twin, the company is positioning the bike as a more traditional touring model, citing the ST1300 Pan European and NT700V Deauville as its antecedents.

We’ve already had an early glimpse of the bike’s specs and dimensions courtesy of European type-approval documents, and the official release confirms that the NT1100 is powered by the Africa Twin’s 101 hp (74kW), 1,084cc parallel-twin engine, with peak power at 7,500 rpm and max torque of 76.7 pound-feet at 6,250 rpm, while weighing 525 pounds in base form and 547 pounds when fitted with the optional DCT twin-clutch gearbox.

However, the official unveiling still held some surprises. Not least was the fact that the NT1100 carries over the Africa Twin’s steel cradle frame as well as its engine, albeit fitted with a new bolt-on aluminum subframe to cater to the bike’s luggage-lugging intentions. Despite being designed for an adventure bike, the frame makes the transition to touring use pretty easily. The adoption of 17-inch wheels at either end, allied to lower Showa suspension, means there’s little clue as to the NT1100′s close relationship to the Africa Twin. It also eschews the trend for high-rise, adventure-bike-inspired styling, although details like the mirrors—mounted on the bars rather than the fairing—are slightly more ADV-style than the touring bike norm.

Related: Honda NT1100 Confirmed As 2022 Model

In August, we revealed the first detailed technical specifications of the NT1100, and a recent video effectively confirmed what those details revealed. There are two distinct versions of the bike—the NT1100A and NT1100D—and both are seen in the teaser video.

The “A” model is the simpler machine, featuring a normal, manual transmission. Our original specs showed it was lower than the “D” version, with a 53.5-inch height to the top of the screen compared to 60 inches, and the video shows that one of the NT1100s has a significantly shorter screen than the other—though both appear to be electronically adjustable for height.

While both versions of the bike seen in the teaser have side cases fitted, with a low-slung exhaust end can on the right-hand side to leave plenty of space for them, only the NT1100D version, with the taller screen, has a top case as well, incorporating a passenger backrest. That helps to explain the significant weight difference between the machines—according to our figures, the base NT1100A is 524 pounds wet and the NT1100D is 547 pounds in the same state.

Another surprise comes in the bike’s price: it’s cheaper than the Africa Twin it’s derived from. European pricing puts the base and DCT models each at around $1,000 less than the equivalent Africa Twin.

It appears that the new bike’s simple suspension is partly responsible for keeping costs down. There is a 43mm Showa SFF-BP fork at the front and a Pro-Link rear with a Showa monoshock. Each end is adjustable only for preload and has far shorter travel than the Africa Twin; 5.9 inches front and rear compared to 9.1 inches at the front and 8.7 inches at the rear for the adventure bike. The brakes use four-pot Nissin radial calipers at the front, with a pair of 310mm discs, with a single-piston rear caliper and 256mm rotor.

On board, the Africa Twin connections continue with the same instrument pack, combining a 6.5-inch color TFT display with a smaller LCD panel below it, and like the latest Africa Twin, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, along with Bluetooth connectivity. A trio of preprogrammed riding modes—Urban, Rain, and Tour—tailor engine power, wheelie control, and traction control settings, and there are two user-defined customizable modes as well.

The mode choices get more complex if you opt for the DCT box, as there are four settings to adjust how the bike changes gear in fully auto mode, plus the option of a manual setting to allow rider-controlled shifts via buttons on the bars.

Although the original type-approval documents suggested that the DCT version of the bike would come with a higher screen than the base model, it turns out that both versions have the same height-adjustable design. It’s got a surprisingly wide range of movement, changing both height and angle across five possible positions, and is supplemented by side wind deflectors to shift airflow away from the rider’s hands.

Side cases come as standard, with around 3,966 cubic inches (about 65 liters) of space combined, and there’s an optional top case to add another 3,051 cubic inches (about 50 liters) of storage while doubling as a pillion backrest. The NT1100′s touring credentials are aided by a large, 5.4-gallon fuel tank, which should be good for a range of about 250 miles.

Across the Atlantic, the NT1100 is due to go on sale next spring. At the moment, we’re still waiting to hear about Honda’s plans for the NT1100 in the US market, but the bike seems well suited to American roads and riders.