The Honda City Adventure concept is a bit of a dichotomy. It’s an off-road machine, based on a scooter and meant for the cities. Now, if you really wanted to use a machine like that, you’ll first have to find an off-road stretch within the urbanscape, and use a scooter to raid it. And the point is? We ask.
Anyway, the City Adventure concept is a muscled up scooter which is equipped to go off the tar. In concept form, the scooter looks well designed and solid, even with all its pointlessness. The off-road bits are all there – the wired spoke wheels, upside down forks, off-road tyres, high ground clearance – heck, it’s even got an adjustable windscreen!
The handlebars on the scoot are also positioned and designed in proper off-roader fashion. The chain driven scooter further emphasizes its seriousness about off-roading with those hand-guards. Someone was trying to prove a point too hard!
The styling is edgy and angular with slashes and cuts visible abundantly on this wacky concept’s surface. Twin headlamps, a long, wide seat capable of accommodating a pillion and a bigger front-smaller rear wheel, in true off road fashion are a few other eye-catching details.
While no technical specifications have been revealed by Honda, a look at those monstrous Nissin twin discs up front gives away some information about the Japanese bikemaker’s evil intents. Which is all good, but we still wonder if is this is an answer to a question someone asked, or is Honda just going bonkers just to have a little fun.
Here’s what the brand’s press release about the product says, in the meantime.
Complementing Honda’s returning icon, the City Adventure concept offers a totally new interpretation of the idea of motorcycling adventure. It brings that spirit of adventure to the heart of the city and underlines Honda’s commitment to researching new ways of creating unique technology to enhance and enrich its customers’ lifestyles.
Personally, I like it. As for questioning its intent: it is no different—albeit a CVT— than the Vstrom or Verseys. a city bike with a little off-road capability. As a scooter rider, I would welcome the chance to ride some unpaved roads with larger tires and without the clatter of tupperware…
It’s always good for the manufactures to come up with new concepts. The reason why we put that headline, as you would realize once done reading the text, is that the concept represents a dichotomy. We are a little perplexed, as in our humble opinion, there isn’t any apparent need for such a machine. Finally, as journalists, we also have the right to have an opinion, just the way these manufacturers have all the right in the world to come with such funky concepts. Hope you’d agree.
For starters, the headline of this article could do with a replacement.
What do you mean by “who asked for it?”
Are you not happy that someone thought of a radical concept and decided to show the world what an offroad-oriented scooter could be?
If we don't have concept vehicles that question the norm, how will we ever have production vehicles that push the boundaries of design and technologies?