Here's what the British motorcycling press said in their 2012 Honda Crosstourer reviews:
“I finish my ride amazed at just how good the Crosstourer is – why had I ever been skeptical? The bike is comfortable, has a great motor and superb handling. It’s excellent for multi-lane mile-munching, it’s brilliant on sweeping biking roads, even tight ones, and will comfortably handle the odd unmade track. Possible downsides are the weight, the anonymous looks and the 21.5litre tank with a disappointing 150-mile range – but for the right price, I could live with all of that, as the Crosstourer is such a great bike.” Simon Weir. RiDE – May 2012
“The surprise with the Crosstourer is two-fold: first that the 1200 V4 powertrain works so well in an adventure bike package (it already seems so familiar and ‘right’ to me it seems like it’s been around for years) and second that it genuinely brings a new and tempting dimension – namely V4 performance and sophisticated automatic transmission – to the burgeoning ‘adventure bike’ category. In short: this isn’t necessarily ‘better’ than a GS – it’s different to a GS, a ‘super’ adventure bike if you like." Phil West, Motorcycle News – February 2012
"The Crossrunner is easy to get on with, wafting along with the minimum of fuss. On twisty mountain roads, the Honda is happy at a moderate pace and the wide bars make navigating tight hairpins and gravel laybys a doddle. However, if you pick the pace up and start to push harder, the 240kg weight and soft suspension quickly limit how hard the bike can be flicked around. Ride smoothly and the Crossrunner can be coaxed along at a reasonable pace, you just have to hope none of the bends tighten up on you…" Chris Northover, Superbike.co.uk
“The Crosstourer’s spirit is closer to Ducati’s sporty Multistrada than the BMW, but without the baubles, the low speed transmission lash or distracting and fussy electronics. Or the hassle of chain drive without a centrestand. The Honda is the more grown-up bike of the two, which is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on which side of your midlife crisis you are on.” Steve Rose, Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – May 2012
“So make of it what you will but I liked it. Even though I liked the VFR1200 (it suited the way I ride on the road) the Crosstourer will have much wider appeal. It’s one of the comfiest bikes around, has massive luggage potential and that engine is a grunt-laden, turbine-smooth, growly peach. Yes, it’ll be too heavy for some people’s idea of ideal but to those people I’d say ‘try one’.” Mark Forsyth, Visordown – February 2012 Read the full review
