HONDA effectively wrote the modern-day book on the true crossover adventure scooter back in 2015 with the launch of the X-ADV. Now it looks likely that the Japanese giant is looking to tap into the mid-scooter segment in the same way, as the ADV 350 is named in documents.
Honda X-ADV video review
The new bike has been officially named in type approval documents picked up by Motorrad in Germany, and it does confirm a bike called the Honda ADV 350 has been protected under copyright law.
Not much else can be gleaned from the documents, although there is a distinct possibility the bike will land at these shores. For starters, we already have the Forza 350 mid-scooter in the UK, and by all accounts, it’s a pretty big seller on the urban mobility charts. Secondly, the trademark document lists the bike’s first language as being English.
The Adv 350 nameplate has been reserved by Honda since mid-summer 2021, and while the document gives no indication as to when the new model might land, we have a hunch it might be sooner rather than later. EICMA is just around the corner, and mid-sized scooters of this kind are a big hit on the continent; we wouldn’t be surprised if Honda Europe pulled the wraps of this bike at the end of next month.
What could the Honda ADV 350 look like?
In terms of styling, probably very much like the Honda ADV 150 that is alive and well in the Asian market. The image at the top shows the ‘150, and it’s a rugged little thing. Probably not what you would naturally jump to for an off-road, but probably slightly more competent than a standard twist and go scoot.
Beneath the skin, the specs of the ADV 350 are likely to change little from those found in the Forza 350. That means around 180-200kg, 27bhp and about 22lb-ft of torque. With the Forza engine already being homologated and passed for Euro5, it doesn’t make sense for Honda to go and spend anything more on development over and above that spec.
Price-wise, we can’t accurately guess how much the ADV 350 will come in at over here. The Forza is £5,499 otr in the UK. For a slightly more rugged and adventure-ready sibling a window price hovering under the £6k mark sounds appropriate.
Visordown will be at the EICMA show in November, we’ll bring you more on this story as we get it.
