Aimed at the urban commuter, Honda’s Deauville is the perfect choice for those who find scooters too small, but don’t need the latest all singing all dancing sports bike either.  Its purpose is to get you where you want to go, easily, in some reasonable comfort and without frightening you half to death with unpredictable behaviour.
Although built in Spain for Honda, quality has not been compromised and is up to the usual standard.

Stable and secure at motorway speeds and on cornering, comfortable for the longer journey for both rider and passenger, and if it wasn’t for the meagre built in luggage capacity, would probably make a decent tourer.

The built in panniers are small, at 34 litres total they won’t give you the luxury of taking anything but the essentials, maybe enough for a weekend jaunt, but that’s about it. Deeper luggage lids are available, taking them to 57 litres, but are expensive at over £250.

The engine is one of Honda’s more reliable units, having been around for a while in the NTV600 / 650 model and proved itself very worthy if looked after. 647cc, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, V-twin with digital electronic ignition, 5-speed gearbox and shaft drive, it returns 50mpg, depending on how its ridden, and would be perfect for the odd weekend away in the country.

It will top 130 mph if pushed, but prefers a more sedate cruising speed, as do most V-twins.

The suspension is a bit on the soft side but does the job and gets you round the corners when it needs to. Front consists of 41mm telescopic forks, while the rear single shock has a rising rate linkage with adjustment for pre-load only. 

Riding position is comfortable and upright for both rider and passenger. There is a pair of grab rails at the rear, neatly positioned at the side, rather than behind the passenger.

The brakes are more powerful than you would expect from this category of motorcycle, bringing you to a safe, predictable stop, even when fully loaded, even though the front twin discs have only 2-pistons per caliper and the rear a single piston.

Surprisingly the bike lacks a fuel gauge or fuel warning light, either of which is just about standard on any other machine including scooters. The 19-litre fuel tank is good for about 190 miles averaging about 42 mpg, which is good even by touring standards.

The screen, for some, will be a bit low, a taller version is available from Honda or aftermarket suppliers.
	Crash protection in the form of side guards help keep the expensive plastic off the ground in the event of a low speed spill.

Versatile, reassuring but still fun is how this machine will come across to most riders, it looks like a tourer and would probably do the job well if more luggage space was provided. Options are a bit limited for extra luggage due to the bike’s design, a tank bag being about the best alternative.

Overall a nice shaft drive bike that would suit the requirements of someone that actually ‘needs’ a bike for commuting and the odd trip away from home.

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Last updated 28/05/02