2024 Honda NAVi Review | Motorcycle Test NVA110

2024 Honda NAVi Review

Review by Kris Hodgson, Images by RBMotoLens

I’ve just been down to Melbourne for a quick launch of the new Honda NAVi, the latest value-driven offering that injects a bit of avant-garde style into the ultra-affordable category and may help fill the gap left by the Grom, which fell by the wayside due to ADR restrictions.

Cheap and cheerful is the best way to describe the NAVi, which is priced at $2349 + ORC, or using the ole price calculator on the Honda website for me in Sydney – $3002 ride-away. Damn! Still, that puts the NAVi well under the price of the CB125F – a popular choice for delivery riders – and also well under where the old Grom sat on the pricing scale. Tick.

In fact, the NAVi is a bit of an anomaly. Despite motorbike styling, the NAVi rides like a scooter, with a twist-and-go throttle, both levers at the ‘bars connected to the combined brakes, and no foot shifter or foot brake.

There’s a simple air-cooled single with just under 6 kW of power, tiny pressed wheels, drum brakes, a carby and a choke. There’s even a kick-start if you want to pretend you are real old school, otherwise electric start makes things easier.

I’m guessing all of this will be of minimal interest to potential riders and buyers, though. The 17.5 L storage compartment will probably be more interesting, you find that where you’d expect the engine. Then there is the manageable 765 mm seat height and ultra-light 100 kg weight. This thing is a featherweight.

Add that sub $3K price (in most states), ride-away, quirky and cool styling, and this is a bike aimed at ushering a whole new generation of riders onto two wheels. In an affordable and fun way. Or as just a fun run-around or mini-project for the more experienced rider needing something for short urban hops. Take your pick.

In fact, at this price, and with the small engine keeping rego costs down, this is probably the best value urban commuter you’ll find. The 3.5-litre fuel tank ensures a fill is well under a tenner and a range of over 150 km; that’s plenty of leeway between fills. Six bucks to throw in three litres sounds pretty good.

So what does $3K ride away get you?

A small, light and accessible machine that won’t intimidate new riders. Even if you’re on the shorter side, the weight of this little machine will ensure almost anyone can jump on and just ride away, with little to worry about.

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Handling is very nimble. Whether you’re doing a course setup at HART, maybe your pre-Ls, or just navigating your way through terrible city traffic, the NAVi has got you covered and will turn on a dime.

Coming from a regular motorcycle, the NAVi feels a little flighty, but with a few kays under your belt, you’ll get used to it. Those wheels are tiny after all, 12-inches at the front and a 10-inch rear.

But it offers the many benefits of a little scooter, particularly that smooth turn-and-go throttle, plus easygoing performance that’s just enough for zooming around the city or inner suburbs.

Doing lots of freeway work? This wouldn’t be my choice. Regular 60-70 km/h running, and you’ll be right, maybe even up to 80 km/h if you wait long enough, but the Navi will not reach 100 km/h freeway speeds, not a chance.

Combined brakes mean both levers apply pressure to both brakes. That helps balance the brakes and bypasses the ABS requirements in modern ADRs, with that left lever at the ‘bars providing the greater stopping power and feel of the two. That would usually just be the rear brake on a scooter, so it feels like that’s the more impressive of the set-ups, keeping in mind these are drum brakes. A little toggle on the left brake lever locks it in place as a parking brake.

Suspension is undeniably basic, fine for hitting small potholes and bumps at 75 kg without much to worry about. Riding off a small kerb, also no issue.

Build quality is what you’d expect for the price. From a couple of metres the bike looks good. It’s quirky, and it works to my eye. Looking a bit electric-bike-inspired is one point that’s been brought up a few times, as the storage box looks somewhat like a battery.

The welds on the steel frame that were visible are a little messy, but well-painted. The plastics are basic and hide most of the workings of the bike.

The sticker kits Honda created really add a bit of appeal to the bikes, so hopefully, we will see those become available as accessories. Overseas customers have shown the sky is the limit when it comes to modifying the NAVi.

The simple dash doesn’t make it obvious if the bike is on or off, and the kick-start back-up ensures you’ll always be able to get moving no matter what. It can also be hard to tell if the bike is running when you kick-start it, although it’s very easy to get started.

You get both a centre-stand and a side-stand. There’s no killswitch at the ‘bars, but the NAVi shuts off when the side-stand goes down. Being light, the centre-stand is very easy to use, and you need it down to kick-start the bike. AND the bike must be on at the key. There is, of course, that aforementioned electric start too, so don’t worry about that score.

Overall, this is a cool little machine from Honda, which seems like a gateway onto their bigger machines. Whether that’s on to a ‘real’ motorcycle or perhaps a bigger scooter. This bike straddles the segments.

Also, looking at the price on these, I reckon there’ll be people just picking one up from a dealer on a whim, and if you do decide to get a bigger bike down the track, you could probably keep one of these on the road and in your garage permanently, if you’ve got a slower or shorter commute and value the light easy-going agility.  Two people could easily lift the NAVi into a van or onto the back of a motorhome, so I can see these becoming popular with the caravan and motorhome set.

You’re not getting the performance – such that it was – of the Grom, but this is an even friendlier and easier machine to jump on to.

Would I like more performance or better build quality? Honestly, I think the price is the big winner here. Just look at the popularity of the CB125F. These might even become popular delivery machines in the cities.

If you like the look, the price seems right for you, and you see a need for a town run-around, the NAVi has the bases covered. If you expect more, Honda of course has a great range of other LAMS options, as do other brands.

Will I be rushing out to buy one… nope, I’m saving up for my Transalp. But thinking back to when I was at Uni, one of these would have been epic and saved me quite a bit of moolah over a couple of years. As I already said, if you need to do lots of highway riding, this isn’t the bike for you. Inner urban and suburban commuting is its forte.

I hope the NAVi really catches on. Riding is really rewarding; the more of us out there, the better.

Head to the Honda Motorcycles Australia website for more info or to find your local dealer.

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