Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI) has filed a new design patent in India. Documents reveal it to be the ADV 160 adventure scooter. They give us a closer look at the scooter’s design. It appears to stand close to that of the model sold abroad. We expect Honda to launch it in India sometime soon.
Honda is indeed a giant in India’s scooter space. It currently has a wide range of affordable commuter scooters on sale here. These include two highly popular brands- Dio and Activa and their variations. These are offered with 110cc and 125cc engines, and are positioned at a decent distance from the ‘premium adventure scooter’ territory.
There has been a recent spike in demand for affordable, performance-oriented scooters in India. The Yamaha Aerox is a good example. It impresses with its maxi-scooter-like styling, balanced road manners, and focus on performance. Frankly, it was a surprise success and gave out the first clues of the rising demand for such products.
The Hero Xoom 160 super scooter is another strong example. Honda now wants to enter this segment, and grab its share of the ‘adventure scooter pie’ with the ADV160. This product, in a way, marks a sharp departure from the manufacturer’s commuter-focussed strategy. Honda wants to wide its scooter portfolio beyond commuters and that’s a good sign. It sells several exciting scooter models in various global markets. We could see at least some of these coming to India in the future.
Circling back, the ADV160 is expected to be more premium and versatile than the Aerox and Xoom. As can be seen in the patent images (and others), it will have an exciting design. While the overall visual appeal has been retained, minor tweaks seem to have been made to the front fairing for the Indian market. We will have to wait to learn more about these changes. The product is currently codenamed K4LA.
In terms of kit, the K4LA is expected to come with a digital dash, keyless ignition, all-LED lighting, adjustable windscreen, start/stop technology, and USB smartphone charger.
The ADV160 is built on an underbone frame, just like the Xoom and the Aerox. So, there is no proper floorboard. The advantage of this design is a gain in the structural rigidity and riding dynamics.
The suspension department has a 31 mm telescopic front fork and twin shocks at the rear. These are both sourced from Showa. The scooter will have a 240mm disc brake at the front and a 130mm drum at the rear. Single-channel ABS is offered as standard.
The vehicle gets a 14-inch front wheel and a 13-inch rear wheel. The scooter will have a seat height of 780mm and 165mm of ground clearance. The ADV160 will weigh 133 kilograms- heavier than the Aerox but lighter than the Xoom. It will also come with 27 litres of underseat storage.
Powering the ADV160 will be a 157cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine. It will make 16 hp and 14.7 Nm. The Aerox and Xoom also feature liquid-cooled engines in this displacement class (and segment).
Being a Honda, the ADV 160’s engine is expected to excel with its refinement levels as much as it does with performance. Refinement will also improve usability on longer rides. This scooter will also have a fuel tank capacity of 8.1 litres- which is more than those of the Xoom and Aerox.
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