The Honda Touring Motorcycle That Is Worth Every Penny

Honda has had a vibrant lineup of motorcycles in the US. But look closely, and you’d see it was missing a sports tourer. That void has been filled in 2025 by a modern sports tourer powered by the same engine as the Rebel 1100 cruiser and Africa Twin ADV. It also has a futuristic design language with sharp edges.

The amount of technology and comfort features on offer impresses us further. All of these bits come with a price tag that undercuts all its immediate rivals, making this a banger of a crossover. We delve deeper and explain why this Honda touring bike is worth the hype and money.

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The Honda NT1100 DCT Banks High On Its Easy-To-Ride Nature

Standard DCT Gearbox Is A Major Contributor To Its Practicality

The new sports tourer from Honda is a very practical motorcycle. In fact, we will go as far as calling it the “most practical motorcycle of 2025”. A major reason for its practicality is its standard DCT gearbox. Some might call it boring, but the 6-speed automatic DCT has been designed to combine the best of both worlds—commuting and touring. It transforms the capable Honda NT1100 into a breezy urban commuter and a stress-free tourer with a scooter-like twist-and-go motion. For those who want added drama, a manual mode utilizes cleverly positioned paddle shifters (more like finger shifters!) on the right side of the handle.

Perks Of The NT1100 Touring Motorcycle DCT Gearbox

• No stalling
• Reduced fatigue
• Improved Fuel Efficiency
• No hand clutch and foot shifter
• Elevated low-speed maneuverability, handy in steep hill situations

Powered By A Versatile Parallel-Twin Engine

Same As The Africa Twin And The Rebel 1100

100 horsepower on a sub-$12,000 touring bike is excellent. The NT1100 DCT’s peppy nature is courtesy of its liter-class parallel-twin engine. This engine is known for its versatility and also powers the dune-bashing Africa Twin ADV tourer and the uber-cool-looking Rebel 1100 cruiser bike. On the NT1100, this 1,084 cc mill produces 82 pound-feet of torque.

Peak power and torque are made at 7,500 RPM and 5,500 RPM, respectively. Meaty low- and mid-range torque helps the NT be a capable and effortless urban runabout. Its early surge of power helps keep the engine under-stressed for a cozy high-speed touring experience as well. The practical DCT gearbox and a final chain drive send power to the rear wheel.

Engine Specs

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Underpinnings That Add Sportiness To This “Practical” Honda

A Gorgeous Café Racer Also Utilizes Its Chassis

The engine and chassis majorly transform the NT1100 from a touring bike to a “sports” touring bike. The peppy parallel-twin is complemented by a playful chassis, with elements shared with the Rebel and the Africa Twin. Even the Honda Hawk 11 café racer (still a forbidden fruit for us) shares the main frame with the NT. Honda has tweaked the rake and trail, slapped on 17-inch rims with road-going tires, and added a stronger and shorter bolt-on sub-frame to cater to the NT1100’s touring nature.

Suspension duties are taken care of by long-travel Showa inverted forks up front and a monoshock at the rear. Both ends offer preload adjustability only. Braking duties are handled by dual discs up front and a single disc at the rear, coupled to Nissin calipers. The seat height is 32.3 inches, and the ground clearance of 6.9 inches gives the rider a commanding stance atop the NT1100. Honda also offers an optional 32.6-inch accessory seat for taller riders.

Hardware Specs And Dimensions

The New Honda NT1100 Is A Looker

Sharp And Edgy Design Gives It A Futuristic Vibe

The NT1100 looks unlike any other touring bike on the market, to be a sure-shot head-turner with sharp edges and an angry headlight assembly. The motorcycle looks proportionate, with the only nitpicky bit being the oddly angled muffler. The cool-looking front half-fairing is actually built partially with biodegradable Durabio plastic. It saves the environment and lowers the curb weight, too.

The transparent windscreen is adjustable and can be toggled through five positions over its 6.5-inch range. Another cool feature elevating its visual aura is a unique wind deflector below the tall visor. The transparent unit shapes up like a wide “U” and extends to the handlebar end. It sort of works like a wind deflector for the hands. That’s a very thoughtful addition by Honda. The 2025 Honda NT1100 is currently offered in a single shade of Pearl Hawkeye Blue for America.

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A Price Tag Of Under $12,000 Makes It The New VFM Icon Among Sports Tourers

Relaxed Ergonomics, Impressive Electronic Suit, And Lots Of Touring Accessories

Despite all its sporty features, the NT1100 doesn’t shy away from offering a comfortable touring stance. The seat is scooped enough to seat the rider “in” the motorcycle rather than “on” it. This, along with the adjustable touring visor, offers ample wind protection that helps reduce fatigue during long rides. The rider triangle is relaxed, with a tall, wide handlebar and footpegs positioned just below the rider. This is also a very comfortable two-up touring bike with ample space for the pillion.

The cockpit comprises a 6.5-inch TFT touchscreen that supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. This allows the rider to access calls and receive text messages. Like the Africa Twin, it also gets a secondary tiny LCD below the TFT that shows speed, fuel level, and other vital motorcycle data. Honda packs the NT1100 with a six-axis IMU that helps integrate more complex assist and safety features like wheelie control. Three preset riding modes are standard, namely Urban, Rain, and Tour, and there are two more user-configurable modes. A throttle-by-wire system helps offer elevated experience differences between the ride modes.

Oodles Of Accessories Elevate Things

Honda offers a healthy list of accessories focused primarily on transforming the NT1100 DCT into a full-on touring machine. The stock NT is barebones by touring bike standards. But hey, we’re not complaining, as this Honda already offers a lot for its sub-$12,000 starting price. All accessories provided on the US-spec Honda NT1100 are listed below.

2025 Honda NT1100 Competition

The Honda NT1100’s ability to offer all these bits for under $12,000 puts it in the spotlight. Its rivals are certainly superior, with more on-road experience, but they are also quite expensive. The Triumph Tiger Sport 800 is $595 more costly, and the very similar Yamaha Tracer 9 is $900 more expensive. The closest in terms of pricing is the BMW F 900 XR, which is just $96 more expensive.

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But none of these competitors pack features to the absolute brim like the NT does. This is exactly why the NT1100 is worth every penny. To give you more insight into how insanely VFM the NT is, let’s remind you that the $19,499 Kawasaki Versys 1100 SE LT and the $18,599 Suzuki GSX-S1000GX+ are sports tourers that share the segment with this $11,899 Honda NT1100!