Honda X-ADV (2025) – Technical Review

It’s been nearly a decade since Honda first teased its plans for a large-capacity adventure-scooter with its 2015 ‘ADV’ concept. That bike hit production in 2017 as the X-ADV and proved all the doubters wrong – achieving sales success and now entering its third generation with a visual and technical revamp for the 2025 model year.

For ‘traditional’ motorcyclists, the X-ADV’s success might come as a surprise. After all, the combination of disparate elements of scooter and adventure bike styling, allied to an automated, dual-clutch transmission, couldn’t be much further from the norm. A bike with adventure styling and even a modicum of off-road ability, but which really aimed at city commuters? A scooter with an £11,000-plus price tag? The X-ADV could have sunk without a trace like some of Honda’s other wackier cross-breeding ideas – the DN-01 and Vultus spring to mind as ill-fated attempts to combine scooter practicality with large-bike performance and price. Remember them? No? That’s probably for the best.

But the X-ADV? Far from sinking without trace, only to be disinterred for occasional internet lists of ‘top 10 bikes you forgot ever existed’, it’s gone on to be a sales smash. Seriously. Last year, it was Honda’s second-best selling machine across the whole of Europe, and as many as 76,000 have been sold across the continent since the model reached showrooms in 2017.

No wonder, then, that even though the last facelift came only four years ago in late 2020, another has arrived now to keep the X-ADV fresh into the second half of the decade.

Pros & Cons

2025 Honda X-ADV - Price

The days when it was still surprising to see a motorcycle hit a five-figure price are long behind us but it’s still something of double-take moment when a scooter – if that’s what the X-ADV is – costs more than £10k. But we live in world where a Yamaha TMAX Tech Max, with a 560cc twin, costs more than £14k and in that light the X-ADV with its much pokier 745cc engine, seems like a positive bargain at £11,249, which is also just £50 more than the 2024 version despite Honda’s upgrades for 2025.

It's all a matter of perspective, really. Seen from another angle, the X-ADV comes across as expensive, because Honda’s own NT750X, based on the same platform, is under £8k – although nearer £9k when you add the DCT semi-auto that’s standard on the X-ADV – and if you really want to go down the adventure route, the more powerful Transalp is £9749.

Of course, that £11,249 is only a starting point. There are also several accessory packs – Adventure, Comfort, Style, Travel or Urban – to choose from to emphasise particular elements of the bike’s appeal.

Honda has opted for subdued colours, shifting away from the more complex graphics and brighter hues of earlier X-ADV models in favour of Graphite Black, Pearl Glare White or Matte Deep Mud (yes, mud) Grey.

2025 Honda X-ADV - Engine & Performance

The X-ADV’s 745cc parallel twin engine is a familiar lump, coming from the NC750 range and evolved from the NC700 lineup that preceded them. It’s long been one of the pioneers of Honda’s DCT transmission, and unlike other models sharing the same motor, the X-ADV can’t be had with a conventional clutch and foot shifter.

With a single-overhead-cam design and under-square bore and stroke of 77mm x 80mm, the eight-valve unit has always prioritised low fuel consumption and emissions over outright performance, and for 2025 it’s unchanged with exactly the same 57.8hp at 6750rpm and 69Nm (50.9 lb-ft) of torque at 4750rpm. While its forward-tilted cylinder bank helps lower the engine overall, allowing the X-ADV’s scooter-like profile and a low centre of gravity, it’s a big motor and hence the X-ADV is far from being a step-thru design.

Performance-wise, Honda takes the unusual step of making acceleration claims – but not in a form that really means much. The company says that starting from 30km/h, the bike will cover 20 meters in 1.7 seconds, and 50 meters in 3.2 seconds. Is that good? We’ve no idea. These aren’t familiar yardsticks so Honda might as well be using Brake Ostrich Power to rate engine performance, or perhaps giving torque figures in Hundredweight per Furlong. A number that is easier to understand is the top speed, which Honda claims is 104mph.

As before, there’s also the option of 35kW (47hp) version of the bike for riders with restricted, A2 licences, and it can be derestricted by dealers as and when you progress to a full licence, so you won’t need to go and buy a whole new bike.

Riding modes are pretty much expected from modern bikes, and the X-ADV has up to six of them, each modifying the engine’s response, engine braking, traction control interference and ABS level, as well as the shift responses of the DCT transmission. As well as four pre-programmed settings – Standard, Sport, Rain and Gravel – there are two ‘User’ presets, with three levels of adjustable power delivery, engine braking and traction control plus five DCT shift programmes to pick from.

Speaking of that Dual Clutch Transmission, it’s truly coming of age in 2025 with a host of rivals adopting auto and semi-automatic gearbox options, but Honda has been banging this drum since 2009 and its purpose-made DCT remains the only mass-made motorcycle gearbox that can truly claim to be seamless-shift. In the latest version of the X-ADV, the shift and clutch programming has been updated to smoother starts and better low-speed control below 10km/h (6mph). The ability to conduct easy U-turns is a priority, and the new version of the transmission modifies the way the clutch is operated and how it cooperates with the ride-by-wire throttle.

2025 Honda X-ADV - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

Honda’s X-ADV updates for 2025 haven’t extended as far as the chassis, so if you’re familiar with the current model’s setup, don’t expect to notice a difference on the new model.

As before the frame is a steel diamond design, with 27-degrees of rake and 104mm trail for the 41mm USD forks and a long, 1590mm wheelbase. Those forks are adjustable for preload and rebound damping, while the rear monoshock is preload adjustable only.

A 17-inch front wheel isn’t unusual but pairing it with a 15-inch rear gives the X-ADV much of its scooter-ish proportions. Like the previous model, the wheels are wire spoked but with tubeless tyres and that distinctive spoke layout that laces the wire through the edge of the wheel rim outside the tyre’s bead.

As befits the bike’s semi-off-road style, there’s a substantial amount of suspension travel – 153.5mm front, 150mm rear – and 165mm of ground clearance to hop over kerbs with bottoming out.

While the weight is carried low to minimise its effect, there’s plenty of it. The X-ADV brings up a chubby 237kg on the scales, a kilo more than the 2024 model. It’s brought to a halt by the same radial-mount four-pot calipers as before, acting on unchanged 296mm frond discs.

2025 Honda X-ADV - Comfort & Economy

This is where the X-ADV really gets a chance to shine, as both comfort and economy are strong suits and the former is improved even further for 2025.

The seat has been reshaped to make it easier to get your feet flat on the ground, but simultaneously gains 10% more urethane in the padding while keeping the seat height identical to the old model at 820mm.

As before, there’s an adjustable screen ahead, but where the old bike’s had two-handed operation, the new version can be moved one-handed over a range of 139mm in height and 11 degrees of rake. What’s more, that screen is now made of Durabio – a sustainable plastic made from biomass.

Durabio is also used on the bike’s side panels, while other components including the seat base and the luggage box are made from recycled Honda car bumpers. Other recycled plastics are also used throughout the bike as part of Honda’s aim to use only sustainable materials in its manufacturing by 2050.

Since the X-ADV’s parallel twin engine was designed specifically with economy in mind, you won’t be surprised to hear that it’s a strong suit again on the new model, with a claimed 78.5mpg. Combined with a 13.2 litre tank, which gives a theoretical range of more than 225 miles between fill-ups.

2025 Honda X-ADV - Equipment

On board there’s a new five-inch colour TFT dash with optically-bonded glass to improve visibility. It offers three display modes – Bar, Circle and Simple – and has smartphone connectivity via Honda’s own app, giving turn-by-turn navigation and the usual array of call and music controls when paired with a Bluetooth headset.

Another new addition for 2025 is cruise control, which makes particular sense when paired with an auto transmission like the X-ADV’s DCT.

Visually, the bike’s biggest changes are at the front where redesigned LED headlights incorporate new daytime running lights that now incorporate the indicators, a system that’s often seen on modern cars but makes its motorcycle debut on the X-ADV.

Further convenience comes from the keyless ignition and locking – as long as the fob is in your pocket you can access the steering lock, fuel cap and under-seat storage, which measure 22 litres and has an improve LED light inside, plus a USB-C socket.

Carried over from the previous version, there’s an emergency stop signal function that flashes the hazard lights if it detects a deceleration of more than 6m/s2, and if the ABS is activated that deceleration threshold drops to just 2.5m/s2. The indicators also retain the auto-cancelling feature that was introduced in 2021, based on comparing the front and rear wheel speeds to calculate when you’ve completed your manoeuvre.

2025 Honda X-ADV - Rivals

While other bike makers are starting to edge in on the X-ADV’s adventure-scooter category, nobody really makes a direct rival just yet. Kymco last year showed the CV-L6 as perhaps the closest thing yet to a head-on competitor, but it’s yet to reach production, while Peugeot’s £7899 XP400 GT has a similar style but sits closer to the smaller Honda ADV350 in terms of performance and powertrain. Realistically, then, X-ADV customers are more likely to be considering either a bike like Honda’s own NC750X or a big, luxury scooter like the Yamaha T-Max as alternatives.

Honda NC750X DCT | Price: £8799

Read more

Power/Torque

57.8bhp / 50.9lb-ft

Weight

224kg

Yamaha TMAX Tech Max | Price: £14,011

Read more

Power/Torque

47bhp / 41lb-ft

Weight

220kg

Kymco AK550 Premium | Price: £9999

Read more

Power/Torque

51bhp / 38.4lb-ft

Weight

223kg

2025 Honda X-ADV - Verdict

We’ll let you know when we’ve ridden it.

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2025 Honda X-ADV - Technical Specification

What is MCIA Secured?

MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.

As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:

• A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard

• An ignition immobiliser system

• A vehicle marking system

• An alarm system

• A vehicle tracking system with subscription

The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.