Honda VFR 1200X Crosstourer X Review
Bike Tested: Honda VFR 1200X Crosstourer X; Road Test No. 1055; Test Location: Malaysia
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 18 lakhs (est.)
The Crosstourer X is a sporty and an adventurous offering from Honda
The adventure touring segment has come a long way, especially in the global context. Not anyone and everyone were interested in these out and out adventure tourers and that demanded the need of a motorcycle that could best do touring and a slight bit of off-roading as well, a dual-sport bike to be precise. Honda entered this very segment almost seven years ago with the Crosstourer and we got a chance to sample the vehicle during our recent visit to Malaysia. It’s a rather interesting bike, read on to find why…
Motor Quest: Also known as the VFR1200X, the Honda Crosstourer was announced at the 2010 EICMA motorcycle show. The vehicle uses the same 1237cc V4 engine from the VFR1200F but in a different state of tune and rivals the BMW R1200GS and the Triumph Tiger 1200.
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The Honda Crosstourer X is based on the VFR1200F
Styling – The Crosstourer X being a dual-sport motorcycle can be easily mistaken for a proper adventure tourer. Justifying the aforementioned statement is the presence of a small protruding beak which looks cute and spoke wheels and long travel suspension that aid while off-roading. Clearly, the bodywork and other styling elements are a stark departure from the VFR1200 (the fuel tank though has a resemblance to the VFR1200F). The front gets a single headlight setup with no LEDs and that’s a sigh! Below it sits the cute small beak and above is an adjustable windscreen. We particularly like how the spoke wheels have been finished and the minimalistic-looking rear profile. Overall, the Honda Crosstourer ticks all the boxes in our books when it comes to the design and looks.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/32513423968/[/flickr]
The instrument console design could have been more appealing
Instrument Cluster and Switchgear – The instrument console on the Honda Crosstourer X is an all-digital unit with a tachometer on the top. Below it is the readout for speedometer, odometer and other information like clock, air temperature, engine temperature, twin trip meters and a fuel meter. The tell-tale lights are positioned on either side of the digital display. While the console could have been a tad bit bigger, the switchgear is of great quality. The RHS gets an engine kill switch, gear switch and an engine start button. The LHS gets a hazard light switch, horn button, and two switches for gear shifts, one for downshifts and another for upshifts. Next to the left switchgear is the hand brake adjustment module. Press a button and pull it, the handbrake gets activated. Quite cool, isn’t it?
