Honda X-Blade Review
Bike Tested: Honda X-Blade; Road Test No. 933
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 92,836/-
Honda X-Blade isn’t much different from the CB Hornet 160R, but the two aren’t the same either!
In a country greatly influenced by the total cost of ownership when it comes to vehicles, premium commuter motorcycle segment turns out to be a good compromise between sportiness and practicality. And, why not? This segment has products from all mass-market brands which offer an attractive mix of performance, fuel efficiency, comfort and affordability. Honda, for example, already had more than a couple of products in this segment but have added another one to their portfolio. Named the Honda X-Blade, the newcomer is targeted towards the youth with its striking appearance and a good number of features. Even though the X-Blade shares its underpinnings with the CB Hornet 160R, its lower power rating as compared to the latter puts it at a disadvantage, or does it? We find out through a road test whether the X-Blade, especially in the presence of other Honda products, makes a strong case for itself or not.
Motor Quest: Honda took wraps off the X-Blade at the 2018 Auto Expo held in February. Clearly, this motorcycle has been built to impress the Generation Z which is evident in the way it looks and the amount of features it has on offer. With the X-Blade, Honda now has three different products sharing the same engine priced literally at a stone’s throw from each other. While the X-Blade doesn’t hold much relevance in company of its stablemates, its introduction definitely shows that Honda wants volumes, by hook or by crook!
Going by Japanese design standards, this one is as radical as it gets!
The X-Blade’s in-your-face design language is bound to have mixed reactions
Styling – First and foremost, let’s give it to Honda for designing such a distinctive-looking bike. Though the X-Blade is based on the CB Hornet, there are fewer similarities between the two and that is a good thing for a prospective buyer. Its out-of-the-box design is clearly a USP for the X-Blade. For starters, there is a Robo-Face LED headlamp with an LED DRL that seriously gives the bike some aggression and attitude. However, the effectiveness of this headlamp unit can be best termed as adequate. When compared to the Hornet, the X-Blade has an edge in terms of road presence because of its heavily sculpted fuel-tank with sleek tank shrouds, gorgeous-looking Razor-edged LED tail-lamp, split grab rails and twin-port exhaust. The motorcycle has been positioned below the CB Hornet in Honda’s lineup and hence you get conventional 5-spoke alloy wheels rather than 5-spoke split variety seen on the Hornet. To sum it up, the X-Blade still looks desirable and there is no doubt that it will attract more eyeballs than the Hornet.
The console isn’t easily readable under daylight as the data hasn’t been arranged well
Instrument Cluster and Switchgear – Like all modern Hondas, the X-Blade too gets a fully digital instrument cluster which has been termed as Street-Tech Digital Meter by the manufacturer. Apart from the speedometer, odometer, time, fuel level indicator and tachometer, the console features twin trip meters, service due and gear position indicator as well. The tell-tale lights have been neatly placed below the instrument cluster and the switchgear quality is good enough. However, the display isn’t clutter-free largely because of the amount of data on offer. The right side handlebar features a hazard light switch and an electric start button while the left one gets switches for the horn, indicator and headlight beam. As with Honda’s other offerings in this price range, the kill switch has been given a miss.
The tall handlebar and tinted visor give it the stance of an adventure tourer
Ergonomics – Talking about ergonomics, the X-Blade is a fairly comfortable motorcycle as it has the essence of a commuter. This one gets a comfortable single-piece handlebar, which coupled with the slightly rear-set footpegs, allows for a sporty yet relaxed riding posture. In fact, the riding position is quite close to that of the CB Hornet 160R. Like the Hornet, the X-Blade also gets a single piece seat which is the best in its class. The rider seat is wide enough, roomy and will accommodate a person of any frame and the pillion seat is no different. The seat offers decent support but its cushioning is on the harder side. That said, the single-seat layout adds a lot of practicality to the package which a good number of prospective customers are going to appreciate.
Performance – Powering the X-Blade is a 162.71cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine that also does duty on the CB Unicorn 160 and CB Hornet 160R. Fed by a carburettor, this motor churns out 13.93 HP of power and 13.9 Nm of torque astride the X-Blade. As compared to the Hornet, the X-Blade is lower on power as well as torque which makes it slower in terms of acceleration. The on-paper specs are closer to that of the CB Unicorn 160 but the higher kerb weight of the X-Blade seemingly puts it at a disadvantage. To address this, the automaker has tuned the engine in such a way that the actual performance on road is somewhere between the Unicorn and the Hornet. There is good amount of punch in the low-end while the mid-range is strong enough for quick overtakes. Touching 100 km/hr in 18.37 seconds, this motorcycle isn’t meant for outright acceleration and feels more comfortable cruising at city speeds.
The chrome treatment on the exhaust looks tacky!
As one approaches the redline, vibrations start creeping in from the seat and handlebars
If you push it, the X-Blade will achieve a speedo-indicated top whack of 115 km/hr which equates to around 108 km/hr as per the VBOX. At city speeds, power delivery is fairly linear which makes it effortless to ride this bike in traffic. Out on the highway, progress is slow as power tapers off sharply near the top-end along with a decline in refinement. That being said, treat it as a commuter bike and the motor will impress you with its smoothness and refinement. The X-Blade gets a 5-speed gearbox that offers slick shifts but isn’t exactly a joy to use. In this segment, what makes or breaks the deal is often the fuel efficiency of a vehicle. Equipped with HET, the X-Blade delivers a respectable fuel economy of around 43 km/litre which translates to a real-world range of over 500 kms on a single tank of fuel.
A lot of cycle parts such as the rear-view mirrors are shared with the Hornet
Stiff suspension setups have become a norm with Honda products these days!
Riding Dynamics – In spite of being on the heavier side at 140 kgs, Honda X-Blade feels sufficiently agile and flickable in traffic. Weaving in and out of gaps is a breeze thanks to its flat handlebar which is narrower than that of the Unicorn. When handled sedately, the motorcycle feels sure-footed and takes corners quite well. However, with an increase in speed, it tends to loose its line around corners for which the MRF Zappers are to be blamed. The X-Blade is suspended via telescopic forks up front and a monoshock at the rear. The suspension is tuned to be on the stiffer side. This results in a strictly average ride quality over bad roads. Thankfully, the ride flattens out once the bike gathers pace and small undulations are absorbed with relative ease. As we mentioned earlier, the seat compound is on the harder side which makes the X-Blade not the best in terms of ride comfort. Braking is performed by disc brake at the front while the rear wheel gets a drum brake. Braking performance is good enough for the kind of speeds this bike manages. Sadly, there is no CBS or rear disc brake on offer.
Fit and finish levels are good; wires are neatly tucked in
Verdict – The X-Blade is an all-rounder and there are no two ways about that. With sufficient amount of performance, features and practicality, this motorcycle is one of the most sorted offerings in the market. And so are others from the Honda stable. So, what makes the X-Blade special? Well, it is the styling. Like it or not, you definitely can’t ignore it! Design elements such as the LED headlamp, all-digital console, grab rails and tail-lamp help lift up the visual appeal of this bike which makes it more desirable, or undesirable, according to one’s taste and preferences. However, if you’ve decided to go in for a Honda in this segment, it is the X-Blade that you should opt for. There is some equipment which the automaker had to deliberately skip for the sake of product differentiation such as a rear disc brake, ABS, or even CBS for that matter, which makes the X-Blade not the best choice in this segment. But for those looking at non-ABS motorcycles, this one makes a lot of sense because of its fresher styling and longer feature list! Believe it or not, the X-Blade does commuter duties really well with the engine tune Honda has selected for this bike.
From the front, the X-Blade does look very modern and premium
What’s Cool
* Striking design makes it stand out from the crowd
* Refined, responsive and frugal engine
* Single-piece seat is spacious and conventional grab rails are practical
* Features such as LED headlamps, hazard lights and gear position indicator on offer
What’s Not So Cool
* Stiff ride quality, further aggravated by the hard seat compound
* No CBS or rear disc brake on offer
Although this bike is not as off-road friendly as its styling would have you believe, it has enough ground clearance to tackle rough stretches
Honda X-Blade Specifications
* Engine: 162.71cc, Air-cooled, 4-stroke
* Power: 13.93 BHP @ 8500 RPM
* Torque: 13.9 Nm @ 6000 RPM
* Transmission: 5-speed, one-down-four-up pattern
* 0-100 km/hr: 18.37 seconds
* Top Speed: 108 km/hr
* Fuel Consumption: 43-45 km/litre
* Fuel Type: Petrol
* Frame: Diamond
* Suspension: Telescopic Forks (Front), Monoshock (Rear)
* Tyres: 80/100/17 (Front), 130/70/17 (Rear), MRF Zapper
* Brakes: 276 mm Disc (Front), 130 mm Drum (Rear)
Honda X-Blade Dimensions
* Length x Width x Height: 2013 mm x 786 mm x 1115 mm
* Wheelbase: 1347 mm
* Ground Clearance: 160 mm
* Seat Height: 795 mm
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 12-litres
* Kerb Weight: 140 kgs
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