Honda NAVi 2024 Review - bikesales.com.au (2024)

The mean streets of Melbourne are not made for large-capacity, high-performance, or expensive motorcycles.

With tight laneways, gridlocked traffic, and thousands of unaware pedestrians, the CBD is the territory of scooters, mopeds, and learner bikes. Forget the Hells Angels or the Bandidos – food delivery riders and inner-city commuters rule these streets.

And the new Honda NAVi could be the boss of them all.

The irony is that I am talking about a carburetted 110cc Frankenstein cross between a motorcycle and scooter, which has 10- and 12-inch wheels, drum brakes, a halogen headlamp, and a kickstart.

But none of that matters. What does matter, is that the NAVi only weighs 100kgs, has 17.5L of storage, is automatic, and checks in at just $2349 plus on-road costs.

And if you’re reading this and thinking “WTF”, then rest assured this story is not written for you – there are plenty of bigger, better, and more expensive machines to read about on this website.

No, this story is for a very specific and unique audience. It is an audience that values ease-of-use, affordability, and practicality. It is a story for perhaps the purest of all motorcyclists – the ones who ride not because they want to, but because they have to.

This is a story for the heroes of peak hour, the champions of lane filtering, the true road warriors – the daily urban commuters.

And with that in mind, the Honda NAVi has the potential to be a real winner.

As mentioned above, the NAVi checks in at just $2349 plus on road costs, or approximately $3122 ride away. That is about as cheap as it gets for a road-legal motorcycle in Australia.

There isn’t really much direct competition either. The NAVi sits in a weird space between motorcycle and scooter (Honda actually lists it as a scooter on its website), so trying to find something that matches it is next to impossible.

In theory, the NAVi provides an excellent option for inner-city students, commuters, and delivery riders who have no emotional investment in the motorcycle industry.

But the problem is that Lime scooters will only cost you a few bucks…

As electric scooters and E-bikes continue to multiply, the viability of small-capacity motorcycles becomes a little less appealing to non-motorcyclists. For those looking for a practical solution to their commuting woes, a shared E-scooter, that is only a little more than free, makes a lot more sense.

Of course, E-scooters are arguably more dangerous than small-capacity motorcycles and have openly welcomed a whole generation of incapable and unskilled riders to take to the streets and pose a risk to themselves, pedestrians, and other road users. But when they cost next to nothing, who cares about safety?

The solution? Make it illegal to ride a powered vehicle without a licence, or at least some form of registration. That would give power back to the motorcycle industry, and also make the roads a little safer. But that will likely never happen – not while e-scooter companies are making an absolute killing.

If you are one of the storied daily urban commuters, rebel against Lime scooters, get a motorcycle licence, and buy a NAVi. You’ll do us all a favour.

The NAVi is ridiculously simple and easy to ride. Once you start it, it is simply a matter of rolling on the throttle and you’re away. No clutch, no gears, no stalling.

Yes, the power is what you’d expect from a 110cc four-stroke, but if you stick to 60km/h streets (like it is designed for), then it is still zippy enough. Even for a big lad like myself, the bike is still quick enough to zig-zag through busy city streets.

And thanks to the small wheels, the NAVi turns on a dime. Part of our test was a gymkhana set up by Honda that included a series of very short and sharp turns. The NAVi didn’t even break a sweat.

Add in a very low seat height of 765mm, a 100kg wet weight, and linked brakes with left and right handlebar levers, and just about anyone can ride the NAVi.

Other pluses include the 17.5 litre storage box (big enough to fit some groceries or personal items, but not a helmet), the fuel economy from the 3.5 litre tank (150km should be achievable, which is perfect for the application), and the range of colours available. Honda Australia also had two NAVi units with custom graphics, and this might open up some serious personalisation for owners. Sadly, those graphics are not offered as OEM products just yet, but watch this space.

The bike is also easy enough to start, with both electric and kickstart fitted as standard. There is also a choke, but you shouldn’t need that. And it also comes standard with a side stand and centre stand, while suspension and brakes are fine for the price point.

Attempt to tackle any roads north of 70km/h, and the NAVi will be slow. In fact, I struggled to get the little guy to notch up 80km/h, and I’m betting 100km/h is impossible without a hurricane behind you. So, in short, avoid freeways.

The storage box is very handy, but the fact that it can’t fit a helmet is annoying, while some sort of phone compartment would also be welcome.

There is no killswitch, which means the only real way to stop the bike is to put the sidestand down, and the lack of a foot-operated brake lever, means you’ll have to keep one hand on the brakes when stopped temporarily on a hill. There is a park brake on the handlebar, but it’s a little fiddly, and better used when parking the bike.

Build quality is quite cheap, as expected, but it is still tidy enough for the price. The NAVi is built in one of Honda’s Indian plants, but Honda Australia MPE Director, Peter Singleton, told us that the plant has great quality control and that every single unit is road tested before making its way to Australia.

The NAVi won’t appeal to many existing motorcyclists, except as maybe a pit bike or a cheap ride to the bottle-o and back. Instead, the NAVi will likely draw in non-motorcyclists who want an affordable and practical form of inner-city transport.

At just over $3k, there is pretty much no other new petrol-powered vehicle that is this cheap. With cheap running costs and the ability to lane-filter through traffic (once on your full licence), it is a perfect way to get around town.

Sure, bicycles and e-scooters are an alternative, but a motorcycle/scooter gives you a little more presence on the road and makes commuting a tad safer. And the NAVi will give you more street cred (at least with non-motorcyclists). Slap some custom graphics on it, and you’ll be the coolest kid on the Melbourne grid.

And my oh my, that price…You could pick one of these up with change found under the couch, it is that cheap.

I for one am hoping that the NAVi proves popular with commuters. We need more products like this to turn more people to motorcycling. It will help strengthen the industry, reduce traffic congestion, reduce pollution, and rid the city of those villainous Lime scooters. I call that a Utopia.

ENGINE

Type: Air-cooled, two-valve, four-stroke, single-cylinder
Capacity: 109cc
Bore x stroke: 50mm x 55.6mm
Compression ratio: 9.5:1
Fuel supply: 16mm carburettor

TRANSMISSION
Type: CVT automatic
Final drive: Belt

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Steel underbone
Front suspension: 26.8mm inverted telescopic fork, 89mm travel, non-adjustable
Rear suspension: Monoshock, 70mm travel, non-adjustable
Front brake: Drum
Rear brake: Drum
Tyres: Front 90/90-12, Rear 90/100-10

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed kerb weight: 100kg
Seat height: 765mm
Ground clearance: 156mm
Fuel capacity: 3.5 litres

OTHER STUFF
Pricing: $3122 ride away (ex-Melbourne)
Colours: Neon Pink, Shasta White, Patriot Red, or Ranger Green
Warranty: 24 months/unlimited kilometres

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