Despite the weighing 238kg the scooter handles well with neutral, balanced handling characteristics making light work of fast cornering. In fact, the X-ADV was incredibly easy to ride through the tight and twisty mountain roads of Sardinia. Just sit back, get comfy and the X-ADV will go where you want it to - at no point do you have to wrestle it or put all your weight through a footboard to get it to turn. The tall stance of the X-ADV also meant there were no ground clearance issues, so you can really hustle through the corners. The suspension copes well with all but the harshest of bumps, and the brakes are strong and progressive.
The X-ADV is based on Honda's Integra, using the same 745cc parallel twin engine also found in the NC series. As a result the X-ADV produces 53bhp and uses Honda's Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) system. There are two modes; Drive and Sport. Drive offers smooth predictable, power while Sport mode sharpens the throttle response and holds gears longer before changing up. On top of these two modes you can also select gears manually using two buttons on the left handlebar. You can do this with the bike in automatic or manual mode, although in manual mode I found myself constantly hitting the rev limiter due to the X-ADV's short rev range. It felt much more natural to keep the bike in automatic mode and prod the gear change buttons whenever I felt necessary. The engine doesn't blow you away, but it offers brisk acceleration and is fun to fire out of corners.
Honda has a legendary reputation for reliability and the NC-range of engines are incredibly under-stressed, so we can't imagine there'll be any reliability issues with the X-ADV.
At just shy of £10,000 there's no getting away from the fact that the X-ADV is an expensive piece of kit, but it's no more expensive than the maxi-scooter competition, and it's got an extra layer of fun compared to most of them.
ABS is standard, but there's no traction control on the X-ADV. The screen is adjustable, although tricky to operate on the move. You can just about fit a full face helmet under the seat, and the handguards will be a welcome addition in winter, plus they look cool. The huge dash is easy to read and provides plenty of information.