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by Peter Avard
Honda seem to be wizards at analysing two-wheeled trends worldwide and packaging a motorcycle aimed at satisfying a niche in the market place. Sometimes they get it wrong, as they did with the PC800 Pacific Coast. At the 1997 NEC Motorcycle Show Honda made waves in the midrange motorcycle category with the launch of the NT650V Deauville. For over ten years Honda have stood firm with the solid NTV650 Revere which has carved itself a slot as the bread and butter workhorse for the motorcycle courier.
A Honda rider survey showed that 52% of all owners increased the luggage-carrying capacity by adding aftermarket panniers and 20% added top boxes. Honda have taken the Revere and given it a face lift, called it the Deauville and transformed it from a basic 'naked' motorcycle to a fully-equipped mid-sized machine with style, good aesthetics and loads of innovation.
I was offered the loan of a Deauville to escort an MCi tour group on the 'D' Tour of France in August and jumped at the chance to put 1500 miles on this new machine. People who had ridden the old Revere told me that it was a big improvement, not just because of the cosmetics but because suspension, gear ratios, brakes and engine performance had been 'tweaked' to give the bike a more grownup feel. I was to find out for myself.
At first the Deauville seemed tiny compared to the bulk of my own Pan European, which made the ride home from Honda HQ at Chiswick interesting among the heavy traffic on the M4/M25. Here the Deauville was in its element coping well with slow speed manoeuvrability and continuous filtering in the 'stop go' procession. At low speeds I found it had good balance and was a very manageable motorcycle.
On the open stretches I missed the oceans of grunt on tap from the 1100cc engine of my Pan and found that the Deauville's V-twin engine needed to be revved hard to get the best out of it, but it's not cruel: it is built that way and thrives on revs. The light cable-operated clutch and silky smooth gear box worked well together. Oh! and I liked the shaft drive; for me it's a feature that adds to the appeal of any motorcycle.
Luggage capacity is via fully integrated panniers, in the stylish and very convenient rear end. I liked the brilliant key-operated central locking device. The standard sizes of 18 litres on the left side and 16 on the right are OK for commuting into town, but unfortunately the larger 27 and 29 litre boxes were not available for my trip. This made life difficult for the two of us during the week- long haul on 'D' roads (yellow on Michelin). To supplement the lack of space Gloria was forced to carry a haversack (not ideal) and I purchased a Hein Gericke magnetic tank bag (£39.95 - see photograph).
Our route down to Metz of 280 miles, our first stop, was heaven sent. Warm sun pierced our leathers and that wide blue sky stretched as far as the eye could see. I was pleased with the economy of the V-twin engine at about 50 mpg which gave me a range of about 200 miles between fill ups. Comfort was good, but stops were welcome especially for Gloria who found the riding position cramped - the haversack didn't help. Cosmetically the fairing is great but does little to prevent the rider from becoming spattered with flies and road dirt, and I doubt if it would perform much better in the rain; however, on this trip I never even saw a cloud. At anything other than walking pace I found it necessary to ride with visor closed since the wind flow was directed straight into my face - it most definitely needs a taller and more effective screen. Having said that, the fairing-mounted rear view mirrors are well positioned and give excellent vision.
The next leg of the tour took us to the Vosges along roads and countryside that motorcyclists only dream about. Here I had reserved rooms for the group of twenty-five at the Grand Hotel in Plombi¸res les Bains, a Napoleonic spa town nestling in the forested Augronne valley.
The softly-sprung suspension ruled out any spirited riding through the twists and turns of this isolated countryside. Road surface irregularities would bounce the bike offline and provoke a dig in the ribs from Gloria. Once or twice I called upon the twin disc (the older Revere only had a single disc) front brakes to get me out of trouble. They were firm and positive. Dual piston Brembo calipers - the best - gave me a confidence that they could handle most situations. Under load with no anti-dive mechanism caused the front end to dip severely, so in this department I felt that the front suspension should be stiffened up. The rear brake has a smaller single disc with a single piston caliper.
Despite not having a catalytic converter Honda have developed a very efficient but large silencer which meets the Euro-1 emission regulations and noise controls. Unfortunately its size and position reduces pannier size on one side, hence the different pannier capacities.
From Plombi¸res the show moved onto Troyes and another 160 miles of deserted 'D' roads leading off on the D57, then the D417, onto the D460 the D67 and D428 until we reached the intoxicating countryside of Champagne. At Les Riceys, Champagne Bauser were expecting us with a reception of local cheeses and a glass of Champagne. It was an individual decision, but passengers accounted for most of the Champagne sampled.
As I see it Honda have developed a superb motorcycle for the medium distance commuter; at £5995 the Deauville is a very attractive machine especially if you add factory extras such as lower fairing extensions to keep feet dry, radio and power takeoff socket. Obviously the price increases, but not unreasonably. However, if you take the bike out of its commuter spec it has to work hard to meet the demands of long-distance touring with a passenger. Larger touring panniers and top box are available at a substantial price, but are essential to fulfil the role of a full blown tourer.