I am from Mumbai, India. One day, 5 years ago I saw a number of weird looking bikes parked outside a showroom near my house. I assumed they were electric bikes coz I did not notice any engine. It's only after some time that I found out it wasn't so. During the next year or so we began to see quite a few on the road. It had a distinct sound like nothing else and you could tell just by the sound that it was a Navi. People riding it were usually found thrashing it as hard as they could. However after that their presence on the road started declining. After a while this bike simply disappeared from memory. Nowadays it's quite a rare sight. I googled and found out it is still being manufactured in India but only for export. It was discontinued a few years ago. I can also tell you that 5 years ago the price in India (2016 exchange rate) was around $800. But it simply did not sell. I believe the reason was that it tried to be both a scooter and a bike. In the end people thought it was neither a scooter nor a moped and nor a bike. Those who want a scooter bought a proper scooter. Similar with those interested in buying a motorcycle. I believe it is selling quite well in certain markets. I remember Indian auto journalists calling it a revolutionary concept. Unfortunately it flopped big time.
@@bartmotorcycle In case you don't know Navi stands for New Additional Value for India. And the famous tag line in the ad campaign used to be "What the FFF..... Fun". 😐
I bought one. I went to Goa on a trip and I was about to rent a scooter for a week just when my eyes fell on a weird goofy looking 2 wheeler. I instantly fell in love with it rented that. I didn't know how to ride a bike and had no experience with two wheelers at all. But you know how it is in India xD It was a rental and I trashed it like a rental and it took everything. I took it to the beach and rode it on the sand. I gained enough confidence to get on the highway within a few hours, it was that easy to ride. I clocked in ~500 miles in 5 days and when I said goodbye to it I felt very sad. I decided that I would buy a Navi when I got my first job, and when I got a job, Navi wasn't there anymore. For 2 years I almost forgot about it, till one day I visited a Honda showroom to buy a scooter. And just like magic my eyes again caught the same Navi, full black, eating dust in a corner. I asked the sales rep if it was for sale, and it was, although it was a used bike. They cleaned it up for me and installed a few extra accessories and I bought it without having any second thoughts. It was like a dream come true, we were made for each other. Sadly I'm still buying a second bike, Navi will always be my city bike and I love long rides on it with saddlebags. But I do feel the need for extra power, and sometimes bigger wheels and more suspension travel. I wish there was a Navi upgrade with a bigger engine and better suspension.
I'm 6'4 and I love my Navi! I look like I'm riding a cat and it's a heck of a lot of fun! Really takes you back to the old days of long summers and minibikes. This may be my favorite bike.
I needed to see this comment. Lol I'm 6'3" and thought I would look funny if I got one of these. But then I realized I don't really care I just know I'll have fun on it
I was thinking of purchasing an electric bike but then I started my research and their was always a better ebike with longer range and more powerful drive train which caused the price to go up and up $3000 plus.I couldn't decide which one to buy and then suddenly Honda came out with "The Nüvi".A throttle only motorcycle for 1800 dollars that does 50 mpa with the kind of range no ebike can touch.Guys this is the "One". My search for the perfect ebike ended with The Honda Navi motor bike.
Nice to see someone choose a carbureted internal combustion powered bike over a battery powered bike. Definitely a step in the right direction. Would be nice to see more people doing that. A lot more.
Range is like 70 to a tank, there are definitely a few ebikes that can do 70 there are more then a few that can do 100+ so "pure" range isn't exactly a win for the Navi but you can just fill it up so not really a issue anyways just saying
@@MrCODEmaster00 in defense of the guy ebikes that can do 100 miles and do 30mph at that speed are generally(note generally, you can certainly find ones in the price range) more expensive then the navi.... Getting a electric motorcycle that can do 55 and gets 100 miles to a charge is getting into the 6grand+ territory, if you want something that can both go those speeds at that range your not going to find cheaper options outside of Chinese motorcycles.
@@MrCODEmaster00 There are a couple of ebikes that can do 100 miles, or close, like a couple of the Zero models and the H-D Livewire. But they range in price from around $15K to over $30K. I consider that absolutely insane. Typically ebikes in the Navi's price range can do maybe 20-25 miles at under 15 mph. I used to have a Yamaha Vino 125 scooter that had a one gallon tank, and ran out of gas at almost exactly 70 miles every time. That was not enough to actually go anywhere (I live in southern AZ where gas stations can be more than 70 miles apart) but carrying an extra gallon of gas solved the problem. It gave me a 140 mile range. You can't do that with an ebike.
I'm game. At age 75, it's been about 4 decades since I owned a motorcycle. I've ordered a Navi. I see it as a toy: strap on a rod and small tackle box and head to the lake on back roads. Maybe it would work for quick shopping trips, like nails or screws from the hardware?
I already ride Ducati Yamaha Honda and now end up with Triumph but i still hope Honda bring 350cc automatic engine and put into something like this but bigger for the new rider just to spread the motorcycle community.
A few days ago I saw a white Navi parked in a street near my home in Lima, Peru. It was love at first sight. Next week I went to the Honda store and bought a brand new red one. Surprisingly the price was lowered to just 1099 US dollars. This small bike is easy to ride, cheap, quite, beautiful and relible. I am very happy.
When I mentioned the Navi to the college students I teach, several students showed a interest in it. First it's affordable and second it's easy to ride with the CVT. There's a whole new market of potential riders that Honda is going to reach. While the bike is new to the US, it has been around for a few years in Mexico, South America, and other areas of the world. The Navi has already been shown to be very popular.
It did fail in India, where it is actually made. They prefer step through scooters. Easier to carry things on. But they use bikes for transportation. In the U.S. they are mostly toys. This could become the new Ruckus if the aftermarket takes an interest in it. And it has the load capacity to carry a full sized American adult.
@@geraldscott4302 India is a VERY different market than the US. It would be interesting to see how the Navi did in Mexico & parts of South America, where it has been sold for several years. It's a different market, but it would be interesting to know how it did in those countries.
I think it's funny you mentioned college students... I'll be a college student in a few months, and when I first heard about the Navi I thought it sounded like the perfect thing to get around town with while in my little college town, especially since a "more reliable" car was out of the question for me, and needed something I could tuck in a space with my car.
I ordered 2 Navi's on March 1st, just picked them up yesterday.( Yes it took 4 months ) My reason for getting them was- my son is autistic. He's exceptionally bright and very high functioning, and in many ways the finest young man I have ever known. So for his 16th birthday we went and ordered his(nut brown), and while there I decided that I should pick up one for myself (ranger green) so we could ride together on trips to the coast, as well as local back roads. He got on his and immediately took a spill and to my relief he jumped up, lifted his navi got on and took off again. We put 30 miles on them yesterday and am I so glad we got 2. They are zippy and nimble and a blast to ride. And won't break the bank!
I have an Aprilia Mojito 150 and an 1987 Honda Super Magna. What I love about my scooter is the step through design, broad and protective leg shield that combines with the windshield for great weather protection, and the cvt transmission. A wonderful 12 month commuter.
I’ve seen several of these around town and their riders love them. Inexpensive, great mileage, enough interior storage and with a backpack to carry a few days of groceries. Practical, fun, no need for intown shifting.
This is true, moved closer to the city and was looking at a ruckus which were like $1,500 used and I found the Navi and got one a few days later. After 2 weeks so happy I got this over a ruckus. Tops out at 52mph and loving the more motorcycle set up
We've had a couple of these at my dealership and they were sold instantly. I didn't even get that chance to sit on one. They look pretty nice, I hope I get the chance to ride one soon and and have an educated opinion on them.
My friend picked up a Navi when they first came out in North America, just before I bought my first motorcycle and was riding my Honda Ruckus. And I was ALMOST swayed to pick up my own. He's super mechanical and has been riding scooters for a long time, and the Navi seems like the perfect balance between the moto and scooter world for him you're talking about. The thing is super clean and stylized and well engineered, and has a really punchy but smooth power delivery. Because of the displacement, he got his full moto license but is apparently happy to stick with the navi indefinitely. So even if he doesnt make the jump to a motorcycle, Honda has won this round ✊
When I passed my CBT I had a Grom for a beginner/learner bike and I absolutely loved it. Ok it would break any speed records, but boy was it fun. Even guys on bigger more powerful bikes who’d never seen one before would pull and ask what bike it was, and how quirky it looked. When I passed my full license I had too sell my little Grom for a deposit on my CBR, and I’ve got too say I was gutted too see it go. If your a new biker or just looking for a fun local weekend bike, I’d definitely recommend a Grom at least..
man, there is still a clutch. The principle is simple: you press the gear, you also cut the clutch so you can change gear smoothly, they have been made that back in the 1950's and still ongoing. They called "semi-automatic gearbox" or "sequential gearbox" (like those on rally race cars), I've been fixing those bikes with gearbox for 4 years now, greeting from Vietnam.
I agree with this. Had Honda released this in 2009-10, it probably would have worked. But with electric bike technology advancing as quickly as it is, they're trying to force this motorcycle in when an ebike can fill a lot of the same roles
The problem is the NAVI is by the time it’s out the door it is between 3,300 and 3,500 almost double the “list” price. If u could get rid of that ADM fee it would drop the price 700 bucks. I so wanted one to keep in the back of my sprinter .
We ordered a NAVI for my partner, perfect little ride for her. With freight, a small dealer handling charge and tax it was $2300. We will be getting one of the first two in our town, we live in a medium size city in Colorado. I have seen a few folks posting that they were quoted $3300-$3400 all in, but I’m fairly certain those were from So. Cal. urban dealerships. That’s outrageous.
Low cost transport just like the original Super Cub. Ride this thing to work during the weekday and leave the Panigale/ZX-10R/Blade etc for the weekend. Seems like a perfect solution for people living in urban areas.
I would want an electric navi style bike where they put the battery where the storage compartment currently is in the navi, a small compartment above the battery and in-between your legs, so it can be dual purpose for small storage and a motorcycle style leg brace. Finally, I’d add more storage under the seat, customizability like the Grom and all in a package the size of a Nav for an affordable price. Yeah, a pipe dream - but something like that would catch my attention.
@@KlingonCaptain Oh shet nevermind, I’m down for $1800 but ain’t no way in hell I’m spending $1807. Honda got me fucked up if they think ima spend those extra 7 ice cream dollars on this super cool bike.
I've been so tempted to get a monkey, but not being able to go on the highway is the only reason why I wouldn't. Also for the price I could get an actual motorcycle. The navi seems interesting! For the price it's perfect! I built myself a little motorized bicycle when the pandemic started, put a 49cc honda clone engine on it. It's been fun.
I’ve never owned a car, I started out with a motorized bike then I found a 1964 super cub on Facebook marketplace for 1000 bucks and rode it for a couple years before being rear ended it. I then bought a 1968 gilera 106 to replace it but it had some problems and wasn’t reliable for going to work. About 4 months after my super cub being totaled Honda announced the Navi and I was immediately sold on it and it’s been my daily for over a year now. The Navi was stolen twice this year, first in January then again in March, so I bought a 1966 Honda dream to replace the Navi but lucky the Navi was found both times. I now own a ‘64 super cub (being worked on), a ‘66 Dream, a ‘68 Gilera 106SS, a ‘79 Express (for fun), a ‘22 Navi and I still even have the motorized bike that started it all.
So a scooter in a format that takes away many of the advantages of a scooter? That step through design is a lot more appealing for anfew reasons: Protects your legs from bad weather (many have vents from the radiator to heat you) protects you more in an accident too. If you keep your legs wide, you can shove a ton of stuff onto the floor. I had bags of dirt there for a gardening project. No problem since they were below the centre of gravity. Grocery store is no problem. Women wearing skirts like step through too.
Hello there! I have owned my honda navi for a little less than a month now. No regrets but there are some things of note. 100+mpg AT SEA LEVEL should probably be its true advert. I get on average 70-80mpg in the .9g tank. I live in an elevation close to a mile high and it is very windy here and I am a heavier rider (220lbs). Still no regrets, the insurance is crazy low and the compartment is more useful than you would expect. I had to reserve mine to be able to get my navi locally.
All I see is Gilera DNA, Navi is exactly what it was. That thing was appearantly ahead of its time, released one-two decades too early. The 125cc was even nominated as "machine of the year" by Motorcycle News in 2001
Yes please. This is what we need. Please let small bikes be the future of city transport and not oversized SUVs. I really hope they bring this to Europe and soon. I'd be the first to buy one, but I don't think I'd be alone.
If I lived in an urban area, I would definitely buy one of these. I currently own a Yamaha Zuma 125. This is the exact type of motorcycle I would want if I lived in an area where the speed limit was under 50 mph. I am a pretty new rider and definitely am part of the target demographic. Unfortunately, I am moving out to a very rural area, so instead of this, I will be buying a NC750X DCT or a used CTX 700 DCT. I *can* shift, but I prefer not to. I think this bike will be a success. I would like to see Honda have a highway-capable step-up from this bike. Something like a Rebel 500 DCT or a CB500 DCT. Those would definitely sell to the same group that would buy this bike once they were ready for an upgrade. The Rebel 1100 DCT is just too big and expensive for many women riders that are just starting out.
Honda had the MB5 in the early ‘80’s. When I was young, I wanted a MB5 but was never able to get one. The Navi is Honda’s closet modern bike to the MB5 which is why I want one.
Make no mistake that engine on the Grom is probably the most reliable engine Honda ever built for a motorcycle. Why I'd say that? Because we have the same engine on a different Honda bike overseas and it has now covered 240,000 kilometers with only piston ever had to replace as of yet. When it comes to engine reliability there's nothing like Honda.
The most popular Vespa Scooter in Canada is a 150cc, so the Navi really isn't faster than most scooters. There is something very appealing about the motorcycle style of the Navi and that it seems like it might be sufficiently fast for most city riding. A 50cc is way too slow. The styling of the Navi is fine, but the Monkey looks much cooler.
My gf started on a honda c70 passport(American supercub) she didn't like having gears... so I got her a metropolitan... she didn't like the ergonomics... I NEED to ride one of these and see if it's got the ergonomics she needs!
Having a Honda ADV150 I couldn’t see myself leaving it but if they were to produce a bigger automatic bike I might make the jump from my scooter to one.
top end speed on a grom doesn't feel good anyways I can vouch for that lol hope they also improve the seat cushioning over the groms which feels about as soft as a piece of wood
I like CVTs because they deliver good gas mileage and have much few parts than a normal clutch/transmission. I can have the transmission(CVT pulley) and clutch off my scooter for maintenance in less than 15 minutes. CVTs are less attractive if you want quick acceleration, so you need to make the choice. I hope the Navi does well and will consider getting one, but am not keen on the 10" back wheel. I like the price, no computer, carburetor, drum brakes, and kickstart. I'd like to go electric on the next motorized two wheeler, but with something like this on the market, not quite as much.
Imo I like the simplicity of the Grom or MSX 125cc transmission, they dont tend to breakdown easily and still easy to maintain i.e replacing stuffs, also a good driver can still deliver good gas mileage with manual transmission too, greeting from Vietnam.
I have a honda metropolitan now. I’ll probably be getting a navi with my tax return. It’s the step up to motorcycles I’ve been waiting for tbh. Its perfect.
A Grom be more fun but the Navi will be bring scooter riders over to motobikes.Grom for him Navi for her & that way she can progress to Grom with clutch & gears while having so much fun.These little bikes a marvelous & I think the Grom should of been called The Grin.lol
I feel like if Honda really wants to hit this out of the park, they should have a range of these bikes. They have their 1100s and Goldwing with an automatic DCT but those aren't nearly accessible enough for everyone, not to mention they're anything but "beginner bikes". The NC range comes to mind but it's still heavy and a 700-750 sounds intimidating, plus they've become a "niche bike" with their own cult following and sea of haters. The in-town use of the Navi is great, but they should introduce a 250-350 version with one of their scooter engines (SH300 for example, big wheels for stability). That way you'll have a complete range of in-town and highway-friendly motorcycles, and if anyone wants to get a bigger bike - there's always the NC/1100/Goldwing range. Your idea of different styles could work well. Only time will tell if this is a cub-level-catch or another cult classic, like the PC800, Helix and many others.
The Grom is ruined by EFI. The Navi has a carburetor, and that is why I like it. I am far from being a beginner, but I like small bikes. I would have a Grom if it were carbureted. But it isn't. The Navi is. I wish it had a manual transmission and clutch, but that would raise it's already absurd price. Don't even think that anybody is going to get one of these for anywhere near that $1807 price everybody keeps throwing around. Even the Honda msrp is actually $2007. And after sales tax, title, registration, $400 doc fee, $325 setup fee, expect this thing to actually sell for around $3K. Suddenly not so cheap after all. But with a carburetor, it will be hard to turn down. I already own 6 carbureted bikes, what's one more. I can already see so many possibilities for this bike. Replace the Fisher Price colored plastics with black ones from Honda India, remove the silly storage compartment that looks like a battery on an electric bike, put a decent sounding exhaust on it, replace the airbox with a filter, tune the carb, tune the CVT with different rollers, and who knows what the aftermarket may come up with for this thing? Maybe fancier wheels, better tires, better suspension, A better CDI with different ignition timing and no rev limiter, maybe a big bore kit. Because it is carbureted, this could be the poor persons tinkertoy. I actually do not expect this thing to go over well with young potential riders, for the very reason I like it. The carburetor. I grew up with carburetors and know everything about them. But they will be like a rotary dial phone to young people, many who have never even heard of one, and would have no idea what to do with it.
I took a look at one I decided to go with the Honda ADV 150 more storage more room definitely for two people and it’s actually faster I can hit 65/70 miles an hour on it. And the ability to go off road I absolutely love it.
These kind of videos really help👍 Currently looking for a little bike for cart tracking. Of course the Ohvale, which is too expensive. Or possibly one from the main four in a supermoto pit bike configuration. Or or maybe a Grom or Grom-like.. ($2-3,000 at the most) Helping this channels RU-vid algorithm
I have moved out of my mum's house into a different city but I still hold familial advice closely. When she says I'm never to ride a motorcycle then I generally won't. However, this is so cheap I think I could feasibly hide it. May give her a heart attack if I ride it back to my hometown though.
I like the Navi. I have a 150cc Scooter now and it has a lot of storage under the seat and rear trunk. I use it for grocery runs and such. If I got a Navi .. I would have to add a rear rack and a rear very good bike bag back there. And I know that the Navi comes with that center storage box .. but that's not enough storage for me. I hope the Navi is a very good success and people buy them. Thank you very much for this video.. it's on point.
It isn't what you ride it is that you simply ride. I see this constantly from Harley guys, they look down on anyone that isn't riding a hog like them. And many of these self declared "Hard core riders" when you look at their rolling chrome display is 10 years old with 10,000 miles on the clock. I ride several bikes that are 20 years old at the least and they get ridden quite a bit, I have a Honda Old Wing as I call it that is practically 30 years old and has over 100k on the clock, well bought it used and have rode the shit out of it. Other main ride is a BMW R1150RT again with a bunch of miles on it, 70k+, and I was grounded from bikes for almost 2 years due to health conditions and Mom took the keys. Yep the wife ensured I stayed alive till I could ride again. You would laugh as one of my pitter putt bikes is a motorized bicycle with a 80cc kit, modified gearing and a homemade sidecar. Actually it gets over 1000 miles a year on it, me, kids and grandkids love it. Just ride and enjoy the fun. Ever notice that you NEVER see a motorcycle outside a shrinks office.
idk about you but if you're going to buy a CVT Honda bike for functionality and comfortability you better get the Vario/click variant basically the same engine but better and more practical
The 110cc engine that we see in NAVI is from HONDA ACTIVA(India's bestseller moped scooter) that's most dependent engine in India. Its more durable then certain bikes' engine over here. Just the issue we face is with the CVT clutch portions of these mopeds. They really suck.(needs regular maintenance) When i saw Navi for the first time i realised its targeting certain people who ride moped like TVS XL100/ XL Heavy duty( chain driven). It is very less maintenance prone . I think NAVI failed to impress customer in India -Due to its lesss practicality. -less fuel economy - no space for carrying groceries from market. -(*my point of view*) navi unable to capture xl100's market due to unreliable clutch assembly that requires regular greasing and makes its maintenance prone in comparison to XL100(CHAIN Driven). (Activa comes with same clutch assembly. Still people buy them.) In India People don't want more maintenance prone bikes(less runing cost). Most people buy bike with fuel economy figure lik 60km/l to 80km/l. Navi use to give just 45kmpl. And Honda Activa also had d same economic figure. But due to Activa's form factor(i.e., More practicality and space to carry groceries and other items) people bought it . But navi failed to impress them. 🙂
beautiful movie, love these bikes, they are fun side of bikes, close to home the back roads the trips to the local shops, the bikes that put a smile on your face.
Dunno if it matters much or at all. To get people riding an ordinary car drivers license has to be enough for it. In Germany it is no longer. What is the benefit of scooter tech in bike shape? Skirts wearing wifes ordering us to buy them cars? While I appreciate everybody who commutes on 2 wheels, I think the tinier Hondas play a bigger role phasing old bikers out than bringing new ones in. Look at me: I used to ride real bikes, felt done with distance relationships, fuel pricing and most of the world so I bought an Innova to rattle to work and maybe a 200 km day trip once a year. The amount of patience travelling with me would require from a real bike's rider is beyond my comprehension.
I (as a 50 cc scooter rider from Europe) was drooling over electric motorbikes that could be ridden without a "propper" motorcycle liense (A1, A2 or A) but with just small 50cc bike license or simply car license (AM - 50ccs, B - cars). Untill I found out about Navi some time ago I dreamt about starting a business making and selling something like that. Such a silly idea when I look at it now :D I hate EU's CO2 regulations, because I am unable to ride something like a Navi, because it can't be sold in EU. And 50 cc's that are sold here, are as expensive, as a well maintained used car :/ I will have to stick with my 50 cc scooter until I save up for a propper motorcycle license and motorbike, or expensive and impractical electric motorcycle :( People in US, enjoy it for my sake and ride it as much as you can :D
honestly the only thing that has me eying stuff like the trail and zuma 125 over this is the smidge too low top end, and the carbs instead of fuel injection
scooters need a lot of maintenance while motorcycles is a bit harder but little it needs also more power butter mileage (a 125 cc 150cc even 200cc sure not a liter supper sport)
I wouldn't buy a bike without a conventional gearbox & clutch, unless I only had one arm. Most people can learn to operate a clutch in an afternoon, with a mentor.
These bikes have been selling for years on developing countries like mine, fun fact, they more expensive than your average indian or Chinese bike so it doesn't change anything, the Navi is a bike for non-bikers
This bike was introduced in India as well no wonder it failed miserably... because of the bike which sells most in India but no one outside India knows even exists...the Hero splendor..it's a cheap 100cc 8bhp bike which has been in production for decades so maintenance is dirt cheap...it has a Honda engine so it's reliable af..& it's a proper bike not a goffy bike so a great learning bike..
I think this can definitely be the super club of our generation. I think this is intended for new riders, but an upgrade to people that have scooters, scooters are kind of frowned upon in the US market and are considered dui vehicles. I think that people don’t want to be associated with a dui so they may lean towards this. If they want to make it a super club sales like 100 million, Honda should have some kind of buy back program for people that want to progress, so if you have a Honda scooter, you could trade it in and probably pay 5-800 dollars. Then those people that want to upgrade in the future will be inclined to stick with Honda and it cost more to gain a new customer than it does to keep an existing one, unfortunately I’m not the CEO of Honda so I can’t implement it
Honda navi might just work for western world. India already has a ton of small displacement good motorcycle so going for this "wannabe scooter with a motorbike feel to it" was just not sensible. But in market where big bikes are common this will definitely make a lot of sense to youth which are not speed demons but rather who enjoy pleasure riding.
No, it's not a motorcycle, its a scooter without the scooter comfort Next time you compile a "ugliest motorcycles" list put this monstrocity in top position :-P
I already turned down buying a 125 and even 150cc scooter over the summer because they were too slow but I was also looking at paying 3,000 plus dollars a piece and now that I sold my motorcycle just a few months ago and I don't have a motorcycle given the price point of this and what it is and the fact that I would be willing to buy a 50cc scooter if I could get my hands on one cheap enough that's not Chinese cuz no one will work on Chinese ones except for one place in my entire State then yes this would be something I would consider BCBG transmission on a motorcycle like this is actually a plus and an advantage cuz it can allow you to maximize your horsepower and or torque for acceleration or top speed and it will also maximize your total fuel economy which is why this thing comes with a less than 1 gallon fuel tank or an approximate one gallon fuel tank.
then get a benelli tnt 125, its better, faster, sound like a charm and its fun as fuck, the only thing is that it isnt very known in the usa and other parts of europe outside italy
