Honda Integra 700 – Road test

When Honda introduces something new it rarely goes wrong. The only hole in the water, but which still remains a piece of two-wheel history, is represented by the 500 CX 1980 Turbo. Revolutionary in performance (it had double the torque of the aspirated version from which it derived), but it never succeeded to overcome the problems caused by the "hit" of the turbos of the time. The supercharged motorcycles were in fact unmanageable and dangerous. After a few years of attempts, even by the competition, the "turbos" left the field, with a few thousand units produced and poor sales results. Other ideas from the Japanese brand have revolutionized the concept of motorcycles several times. Since the 60s, with the successes at the Tourist Trophy and with the introduction of motorcycles with small 49cc 4-stroke engines, initially derided, they ended up being so successful that they brought the competition to its knees. In the following decade the CB Four became the reference motorcycles and Honda is the leading manufacturer in the world, ahead of the most renowned English, Italian and American manufacturers. More recently in 1986 the CN250 invented the scooter genre, the CBR revolutionized the concept of sports motorcycles, the 1990 VFR was fitted with an innovative single-sided swingarm, in 1992 the NR750 with oval cylinders and 8 valves per cylinder, in the early 2000s the VTR SP1 and SP2 allowed the Japanese brand to take the Superbike title away from Ducati, beaten with its own workhorse: the twin-cylinder engine. Other interesting innovations in the last ten years, again thanks to Honda, are theintroduction of technologies, first for automotive use, to the world of two wheels. Like it start&stop, the engine Vtec with variable valve timing,Sporty ABS, traction control, ride by wire and now the dual clutch gearbox. Seen for the first time in 2010 on the VFR 1200 F, where it was available as an option, it is now in its second generation and Honda now offers it on five motorcycles. It is standard on the Integra that we are about to test. We will have the opportunity to talk about it in more depth, but we are really ahead of ourselves something that will revolutionize the market.

Aesthetics and finishes:

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Well finished, sporty scooter look and motorcycle details

The Integra leaves no one indifferent, looks like a maxiscooter, but some details reveal the novelty hidden behind the appearance. It's not a scooter, it's not a motorbike. Or, if you prefer, it's both. Ti protects from the elements like a scooter but the engine is right there, between your legs, like up a real motorbike. As well as the swingarm, drive chain and 17-inch wheels, with 120/70 tires at the front and 160/60 at the rear. At times it betrays the fact that it shares the same chassis/engine platform as its sister NC700X and NC700S (the same Honda Integra is also known by the acronym NC700DC). Some details may cause discussion, such as the cantilevered rear light/license plate holder assembly. At the front, however, the headlight and direction indicators form a "V", giving it a sporty look, above which there is a high windscreen, to the full advantage of comfort and aerodynamic protection. Excellent finishes, both from the point of view of the materials used and in the couplings. Once you sit in the saddle, observing the whole and the detail, you perceive one high quality. The instrumentation is small and contains the essential indications. Nothing is missing that is essential, including a tachometer and gear indicator, but there could be something more, such as, for example, the water temperature. There is a convenient storage compartment, without lock, on the left side, located symmetrically to the parking brake control, which is on the other side. The saddle is wide and comfortable. Anyone taller than 1,85m is likely to have little knee space, but can be remedied with a more rearward position on the saddle. The passenger seat, finished with contrasting colored material, is a little more sacrificed. The footrests are quite high, and the saddle padding is very limited, probably for aesthetic reasons. Two handles are available to the passenger which are sufficient only if the pace is touristy. Given the performance of the Honda Integra and the impossibility of holding on to the tank like on a conventional motorbike, when the engine and brakes are used to their full potential, the passenger can't help but hug the driver. The Integra's seat and front are joined by a glossy plastic cover, which is nice to look at but a little delicate in everyday use. In fact, that area represents a comfortable support for a small bag or backpack, which fit together perfectly without being an obstacle when driving. And here we come to the only real flaw. The saddle pad has a very small capacity, you can store small objects, the chain with which to tie the motorbike, a rain jacket and maybe even recharge your mobile phone using the convenient 12V socket, but a helmet only if it is very compact, the one used during the test did not fit. Honda, for this reason, has an ongoing promotion that also includes the large rear top box in the list price, which can contain two helmets, and a second promotion allows, even those who have already purchased the Integra, to have the complete kit, with brackets and three bags, including the two 29-litre side ones, matching the same color and integrated into the line of the motorcycle, at a price of €499 instead of €1.071. The tank is always placed under the saddle, in the rear area, and has an excellent capacity of over 14 litres, a lot, especially in light of consumption. We particularly liked the wheels, elegant and sporty at the same time.

Engine and performance:

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The centerpiece of the Integra, we are faced with a historic innovation

Let's start with the engine, about which it would be natural to talk little, given that the absolute innovation is represented by the gearbox. 51,8 Horses provided by this 670cc parallel twin, at only 6250 rpm though. Honda has in fact studied an engine that could have the qualities of absolute driveability and usability and limiting consumption as much as possible. The reasoning is simple: 90% of users rev the engine no higher than 6.000 rpm, and on the road speeds are limited by the code. So let's focus on this range of use, without looking for performance at the top, which would be useless in daily use. To all this let's add a captivating sound, given by irregular bursts and a shaft with 270° timing and the result is a truly excellent engine. Sweet and regular like few others and with a unique thrust for a scooter. The Integra is Euro 3 approved but could now comply with the Euro 5 e standards the spark plugs need to be replaced at intervals of 48.000 km! It seems clear how Honda has transferred technologies and experiences from the automotive sector onto this bike. Even more evident with regards to the gearbox. The double clutch is no longer an absolute novelty, but all the advantages of this solution are evident here. The Integra has performances that no scooter, even with higher power, can achieve, but it consumes less than an SH300. It is perfectly suited to city driving, without the clutch lever like a scooter with a variator, but also to a ride in the mountains or long journeys on the motorway. Transmissions with automatic variators have been a revolution and have made it possible to achieve driving comfort in traffic that was previously unthinkable, but they have limits. In particular, engine speed is often kept high, consequently increasing fuel consumption and vehicles with variators are poorly suited to long journeys. In fact, at high and constant speeds the belt produces large friction with the pulleys and, consequently, a lot of heat, reducing its life over time and giving, at times, the unpleasant sensation of a slipping clutch. Here, however, the gearbox has all the advantages of comfort and ease of driving of the variator, but it is a true manual gearbox, a six-speed robotised one. The second generation is even more compact and lighter than the previous one and can be used in two automatic modes, the sporty S and D, as well as completely manual mode. This last mode, despite the initial curiosity, is reserved for tortuous routes where it may be necessary to maintain a certain gear, while normally one of the two automatic modes is certainly more comfortable. Even if you want to downshift or upshift, it is possible to do so with the two buttons on the left side of the handlebar, and the gear is maintained for a suitable interval, avoiding unpleasant situations, such as inserting the higher gear when leaning. halfway around a curve. As happens with cars, which have used similar transmissions for some years, the advantages are both in terms of consumption and performance. A double clutch in fact allows more sudden accelerations than a classic manual, effectively eliminating the delay in gear shifting. The fluidity of the gear changes is also superior, making driving more pleasant even at low speeds. You can feel the shifts but not the "tears". To nitpick in some situations in city traffic, where if there were one, we would have operated the clutch lever to avoid engine thrust, we are forced to compensate with the brake. A curiosity: on cars, at traffic lights, either you put it in neutral or you have to keep your foot on the brake, not here. There is the possibility of entering the N ratio, but the engine at idle does not move the 238 kg of the Integra.

Ride and handling:

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A scooter that rides like a motorbike

We have said that the gearbox/engine block is an absolute novelty, but it is certainly not the only one. In fact, the Honda Integra is identified as a scooter but it is also a motorbike. The frame, chassis and wheels are those of a motorbike. Driving it you can feel it. No scooter has ever been so motorcycle. Of course, a T-Max rides pleasantly even on twisty curves and with very respectable performance, but the chassis is certainly not like that of a motorbike and not even the lean angle when cornering can be. Here the tire sizes are the classic 120/70 and 160/60, sizes in which we can also purchase a sports tire and really have fun, without looking out of place in comparison with even high-performance motorbikes. The chassis features a conventional fork with 41mm stanchions at the front, and a Pro-Link at the rear. It surprises, at least at first glance, the single front disc. However, manufacturers often mount the two discs at the front more for aesthetic and marketing reasons than for real necessity. In our test we were able to see how the braking is excellent even with just one disc, a 320mm wave, combined with a 240 at the rear. As standard combined braking C-ABS. There are three pistons in the excellent front caliper, one of which is activated by the rear control. The weight arrangement is deliberately low, to the benefit of driving pleasure. The 238 kg are not noticeable when driving in traffic, but this is not an absolute novelty, we have now become accustomed to the handling qualities of all the best maxi-scooters on the market. The height from the ground is 790mm, therefore also ideal for people of smaller stature. In extra-urban driving the Integra shows unusual qualities for a scooter. Always stable, it doesn't screw up not even leaving the handlebars at high speeds and the grip when cornering is completely similar to a motorbike. The sensation that the front end transmits is one of solidity, we noticed this glaringly when we got back behind the wheel of an SH300 after driving the Integra. On the motorway the protection at a speed of 130 km/h is excellent, well suited to traveling long distances in great comfort.

Price and consumption:

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Record consumption and lower price than content

The declared consumption is 27,9 kilometers with one liter and represent one of the greatest advantages of the solution adopted for the engine and gearbox. At 130 km/h on the motorway we detected a consumption of close to 25 kilometers with one liter and in the city it consumes less than an SH300, which however weighs a third less and has just over half the power of the Integra, truly sensational! Also the price, of 8.850 €, in our opinion, is content. Two reflections: the transmission, here as standard, on the models that have it as an option costs a thousand euros alone (and it's worth all of them). Second, a T-Max with ABS costs 2500 euros more.
If you want to have a single vehicle that replaces a scooter for getting around the city and a motorbike for a trip out of town, then the Integra is a truly excellent solution., which will force you to make few compromises and which, indeed, will surprise you and repay you.

PROS AND CONS

We like it:
The gearbox is truly innovative, record fuel consumption and performance like a real motorbike

We do not like it:
Small size saddle pad, the passenger is a bit sacrificed

Honda Integra 700: the Motorionline Report Card

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