Honda Integra 750 S DCT – road test 2014

Honda Integra 750 S DCT MY 2014: Let it be a something more than a scooter the Honda Italia website also demonstrates this. Whether you look for it under a scooter or under a motorbike, you will find it anyway. A motorbike with a scooter outfit, or a scooter with a motorbike frame, depending on the interpretation you want to give to an innovative concept, for now still one of a kind. For now, because given the success it is having in the revised and updated version that we are about to try, it seems like a path that some competitors could also take. Already last year we were positively impressed by it, great qualities from a cycling point of view, because as it isn't really a scooter none of these can keep up with it, a twin-cylinder engine that can only be said to be good, record lows, good reach and negligible consumption, all topped off with the innovative dual-clutch gearbox and a soberly sporty look. This year Honda Integra reaches maturity, with many small (but not too much) interventions that they propose to fix some defects. Thanks to new forms it rises lots of legroom (+80 mm). There are other improvements that increase comfort, as well as updates to the chassis and engine, which displacement salt up to 745 cc (was 670) and with it power and torque are also increased (+3 HP and +8 Nm). However, better performance corresponds to a decrease in consumption. The price has also been updated, a small increase justified by the many new features. Instead, continue promotion that Honda dedicates to the Italian market, to help solve the Integra's only major flaw: the capacity of the underseat storage. To those who buy it the complete kit to assemble the 45 liter top box is given as a gift, in color, of value of approximately 660 euros.

Aesthetics and finishes:

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The scooter suit goes to the tailor for some major adjustments

Last year the aesthetics of the Integra 700 convinced us, but some details reduced comfort, especially the driver. Now things change, thanks to a all new front, more compact and with a pinch of extra character. At first glance it doesn't seem to change the look of a product that was popular, but the dimensions are very different. THE'advancement of the rear shield is 8 centimetres, to do knee space for people of all heights. Foot support also improves with a more comfortable platform and with one new saddle, which has been redesigned and is now narrower in the front portion, to allow better support of the feet on the ground. Looking at it more carefully we discover other innovations, not too trivial. In fact, at the rear the swingarm has been replaced by an element in noble aluminium, with a weight saving of 2 kg, as well as with better rigidity qualities. Some news also for the instrumentation, enriched by new data, with information on consumption and autonomy. Everything else unchanged, with a look, we remember, which is the result of the "NC" project, which gave life to a family of motorcycles that share the same chassis, engine and chassis platform, 17" wheels included, of which the Integra represents the version "dressed up" as a scooter. This feature, we will see, makes it extraordinary from a dynamic point of view when compared with competitors in this category, but there is a small downside. The motorcycle frame has dimensions and shapes that lead to having to live with a "significant" central tunnel, but this is not big news. In fact, there are many scooters without a comfortable flat platform on which to store bulkier objects, so this is not a particularly burdensome sacrifice. The only real and important sacrifice is that of a good-sized under-saddle compartment. The space is in fact rather limited, even if it has been redesigned to improve its usability. Technically you can fit a jet helmet with an aeronautical visor, such as a classic Momo or a demi-jet with a retractable visor. In reality, having access to the comfortable 45-litre top box which the sample under test was also equipped with, the under-seat compartment is not used for the helmet, but also taking advantage of the 12 volt socket, to store a cell phone charger, rain gear, a chain to tie it with, or other objects. The top case can contain two full-face helmets, it looks great thanks to the matching covers, it also comes with a comfortable handle if you want to take it with you when you park the Integra, and is combined with a dedicated passenger plate and handles. All in all, it would cost around 660 euros, but Honda Italia is still running a promotion that will give it away to new buyers. The example we tested was the "S" version characterized by two colors to choose from, the very sporty "Pearl Glare White Tricolour" and the more sober "Matt Gunpowder Black Metallic". Both combined with gold-colored wheels and sporty finishes, all offered with an increase of 100 euros compared to the standard version. In our case the setup was completed by a further touch of sportiness, lo Akrapovic exhaust, in titanium and with carbon end cap, which also gives a weight reduction and a more engaging voice to the twin-cylinder engine.

Engine and performance:

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Displacement and performance increase, consumption decreases

MY 2014, together with a substantial package of updates, aligns the Integra's displacement with the new versions of the company's motorcycles. NC family. At Eicma 2013 Honda presented the new ones 750 versions, with 40 kW, or 55 horsepower, always delivered at 6.250 rpm. However, the old 700 kW 38s disappear (Integra 700 included), replaced by the new unit. The displacement of the new engine goes from 670 to 745, thanks to'bore increase of 4 mm, from 73 to 77, with the unchanged stroke of 800 mm. The torque also rises, reaching 68 Nm (there were 62). These are not marginal innovations, because a double countershaft balancer to further reduce vibrations of the engine, already quite contained. The entire package of updates brings notable improvements, the maximum speed, for example, has increased by 11 km/h, thanks also to one longer ratio (+6%). Higher performance corresponds to lower consumption, magic of development and improvements made. Updates also to the SW of the PGM-FI injection system control unit and the DCT dual clutch gearbox. Now the gear changes are more suited to sporty driving. In fact, in both modes (Sport and Drive) the downshifts take place at a higher rpm, to have more engine braking, the responses are quicker, with reduced downshift times in the event of a strong acceleration, and with an optimization that makes the operation of the gearbox is smoother. We praised it at every opportunity we had to try it, because the DCT is truly an interesting innovation, which manages to combine an excellent level of performance with great comfort and reduced consumption, however its small Achilles' heel is precisely with less fluidity of operation in certain conditions, when compared to classic scooter transmissions. While driving, the improvements can be appreciated in every context. In the city, at speeds often limited by chaotic traffic, driving is smoother, gear changes are in fact smoother and those jerks that the DCT gave in some situations have almost disappeared. Even in D mode, the most used, you notice that when braking the gears are downshifted earlier, reducing the unpleasant sensation that previously suggested "throwing in" a gear less manually. When you choose "S", with which you switch to the higher ratio at a higher speed, to always have the engine in torque, the extra power and the different calibration of the control units significantly increases the driving pleasure, the desire to dare more, also because the chassis allows it. There is always the possibility of using the gearbox manually, but it is rarely really necessary to use it.

Ride and handling:

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The chassis has been refined thanks to the new swingarm, combined braking has disappeared

The most important innovations, on the driving front, are in terms of chassis and brakes. On the one hand the new aluminum swingarm, which guarantees advantages on the scale (-2 kg), but above all on the driving feeling, having a greater precision. On the other CBS, combined braking, is put aside widely used by Honda, especially on its scooters. A renunciation perhaps resulting from the desire not to increase the list price too much, in the face of other expensive improvements made, which however few will pay attention to. In fact, when driving it is difficult to notice the novelty. Now the front caliper has 2 pistons and always bites a single disc, with a Wave design and a diameter of 320 mm. The third piston, which was moved by the left lever, disappears, together with that of the rear caliper. Everything else unchanged, with theexcellent two-channel ABS as standard, whose intervention always seems to be impeccable. The rather high weight, essentially unchanged with 237 kg in running order and with a full tank of fuel, combined with the exuberance of the performance guaranteed by the engine, never puts an adequate braking system into difficulty, even when going beyond the speed required by the highway code. Another novelty, of interest for the more sporty, is the possibility of driving it with the feet backwards. The redesigned footboard, in fact, allows you to move your feet in search of a more advanced position and also allows you to place your knees on the central tunnel, almost as if it were the tank of a motorbike. In the city the redesigned saddle, which has the same ground clearance of 790 mm, but which becomes 40 mm narrower, allows easier support on the ground when stationary. Overall, the new model improves the already flattering results of the "old" Integra, which thanks to a motorcycle frame and tyres (120/70 ZR17 front and 160/60 ZR17 at the rear) had already managed to distance the sportier scooters, setting new standards for this type of vehicle. In fact, the Integra has a natural vocation for leaning, great stability even at high speeds, combined with the practicality of a vehicle created for city driving. The set-up is able to offer an excellent level of comfort on the uneven cobblestones of the Milanese streets on which we tested it, but also a precision that is unapproachable for any other scooter when driven in a more sporty way through the curves.

Price and consumption:

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The T-Max is in the crosshairs, the best cartridges have a significantly lower price and negligible consumption

The Integra 2014 DCT MY 750 price list it has increased by 165 euros compared to the old 700, justified by the increase in displacement and power, but also by other innovations, such as the aluminum swingarm. For the “S” version, with dedicated color and setup, the cost increases by a further 100 euros, for a total of 9.190. Price in which, thanks to the promotion still in place for the Italian market only, The top box kit worth approximately 660 euros is included. It was mounted on the test specimen a rather expensive option, the Akrapovic titanium exhaust costing over 700 euros. Integra is a product in itself, half motorcycle and half scooter, but it is undeniable that on the market the direct comparison is with the king of sports scooters, the Yamaha T-Max 530, whose price, however, is significantly higher. In fact, they are needed over 2.000 euros more to buy one equipped with ABS. If last year the fight was lost, with values ​​close to one Integra sold for every four T-Max, in 2014 the comparison is much more balanced. A truly important leap forward, much more thanks to the growth in sales volumes of the new Integra 750 DCT, rather than to a decline in its rival, which occurred, but in a limited way. Thanks to a project that is starting to be appreciated more, because as often happens, such sensational innovations must be "digested" before being understood. The advantages in terms of driveability and performance add up to a very substantial one in terms of consumption. The new 745 cc engine has a few more horsepower, but also guarantees a further reduction in the already very low consumption of which it was capable, with a figure declared in the WMTC average cycle of 28,9 km/l (they were 27,9). In our test we were constantly around 25 km/l, with a cheerful ride, both in the city and in extra-urban use, results that are clearly better than all the competition.

PROS AND CONS
We like it:
It confirms and improves the chassis and performance qualities, while ergonomics and comfort take a leap to the next level, with negligible consumption

We do not like it:
The underseat compartment remains small

Honda Integra 750 S DCT: the Motorionline Report Card

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Test clothing:
Jacket: Urban Toucan Agos
Shoes: Xpd X-ZERO H2OUT
Trousers: Furious Tex JEANS
Gloves: Tucano Urbano Squid 9801
Helmet: Caberg Riviera Italy

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