Admit it, you’ve always wanted to crouch behind a bullet and open the throttle to see what the 1100 ccs of raw whine power is capable of. We’ve all been there, but not all of us have been treated to the joy of such an experience. Honda wants to change that, but without the carburetor mess or the death of the decades-old Italian pasta frame. Meet the Honda Hawk 11. It has the neoclassical look we all beg for, but has a modern chassis and reliable electronics.
This magic machine is powered by the same parallel 1100 as Honorable Song Phi and Rebel 1100. It’s a good solid engine with enough power for fun, but it’s also a compact and lightweight unit that’s ideal for a sport ride. Full details on the car are yet to be announced, but you can expect essentially a 101-horsepower 77 lb-ft engine. Judging by the photos, it even uses the front part of the exhaust like that of the African one.
It looks like the Hawk 11 goes even further by sharing the same steel frame as the Africa Twin and NT1100, and the swingarm looks like it was ordered directly from the tour-focused NT. Similarly, NT’s 17-inch wheels also appear here. For a sportier ride, Honda has found it appropriate to equip redesigned Showa forks and larger Nissin brake calipers. The bodywork is, obviously, all new, but the majority of this bike is built from a bin of parts, which means it’s easily built out of the way.
It’s an interesting choice to build an aesthetic sports car from the bones of an adventure touring car, but let Honda continue to make bold choices. The engine is a well, if not particularly inspiring, and the shape is absolutely fantastic, while promoting a comfortable and upright riding position. It won’t set any speed records, but it will look great without killing your wallet.
Honda has yet to announce anything real about this bike, just stopping by the photos online. We still don’t know which markets will receive the Hawk 11, but there’s a pretty good bet it will end up in the US market. Pricing is completely unknown at this point, but we can make some educated guesses. The Africa Twin, for example, starts at $14,499, so I bet the Hawk 11 will cost around that, maybe a little higher.
Honda already sells a series of naked upright sports bikes under the product line name “neo-sports cafe” and this looks like it would work for them. i really like my time with CB650R, and would love an improved version of that bike with a bulletproof unit. If you want something with a larger ergonomic layout and more focus on touring, the Hawk is probably the bike for you. I look forward to swinging my legs aside soon.
