There are several things about my 2019 ADV 750 that suggest it might have been designed by the son of the creator of my 1995 ST1100 Pan European. Most noticeably is the weight of the ADV which at about 240 kgs isn’t so far behind the heavyweight Pan. At least my old Pan has shaft-drive and if a bike should have had a modern shaft it’s the new for 2017 X-ADV 750.

But to quote Shakespeare’s MacBeth when debating how to murder King Duncan and was handed a dagger – ‘What is this I see before me?’

It’s a bloody chain! Tucked so far out of sight that she is a devil to lubricate! Mr. Honda with a little bit of will and ingenuity you could have taken the virtually maintenance free shaft drive from your VRF800 and fitted it here – you know it would have made sense.

Furthermore – is it only your arch-competitors at BMW and KTM who have realised that heavyweight bikes are a thing of the past. Just look at the wheel spindle and nuts on this miniscule but heavy rear wheel you have put into the ADV 750.

There’s a 22mm head on the wheel spindle and a 27mm nut holding it tight in there. I’ve seen lighter fittings holding the wheels on a farm tractor. It’s little wonder that the Tool Kit supplied with the bike doesn’t contain spanners to fit – they would have filled the helmet sized underseat storage compartment on their own!

I could go on – I mean just look at the size of that additional caliper operated by the a cable Hand Brake on the rear disc in addition to the main stopper! Not only is it heavy but it’s slung underneath where it will catch all the dirt and debris as well as being the first thing to clout rocks if the X-ADV is used off-road as your sales literature suggest it can be.

Mr Honda I would like to think when you upgrade the X-ADV 750 in two or five years time that you take a tip from your European competitors. Apply a bit of modern thought and expertise to weight-saving to complement the looks of this lil beauty and you will have a winner.

Unfortunately the world will probably have turned to Electric bikes for the road by then and Honda will still be pouring their R&D budget into shaving a few grammes off the top of the range Fireblade in an attempt to win the Suzuka 8 Hours.

There’s no question that the ADV 750 is a rorty lil roadster with sound effects to match. Top speed is listed at 110mph and as I’m still Running In you will understand when I say we haven’t been there – yet.

Let’s just say that I have reason to believe that 110mph is a fairly conservative estimate and as speeds increase and having no fuel tank between my knees I have a fair idea what it would feel like to Do-the-Ton on a bar stool while hanging on to the bar rail.