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All Honda NTV Reviews

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Honda NTV 650cc 95/96 (N)

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Honda NTV650

Born again biker after 25 years of erm.. car driving.
I had enough of my big bad Range Rover with comfy seats stereo, sitting above the world and bullying all the small cars. Trouble is though I was parking on the M1/M25, spending £150 on petrol every week and as an entertainer I panicked that I would be late for my shows. When I wanted to downsize to a Defender in the showroom stood a gleaming Fireblade, my mistakem, I got on it and remembered when I had my old 125 25 years previous so I took my test within 2 weeks and passed my local Honda dealer who was selling their NTV
I bought it and hey! No traffic jams, no £150 petrol, congestion charge free, reliable happy motering apart from servicing my bike, I hate oil!
But this bike is extremely easy to maintain even for someone who hates dirty nails, I did try another bike just before my NTV and wow! A lazy man's dream was created just for me and my work. Thanks Honda you have made a 48yr old born again biker happy, did someone say this is not a sports bike, legally they cannot leave me (lol)

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genie-us on 10/07/2008

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Honda NTV 650cc 97/98 (R)

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I have an NTV650V, '97 build but 2000 registered (W). I came to the NTV after considering what bike would best suit my 160 mile daily commute between Caerphilly and Swindon. I had been using my trusty VFR750FL which did the job fine but with the cost of consumables mounting up and the hassle of frequent chain adjustments I started looking for something cheaper to run and low maintenance.

I didn't have to look far. Having decided that shaft drive would be a must (with winter approaching) there was very little to choose from that would also offer a worthwhile fuel consumption advantage over the VFR. An NTV it was, and have since put 17,000 on the poor beast in the last 7 months.

Overall it fits the bill perfectly. Initially it felt slow after the VFR but its engine sound and high gearing were misleading and I found myself regularly going faser than I thought. It's easy to ride - if you can tolerate the clunky gearbox - and the torquey motor is well suited to the 5 gears available. It's quite high geared, top gear being quite a bit taller than the VFR which is good for cruising economy. Just wish it sounded more like my VFR, perhaps I need a bit more exhaust sound as it's very quiet!

Comfort is quite good for me at 5'8", not too much weight on the wrists. Performance is not staggering but good enough and it's excellent at motorway speeds. MPG is around 60 on my daily commute (mostly motorway around 80mph), improved from low to middle 50s mpg after a new air filter! Tyres last at least 10k and good crossplies are available e.g. Avon Roadrider which are cheaper and seem to last longer than radials.

I stick strictly to the Honda maintenance schedule, which is quite straightforward, as I rely on the bike so heavily. The only pain is the left front spark plug (there's 4) which is a pig to get at, especially as I have a fairing fitted. Generally the bike feels like it will last me to at least 200k hopefully, anything after that is a bonus!

If you ride a lot, all year round, and need an ultra-reliable cost-effective bike that can still be fun there are few rivals to the NTV. If you want a sports bike, obviously you'd be better looking elsewhere.

Submitted by

everydaybiker in Caerphilly, Caerffili on 08/02/2008

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Honda NTV 650cc 97/98 (R)

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Review

I have owned my NTV650P for over a year now. These are a great bike (with special features like the single sided swinging arm, shaft drive, wide back tyre and adjustable rear suspension).
The build quality and reliability are as you would expect from Honda.
The engine is a sweet v twin with loads of torque (and a great sound)with steady power delivery. The engine itself is still used today in the Honda Deauville (now 700cc)and this engine can be traced back to the VT500ef (Shadow / Ascot)and then back from there to the CX500 (CX650)as Hondas mid range bullet proof v twin.
Overall the bike provides a great balance between economy (55 - 60 mpg)performance (57 bhp)and is all very manageable at 186KG in weight.

Submitted by

Webbo in Stafford, Staffordshire on 22/05/2007

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Honda NTV 650cc 97/98 (R)

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A fantastic bike ridden every day summer and winter for the past 2 years. It's kept outside with just the Oxford cover on it. I bought it with 6000 miles now got 50,000 on the clock. Reliability is suberb, having run from M1 junction 29 to 41 and back 5 times a week at all hours and in all weathers, it has never let me down. Ok well maybe once when overnight it hit -8 degrees, the carbs froze - but with the sun on it for 20 minutes it forgave me and we were soon on our way The shaft drive is virtually maintenance free - no sprockets and chains to fret over - sweet!... The gears are a bit clunky and yes, it has the well known drop out from 2nd gear to neutral but only when trying to drive it too hard and fast - Duh! - a racing bike this is not, she is made for commuter/touring. Riding a round robin of 110 miles per day, she holds her line at motorway speeds (70/85) up to gale force 6 with no lane drifting (with the addition of a post production full frontal fairing - essential for wind and rain protection) and powers around lorry's turbulance like a hotknife through butter. Being a born again biker, passing my direct access test at 40, I took an age and really shopped around the reviews looking for the ideal bike to suit my needs. It came down to a two bike race - between the Yammy Divi or the NTV 650 - I chose the Honda and with regular (every 4000miles) oil change and servicing she really has fulfilled all of my requirments and beyond. Can anybody say the same for the Divi?

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UKBike Archive in Hassocks, West Sussex on 06/12/2005

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Honda NTV 650cc 95/96 (N)

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Unfortunately the reviews on this site are for the HONDA NT650V Deauville. This is not the same bike, the Deauville has a skirt and a double sided swingarm, the NTV is a naked bike with a single sided swing arm!

Designed as a long distance tourer and commuter the NTV handles both roles well, being very stable and sure footed around town, easily powerful enough to cope with motorway work, whilst returning over 55mpg! Simple to care for and buil to last. The bike I own had over 126,000 on the clock when I bought it, and is going strong with no sign of mechanical weakness. Just service it at the appropriate intervals and they can run for over 350,000 miles. The V twin delivers power in a useful spread and is superb for engine braking. A gem that should still be available without the panniers and fairing, apart from the fact that it would tap Hornet sales, never mind and pass the newspaper, damned insects!

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UKBike Archive in Hassocks, West Sussex on 13/07/2005

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Honda NTV 600cc 90/91 (H)

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Had an NTV600 for about 2 months now, first bike so cant really compare it. A really good fun and reliable bike, take it through the Beacons most weekends, with no probs.

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UKBike Archive in Hassocks, West Sussex on 08/09/2004

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Honda NTV 600cc 96/97 (P)

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Absolutely bombproof, nice sounding V-Twin and good economy! Will keep going longer than you do with shaft drive plus you get a single sided swingarm!!! Very neutral and easy to get on with, no vices. Poor gearbox, neutral is difficult to get. Poor finish in my opinion. Not the most comfortable if you are in the saddle for a day but then what bike is?

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UKBike Archive in Hassocks, West Sussex on 04/04/2004

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Honda NTV 600cc 96/97 (P)

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how the hell do I cheak the drive shaft oil.?????????????

Submitted by

UKBike Archive in Hassocks, West Sussex on 18/05/2002

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Honda NTV 650cc 93/94 (L)

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I got rid of the Deauville and tried a couple of other bikes, but had to go back to a v twin. Fours seem so fussy, and I'd forgotten what a pain chain drive is. I found one of the first NTV 650s, only 20,000 miles and looks like it has never seen rain. This is a better bike than the Deauville. You can really tell the difference between Japanese and Spanish build quality. Everything is screwed together properly. The forks have no fancy adjustments but just do the job. The rear shock is top quality and well protected from spray. The brakes aren't in the sports league but work well enough (a damn sight better than the old VT500 though). It's 100 pounds lighter than the Deauville and the difference really shows in the handling and liveliness. It's also slightly lower geared which again helps with acceleration. The gearbox is the only weak spot, though perhaps the problem is that it is too strong! The original VT had a sweet 6 speeder which would allow clutchless changes. I think that when Honda enlarged the engine for the Revere they went over the top beefing up the gears, resulting in whopping great cogs which slow things up. Silent changes are possible, but a touch like a midwife is needed. Nevertheless, unlike the Deauville I had, the change is positive and the thing stays in the gear you want. That apart, this is one of those bikes that grow on you, and I keep making excuses to take it out just for the pleasure of it. The motor feels and sounds lovely, and the bike covers the ground in a long legged, effortless sort of way. It's no sports bike but if you want a proper, solid tourer/commuter at a reasonable price, I'd recommend one.

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UKBike Archive in Hassocks, West Sussex on 16/05/2002

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Honda NTV 600cc 90/91 (H)

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Bought mine K Version, 76,000 on clock, finish excellent, goes like stink, would buy another !

Submitted by

UKBike Archive in Hassocks, West Sussex on 18/04/2002

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