Honda has confirmed the development of a new motorcycle by teasing it on the brand’s various social media handles. Called Hawk 11, this bike is a neo-retro cafe racer and is most likely to replace CB1100 which was recently discontinued from Honda’s lineup a few weeks ago.
The motorcycle will be making its maiden appearance at the 2022 Osaka Motorcycle Show scheduled to be held from 19 to 21 March 2022. The brief teaser released by Honda gives glimpses of the bike’s design from its front end which gives a very distinctive first impression.
Honda Hawk 11 – Styling highlights
Upfront, Hawk 11 gets a round LED headlight with a circular LED DRL encased within a fighter jet-inspired front fairing. The fairing comes integrated with a small visor and with the overall curvaceous shape of the faring, the motorcycle is set to offer excellent aerodynamics. This design harks back to the design of retro cafe racers in the 1960s and 70s.
The other significant detail is a clip-on handlebar which is traditionally used in cafe racers. The round rearview mirrors further add to the bike’s retro appeal. It appears to get bulb turn indicators mounted on the side fairing. From the looks of the upcoming motorcycle is expected to offer sport riding dynamics. No other significant styling details are visible in the given teaser image.
Powertrain Specs & Features
Powering Hawk 11 is a familiar 1084cc parallel-twin, liquid-cooled motor that features in flagship motorcycles from Honda including CRF1100L Africa Twin, Rebel 1100 and NT1100. However, in the upcoming cafe racer, this engine might be tuned slightly differently in order to suit its characteristics. In Africa Twin, this mill churns out 98 bhp and 103 Nm of peak torque.
It could be mated to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed DCT automatic unit. When it comes to tech, Honda might offer some of the premium gizmos on offer in the flagship range of motorcycles including features like LED headlamps with cornering lights, a fully digital TFT instrument console, Bluetooth connectivity, traction control and more.
Expected Hardware
As far as cycle parts are concerned, Hawk 11 should receive all premium hardware with adjustable front and rear suspensions. Braking is expected to be handled by dual-disc brakes on the front wheel and a single-disc brake at the rear. This will be aided by a dual-channel ABS.
Upon its launch, Hawk 11 will take on the likes of flagship cafe racers like Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR, Yamaha XSR900 and Kawasaki Z900 RS. Unfortunately, this motorcycle is unlikely to head towards Indian shores anytime soon.
