The Rumors Say It’s Coming
Honda used to sell a bike called the NT700 Deauville. It was a 650cc motorcycle with built-in panniers and a more upright seating position. The motorcycle was a middleweight touring machine that was well-like in Europe. It didn’t last forever, though. Now there are rumors of the company bringing back the Deauville name on a new bike.
According to Morebikes, the French publication Moto Station reported that Honda would bring the Deauville back. The motorcycle that would bear the Deauville name would be based on the Africa Twin DCT. At least it would be built around that bike’s 998cc engine. It’ll be an automatic machine and have a shaft drive.
According to Moto Station, the bike will also have a roughly 31-inch seat height and make about 95 hp. I’ll weigh somewhere around 570 pounds and have some big panniers so that you can have a place to put all your gear and whatnot on touring rides.
It’s important to note that Honda has not confirmed this motorcycle nor said it would use the Deauville name on anything. The name is more or less just speculation from Moto Station. We would assume that the two separate sources that spoke with the magazine aren’t fibbing about the bike.
I’m all for more good touring bikes, and I’ve long thought that having more automatic motorcycles is a good idea. This bike will likely roll out in Europe and possibly make its way to the U.S.