2025 Honda NT1100 DCT Review

Feed Poster · May 20, 2025, 22:00:33 PM

2025 Honda NT1100 DCT Review

First thing's first: Although the 2025 Honda NT1100 DCT is new to the U.S. market, Honda introduced this platform in Europe in 2022. So while this motorcycle is "new" to you and me, it's not "first-model-year-glitches" new. By the time I got my sticky little fingers on it, Honda had already sold over 12,000 NT1100s, giving them ample time to work out whatever little niggles this platform had since its introduction. That's important, because while my two-day test ride doesn't speak to long-term reliability, thousands of units sold over three years surely does.

I should also mention that the U.S. model will only be available with a 6-speed automatic Dual Clutch Transmission. That means there is no clutch lever or shift lever like your cool neighbor Bob might be familiar with. Sure, as a manual clutch guy since I was 9 years old, I was initially a little nervous about spending two days with a DCT, even though it's been available on various Honda products since 2010, with hordes of motorcycle faithful waving off a traditional clutch system ever after. But I gleefully abandoned any concerns precisely two minutes into the ride, and so will you. More on that later.

Once I geared up and swung my leg over the NT1100, I noticed it felt a bit taller, slimmer, and lighter than other sport-tourers I'd ridden in the past. As a former motor officer, I've spent substantial seat time on the Honda ST1300, Kawasaki Concours 14, Yamaha FJR1300, and BMW models from the 1150RT-P up to the current 1250RT-P. Compared to those, the NT1100 is most definitely less imposing, say more along the lines of the Africa Twin, from which this platform is derived. The bar placement is a little higher and wider than the above-mentioned sport-tourers, the 5.4-gallon tank feels comparatively narrower between my legs, and the five-position manually adjustable (one hand does the trick) windscreen seems far smaller. That said, I also noticed my legs tuck in nicely inside the bodywork, the grips are heated, and the seat is thick and wide, with almost 3 inches of padding. These are just a few signs that the NT1100 had touring on the brain when it was born.

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Upon firing the 1,084cc parallel-Twin Unicam motor to life, I was rewarded with a smooth but somewhat grunty undertone at idle. I also noticed a lack of vibration or engine chatter that sometimes accompanies motors that make themselves known at standstill. This has to do in large part with the fact that the engine uses biaxial balance shafts, which substantially knock down unwanted vibrations at all rpm, including idle. This balancing act has the added benefit of allowing Honda to solid mount the motor for better chassis rigidity. I appreciated the responsive yet friendly voice of the 101 horses as I blipped the throttle-by-wire while waiting impatiently to unpack the 86.2 lb-ft of torque trapped inside the compact but cozy NT1100.

The DCT offers three different riding experiences. I could select D for Drive, which would do it all for me, enabling automatic upshifts and downshifts while keeping comfort and fuel economy in mind. I could select S for Sport, and the ECU would let the engine rev a little higher before upshifts and would cause downshifts to occur a bit higher in the rev range for added engine braking. Or I could select MT for Manual Transmission, putting me in complete control of shifting via triggers next to the left-hand grip. After rereading my horoscope, I decided on the closest option to a traditional clutch system and selected MT.

Upon making my selection and pushing the button, I noted an immediate and direct mechanical engagement into 1st gear. There was zero "clutch creep" or any indication the motorcycle wasn't safe and controlled under me, but just in case, my friendly neighborhood Honda man advised me that the NT1100 comes with an emergency brake, a physical lever you throw (mounted on the handlebar and using a dedicated rear caliper) that prevents the bike from rolling if you're on an incline. This includes every time you shut the bike off, because it automatically goes into neutral and can roll on the slightest of inclines. It sounded odd, but after setting the E-brake a few times, I decided I liked it. Simply put: It's foolproof and, without question, I am a fool.

As I rolled on a small amount of throttle, I was rewarded with immediate forward thrust. Yes, it was smooth and controllable for sure but very direct, with no unnecessary slipping or driveline slop. Once I hit the street and accelerated, the motor pulled impressively from down low all the way through to redline, which I hit almost immediately due to my failure to shift gears. Turns out the bike still needed me to remain engaged and participatory in the shifting process, so I began using my left index finger and thumb to click through the gears, forgetting all about the lack of a clutch or toe shift lever thereafter. Old dogs can learn new tricks.

Over the course of the next hour of riding, I began playing with the five riding modes via easily accessible switches on the left grip cluster. Once I made my selection and visually confirmed it on the 6.5-inch TFT display, the power delivery, engine braking, and ABS intervention were immediately altered. This on-the-fly adjustability, coupled with my ability to play with Selectable Torque Control, meant I had a mild-to-wild option at the push of a button. But because the NT1100 was so composed even in its wildest setting (and the weather was flawless), I chose to minimize intervention and maximize power output.

When it came time to scrub in the new 17-inch radial Metzeler Roadtec tires (and footpeg feelers) on the miles and miles of twisties between Costa Mesa and Borrego Springs, California, the motor really showed me what all the fanfare was about. It didn't matter how I ate up the tarmac. In some areas I would lug the motor from point to point, and other places I would pin the throttle, hold the gear, and stretch the rev ceiling to the moon waiting for my next turn point. The engine didn't care; it was equally potent in either situation. And I never got caught off guard when I hustled past the landscape. When I twisted the throttle, I received perfectly metered power pulses, and the more I twisted, the more I got.

And do you remember how I mentioned I was all about the Manual Transmission mode for the DCT because I wanted to oversee all the shifting action? Well, the whole damn system worked so exceedingly well that I ended up just leaving it in Drive mode and generating an up- or downshift with my fingers when I decided I wanted a slightly different gear. And just like the Drive mode, I could set the DCT to Sport mode and still manually override the current gear by the push of a button. In short, no matter what mode I was in, I was still in charge and able to fine-tune adjustments to my gearing at any point. Could I just set it and forget it and have it do everything for me? Sure, but it took my ego a few miles of manual mode to finally let that happen.

Where this DCT does require a rethink is in slow-speed tight environments where you would normally slip your clutch to modulate your speeds, like tight U-turns or slow-speed cone riding. With this system, I found I needed to drag the rear brake a bit and apply gentle throttle to get things done. The brake became the modulator of my momentum, while the throttle provided the needed power to the driveline. I did tight full-lock figure-eight patterns using this approach, and it's doable in small doses.

If I had to pick an unsung hero on my ride, it would most definitely be the twin radial-mounted front brakes that worked beautifully everywhere. They were strong and fade-free and maintained good power and predictable modulation at all application points. Most notably, I didn't suffer any unneeded intrusion from the ABS, which was a big relief when I pushed into threshold braking.

GEAR UP | Honda NT1100 DCT

Helmet: Schuberth C5 Carbon
Jacket: Alpinestars ST-7 2L Gore-Tex
Airbag Vest: Alpinestars Tech-Air 7x
Gloves: Lee Parks Design Deer Tour
Pants: Resurgence Gear Heritage Jeans
Boots: Indie Ridge Comanche

Unfortunately, as sublime as the brakes were, they revealed a significant amount of front-end dive in the Showa SFF-BP fork. With one fork tube handling compression and the other rebound, I found the fork to be under-sprung when the speeds picked up and I began making quick direction changes. Even after I grabbed a flathead screwdriver and set the preload adjuster to max, they still felt too soft for my liking. That said, the non-adjustable compression and rebound settings did a good job of helping keep the fork somewhat planted when they rapidly moved through their range of motion.

As for the rear shock, I was able to stiffen the bike up a bit and settle it back down all with a spin of a preload knob, with a range of adjustability that should suit two-up rides without issue. I would rate the suspension a solid B (an A if you dropped in a higher-rate spring in the fork) because for all the unwanted fork dive I'm whining about, the NT1100 dropped into corners willingly, tracked through mid-corners predictably, and maintained stability and traction upon corner exit, all the while remaining comfortable and composed on long stretches of highway.

Other things I noted while at speed, in no particular order: The windscreen is, in my opinion, far too small for meaningful touring. I experienced significant buffeting in all positions and speeds. No, it's not a deal breaker, but I'd plan to step up your paper route and buy a bigger option when it becomes available. And the TFT touchscreen display looked and worked beautifully, allowing me to keep my gloves on the entire time I operated it.

What wasn't as easy to operate was the turnsignal, because most times I made the attempt, I inadvertently hit the DCT paddle located directly underneath it and facilitated an unwanted downshift. I must have bumped it 20 times over two days of riding. Not great.

On the technology side, I appreciated accessing the USB-A port to keep my phone charged while I connected to the wireless Apple CarPlay (Android Auto is also standard). And while I seamlessly engaged the cruise control and it worked as advertised, I ended up shutting it off because it's not an adaptive system that adjusts my speed and following distances, so I got tired of continuing to readjust it.

My overall opinion of this motorcycle is highly favorable. With an MSRP of $11,899, you get a wonderful do-it-all motorcycle with Honda reliability. That's tough to beat. And for the relatively low additional cost of a larger windscreen and a fork spring swap, I could (and would) take this motorcycle just about anywhere my idiot friends decided we should go. Does it have all the power, comfort, adjustability, technology, and cache of more expensive motorcycles? No, but I'd venture that if you fancy yourself a mile-munching motorcyclist, it won't matter much to you. The 2025 Honda NT1100 will go as long and far as you dare, with enough creature comforts to help compensate for the fact that the brain might still feel 12 years old but the body surely does not.

2025 Honda NT1100 Specs

Base Price: $11,899
Price as Tested: $13,095 (panniers, pannier mount kit, pannier color panels, lockset)
Website: PowersportsHonda.com
Warranty: 2 yrs., unltd. miles
Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse parallel-Twin, SOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl.
Displacement: 1,084cc
Bore x Stroke: 92.0 x 81.5mm
Horsepower: 101 hp @ 7,500 rpm (factory claim)
Torque: 86.2 lb-ft @ 5,500 rpm (factory claim)
Transmission: 6-speed automatic Dual-Clutch Transmission
Final Drive: Chain
Wheelbase: 60.4 in.
Rake/Trail: 26.5 degrees/4.3 in.
Seat Height: 32.3 in.
Wet Weight: 547 lb
Fuel Capacity: 5.4 gal.

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