2025 Honda NT1100 Preview: Tourer Gains Electronic Suspension

The range swells to three variants with a new NT1100 DCT Electonic Suspension model sitting at the top of the range

<Copy>Honda has revealed a significant update to the NT100 for the 2025 model year, with a number of updates to the touring machine, as well as a new high-spec version featuring Showa EERA electronically adjusted suspension.

In 2025 the bike will still be available in both manual and automatic Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) variants, with the auto bike also being available with the fancy new suspension set-up.

2025 NT1100 price, colours and availability

The base model NT1100 (manual gearbox) will be available in the UK for £12,679, making it the same price as the previous model year version. Likewise, the NT1100 DCT will cost no more than previously at £13.679. The new flagship model in the range, the NT1100 DCT Electronic Suspension, will be landing in UK dealers with a list price of £14,099, meaning the trick Showa suspension upgrade is only a £420 premium.

Looking at the competition, the closest to the top-spec NT from Yamaha comes in the form of the Tracer 9 GT which commands a price of £13,216. The £15,569 Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE could also be looked at as a competitor to the new top-spec NT, although with more power than the Honda, its slightly higher price seems justified.

The bikes are expected to be in UK dealerships in the new year (hopefully around January) and each variant of the bike will be available in either Mat Warm Ash Metallic, Gunmetal Black Metallic, and Pearl Hawkseye Blue, each of which is a new colour for 2025.

What’s new with the 2025 NT1100

Starting with the engine of the bike, which is the same across the range, the 1,084cc parallel twin-cylinder unit now features a new larger 33mm intake ducts, and intake trumpets that are 65mm longer than before. The NT1100 also features a revised combustion chamber and a new exhaust system, as well as updates to the ECU to suit the revised engine.

The updates are responsible for boosting low and mid-range torque by a claimed seven per cent without sacrificing any peak power - a claimed 100bhp at 7,500rpm. Peak torque is also claimed to have increased, from the 76lb ft of the 2024 bike up to 82lb ft of the new machine. Peak torque is also achieved slightly lower in the rev range arriving at 5,500rpm on the 2025 model, not the 6,250rpm of the 2024 model.

The bore and stroke of the Africa Twin-derived engine are the same as before (92mm with an 81.5mm stroke) although the changes to the combustion chamber have raised the compression ratio slightly, taking it from 10.1:1 to 10.5:1. As before, there’s a 270-degree crankshaft to give an offset firing order.

Another big update for 2025 is on the electronics front, with the new model featuring updated rider assistance systems and updated throttle-by-wire (TBW) settings. When it comes to the IMU, the new models feature a system that governs not only the traction control (HSTC) and the wheelie control but also the cornering ABS and the rear-lift control. When cornering and braking, the IMU measures lean angle, and deceleration (via front and rear wheel speed sensors) and incorporates the slip rate of the front and rear wheels to manage braking pressure through the ABS. The rear-lift control can also detect when the rear wheel of the bike is lifting up under heavy braking, modulating the front brake via the ABS to minimize the amount the rear wheel rises.

Both of the DCT variants of the NT1100 also feature updates specific to the two models. The first change is a more advanced method of monitoring fine throttle movements, making pulling away from a standstill and slow-speed manoeuvres more accurate. The updated system is said to provide a ‘quick yet gentle’ engagement of the clutch when pulling away, by electronically estimating the oil pressure of the clutch piston chamber, making it better equipped to engage the clutch in a smooth and controlled manner.

Another electronic update to the two DCT-quipped bikes is that for 2025 the IMU and gearbox ECU are now linked. The updates mean that the DCT now holds onto gears for longer while braking before downshifting, while upshifts have also been optimised to match the engine’s character.

As before, riders can either choose fully automated shifting or button-operated shifting via the paddles on the left handlebar. Shifting schedules for automatic mode remain as D, the most economical, and S which has three levels to choose from - with three being the most sporty and aggressive.

Along with the electronic and mechanical updates for this year, the NT1100 will also feature revised styling, headlined by a new fairing which is partially constructed from a bio-degradable material called Durabio. The front fairing is said to give the 2025 bike a ‘smaller, sleeker ‘face’’, while the tail unit has also been tweaked. Nestling on top of the redesigned fairing is a revised screen, which features 167mm of adjustment through five steps. Rounding out the new bodywork is a 150mm longer front mudguard for improved weather protection.

One welcome addition to the new model is the revised indicators which are now incorporated in the headlights, and not on their own stalks as was previously the case. The positioning of the indicators on the outgoing model meant the positioning lights would reflect in the fairing-mounted wind deflectors which could be a little distracting, hopefully mounting them within the projector headlight (which also features a DRL) should cure that issue.

Another upgrade for 2025 is the inclusion of larger panniers that are claimed to be large enough to stow a full-face helmet within. The new boxes are 25mm deeper than before, yet still mount to the existing fixing system, and now boast 37 litres on the left and 36 litres on the right, up from 33 and 32 litres provided by the outgoing machine.

New Showa EERA electronic suspension for 2025

Probably the most headline-grabbing update to the NT1100 for 2025 is the inclusion of the new DCT Electronic Suspension version of the bike. Like the existing Africa Twin ES models, the new top-spec NT’ gains the Showa Electronically Equipped Ride Adjustment (EERA) system.

Equipped with settings specifically developed for the NT1100, the system automatically adjusts the damping based on information from the ECU, the IMU and a stroke sensor. The system is claimed to adjust the suspension just 15 milliseconds after the calculations are completed. Because of this, the Showa system can automatically tweak the suspension of the bike in line with how the machine is being ridden, firming the damping as the speed increases and softening it once the speed reduces.

There are three pre-determined suspension modes, Urban, Tour, and Rain, along with a User mode that allows the rider to choose their own remound damping and preload setting. On top of this, the EERA allows the rider to adjust the rear preload of the bike through 24 steps while on the move, regardless of which suspension mode the bike is in.

The standard suspension models of the NT1100 remain the same for 2025, meaning you get a 43mm Showa fork adjustable for preload and rebound damping, and a Showa rear shock adjustable for preload only. Wheel travel at both ends remains the same as before at 150mm. Opting for the electronic suspension variant of the NT1100 DCT will add a kilogram of weight to the 248kg machine.

This technical preview of the NT1100 is a precursor to the full European launch of the bike happening later this month. Visordown will be at the launch of the new bikes, and will update this preview once we’ve ridden the new higher-spec touring machine.

2025 NT1100 specs