Harley-Davidson once legendarily tried to patent their engine sound. Now, Honda is taking things almost to that level, with a trademark on the name “ADV.”
According to reports from Europe, Honda has filed a trademark application for their upcoming adventure scooter. They plan to call it the ADV, and they’re applied to trademark that name. What does that mean? Will all the companies that use “ADV” in their branding (not to mention ADVrider.com!) now have to pay Honda a royalty? It’s doubtful, but the whole idea is weird. It’s like Jeep trademarking SUV.
Anyway, as to the scooter itself: We showed you photos of the machine at EICMA, when it was allegedly just a concept. The idea sounds great (joining the two worlds of adventure riding and practical transportation!), but anyone who’s actually ridden a step-through off-road knows it’s not as great as it sounds. In fact, it isn’t great at all. Bikes like the CT110 have sort of melded practicality and frugality with off-road capability, but there’s a big difference between this heavyweight (the ADV is built around the NC750 platform) and the lightweight CT110.
Supposedly, the Honda ADV will hit the Euro scene next season. We’d be surprised to see it show up here, as the similar NC750-based Integra scooter has never shown up on our shores.
[…] since last year’s EICMA show, we’ve known Honda is working on an “adventure scooter,” powered by the same engine used in the Integra scooter and NC/CTX 750 series. Now, you can see it […]
GEE ADV belongs to advriders.com among the others whom use it how can you trade mark something that already is common language ?
Mud and belt drive do not go together.
The Integra scooter its based on is chain drive
I kinda like it. It won’t replace an adv bike but looks like it’d make a damn fine city and off-pavement machine.
Might even garner a two finger wave from other motorcyclists?
Yes please.
World getting stoopider
This is like the younger, dumber brother of the Africa Twin. It combines the functionality of an urban runaround with the mucky, filthy, dirty business of rolling around in the pig slops found outside the official roading network. Hipsters with mud in their beards, smelling up cafes and boutique breweries, will be ejected onto their collective asses. No actually, because this thing is entirely made of plastic with no recognisable motorcycle features to be screwed up with incompetent fettling for effect, I can’t think of any possible customer base. Bit big for a daily commuter, only useful if you want to take shortcuts across football fields. Maybe a swampland grocery getter?
So basically it could replace 95% of the BMW GS’s and such like?
So it’s not for you?
Don’t buy one, the people who like it will be happy even without your approval.
Well why not?,
Ducati trademarked “Streetfighter” and Triumph and Ducati both have motorcycles called “Scrambler” adding to the confusion.
Trademark law is weird. Yamaha once had to buy out a low rent discount children’s bicycle brand in Europe because they had the trademark Bulldog, which we wanted for the BT1100.
Interesting. My maxi scooter is awesome for two things, weather protection and easy cargo capacity. It is terrible with any kind of potholes or even gravel roads though. This would be more versatile, but putting a 750cc engine in it seems overkill.
Cool bike but why not just bring the Cross Cub over with the Grom engine? I would buy one.
Now hipsters will be joining the Dakar Rally.
Where will they carry their lattes ?
Pretty sweet and would be good in the trails not having a tank to sack your you know what on