Honda brings the Navi miniMOTO to Canada

Hey kid. How’d you like a scooter, a scooter with a bit more jam than a Honda Ruckus, but not as beefy as the Grom minibike? Honda is bringing the Navi miniMOTO to Canada for 2022, sliding into this narrow market niche. And, it’s coming in at a low, low price.

Looking at this bike, it clearly doesn’t fit into any pre-existing category—except Honda’s own “miniMOTO” class. In Canada, that line includes the Grom, the Ruckus, the Monkey and now the Navi.

None of those bikes really share any styling cues, but they share the same ethos of manageable, affordable small-bike fun.

The Navi comes with sort-of anime styling, maybe a bit of Akira influence, but very scaled-down. The engine itself is the same fan-cooled single that Honda uses in the Asian-market Activa, with 16 mm carburetor, and twist-and-go CVT transmission. Reportedly, it’s ridiculously fuel efficient, capable of exceeding 100 mpg. The engine is also a stressed member of the chassis. That’s sort of a modernish feature, maybe, but the drum brakes front and rear are a budget-friendly old-school touch, and so is the pressed-steel frame and wheels (12-inch front, 10-inch rear).

Easy to ride? Good on gas? It gets even better: Honda is bringing the Navi to Canada with a $2,299 price tag. Unfortunately, we only get one colour choice (Patriot Red), instead of the options available in other countries. Still—did we mention that $2,299 price tag?

Find more details on the new Honda Navi over at Honda’s website, or in the press release below:

Press release

Honda welcomes the 2022 Navi to Canada

Navi joins the growing Honda miniMOTO family that includes Monkey, Ruckus and Grom

Markham, ON. Nov. 16, 2021 – Honda Canada is introducing the next fun and exciting member of its burgeoning miniMOTO family when the 2022 Navi arrives at dealers early next year.

This is the first time ever that the super nimble and easy to ride Navi is available in Canada as it joins the popular retro-styled Monkey, rambunctious Ruckus and the modern, sporty Grom in the miniMOTO lineup.

Honda has long led the way in welcoming new riders to the world of motorcycling. That’s particularly true of the brand’s extremely popular miniMOTO family, and with the Navi coming to Canada for the 2022 model year, the motorcycling experience will be attainable for even more people.

Somewhat of a mix between Honda’s Ruckus and Grom (each of which is popular enough to have developed its own subculture), the Navi has the styling of a motorcycle and some convenience features of a scooter, including Honda’s V-Matic automatic transmission – just twist the throttle to go.

It’s all wrapped up in an unintimidating miniMOTO package, and thanks to an incredible $2,299 MSRP and gas-sipping performance, the Navi is within reach of almost any customer.

With Honda’s proven quality and reliability, it’s also a dependable way to get around town. There’s never been a better way for new riders to discover just how enjoyable, convenient, and practical motorcycling can be.

DESIGN / STYLING

For styling inspiration, one could hardly do better than Honda’s very own Grom – the most successful miniMOTO on the market, and one of the best-selling models in the powersports industry. As a result, the Navi boasts a sporty motorcycle look and feel, with the rider’s legs straddling the fuel tank and their feet placed on side-mounted pegs, rather than the scooter-style step-through/floorboard design. The rear brake is actuated by a foot lever on the right, as opposed to a left hand-lever as with scooters.

That said, the engine is located at the rear like a scooter, freeing up space in front of the seat for a convenient, lockable storage pod – perfect for stashing textbooks, a jacket or water bottle. While the frame, wheels, suspension, engine, and exhaust are all black, they’re offset by boldly coloured side panels, whose shapes are somewhat evocative of Honda’s legendary CRF family of dirt bikes. The prominent headlight has a hexagonal shape.

Instrumentation features a large, easy-to-read analog speedometer, as well as a useful fuel gauge.

ENGINE / DRIVETRAIN

While the looks are all motorcycle, the engine is all scooter, meaning it’s rear-mounted and requires no shifting. In fact, the smooth-running, quiet power plant comes straight from the acclaimed Activa (a hugely popular model in Asia), and touts Honda’s super-efficient eSP friction-reducing technology, delivering excellent fuel economy.

Durability, dependability, safety, and convenience were key priorities with the Navi, and the engine is a fan-cooled 109.2cc, single-cylinder, two-valve, overhead-camshaft four-stroke that is tilted forward at 80º. Bore and stroke are 55.0 mm and 55.6 mm, respectively, and the compression ratio is 9.5:1. The Navi delivers ample usable power for accelerating from stops and overtaking traffic, and it’s ready to provide kilometres of worry-free passage.

Induction is via a 16mm carburetor, and power is transferred via Honda’s proven, efficient, easy-to-maintain V-Matic® – an automatic, continuously variable transmission (CVT) – to a reliable belt drive. With no clutch lever or shift lever, vehicle operation is simple and intuitive, so riders can focus on navigating streets and neighbourhoods while enjoying the ride.

CHASSIS / SUSPENSION

The Navi utilizes Honda’s enhanced Smart Architecture Frame (eSAF), a design that utilizes the engine as a stressed member. It’s constructed from laser-welded pressed steel, and flex characteristics are carefully engineered to offer excellent handling feel with superb stability – also thanks in part to the relatively long 1285mm wheelbase. Ride comfort is exceptional, as is durability.

A sturdy 26.8mm inverted telescopic fork is matched with a side-mounted single rear shock absorber to provide a smooth, comfortable, planted ride, and the pressed-steel wheels are sized 12 inch and 10-inch front and rear, respectively, to confidently handle road imperfections. Slowing and stopping duties are performed by 130mm drum-type front-and-rear brakes, and a parking brake is actuated by a lever on the left of the handlebar.

The seat height is a comfortable 765mm, and the seat narrows toward the front, making it easy for most riders to get both feet on the ground at stops. A grab rail at the back of the seat provides a secure grip for the passenger.

Fuel capacity is 3.4 litres, delivering surprising range thanks to the Navi’s fuel-stingy nature. Fully fuelled and ready to ride, the Navi 110 weighs just 107 kg, making it a breeze to maneuver through traffic, push into a tight parking spot or load on an RV bumper rack.

COLOURS

The 2022 Honda Navi will be available in Patriot Red.