Things people have said about the Deauville:
"The motorcycle for people who don't like motorcycles": UKRM's own N. Champion
"Dreary yawn-mobile": Bike magazine.
"Swoopy and unattractive bodywork larded onto the already uninspiring NTV650": Bike, again.
"223kg dry - what the f*ck were Honda thinking of ?": Anon.
According to RiDe magazine's annual survey, Deauville owners had the highest average age at 47, beating even noted codger-marque BMW for that dubious honour. So what is it about the DV that appeals to all these grey haired old fellers ? Well, there's no getting away from the fact that it is very Sensible, and that's not a popular USP for bikes in these isles.
The 650cc 52 degree V-twin motor is a derivative of older 500 and 600cc designs, so its basic three valve & twin plug per cylinder format has been knocking around for nearly 20 years, and is now generally considered bombproof (witness all the Reveres and NTVs still being couriered around). There's no power to get excited about, Mr Honda claims an optimistic 57bhp, with the redline at 8500, although things are starting to get vibey from 6500 onwards. Delivery is flat, but there is a powerband of sorts between 5000 and 7500. Below that, the bike chugs along politely with the noise of frantic sewing machines. Accelerating "hard", you can almost imagine a kind of a V-twin exhaust note, but Signor Termignoni isn't going to worry about it much.
Honda gearboxes have been likened to various pieces of agricultural machinery, and this one is no exception. It gets a lot better after about 8000 miles, but can still be a bit clunky, and it's too easy to find neutral on the first to second upchange. The common NTV fault of dropping out of second seems to have been cured. You do need to work the gears: third for safe overtakes and smooth progress through the bends on twisty roads; fourth will do for cruising and A road overtakes, and fifth is mostly left for the motorway.
Handling is predictable, with slow steering, but light pressure on the bars is all you need to tip into a corner. Twin Brembos will easily haul you up with two finger pressure, accompanied by a dive from the soft front end if you don't balance with the back brake too. The soft setup means there's less feedback about what the tyres are doing than on a sports bike, and the stock Michelin Macadams are best known for actively repelling the road surface rather than sticking to it, so you need to be brave to push the envelope. Two-up, you notice the lack of power a lot more, so it's best to relax and not press on too hard, which isn't a bad idea when carrying Mrs DV Owner on the back, anyway.
To hammer another nail in the coffin of your biking image, as if Sensible were not bad enough, the DV is also Practical. The built in panniers invite scooter comparisons, but make carrying locks, waterproofs, and a bit of shopping easy. The shaft drive avoids continual chain maintenance or "surely that can't be a good idea" Scottoiler fitment. The seat is big and comfy for rider and pillion, the fairing protects you from the weather, even better if you dare to fit the horribly ugly tall screen. When (not if) you drop it at low speed, the built-in crash bars prevent any damage occurring, unless you've fitted the Honda leg guards which unfortunately go down first and smash the middle fairing. The tank is not huge at 19 litres, but it'll easily return 55+ mpg if you stick below about 90mph, so you can safely refuel every 190-200 miles, with 20-30 miles left in the tank.
That's confirmed all the prejudices. It's a slow, boring motorcycle. Philosophical point though: Why are the majority of sportsbike riders, who usually pride themselves on being non-conformist, so dismissive of what's effectively a non-conformist bike ? It's still a bike, after all, and will still out-accelerate most cars you're likely to encounter. Just like any bike, you can have great fun riding around on one, at much less risk of losing your license or exploring the local hedgerows and fruit stalls than your 100mph-in-first mates. I've been riding for 18 months, done 12000 miles, and still think the DV's a great choice as a safe, unintimidating, first bike.
Don't forget to visit http://www.employees.org/~tw for all your Deauville needs...
