NTV 650, 600 Revere. Good overlander?
 

Not in it's standard trim, granted, but would this bike have potential?

Thing is, twins are more versatile than singles, the Honda lump is solid, (proven in the Transalp and Deauville series) and it is shaft drive: a nice option in the 650 class that is otherwise the reserve of the 1000+ cc engines.

Finally, it also a comfy, economic bike.

A slightly longer rear shock, a 19/21 inch front and slightly longer forks, panniers and a screen and off you go...

Thoughts?

Changing the wheels and forks are pretty expensive mods, and would mean you´d soon invest as much as you´d pay for an Africa Twin, for example. I´d only do some minor tweaking to the stock suspension, and add panniers (but dont some of these have panniers as stock??) The engine is rock-solid, and shaft drive is nice.

A Finn rode the entire Panamericana from Alaska to Argentina a few years back on an NTV700... (and the same group also had one CBF1000, 2-up!!)

Personally, I'm sorted: a TA600 and a Ural for the pack.

This is purely an exercise in escapism and "what ifs". Indeed they are relialbe and comfy: I did ride one as a courier around London.

Seeing as I like my TA, and I like the NTV, I was imagining what the cross-breed could be like!!

Surely you'd just be creating a shaft drive transalp?

Unless there are existing wheels and suspension that swap straight in from other models, then that could get expensive really quick. You could put a comfy seat on a transalp or africatwin far more easily and cheaply.

I can see the appeal of shaft drive, but I don't think it should be a deciding factor in choosing a bike, and certainly shouldn't be the reason to mess around with expensive modifications like you're talking about. Top quality chain+sprockets should cost no more than £100, and even if you totally neglect chain maintanence you will get at least 10,000miles from a set.


I do agree that those honda 6-valve veetwin engines are great though. I had a bros 400 for almost four years till it got pinched. I reckon a ntv would be a great nimble long distance road tourer, I did a 6,000mile trip on my bros back when I was 19.