CLIP-ON STYLE HANDLEBARS, A SHORT WHEELBASE, A bikini fairing, and the guarantee of a side chick. Yes, we are talking about café racers and this time around it is one that was recently revealed at the 2022 Osaka Motor Show. Called the Hawk 11, this is Honda’s take on a café racer of 2022. Why do we say so? Allow us to explain.
Built on a tried, tested, and aced platform, the Hawk 11 gets the underpinnings of Honda’s flagship adventure motorcycle, the Africa Twin. However, design-wise, the motorcycle will sure remind you of the one parked outside Ace Café. At the front, we get to see a round headlamp with a round LED, similar to the one seen on the CB1000R. It has been housed neatly inside a bikini fairing that gives the Hawk its café racer feels. On the inner side of the fairing, Honda have placed mirror-mounts that make them look like bar-end ones. Look at the motorcycle from the front and the wide radiator shrouds impersonate air intakes which add to the aggressive look of this motorcycle. The well-chiselled tank ensures ample room that’s followed by a short seat and tail section that can seat two, though it seems to be a tight fit.
Under all that bodywork lies the potent 1,084-cc parallel-twin motor seen on the Africa Twin and the NT1100. It churns out a healthy 101 hp and 104 Nm. While the numbers don’t sound very powerful, we’re sure it will be a hoot to ride. Just like its cousins, the Hawk 11
