(This Retrospective article was published in the January 2015 issue of Rider magazine.1988 1989 1990 Honda NX250 Factory Service Manual The owner has bolted on a pair of Pelican 1500 side cases to hold all of his decals, and a set of UFO plastic hand guards. Today you can buy the same engine in the $6,700 XR650L. The NX650 was off the market after two short years, while the European version, called the Dominator 650, sold well all the way through 2001. The NX650 sold, but not in numbers that American Honda had projected, and when a bike doesn’t meet expectations, away it goes. The Bridgestone Trail Wings were too street-oriented to get a good grip, but a light hand on the clutch could work minor wonders. Especially when it came to things like uphill 90-degree turns. On good dirt roads, no problem, as long as the rider remembered to use the brakes gently. Handling was good power came on smoothly, brakes worked fine. Street work was great, and the passenger seat was even tolerable for a while-presuming the rider was not too tall and pushed the passenger back onto the fender. Key on, push the button, and an 8 amp-hour battery activated the electric leg.
If someone were interested in tackling some less accommodating terrain, the inserts could be punched out, leaving saw-toothed metal pegs that are useful in slippery situations. Speaking of pegs, they had rubber inserts, which appealed to the urban rider. Getting on the NX was a bit of a chore, as the long suspension dictated a seat height of more than 34 inches. Between the axles was a short 56.4 inches. On the 17-inch wheel, a reliable drum brake did the slowing down. It was comfy on the pavement, a bit soft for use in the dirt, with the rear wheel moving up and down 7.5 inches. The Hawk had a reasonable run of four years, the other three, just two.Īt the back, the single-shock setup did allow for preload alterations…at home, since this had a threaded collar and locknut, requiring some major tools. In 1988 and ’89 we saw the arrival of this NX650, the Hawk GT 650 twin, the TransAlp 600 twin and the GB500 single.
In the late 1980s, Honda appeared to be churning out new models on a monthly basis, with the American importer putting them on the market with very little planning, then dropping them after a couple of years. However, in truth, with the NX the Big H had come up with an urbanized trail bike, much like the successful street-scramblers of the recent past. One could look at the NX650 as Honda’s first go at building an “adventure” motorcycle, a concept initiated by the BMW R80G/S back in 1980. And the panels indicated that it would not be in the wallet’s best interest to have this bike go flip-flopping down a hill. This was a perfect round-town bike with some minor pretensions at dirt-roading, though the low fender meant one did not want to venture into sticky mud. Here was a slightly new approach to the widening dual-purpose market, an electric-start 650 single with a bikini fairing, a couple of plastic body panels on the tank, a couple more to cover up most of the two mufflers, and a 21-inch front wheel with a close-fitting fender. Year/Model: 1988 Honda NX650 Owner: Kevan Aurand, Paso Robles, California.
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