It’s Monday again and in today’s preview, we’re going to take a look at the Honda NM4 – Honda’s new feet-forwards motorcycle. It’s Batman meets Akira in a bizarre scootercycle hybrid, with a liberal dash of stealth bomber. When the motorbike was first revealed in June 2014, it was known as the Honda NM4 Vultus – but Honda has since dropped the ‘Vultus’. It’s certainly an odd one – so let’s dive right in, shall we?
Original image by Rainmaker47
Design
Where do we even begin? It’s different, that’s for sure – but it’s definitely not ugly. In fact, after the initial shock wears off, it’s actually quite the head-turner. Fans of the Batman franchise can rejoice; the low seat and long wheelbase make you look (and feel) like the Dark Knight tearing the tarmac on his Batcycle. And speaking of famous fictional bikes, more than one reviewer has noted the Honda NM4’s striking resemblance to the bike from famous Japanese anime Akira – a feet-forwards bike with a low seat and massive front. Being feet-forwards means you’re seated more like you would on a recumbent bicycle – which takes some getting used to, but is not unpleasant. The Honda NM4 is a strange one, but if you like your bikes to be out of the ordinary, it might just be the motorbike for you.
Features
The first thing we said when we saw the Honda NM4 was ‘Where does the machinegun pop out from?’ Sadly, there isn’t an option to weaponise this Batcycle, but it does impress on other fronts – like its lovely 670cc 8valve parallel-Twin engine which will happily take you to supersonic speeds and beyond. A nifty little feature that helps to keep you comfortable even at high speeds is the adjustable backrest – which offers three positions (including on that functions as a passenger seat) and makes sitting feet-forwards an altogether relaxed affair. The smooth dual clutch transmission is another of this power cruiser’s many bragging rights. Oh yeah, and the instrument panel changes colour depending on what mode you’re in – blue for Drive mode, red for manual transmission, white for Neutral and pink for Sport.
Performance
So how does it feel to ride the Honda NM4? Surprisingly cushy, actually. After we stopped pretending the mirror pods were mini-Gatling guns, we were astonished to find the ride smooth and pleasant. You’ll leave cars in the dust every time you start off at a green light, and the gears shift cleanly at 600rpm every time. The 34mm fork tubes steer very lightly at low speeds, but still keep you completely stable at high speed. The windshield looks small, but does a very nice job of keeping the wind off at freeway speeds. The big front offers ample storage space and, on top of all that, the seat and backrest are very comfortable indeed.
All in all, the Honda NM4 will make you look and feel like Batman himself. If you prefer your bikes to be extraordinary in every way, give the NM4 a try. And if you need a little help finding the funds, head on over to our motorbike finance page. At the Car Loan Warehouse, we specialise in helping you find your dream bike at a rate you can afford – so check out our online car loan calculator for an instant quote today.
