What are you guys doing here?" thundered the cop through the window of his Mahindra Bolero. 'We are here for a photo shoot of this bike," I replied pointing my finger towards the mammoth Varadero. Adding, "I work for a magazine." I politely showed him my press card, which son of calmed down our law enforcer friend. "A couple of rapes have happened around this lake, so we have to be vigilant," he stated and drove away, leaving three of us rather well-built males looking at each other oddly. Did he think of us as suspects or probable victims? As I pondered, I saw this gentleman dressed in nothing but a towel all geared up for an assault at the first given opportunity, hovering around the bike. I wondered why he's not behind bars yet.

Our focus shouldn't be on the man in the towel though. Instead, we should concentrate on what he was so intently gazing at the Honda XL 1000 V Varadero. One look and you 11 be amazed by the bike's overwhelming size. The tall front wind deflector will turn every insect in the air into pulp before it touches your visor. The front high stance makes the bike look like a blown up TVS Suzuki Fiero. The Varadero is a tall bike, and it's heavy. It weighs a Titanic sinking 250kg. Drop it and you won't be able to pick it up unless you're either The Incredible Hulk or Karnam Malleshwari.

The 996cc adventure tourer from Honda produces a peak power of 94 bhp at 7500rpm and a peak torque of 99Nm at a rather lowly 6ooorpm. Those figures may look diminutive when compared with the regular litre class superspon bikes, but the Varadero isn't meant for the racetrack. This Honda should munch miles on the highway at cruising speeds, lug clothes, camping gear and ration for a month along with a pillion rider, return good fuel efficiency and cross the entire continent while still keeping your bum happy.

The Varadero is capable of all of that, and much, much more. With a humongous fuel tank capacity of 25 litres, this adventurer tourer boasts of an incredibly long range among similar bikes. It may appear unassuming and characterless to some, but signature Honda attention to detail, immaculate engineering, spot-on ergonomics and unmatched utility have been rammed tight in its every nut, bolt and screw. Refined, dependable and utterly comfortable, the Vardaero is capable of taking thousands of miles in its stride without a hint of wear, reluctance or lethargy.

Name: Modern Honda Varadero.jpg Views: 4056 Size: 48.5 KB

Even with its adventure tourer badge and BMW RIZooGS-esque appearance, the Varadero isn't exactly an off-road bike as many of you may wrongly assume. It's meant to be ridden on well¬surfaced roads and it belies its size and appearance
when you lean it around fast corners. The bike's grip and composure when shown the twisties is good enough to make even the most hardcore sports bike aficionados scratch their heads in bafflement. The 1000CC twin under the tank packs enough punch to make the Varadero accelerate with a reassuring punch and that mighty torque of 99N m (more than a few small cars in our country) is good enough to lug any amount of weight that could ever be loaded on a bike.

The Varadero comes equipped with ABS as an option that works in conjunction with what Honda terms as Combined Braking System (CBS). While ABS prevents the wheels from locking up under intense braking, CBS transmits some braking force to the wheel other than the one on which the brakes are applied, in order to bring the bike to a halt in a more reassuring manner. The system felt somewhat weird when used for the first few times as we have never experienced something like this on a production bike. Once we got used to it, however, it made the conventional braking system look somewhat incompetent.

The Honda XL 1000 V Varadero doesn't have the looks to make people in aspiring markets like India drool over it. Neither does it have the character nor the charm that makes you forget about all its foibles (though functionally the Varadero hardly has any) and fall for it. The Varadero, however, definitely has the price, the functionality, the brand image and the engineering on its side for a cost conscious market with challenging conditions like India. It'll take on the toughest terrains with aplomb and will provide enough grunt to keep you ahead of some of the fastest cars you'll find here. The bike will handle immaculately around corners, will be unperturbed while traversing some really tough terrain unlike its race bred counterparts and will save you a cool Rs 41akh over the litre class sportsbikes. We've heard that Honda is planning to bring the 'Blade to India very soon. The Varadero, except for its looks, is one of the best bike options we Indians could consider.