Honda Integra Reborn As Unusual Scooter/Motorcycle Hybrid

Good news: The Honda Integra lives again! Bad news: instead of the small, sporty you’ve come to know and love as an Acura, the new Honda Integra is instead a big, funky-looking scooter.

Perhaps scooter isn’t exactly the right word for it. Honda dubs the Integra a “midsize motorcycle,” although its seating position, which puts the rider’s feet further forward than on a conventional bike, echoes the company’s large Silver Wing scooter.

Mechanically speaking, the motorcycle term is perhaps a bit more fitting. While the Silver Wing tops out with a 582-cc two-cylinder engine, the Integra utilizes a new liquid-cooled, 670-cc inline-twin. Power figures have yet to be released, but Honda says the engine delivers considerable low- and mid-range torque, catering to owners who prefer to ride at moderate speeds. A crankshaft with a 270-degree throw allegedly provides the “feel and character of a V-twin” while retaining the compact dimensions afforded by its inline configuration.

Unlike the Silver Wing, which uses a belt-based continuously variable transmission, the Integra is the second production Honda motorcycle to utilize a dual-clutch transmission. As is the case with the larger VFR-1200F, the Integra’s gearbox is a seven-speed unit with both manual- and automated shift modes, but this second-generation design is reportedly more responsive to inputs, and can adapt its shift logic parameters to the rider’s habits.

Honda says the Integra will formally debut at the EICMA Motorcycle Industry show in Milan, Italy. Presently, there’s no word on whether or not the bike will make its way to North American Honda showrooms – or if the Integra name will stick should it be sold in our market.

Source;
http://rumors.automobilemag.com/honda-integra-reborn-as-unusual-scootermotorcycle-hybrid-83095.html