Honda Releases The Airblade Scooter For The Asian Market

It's no Fireblade, but it can surely hold its own in the extremely lucrative scooter segment in Asia.

By: Enrico Punsalang

Jun 7, 2022 at 1:09am ET

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In the motorcycle world, the moniker "Blade" is virtually typically associated with Honda's flagship liter-class supersport bike, the Fireblade. The CBR1000RR has garnered global acclaim as a result of its racing success, ground-breaking technology, and devotees' affection for sportbikes in general. What if I told you that Honda has another model with the moniker "blade," but this time it's a commuter scooter rather than a sportbike?

That's precisely what it is, and it's known as the Airblade 160. Honda has just introduced this new commuter scooter in Vietnam, and is expected to roll it out in other Asian markets, too. The Honda Airblade 160 has a sleek body that is likely influenced by the aggressive appearance of the new CBR1000RR Fireblade. It has split LED headlights and a compact smoked windscreen to keep the rider out of the wind when riding in a full-tuck position through traffic. The side profile appears to be fairly aerodynamic as well, and the overall design places it directly in competition with the Yamaha Aerox 155.

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In terms of performance, the Airblade is nothing near its liter-class stablemate. It is powered by a 160cc single-cylinder engine that produces 15.2 horsepower and 9.9 ft-lbs of torque. The Honda Airblade 160 has somewhat greater power than comparable scooters in its class. Aside from LED lighting, Honda has outfitted the Airblade 160 with a USB charging slot for convenience when traveling, keyless operation, and a completely digital LCD instrument cluster. The console has numerous readouts such as the odometer, speedometer, fuel level, fuel usage, and a clock to keep track of time.

The Airblade's suspension consists of telescopic front forks and twin rear shocks with preload adjustability. Meanwhile, the braking system is comprised of a single front and rear disc configuration. As for range, the Airblade has a gasoline tank capacity of 4.4 liters, so you'll be able to cover a lot of distance before needing to refill. Honda sells the scooter in two models and four color schemes: Blue Gray Black, Red Gray, Blue Gray, and Black Gray. In terms of pricing and availability, the Honda Airblade 160 costs 57,190,000 VND (about $2,467 USD).