The Honda NM4 Is Back

You probably didn’t even realize that the Honda NM4 was missing from Honda America’s model list for 2017, but the polarizing motorcycle is back for the 2018 model year.

The first 2018 motorcycle to be announced so far this year from Honda, it probably helps that the Honda NM4 is featured in the Ghost in the Shell movie, which stars Scarlett Johansson. Laugh if you want, but the NM4 is a surprisingly pleasant to ride, even if you aren’t dressed like the Caped Crusader.

As such, the Honda NM4 represents a tradition of motorcycles from Big Red that have pushed that boundaries of not only what we visually accept a motorcycle to look like, but it also blurs the distinctions we make between different motorcycle segments.

Part bagger and part scooter, the NM4 offers a unique and unassuming riding experience, while using Honda’s gas-sipping liquid-cooled 670cc parallel-twin engine (mated to Honda’s dual-clutch transmission, of course), which can be found most recently on the Honda X-ADV adventure scooter (another model that is challenging the status quo).

“From time to time over the years, Honda has pushed the envelope with unconventionally styled models like the Pacific Coast, Rune, Big Ruckus and DN-01,” said Lee Edmunds, American Honda’s Manager of Motorcycle Marketing Communications.

“The NM4 is very much in this tradition, and while it’s not for everyone, that’s really the point; the model has proven to be a hit with a dedicated segment of consumers from a surprisingly varied array of demographics, including tech-savvy millennials but also veteran tourers and women. Those that buy NM4s tend to put a lot of miles on them, so we’re pleased to welcome it as our first street bike for 2018.”

The McRib of motorcycles, the 2018 Honda NM4 will be available once again starting in June 2017. Pricing is set at $11,299 (slightly higher than its debut price of $10,999), and you can get it in any color you like…so long as it’s black.