The adventure scooter used to be one of those ideas that sounded great on paper and looked a little ridiculous everywhere else. A scooter dressed up like an adventure bike? Complete with fat tires, tall suspension and enough plastic casing to survive an imaginary trip across the Sahara? It was easy to laugh at this. Then something unexpected happened.
Riders started buying them.
Honda deserves a lot of credit. The X-ADV proved that there was real demand for a machine that blended the convenience of a scooter with the comfort and versatility of an adventure bike. The smaller ADV160 and ADV350 expanded that formula even further, and soon, adventure scooters stopped looking like niche experiments. They became a legitimate segment, especially throughout Europe and Asia, where rough roads, city traffic and weekend getaways all play to their strengths.
Photo by: Honda
That success did not go unnoticed. Almost every major scooter manufacturer now wants a piece of the pie. SYM has its own ADXTG 400, while Chinese brands like Zontes and Vogue have introduced their own rugged interpretations. Suddenly, what once looked like Honda’s quirky experiment has become one of the fastest-growing corners of the scooter market.
There’s only one place where this concept still hasn’t had its big moment: the good old US of A.
Of course, American riders love their adventure bikes. He also loves crossovers and SUVs, which are basically adventure scooters with four wheels and cupholders. But a large displacement scooter that blurs the line between motorcycle and commuter? This is still an unanswered question. Honda never brought the X-ADV stateside, leaving American riders to wonder what they were missing while the rest of the world racked up miles on them.
Now, it looks like Kymco wants to find out.
Photo by: Kimko
Taiwanese manufacturer has filed Trademark for the name “CV-X45” According to a report by People Cycle WorldThis could point to a production version of the CV-R5 concept unveiled at EICMA in 2024. The nomenclature also matches up neatly with the concept’s 427 cc single-cylinder engine, suggesting the “45” reflects its place in the 450-class category, while the “X” hints at its bolder intentions.
If the production bike lives up to the concept, it will have 34 horsepower and 30 pound-feet of torque as well as ride-by-wire, multiple ride modes, traction control, keyless ignition, a TFT display with smartphone connectivity, tire pressure monitoring, and enough storage under the seat to swallow a full-face helmet. It also rolls on a 15-inch front wheel and 14-inch rear wheel, weighs a claimed 463 pounds, and has a seat height of 31.5-inches. So yes, your latest spec sheet for a modern mass-market scooter.
Photo by: Kimko
But perhaps the most interesting part is underneath all that bodywork. Unlike most scooters that use the engine as part of the swingarm, the CV-R5 mounts its engine in the frame like a conventional motorcycle. That setup can reduce unsprung weight and improve suspension performance, giving it more than just bold styling flair.
Whether the CV-X45 actually reaches US dealerships remains to be seen, but the trademark filing is a strong indication that Kymco thinks there’s room for an even bigger adventure scooter than the ADV160. This is a gamble Honda never took.
If the CV-X45 reaches stateside and buyers embrace it, the adventure scooter could finally earn a permanent place in the US market. If it struggles, we’ll know that the popularity of this segment may have been more regional than universal. Either way, Kymco may be running the biggest real-world test this category has ever seen.
