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The suspension was a pleasant surprise. 41mm forks combine with a remotely adjustable single shock to provide a smooth ride, they also cope admirably well when pushing through a tight set of bends. You can easily get a little too excited and start dragging the pegs if you really get carried away. Put this in context though, I am not calling the Deauville a sportsbike, but it certainly does handle better than most would expect.

A simplified variation of Honda’s combined braking system is fitted to the Deauville and provides sure-footed braking performance. A pair of 296mm discs combines with a large 276mm rear disc to pull the machine up quite well. The balance front to rear is just right. It is nearly impossible to provoke a front or rear wheel lock up when executing an emergency stop, even in wet conditions. In the dry perhaps a little more braking power would be nice, but for the machines intended role there is certainly enough stopping power available.

The machine is largely free from vibration and the ergonomics are very friendly indeed. The Deauville would make a great commuter or long-distance tourer for anyone who travels at a modest pace. Quality of finish appears to be quite good and the bikes looks do certainly grow on you after a while.

Looked at in isolation, the Spanish built Honda can appear a little bit expensive at $14,990. But if you try and find something else in the market place with a v-twin, panniers and shaft drive, you will be looking a long time; this is when the Deauville starts to look like a much more reasonable proposition.