TO me, long ago, the old Honda Deauville 650 with its stodgy 650 V-Twin motor, dull beige bodywork and softly sprung chassis, all added up to a big yawn on paper.

But then I rode a Deauville across Eastern Europe and had to eat a Desperate Dan sized amount of humble pie. It's not just a good touring bike, the Deauville is a great all round motorbike.

So I reckon the new Deauville 700 will catch on with a whole new generation of riders who want to commute regularly on a tried `n' tested engine, see fuel consumption above 45mpg.

But yes, it still looks a tad dull. The Deauville now has more power, tweaked suspension and 30 per cent more space in its hard panniers.

The motor also gains fuel injection, plus four valve heads and Honda claim it is more economical on the expensive unleaded.

There's new lighting too and ABS braking is an optional extra.

Apart from an awful rust trap in its two-into-one exhaust systsem, I think the new Deauville looks well finished and durable.

There's no official wordbut the Deauville is likely to cost around é6,500 on the road.