NC Owners and other rides

Hi all,

I'm just being curious... Do any of you (NC700 & 750x owners) have a second, bigger and more comfortable bike for longer rides with a passenger? If so, what motorcycle did you fall for? Maybe not for the time being, but in 2 to 3 years from now, I'd like to have 2 bikes. One for everyday commuting, and a bigger one for touring and travelling with my wife. I'll have to work overtime for that, though.

Can't wait to read your answers!

Canuck said:

Hi all,

I'm just being curious... Do any of you (NC700 & 750x owners) have a second, bigger and more comfortable bike for longer rides with a passenger? If so, what motorcycle did you fall for? Maybe not for the time being, but in 2 to 3 years from now, I'd like to have 2 bikes. One for everyday commuting, and a bigger one for touring and travelling with my wife. I'll have to work overtime for that, though.

Can't wait to read your answers!

Click to expand...

Here is a similar thread about other bikes owned: http://nc700-forum.com/forum/the-bar/11881-current-bikes-owned-what-you-like-about-each.html

But, your question was more specific, about passengers and touring. I'd suggest you take the passenger along looking and see what passenger accommodations they fall for. I think the vast majority of the street bikes available show little regard for passenger comfort and safety. You couldn't get me to ride on most pillion seats.

My two-up touring machine is a Honda Goldwing 1800. I think if you show that passenger seat to your co-rider, they'd be in love with it. The only problem I have with it is that my wife sometimes falls asleep back there.

Prior to the Goldwing (which I bought in 2004), I had an ST1100. It was so-so for the passenger, but I switched to the Goldwing to make long(er) distance riding a better experience for the wife.

My First bike is a 1999 Honda Valkyrie Tourer, Flat 6 engine. My second bike is the NC700X. For long trips I take the Valkyrie for many reasons. Comfort is one of them.

My second bike is a Honda NT700V that I bought new in Dec '09. It has a fairing, integrated bags, a Givi top box, 5.2 gal tank, and electronic cruise control. The engine is almost the same size as the NC but a completely different beast and it's an offshoot of the Honda Hawk 650 v-twin from the late-1980s.

At 60 mph, the NT is revving at 4000 rpm but my NC is going 75 mph at the same revs! I still use it for long trips and in June rode to New England with friends and we were gone for 10-days. Gas mileage is in the mid-50s so it can go 200-225 miles without concern.

But, to answer the question in the original thread post, what are the Valkyrie and the NT700V like for the passenger? I know the newest Valkyrie model has a passenger seat the size of a big dinner plate. My wife absolutely refused to do a test ride on it, and I didn't blame her.

The NC 700 IS my big bike. If I needed a tourer right now I like the FJR at 650 pounds.

I'd love to be able to own more than one motorcycle..but...
to paraphrase from the movie "Full Metal Jacket"