Goose
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Hello All,
I joined this forum to lurk and learn about the NC700X. I don't own on so I wanted to use the accumulated knowledge get a better understanding of the bike I am interested in owning. You have done a good job there, thanks.
I'm posting this because I rented an NC for a day and finally have something to add to the site. I wrote this as a travelog, both to help me organize my thoughts and to make it more interesting for the reader. I don't know how what is below will be received but here goes.
Before the ride: I’ve wanted to ride this bike ever since I first heard about it. Now I have a rental set up with Racy Rentals in LA, about 200 miles south of my home. In the end I found out a lot of what I’d read was true but some of it was not. I also confirmed the bike is good on gas. More important to me, I found there are great things about the bike that have been overlooked because of the hoopla over fuel mileage. I also got reminded even mighty Honda does dumb stuff.
The trip down: When I left work I decided to stop by the San Luis Obispo Farmers Market to get dinner and relax. I picked up a pizza at the portable wood fired stand and started to walk through the market. Ran into friends Ethan and Rebecca a block later. Nice conversation and some desert later Ethan reminds me I have long ride to ride to my hotel down south. I guess I was too relaxed...
Nothing more to say today except when I got to the hotel and saw what I thought was an empty space. When I get to the stall I found a red NC700X. Could this be a sign from the Moto gods? After I parked I can’t get over how striking the 700 is. It doesn’t look cheap; the NC wouldn’t look out of place next to the three Italian bikes I’ve owned.
Friday Morning: I got the directions on the Maps app and I’m off. LA traffic still sucks. And it is hot, over 100 degrees and a little humid. I get to Hollyweird; I find the address. No sign of Racy Rentals, just a complex of industrial spaces. After a brief delay I connect with Patricia of Racy Rentals and all is well. She is very nice and we have a good conversation while the paperwork is filled out and I transfer my stuff from my XR1200 to the Honda. I love the frunk! The rest of my stuff is on the seat in a waterproof duffle bag.
I’m soaked with sweat from the heat but really happy to be back on a bike. After a short time on back streets I’m good to go. The NC is so easy to ride. The clutch is light and precise, the throttle response is perfect, the steering light and accurate, the transmission is very good; the riding position is great, even the seat feels OK. First order of business is lunch; I’m hungry and want to find some air conditioning. Next order of business is to find a Harley shop so I can buy a fused pigtail to power my phone.
That done I head to a gas station. First negative, resetting the trip meter isn’t intuitive. I find some shade to figure it out. With trip meters reset and back to miles I fill the tank. I thought putting the gas cap under the seat was a bad idea but it pales next to actually putting fuel in the tank. After I have splashed gas on my hands and everything else in the area I find the one location where the filler that allow the gas nozzle in far enough to not get back splash. On a Ducati or a Harley you’d just shrug and call it personality; on the NC it stands out because everything else so well thought out. How about moving the filler over a deep spot in the tank? Or, better yet, how about making a neck that comes out from under the seat so I don’t have to move my seat bag to put in gas?
Out Of Town: Finally, I’m heading out of town. I get to The Angle’s Crest Highway and life goes from good to great. I did this road with the XR1200 Owners Group a few months ago: the memories are still fresh and clear. The XR was good on this road; the NC is better. I didn’t realize I was going fast until my boot drags on the ground. The suspension is far better then I thought it would be. Good ride and the wheels mostly stay on the ground; big hits are fairly well absorbed well. The budget nature of the forks and shock only shows up when I push hard over very bumpy pavement. Up to that point it reminds me of the 2006 Ducati Multistrada I used to own.
Two more things, the windshield I thought is (and several articles said is) too small is actually pretty good in warm weather. My torso is protected from buffeting but still getting some airflow and the flow around my head is smooth and quiet. It would be different in cooler weather but for now I like it. Next is vibration. The NC is dead smooth at some points but does vibrate at other points, not what I read. However, the NC’s vibration is minimal, low frequency and not at all unpleasant.
A quick stop at Newcomb’s Ranch for lemonade and water, next stop is Mountain Hardware in Wrightwood. I want to install the power outlet I bought at the Harley shop and these are great people and have a well-stocked store. Clearly, Honda sees the screwdriver I found in the frunk as a joke. This “tool” fails on the third screw. A real screwdriver from the store works and I proceed to install the power cord. I run the wires from the battery to the opening in the fairing near the forks. Back to the store for tie-wraps and I’m done. I’m having way too much fun to think about fuel mileage.
I go down the hill and turn left on SR138 toward the dessert, going about two miles before I make a U-turn. I realized the flats I’m heading toward are probably smoking hot so I head back to the mountains. Now I have my first real problem with the Honda. I get into a place where I need some power to get in front of a truck as two lanes turns into one. The road is going up hill; we are close to a mile above sea level I have JUST enough power to get away from the truck after 2 down shifts. What would happen if I were carrying an additional 25 pounds of camping gear/ luggage? I’m in love with the NC by now but I’m wondering if it has enough power for me.
Anyway, I get to the twisty part of 138 I find myself going faster with less effort than when I was on this road on my XR. More importantly, I’m having even more fun than I had on my XR.
After night in Big Bear Lake I get up Saturday looking forward to riding. Now I’m thinking about fuel mileage. I’ve got 140 miles on the tank. On my XR (3.5 gallon tank) I’d be very close to the reserve light and it is a long way to the next gas station. It takes a lot of thinking and a calculator to convince myself I don’t need to make a gas stop. SR38 lives up to my memories, highly recommended. The NC just keeps carving, corner after corner. I stop to help a guy pulled over on a Honda Trail 110 but he has things under control. That makes me think about my first bike, a Honda Trail 90. It is hard to believe the NC700 is a descendant of that crude, iron barreled, OHV 90 with its (maybe) 5HP engine. I drop out of the mountains and ride around on rural and suburban streets. The NC is a great in town ride. I see it is time to head to the freeway and back to LA. I’m thinking about mileage again. Now that I’m in an urban environment I decide to just ride until I get the low fuel light, I’ll find a station when it comes on.
At 218 miles I get the reserve light. I turn off the freeway for a late breakfast and fuel stop. 223.2 miles and the bike took 3.1 gallons of fuel. WOW, 72 MPG? At over 6’ 3” and close to 240 pounds I’m not the ideal high mileage rider. I will say I’m smooth, it was hot and I spent a fair amount of time at high altitude, all of which help the mileage figure. But still, 72 MPG, I am impressed!
To my surprise, LA traffic still sucks. It is even hotter than yesterday. I get back to Racy Rentals; swap my stuff back to the XR. Getting back on the Harley is a shock. The more aggressive riding position, the noise of the (not really that loud) exhaust, the general feeling you are riding an old school, snarling beast is a shock after the polite, quiet, comfortable Honda. That is my lasting impression, my modified XR1200 is wild, hard, dangerous and rude; the NC is refined, gentle and, dare I say it, nice.
Conclusion/ Final Thoughts: I’ve owned 26 bikes in my 43 years on two wheels. The NC700X is the most logical, mature, intelligent motorcycle I’ve ridden. I suspected that, what shocked me was how much fun I had on the bike. What are my negatives? A short list: the seat is only OK, I’m very much over chain drive (how about a clean, quiet, efficient belt?), even with the great mileage I’d like a bit bigger gas tank, I’d like self canceling turn signals, it would be nice if the rev limiter was less abrupt. The suspension is good but has room for improvement but I’m used to that. My XR’s original forks and shocks are in the storage area above my garage. Somebody has to keep aftermarket suspension companies in business.
If I already had an NC700X I’d be happy and not concerned about the possibility of a larger engine, it is already a great bike. My position is different; I’m lucky enough to have a bike I really enjoy in the commuter/ errand runner/ day ride/ solo travel role I plan for the NC. I’m going to wait to see if a 750 is released before I sell my XR1200 and start thinking about an NC7_0X.
I’ll be watching for the 2014s, I hope the NC becomes a 750 with about 10% more top end and Honda keeps the bike basically the same. I also hope the price doesn’t go up too much ‘casue I’m a cheapskate.
Goose
I joined this forum to lurk and learn about the NC700X. I don't own on so I wanted to use the accumulated knowledge get a better understanding of the bike I am interested in owning. You have done a good job there, thanks.
I'm posting this because I rented an NC for a day and finally have something to add to the site. I wrote this as a travelog, both to help me organize my thoughts and to make it more interesting for the reader. I don't know how what is below will be received but here goes.
Before the ride: I’ve wanted to ride this bike ever since I first heard about it. Now I have a rental set up with Racy Rentals in LA, about 200 miles south of my home. In the end I found out a lot of what I’d read was true but some of it was not. I also confirmed the bike is good on gas. More important to me, I found there are great things about the bike that have been overlooked because of the hoopla over fuel mileage. I also got reminded even mighty Honda does dumb stuff.
The trip down: When I left work I decided to stop by the San Luis Obispo Farmers Market to get dinner and relax. I picked up a pizza at the portable wood fired stand and started to walk through the market. Ran into friends Ethan and Rebecca a block later. Nice conversation and some desert later Ethan reminds me I have long ride to ride to my hotel down south. I guess I was too relaxed...
Nothing more to say today except when I got to the hotel and saw what I thought was an empty space. When I get to the stall I found a red NC700X. Could this be a sign from the Moto gods? After I parked I can’t get over how striking the 700 is. It doesn’t look cheap; the NC wouldn’t look out of place next to the three Italian bikes I’ve owned.
Friday Morning: I got the directions on the Maps app and I’m off. LA traffic still sucks. And it is hot, over 100 degrees and a little humid. I get to Hollyweird; I find the address. No sign of Racy Rentals, just a complex of industrial spaces. After a brief delay I connect with Patricia of Racy Rentals and all is well. She is very nice and we have a good conversation while the paperwork is filled out and I transfer my stuff from my XR1200 to the Honda. I love the frunk! The rest of my stuff is on the seat in a waterproof duffle bag.
I’m soaked with sweat from the heat but really happy to be back on a bike. After a short time on back streets I’m good to go. The NC is so easy to ride. The clutch is light and precise, the throttle response is perfect, the steering light and accurate, the transmission is very good; the riding position is great, even the seat feels OK. First order of business is lunch; I’m hungry and want to find some air conditioning. Next order of business is to find a Harley shop so I can buy a fused pigtail to power my phone.
That done I head to a gas station. First negative, resetting the trip meter isn’t intuitive. I find some shade to figure it out. With trip meters reset and back to miles I fill the tank. I thought putting the gas cap under the seat was a bad idea but it pales next to actually putting fuel in the tank. After I have splashed gas on my hands and everything else in the area I find the one location where the filler that allow the gas nozzle in far enough to not get back splash. On a Ducati or a Harley you’d just shrug and call it personality; on the NC it stands out because everything else so well thought out. How about moving the filler over a deep spot in the tank? Or, better yet, how about making a neck that comes out from under the seat so I don’t have to move my seat bag to put in gas?
Out Of Town: Finally, I’m heading out of town. I get to The Angle’s Crest Highway and life goes from good to great. I did this road with the XR1200 Owners Group a few months ago: the memories are still fresh and clear. The XR was good on this road; the NC is better. I didn’t realize I was going fast until my boot drags on the ground. The suspension is far better then I thought it would be. Good ride and the wheels mostly stay on the ground; big hits are fairly well absorbed well. The budget nature of the forks and shock only shows up when I push hard over very bumpy pavement. Up to that point it reminds me of the 2006 Ducati Multistrada I used to own.
Two more things, the windshield I thought is (and several articles said is) too small is actually pretty good in warm weather. My torso is protected from buffeting but still getting some airflow and the flow around my head is smooth and quiet. It would be different in cooler weather but for now I like it. Next is vibration. The NC is dead smooth at some points but does vibrate at other points, not what I read. However, the NC’s vibration is minimal, low frequency and not at all unpleasant.
A quick stop at Newcomb’s Ranch for lemonade and water, next stop is Mountain Hardware in Wrightwood. I want to install the power outlet I bought at the Harley shop and these are great people and have a well-stocked store. Clearly, Honda sees the screwdriver I found in the frunk as a joke. This “tool” fails on the third screw. A real screwdriver from the store works and I proceed to install the power cord. I run the wires from the battery to the opening in the fairing near the forks. Back to the store for tie-wraps and I’m done. I’m having way too much fun to think about fuel mileage.
I go down the hill and turn left on SR138 toward the dessert, going about two miles before I make a U-turn. I realized the flats I’m heading toward are probably smoking hot so I head back to the mountains. Now I have my first real problem with the Honda. I get into a place where I need some power to get in front of a truck as two lanes turns into one. The road is going up hill; we are close to a mile above sea level I have JUST enough power to get away from the truck after 2 down shifts. What would happen if I were carrying an additional 25 pounds of camping gear/ luggage? I’m in love with the NC by now but I’m wondering if it has enough power for me.
Anyway, I get to the twisty part of 138 I find myself going faster with less effort than when I was on this road on my XR. More importantly, I’m having even more fun than I had on my XR.
After night in Big Bear Lake I get up Saturday looking forward to riding. Now I’m thinking about fuel mileage. I’ve got 140 miles on the tank. On my XR (3.5 gallon tank) I’d be very close to the reserve light and it is a long way to the next gas station. It takes a lot of thinking and a calculator to convince myself I don’t need to make a gas stop. SR38 lives up to my memories, highly recommended. The NC just keeps carving, corner after corner. I stop to help a guy pulled over on a Honda Trail 110 but he has things under control. That makes me think about my first bike, a Honda Trail 90. It is hard to believe the NC700 is a descendant of that crude, iron barreled, OHV 90 with its (maybe) 5HP engine. I drop out of the mountains and ride around on rural and suburban streets. The NC is a great in town ride. I see it is time to head to the freeway and back to LA. I’m thinking about mileage again. Now that I’m in an urban environment I decide to just ride until I get the low fuel light, I’ll find a station when it comes on.
At 218 miles I get the reserve light. I turn off the freeway for a late breakfast and fuel stop. 223.2 miles and the bike took 3.1 gallons of fuel. WOW, 72 MPG? At over 6’ 3” and close to 240 pounds I’m not the ideal high mileage rider. I will say I’m smooth, it was hot and I spent a fair amount of time at high altitude, all of which help the mileage figure. But still, 72 MPG, I am impressed!
To my surprise, LA traffic still sucks. It is even hotter than yesterday. I get back to Racy Rentals; swap my stuff back to the XR. Getting back on the Harley is a shock. The more aggressive riding position, the noise of the (not really that loud) exhaust, the general feeling you are riding an old school, snarling beast is a shock after the polite, quiet, comfortable Honda. That is my lasting impression, my modified XR1200 is wild, hard, dangerous and rude; the NC is refined, gentle and, dare I say it, nice.
Conclusion/ Final Thoughts: I’ve owned 26 bikes in my 43 years on two wheels. The NC700X is the most logical, mature, intelligent motorcycle I’ve ridden. I suspected that, what shocked me was how much fun I had on the bike. What are my negatives? A short list: the seat is only OK, I’m very much over chain drive (how about a clean, quiet, efficient belt?), even with the great mileage I’d like a bit bigger gas tank, I’d like self canceling turn signals, it would be nice if the rev limiter was less abrupt. The suspension is good but has room for improvement but I’m used to that. My XR’s original forks and shocks are in the storage area above my garage. Somebody has to keep aftermarket suspension companies in business.
If I already had an NC700X I’d be happy and not concerned about the possibility of a larger engine, it is already a great bike. My position is different; I’m lucky enough to have a bike I really enjoy in the commuter/ errand runner/ day ride/ solo travel role I plan for the NC. I’m going to wait to see if a 750 is released before I sell my XR1200 and start thinking about an NC7_0X.
I’ll be watching for the 2014s, I hope the NC becomes a 750 with about 10% more top end and Honda keeps the bike basically the same. I also hope the price doesn’t go up too much ‘casue I’m a cheapskate.
Goose