• A few people have been scammed on the site, Only use paypal to pay for items for sale by other members. If they will not use paypal, its likely a scam NEVER SEND E-TRANSFERS OF ANY KIND.

NC700X Ride

Goose

New Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2013
Messages
36
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Central California Coast
Visit site
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
 
There must be something about American gas pumps/nozzles that cause all the complaints I read concerning splashing or other difficulties filling up. I've never had the slightest problem with it, nor have any of the pump jockeys at the full-service places I've been into.
 
Here in California we have weird nozzles with "condoms" over them, that might be the problem. They are designed to not allow you to regulate the flow, either full on or off so you can't top off the tank. They are also supposed to reduce the amount of unburned hydrocarbon in the air by pulling it into the condom. I wonder if the gaseous element they pick up is worth the amount of spills they cause. :confused:

In any case, the NC is so refined and well thought out you'd think Honda would have fixed this one too. Like a said, a neck so the filler isn't under the passenger seat would fix this problem and keep people like me from having to mess with our seat bags. I'm afraid BMW's similar arraignment (filler is just to the right of the seat) is better thought out than Honda's. Having owned a few Hondas and a dozen BMWs I'll say this makes the better idea ratio about 100 to 1 in Honda's favor.

Goose


There must be something about American gas pumps/nozzles that cause all the complaints I read concerning splashing or other difficulties filling up. I've never had the slightest problem with it, nor have any of the pump jockeys at the full-service places I've been into.
 
It's apparently another California problem. I don't have any problem with splashing fuel out of the tank filler with mine.

Honda's design brief called for the tank to meet high crashworthiness requirements. The steel tank is completely contained within the perimeter of the frame unlike BMW's which has protrusions below the seat on the "hips" of the bike. The German bike's tank is made of plastic and can break open if struck from the side and the hip takes the impact.

Also, this month's BMW Owner's News has an article on the new BMW F800GT. The reviewer noted that refueling was a challenge because the lid did not hinge far enough out of the way for the vapor recovery hose to seal against the filler opening. Each gas stop required cleaning up spilled gas. Oh well.

Thank you for the in depth review. It's obvious you are thoughtful and spent some time on writing it.
 
Last edited:
I may have spilled on the first tank but have not since. You get used to it very fast and I don't even think about it anymore. The bike does have a few faults but I have not ridden a perfect one yet. Granted I have only ridden CBR's so I have limited my motorcycle experience.

I like how you said "the NC is refined, gentle and, dare I say it, nice". I think that about sums it up. I would consider it a nice bike. I wanted something to commute to work. She has lots of storage, she is great on fuel, and she has just enough power to maneuver through interstate traffic.
 
Good review Goose. Well written and a very accurate description of the NC700X. A must read for anyone thinking about owning an NC.
 
I really enjoyed reading about your experience with the NC; it makes me miss CA mountains, but not Los Angeles traffic :)
 
Great report. I am down the road in Morro Bay. There is another forum member in Pismo and SLO.

I have a red DCT and really like it. I mostly use it to commute to work (165 mile round trip). My first order of business was replacing the stock seat. I got a really good deal on a seat concepts seat from our Pismo forum member. Other than that I installed a full Honda luggage set up, Honda center stand and a Puig windscreen. I average right at 70 - 75 mpg per tank.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
I'd say that is an accurate review of the bike.
I'm right there with you on power, the seat and suspension.
I would have liked to try the DCT version to see if I liked it better but I bought a used one and for what I paid for what is basically a new bike, I can't complain.
It certainly didn't hurt that I got the tall windscreen and some other goodies in the deal.
 
Nice report! Which weekend did you make your trip? I was up in Big Bear this past weekend and two weekends ago (likely will be back again this coming weekend). Saw an NC this past weekend riding near the village and wonder if it could have been you (still don't see too many on the road so who knows!).

When I was heading back to San Diego after buying mine in Oklahoma, I learned that the stock windshield could be removed and re-attached with the same hardware raising the windshield an inch. That made a big difference for me -- much less helmet buffeting. Good enough that I haven't felt the need for an aftermarket windshield.
 
First, thank you all for the kind words.

A few more specific comments:

Challenged: Yeah, I'm not much for LA but I must admit there is a lot of great riding in the area. Both the mountains and the coastal canyons are about as good as it gets.

Larryb: I'm in Los Osos so we are pretty close. A center stand seems like a must, the rest I'll work out what I get an NC. My bikes always have luggage, even my XR1200 has a 3 bag Givi set-up. I love my TIG machine...

JamesD: I'm probably the only person who won't get a DCT because I don't like the combined brake set-up. I'm OK with the DCT, I've had several bikes with ABS and think it is a big plus. On the other hand, when I push on the brake peddle I only want braking at the rear and the same for pulling on the front lever. I've been doing this a long time and it is my life, I kind of like to make those choices.

L18flyboy: I was in LA/ Big Bear the 6th and 7th of September. If the NC had a big guy in a black 3/4 length leather coat, black full face helmet and a black waterproof bag on the back it was probably me. Sorry I didn't wave. :)

Again, thank to you all. I write a lot for work but it is pretty dry stuff, contracts, technical documents and such. I enjoy writing in a somewhat less structured format.

Cheers,

Goose
 
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.

Great story!!! I rode HWY 2 numerous times up to Wrightwood and still enjoy it. I need to get my NC up there to see how it does up there.

Did you get yourself a $9 hotdog at Newcombs Ranch too? :eek:

The NC is available in 750 for the European markets. I have a couple of friends in our M/C club that work at Honda of Torrance, the Headquarters for American Honda. They both told me that there are "No Plans" at this time to bring the 750 version of the NC to the States. It was created to create a different "License Class" in Europe and not to "Steal" sales away from the CTX700 series of bikes. I guess that 750 and above requires a different license category there.

I would not “Hold” my breath for long. If they do offer it here, it could be $500-1000 more over the List Price of the 700 and it could not be until 2015 or 2016 before you get a hint of such. This is me talking through all my independent research, not them. They cannot "Leak Out" information such as this.
 
Back
Top