2024: What did you do to/with your NC700/NC750 today?

[Dogger]

Breakfast ride interrupted by bike not starting. Started and ran for one second, then shut off. Starter turns the engine good, I smell fuel when cranking. I tried turning it off and on, and still no start.
So I did the logical thing, got on the next bike in line and went to breakfast.
The bike; 2015 Nc700 dct, 90,000 miles.
First time it's ever not started.

Amy more no start issues? Mine has been hard to start lately. Not yet figured out why...

 

[the Ferret]

Day 242 ...man did it storm last night, heavy rain (we needed it) thunder and lightning. Quit mid morning. I gave it an hour for the streets to dry out some then headed out for a 44 miler @ 72 degrees on partially damp roads. Supposed to rain more this afternoon/eve, in fact chances of rain every day for the next 7, but they won't be wash outs.

 

[mooseonbass]

Went to work yesterday and heard a "clunking" from the back wheel. I don't have the right wrench to loosen the back wheel but noticed that the chain seemed slack. Took it to the dealer and they noticed that one of links was "wicked stuck" (it is Boston after all). 30 minutes later, I was on the way home. I took a 2-hour shortcut to get home. I feel like a beginner missing that because the bike is noticeably better at low speeds, and no noises!

 

[davidc83]

Rode the bike round trip to fill the tank (22 miles round trip). In hurricane prep here so the past 2 days working on the prep which includes filling 6 vehicles with gas (2 trucks, 1 car, 3 motorcycles) and getting gas cans filled for the generators. The past 2 hurricanes, we only had little wind and little rain but still didn't have power for a couple of days for both. We don't have to worry about storm surge or flooding at the house but if mother nature sneezes, we lose power.

 

[salishmoto]

Installed a new Wilbers 540 rear shock on the little lady today. Hoping for better ride and less pogo sticking as I'm 200# plus my side cases and crap I have to carry. Fingers crossed it is worth it. Had a good experience with a new Wilbers shock on my Moto Guzzi Stelvio a few years back.

 

[ljurgens]

Installed a Honda center stand, this makes such a huge difference in parking it in the garage and of course for maintenance. Also installed new MC Motoparts 40mm drop footpegs. These things are infinitely adjustable for sure, but as others have stated, not so sure I like how the "riser" part sticks out and sometimes hooks your boots. I'll get used to them I'm sure.

 

[milesprwr]

Changed the chain (DID VX3) and sprockets (JT). The existing sprockets probably could go another round but I don't have any data on how old they were so went with new ones.

I can't find the old thread but I also observed the front sprocket cover had a rough spot that wore away the wire cover that was rubbing up against it as well. I wrapped with electrical tape and zip ties it away from the rough patch.

 

[the Ferret]

Day 243...a 48 mile ride with Mrs Ferret on her X Max @ 75 degrees and overcast

 

[ewen]

Sent off the log book and keys to the salvagers today. Officially no longer an NC700s owner.

 

[salishmoto]

Well, did my first ride on my new Wilbers rear shock yesterday and it's really a great change. Much smoother, way less bouncy, just more planted. I'm happy. I was thinking, wouldn't it be interesting if the manufacturers had some way to customize bikes based on our size? Fancy new bikes do that with electronic suspension, but on a basic bike like the NC, it would still be cool if you could order it with springs for a 200lb rider or a 120lb rider.

 

[the Ferret]

Day 244...Thursday lunch with the family followed by a country ride of 101 miles @ 72 degrees and overcast with a few light sprinkles

Family seems to like NC's lol

a 23 DCT, a 19 manual, and my 21 DCT

 

[vinay]

Last Sunday I did a driver training, the VRO1 which is typically the first one to take after getting your drivers license. It was on the RDW testtrack, so the track of the Netherlands Vehicle Authority. In my group I was actually the one who had his drivers license the shortest (I got it last May 16th) and most had it for years if not decades. Several drivers redo this same training every few years. So I was surprised to see I had least issues with the slow speed tech stuff, though obviously the NC750X is inherently easy to drive compared to the racer and the big all-roads. Though obviously those others were quicker to accelerate.


It was good to get to know the bike a bit better on a closed track and learn what it is capable of. Here rolling over an old tire.


As you could see in the back of the previous picture, the track has a big oval for endurance testing. Nearly two decades ago we went there to test a self-built solar racing car for a race in Australia but they also use it for testing big trucks. In the upper loop you can basically stay perpendicular to the tarmac if you drive 120km/h. I don't think I was going much faster here but as you can see by the blinkers, I'm tilting the bike to shift to a lower lane. It was fun to drive up there though but I now also realize why the suspension felt so harsh. Obviously when pulling about 2G (which you have when tilted 60deg in a horizontal turn) the entire suspension is deeper in the travel where everything is stiffer.


The discussion is probably for a different place. As a mountainbiker, I prefer to tilt the bike deeper in the corner and keep my body more upright. Obviously mountainbike tires are designed to have better cornering grip when tilted by using a softer compound, different siping and taller knobbies. Obviously knobbies don't make sense on the road as they won't deform the tarmac, but the siping and the different compounds still apply. At least on my tires (Dunlop Mutant). However, other drivers and the instructor commented that it would be better to stay more centered over the bike (so to move along with the bike and not tilt the bike this deep) as the center has better cornering grip than the off-center, according to them. I was a little baffled as it seems odd for me for a tire manufacturer to design a tire as such. If this were true, by the point you'd be tapping into this region of the tire patch with their recommended technique, you'd actually be requesting more cornering grip than I need here. So the other way around, if one wouldn't slide out using their technique you most definitely wouldn't using mine. Unless you tip it over the edge of the tire tread. But by then I'd already be warned by my foot rubbing the tar. My other reason to corner like this is that I feel it is much easier to correct my path if needed.

But yeah it was fun. I don't expect I'll redo VRO1 as I didn't have any trouble with any of the exercises but luckily there is still more than enough to learn. There is a VRO2, there is a VRO for cornering, danger recognition in traffic, practice on the race track, off-road... In november I'll do a series of technical trainings (so wrenching on motorbikes) and I expect the next workshop I'll do will be a trials workshop somewhere this fall or winter. Won't be on this bike obviously (nor will the wrenching workshop be) but I'm happy to learn how easy my bike was to handle in the precise stuff in general.

 

[dduelin]

So I bought a Corbin seat for the 2023 about a month ago. Ive done 1500kms now and I can say I like it!
Its firm but I knew thats what I prefer from all the things I tried up to now. But its wider and better contoured than stock. Now I can ride for 3 hours easily non stop. Yes, the butt can get a bit tired but I'm not in agony anymore. They aren't for everyone but if you like a firmer saddle, it might be the answer. Shipping to Canada was quick and painless. I opted for saddle only. The pillion seat is now hard to close but its easy to fix. I just havent bothered yet. Too busy riding now!

I have a Corbin on my 2013 and I get along real well with it. It's about as soft as a bus stop bench but due to the support from the shape & form it works great for me. I tend to like firm seats.

 

[dduelin]

Last Sunday I did a driver training, the VRO1 which is typically the first one to take after getting your drivers license. It was on the RDW testtrack, so the track of the Netherlands Vehicle Authority. In my group I was actually the one who had his drivers license the shortest (I got it last May 16th) and most had it for years if not decades. Several drivers redo this same training every few years. So I was surprised to see I had least issues with the slow speed tech stuff, though obviously the NC750X is inherently easy to drive compared to the racer and the big all-roads. Though obviously those others were quicker to accelerate.

View attachment 117015
It was good to get to know the bike a bit better on a closed track and learn what it is capable of. Here rolling over an old tire.

View attachment 117016
As you could see in the back of the previous picture, the track has a big oval for endurance testing. Nearly two decades ago we went there to test a self-built solar racing car for a race in Australia but they also use it for testing big trucks. In the upper loop you can basically stay perpendicular to the tarmac if you drive 120km/h. I don't think I was going much faster here but as you can see by the blinkers, I'm tilting the bike to shift to a lower lane. It was fun to drive up there though but I now also realize why the suspension felt so harsh. Obviously when pulling about 2G (which you have when tilted 60deg in a horizontal turn) the entire suspension is deeper in the travel where everything is stiffer.

View attachment 117017
The discussion is probably for a different place. As a mountainbiker, I prefer to tilt the bike deeper in the corner and keep my body more upright. Obviously mountainbike tires are designed to have better cornering grip when tilted by using a softer compound, different siping and taller knobbies. Obviously knobbies don't make sense on the road as they won't deform the tarmac, but the siping and the different compounds still apply. At least on my tires (Dunlop Mutant). However, other drivers and the instructor commented that it would be better to stay more centered over the bike (so to move along with the bike and not tilt the bike this deep) as the center has better cornering grip than the off-center, according to them. I was a little baffled as it seems odd for me for a tire manufacturer to design a tire as such. If this were true, by the point you'd be tapping into this region of the tire patch with their recommended technique, you'd actually be requesting more cornering grip than I need here. So the other way around, if one wouldn't slide out using their technique you most definitely wouldn't using mine. Unless you tip it over the edge of the tire tread. But by then I'd already be warned by my foot rubbing the tar. My other reason to corner like this is that I feel it is much easier to correct my path if needed.

But yeah it was fun. I don't expect I'll redo VRO1 as I didn't have any trouble with any of the exercises but luckily there is still more than enough to learn. There is a VRO2, there is a VRO for cornering, danger recognition in traffic, practice on the race track, off-road... In november I'll do a series of technical trainings (so wrenching on motorbikes) and I expect the next workshop I'll do will be a trials workshop somewhere this fall or winter. Won't be on this bike obviously (nor will the wrenching workshop be) but I'm happy to learn how easy my bike was to handle in the precise stuff in general.

I like to take refresher riding courses every year or two and I've been riding more than 5 decades. In the USA such refresher or advanced level riding courses are purely at the rider's discretion. Bad habits creep back in and it never hurts to let an instructor or professional point out what I can improve. Too many riders ride 40 or 50 years with skills self taught or learned from from a friend or family member in the first year. In regards to leaning the bike under us or staying upright in corners I kind of got lost in your comments. Leaning the bike under us or torso upright and outside of the bike's vertical axis is an off-road (dirt bike) cornering technique and keeping the bike more upright and the rider's torso in-line with or leaned inside of the bike's vertical axis is a preferred street cornering technique. This conserves lean angle for surprises seen only after committing to the corner or for reserving lean angle for decreasing radius turns that require more lean while in the corner to tighten up the arc of turn. Losing tire traction and lowsiding in a turn is a minor reason for accident but plenty of riders "fear the lean" and if they end up touching a boot or hard metal part to the pavement the surprise and fear makes them stand the bike up and fail to complete the turn. They run off road and collide with fixed objects or terrain. Failure to complete a turn and going off the pavement is a large amount of single vehicle motorcycle accidents.

I believe an interesting foot note to the above is that mammals do not naturally exceed about 22 degrees of lean angle when running in a circle or arc or when ascending or descending inclined surfaces. This is an evolutionary response based on the coefficient of friction of natural surfaces. Humans retain this response. As such motorcycle riders have to learn to lean beyond 22 degrees as it is not a natural occurrence prior to rider training, self taught or otherwise. This and more are explored in detail in the book The Upper Half Of The Motorcycle on The Unity Of Bike And Rider by behavioral psychologist and rider Bernt Spiegel. A good read but definitely nerd adjacent.

 

[potter0o]

Last Sunday I did a driver training, the VRO1 which is typically the first one to take after getting your drivers license. It was on the RDW testtrack, so the track of the Netherlands Vehicle Authority. In my group I was actually the one who had his drivers license the shortest (I got it last May 16th) and most had it for years if not decades. Several drivers redo this same training every few years. So I was surprised to see I had least issues with the slow speed tech stuff, though obviously the NC750X is inherently easy to drive compared to the racer and the big all-roads. Though obviously those others were quicker to accelerate.

View attachment 117015
It was good to get to know the bike a bit better on a closed track and learn what it is capable of. Here rolling over an old tire.

View attachment 117016
As you could see in the back of the previous picture, the track has a big oval for endurance testing. Nearly two decades ago we went there to test a self-built solar racing car for a race in Australia but they also use it for testing big trucks. In the upper loop you can basically stay perpendicular to the tarmac if you drive 120km/h. I don't think I was going much faster here but as you can see by the blinkers, I'm tilting the bike to shift to a lower lane. It was fun to drive up there though but I now also realize why the suspension felt so harsh. Obviously when pulling about 2G (which you have when tilted 60deg in a horizontal turn) the entire suspension is deeper in the travel where everything is stiffer.

View attachment 117017
The discussion is probably for a different place. As a mountainbiker, I prefer to tilt the bike deeper in the corner and keep my body more upright. Obviously mountainbike tires are designed to have better cornering grip when tilted by using a softer compound, different siping and taller knobbies. Obviously knobbies don't make sense on the road as they won't deform the tarmac, but the siping and the different compounds still apply. At least on my tires (Dunlop Mutant). However, other drivers and the instructor commented that it would be better to stay more centered over the bike (so to move along with the bike and not tilt the bike this deep) as the center has better cornering grip than the off-center, according to them. I was a little baffled as it seems odd for me for a tire manufacturer to design a tire as such. If this were true, by the point you'd be tapping into this region of the tire patch with their recommended technique, you'd actually be requesting more cornering grip than I need here. So the other way around, if one wouldn't slide out using their technique you most definitely wouldn't using mine. Unless you tip it over the edge of the tire tread. But by then I'd already be warned by my foot rubbing the tar. My other reason to corner like this is that I feel it is much easier to correct my path if needed.

But yeah it was fun. I don't expect I'll redo VRO1 as I didn't have any trouble with any of the exercises but luckily there is still more than enough to learn. There is a VRO2, there is a VRO for cornering, danger recognition in traffic, practice on the race track, off-road... In november I'll do a series of technical trainings (so wrenching on motorbikes) and I expect the next workshop I'll do will be a trials workshop somewhere this fall or winter. Won't be on this bike obviously (nor will the wrenching workshop be) but I'm happy to learn how easy my bike was to handle in the precise stuff in general.

I miss a good training class. It has been too long...
The training that I have done would describe leaning the bike as counterbalance steering. I think there there are pros and cons to it. I find it very effective for low speed maneuvers. I would say the disadvantage would be the angle of the bike brings the pegs closer to the ground. Compared to leaning off the bike like track riding to get more turn out of the machine with less lean angle. Less lean angle=larger contact patch=more traction=more braking and acceleration. There is more to each with the consequences if traction is lost. Hopefully that provides a good/different perspective and explanation

 

[Lee_0123]

Started the ride to the retirees breakfast in a mist that change to a light rain, after breakfast I road to the store to get a few things for dinner. They all fit in the frunk. Less than 20 miles all in the rain.

 

[the Ferret]

Nothing...Hurricane Helene has caused high winds, tons of rain, trees down, and our electricity out. I'm a pretty determined rider, but I'm not riding in this lol. First day I've missed riding due to weather since April 4th. If weather man is right might miss the next day or two as well. Hard to believe something so far away can cause such a mess weather wise.

Feel sorry for those in Florida and in the path of this storm. It's a bad one.

 

[vinay]

Thank you for your responses @dduelin and @potter0o! In order to not contaminate this thread, I copied the post and your responses to a new one and commented on them. Feel free to respond there!

 

[ljurgens]

Changed the oil and filters, added my drink holder, seat pad, grip puppies and an old wind defector.

 

[the Ferret]

Day 245 ... .after 2 days off due to the remnants of Hurricane Helene, I ventured out after dinner. The 3 1/2 inches of rain we got made the roads damp in most places. The main roads were pretty clear, but the back roads were still wet and leaf littered with snapped off trees laying on the edges here and there from the 60 mph wind gusts we got. Rode 35 miles @ 70 degrees with some very light sprinkles