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First long ride

Ron Doles

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Mar 30, 2021
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Location
Lewis Center, Ohio
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I got an 2012 NC700X with 8400 miles on it last week.

The previous owner had put engine guards, skid plate, radiator guard and hand guards on it. He replaced the original muffler with a Danmoto carbon fiber muffler. It came with the stock muffler in blister wrap as well. I didn't care for the sound of the new muffler and put the stock muffler back on. It had Continental street tires on it and he began to explain about types of 80-20 and 50-50 tires that I could get depending on how much I wanted to ride it off road. I rode dirt bikes a lot when I was younger but I told him that my off road days are now in the rear view mirror. From the looks of the bike, he never took it off road either.

The weather finally improved and I was able to go for my first good ride yesterday. I live in Columbus, Oh and set out to see my brother and his wife who live near Akron.

It is a little over a 200 mile round trip. My choices were I71 which is 2 hours of boring superslab or SR3 instead. SR3 is mostly good road through beautiful farm country with some hilly areas. Along the journey is Sunbury, Centerburg, Mt. Vernon, Loudenville and Wooster plus 5 smaller communities. It is a way more scenic and relaxed route.

It was cool enough when I left that I just grabbed a pair of gloves out of the closet and my throttle hand started cramping after about 40 miles. The smooth gloves that I chose forced me to have to grip the throttle too hard. It didn't help that I have a little arthritis and managed to break a few knuckles over the years. I stopped in Mt. Vernon at a Honda shop along the main drag and bought a throttle lock. Problem solved. Without the gloves, cramping on the way home wasn't a problem.

I missed the usual petroleum smell from oil wells north of Mt Vernon that I remembered from previous trips up SR3. What took it's place was the smell of manure that the farmers had spread on the fields for most of the trip. I also encountered my first swarms of bugs. I thought that it was too early in the season for bugs. My half, face shield was covered with bugs when I got to Akron. They were bigger than gnats and they stung when they hit my chin or lips. Maybe it had to do with bugs hatching out of the manure, not a pleasant thought. I didn't need lunch after snacking on so many bugs.

I did encounter a low flying ultralight airplane flying parallel to me for a couple of miles. We waved at each other. I wished that I was him. That was a first for me.

I am 6' 2" tall and the short windshield will need to be replaced with something taller. I felt like I was speaking into a leaf blower at times.

The posted speed limit for much of the trip is 55 mph and I tried to maintain 60 mph for those parts. The engine seems to be happy when I kept it between 3,000 and 4,000 rpm which meant 5th gear on a couple of longer hills but top gear for most of the way. This is my first fuel injected bike and I like the easy start and linear throttle response whether the engine is hot or cold.

I just sold my 77 naked Goldwing which had finicky CV carburetors and was really cold blooded. You had to let it warm up for about 5 minutes before driving off. The GW was 1,000 cc's, 80 hp @ 9,000 rpm and a couple hundred pounds heavier. It was a hoot to ride fast which was going to get me hurt and it was beginning to be a problem for my knees. I believe that this bike is a better all round commuter bike.

I got 69 mpg on my first tank. It is a little awkward getting the fuel filler nozzle under the raised seat but you probably develop a technique for that.

I am 72 and am usually in pain (butt burn) after a 2 hour ride but the riding position and the stock seat are pretty good. I was ready to take a break but not in pain when I arrived.

All in all, a good visit and a great ride on a beautiful day. I think that the NC and I am really going to get along well together.
 
Thanks for telling us your detailed ride story; I almost felt like I was riding along with you. May you have many good miles on your NC!
 
Good story. SR 3 is a nice road, I ride it when heading back home from Iron Pony Motorsports near Westerville.
 
Welcome Ron, and congrats on what sounds like a fun ride. Don't tell anybody but we have some great roads in southern Ohio from 70 south to the river, west into Clermont county about 35 miles east of Cincinnati
 
Welcome Ron, and congrats on what sounds like a fun ride. Don't tell anybody but we have some great roads in southern Ohio from 70 south to the river, west into Clermont county about 35 miles east of Cincinnati
I like going over to south eastern Ohio; riding OH 555 up to Zanesville, than OH60 back down to Marietta, then Hwy 7 west to Chesapeake where it connects to US52 back to Cincinnatti...that is a long 2 days of riding....(from Scottsburg Indiana)...with an overnight somewhere along the route.
 
I like going over to south eastern Ohio; riding OH 555 up to Zanesville, than OH60 back down to Marietta, then Hwy 7 west to Chesapeake where it connects to US52 back to Cincinnatti...that is a long 2 days of riding....(from Scottsburg Indiana)...with an overnight somewhere along the route.
When in Zanesville try Grilling Dave’s style on Linden if you like good BBQ. Their ribs are awesome
 
I'm finally seeing there are other NCs in the Cbus area! I live in Gahanna and have never seen another one anywhere. As far as windshields, I have 3 including the stock. I just can't seem to find that sweet spot. Even just spent $135 on an adjustable bracket from Palmer in the UK. It raises the shield and puts it further from the bike slightly, with loads of angles and heights, but now air rushes underneath the shield. Better than on my head, but if I wanted a "naked" bike I'd get one.
 
I got an 2012 NC700X with 8400 miles on it last week.

The previous owner had put engine guards, skid plate, radiator guard and hand guards on it. He replaced the original muffler with a Danmoto carbon fiber muffler. It came with the stock muffler in blister wrap as well. I didn't care for the sound of the new muffler and put the stock muffler back on. It had Continental street tires on it and he began to explain about types of 80-20 and 50-50 tires that I could get depending on how much I wanted to ride it off road. I rode dirt bikes a lot when I was younger but I told him that my off road days are now in the rear view mirror. From the looks of the bike, he never took it off road either.

The weather finally improved and I was able to go for my first good ride yesterday. I live in Columbus, Oh and set out to see my brother and his wife who live near Akron.

It is a little over a 200 mile round trip. My choices were I71 which is 2 hours of boring superslab or SR3 instead. SR3 is mostly good road through beautiful farm country with some hilly areas. Along the journey is Sunbury, Centerburg, Mt. Vernon, Loudenville and Wooster plus 5 smaller communities. It is a way more scenic and relaxed route.

It was cool enough when I left that I just grabbed a pair of gloves out of the closet and my throttle hand started cramping after about 40 miles. The smooth gloves that I chose forced me to have to grip the throttle too hard. It didn't help that I have a little arthritis and managed to break a few knuckles over the years. I stopped in Mt. Vernon at a Honda shop along the main drag and bought a throttle lock. Problem solved. Without the gloves, cramping on the way home wasn't a problem.

I missed the usual petroleum smell from oil wells north of Mt Vernon that I remembered from previous trips up SR3. What took it's place was the smell of manure that the farmers had spread on the fields for most of the trip. I also encountered my first swarms of bugs. I thought that it was too early in the season for bugs. My half, face shield was covered with bugs when I got to Akron. They were bigger than gnats and they stung when they hit my chin or lips. Maybe it had to do with bugs hatching out of the manure, not a pleasant thought. I didn't need lunch after snacking on so many bugs.

I did encounter a low flying ultralight airplane flying parallel to me for a couple of miles. We waved at each other. I wished that I was him. That was a first for me.

I am 6' 2" tall and the short windshield will need to be replaced with something taller. I felt like I was speaking into a leaf blower at times.

The posted speed limit for much of the trip is 55 mph and I tried to maintain 60 mph for those parts. The engine seems to be happy when I kept it between 3,000 and 4,000 rpm which meant 5th gear on a couple of longer hills but top gear for most of the way. This is my first fuel injected bike and I like the easy start and linear throttle response whether the engine is hot or cold.

I just sold my 77 naked Goldwing which had finicky CV carburetors and was really cold blooded. You had to let it warm up for about 5 minutes before driving off. The GW was 1,000 cc's, 80 hp @ 9,000 rpm and a couple hundred pounds heavier. It was a hoot to ride fast which was going to get me hurt and it was beginning to be a problem for my knees. I believe that this bike is a better all round commuter bike.

I got 69 mpg on my first tank. It is a little awkward getting the fuel filler nozzle under the raised seat but you probably develop a technique for that.

I am 72 and am usually in pain (butt burn) after a 2 hour ride but the riding position and the stock seat are pretty good. I was ready to take a break but not in pain when I arrived.

All in all, a good visit and a great ride on a beautiful day. I think that the NC and I am really going to get along well together.
Thanks for the report. I'm also coming directly from a '77 naked GL1000, so it's interesting to hear your comparison. Gas mileage, low maintenance costs, and low price were big factors for me buying an NC. I'm still adjusting to the very low RPMs while driving. Agreed, between 3,000 and 4,000 feels just about right, but it seems like a lot of people on the board run even lower revs. I'm still experimenting.

And while the Goldwing's fake tank storage wasn't as big as the frunk, I did get spoiled by the convenience of having a handy place to keep a few things.
 
I got an 2012 NC700X with 8400 miles on it last week.

The previous owner had put engine guards, skid plate, radiator guard and hand guards on it. He replaced the original muffler with a Danmoto carbon fiber muffler. It came with the stock muffler in blister wrap as well. I didn't care for the sound of the new muffler and put the stock muffler back on. It had Continental street tires on it and he began to explain about types of 80-20 and 50-50 tires that I could get depending on how much I wanted to ride it off road. I rode dirt bikes a lot when I was younger but I told him that my off road days are now in the rear view mirror. From the looks of the bike, he never took it off road either.

The weather finally improved and I was able to go for my first good ride yesterday. I live in Columbus, Oh and set out to see my brother and his wife who live near Akron.

It is a little over a 200 mile round trip. My choices were I71 which is 2 hours of boring superslab or SR3 instead. SR3 is mostly good road through beautiful farm country with some hilly areas. Along the journey is Sunbury, Centerburg, Mt. Vernon, Loudenville and Wooster plus 5 smaller communities. It is a way more scenic and relaxed route.

It was cool enough when I left that I just grabbed a pair of gloves out of the closet and my throttle hand started cramping after about 40 miles. The smooth gloves that I chose forced me to have to grip the throttle too hard. It didn't help that I have a little arthritis and managed to break a few knuckles over the years. I stopped in Mt. Vernon at a Honda shop along the main drag and bought a throttle lock. Problem solved. Without the gloves, cramping on the way home wasn't a problem.

I missed the usual petroleum smell from oil wells north of Mt Vernon that I remembered from previous trips up SR3. What took it's place was the smell of manure that the farmers had spread on the fields for most of the trip. I also encountered my first swarms of bugs. I thought that it was too early in the season for bugs. My half, face shield was covered with bugs when I got to Akron. They were bigger than gnats and they stung when they hit my chin or lips. Maybe it had to do with bugs hatching out of the manure, not a pleasant thought. I didn't need lunch after snacking on so many bugs.

I did encounter a low flying ultralight airplane flying parallel to me for a couple of miles. We waved at each other. I wished that I was him. That was a first for me.

I am 6' 2" tall and the short windshield will need to be replaced with something taller. I felt like I was speaking into a leaf blower at times.

The posted speed limit for much of the trip is 55 mph and I tried to maintain 60 mph for those parts. The engine seems to be happy when I kept it between 3,000 and 4,000 rpm which meant 5th gear on a couple of longer hills but top gear for most of the way. This is my first fuel injected bike and I like the easy start and linear throttle response whether the engine is hot or cold.

I just sold my 77 naked Goldwing which had finicky CV carburetors and was really cold blooded. You had to let it warm up for about 5 minutes before driving off. The GW was 1,000 cc's, 80 hp @ 9,000 rpm and a couple hundred pounds heavier. It was a hoot to ride fast which was going to get me hurt and it was beginning to be a problem for my knees. I believe that this bike is a better all round commuter bike.

I got 69 mpg on my first tank. It is a little awkward getting the fuel filler nozzle under the raised seat but you probably develop a technique for that.

I am 72 and am usually in pain (butt burn) after a 2 hour ride but the riding position and the stock seat are pretty good. I was ready to take a break but not in pain when I arrived.

All in all, a good visit and a great ride on a beautiful day. I think that the NC and I am really going to get along well together.
It's always been my impression, which I'd love to have confirmed, that the body of a carbon fibre pipe doesn't get as hot as the stock stainless: an advantage if you ever want to throw a set of soft bags over the pillion seat. Madstad makes a nice adjustable aftermarket screen but paint the bottom third black to kill reflection from the headlight. I used plasti-dip on the inside of mine for a rough, non-reflective texture. Enjoy!
 
I like going over to south eastern Ohio; riding OH 555 up to Zanesville, than OH60 back down to Marietta, then Hwy 7 west to Chesapeake where it connects to US52 back to Cincinnatti...that is a long 2 days of riding....(from Scottsburg Indiana)...with an overnight somewhere along the route.
Great ride report Ron. Love Ohio, especially Berlin. We try to go every year. Was born in Cleveland, moved when I was 4 to Florida. Will be 71 in September.
I also am enjoying my new NC750 X DCT. I have 165 miles on the bike, & appreciate all the features of the bike. Thanks again for the great ride report.
 
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