Skeleton
New Member
This is my review of my new Honda NC750-S 2014, after one week.
For the past four years I have been riding two bikes: Yamaha FZ1-2010 (1000 cc) and Vespa GTS-2010 (300 cc). The Yamaha (fitted with high windscreen and luggage) was used for highway touring, while the Vespa was used for urban commuting. Both bikes performed well for me for those two distinct roles. Years before I rode a Yamaha FZ6-2006 (600 cc). However, I personally didn't want two separate bikes, so I recently looked for a single bike that could do well in both roles. This lead me to sell both bikes and move over to the NC750.
Honda designed this bike as an urban commuter, as reported on their website. Well, this is the BEST bike I have riden for that role. It beats my Vespa 300 on all counts except for nimbleness in slow speed turning (10 kph).
Honda has made the bike's engine large enough, with a relaxed steering geometry, to handle highway riding. The only shortcoming is the miniscule windscreen which results in expected loud wind noise.
The seat is fine for 2 hours of continuous riding. However, longer journeys lead to a sore butt. In fairness, this seat is on par with most other bikes with a similar geometry (standard geometry).
Below is a point-form review of the NC750, for what I consider to be "Better" and "Worse" compared to my two previous and different bikes. I also included "Improvements" which I might undertake to improve the bike to my liking.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Better
Engine
- Twin cylinders gives usable torque at slow engine speeds.
- Twin cylinders have lower rpm, resulting in quiet air box.
- Twin cylinders leaned forward, resulting in low center gravity.
- Engine displacement gives satisfactory power while respecting fuel economy.
Muffler
- Muffler is satisfactory for attenuating exhaust noise.
- Muffler is satisfactorily tuned for quality of sound note.
- Muffler brackets well positioned to prevent contact with foot heal.
Clutch
- No clunk when shifting.
- Smooth engagement of engine on take-off.
- Easy to find neutral gear when rolling to stop.
Gearing
- Gears are are well spaced for use in city and highway speeds.
Fuel
- High fuel economy (25 km/ltr).
- Long travel range (350 km).
- Low compression (10.5:1) uses regular gas (87 octane).
- Gas tank under seat lowers center of gravity.
Trunk
- Front trunk under faul-tank allows helmet and tools.
Brakes
- ABS system adds safety of wet roads.
- ABS system prevents skidding of rear brake.
Wheels
- Metzeler Z8 tires are very good for touring with satisfactory grip.
Suspension
- The suspension only allows pre-load adjustment, without damping adjustments.
- I don't think adjustable damping is necessary for this class of bike.
- The springs and damping are tuned for a softer 'comfort' ride.
Steering
- Low center of gravity results in easier u-turns.
- Easy turning.
- Upright handlebars result in better rider visibility.
- Upright handlebars allow slight rider lean to counter wind force.
Dash
- Meter for consumed fuel (ltr).
- Meter for rate of fuel comsumption (km/ltr).
- Meter for gear position.
Seat
- Seat is level, thus not necesitating additional padding.
- Lower seat (30") allows flat feet and bent knees at stop.
- Lower seat (30") allows walking bike on inclined slope.
Pegs
- Secondary pegs can be used for heal of rider's feet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Worse
Engine
- Pulses (only) when accelerating on high gear at lower rpm (3000).
Brakes
- Single disk instead of double requires stronger lever force.
- Single piston on rear brake requires stronger lever force.
Fuel
- Gas tank under seat demands removal of seat luggage when refueling.
Steering
- Longer trail and rake makes bike flop to side when turning at mid speed (25 kph).
- Bug deflector is missing on front forks, to protect exposed shock piston.
Windscreen
- No wind screen results in high noise from wind.
- No wind screen results in high force on chest and hands.
Seat
- Foam in seat becomes uncomfortable after 2 or 3 hours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Improvements
Fenders
- I added extensions to the front fender, to protect the radiator grill from mud.
- I added a rear fender flap, just behind the rear shock to protect it from mud.
Seat
- Replacing stock seat with a gel-based seat should improve comfort.
Pegs
- I might add 'highway pegs' to give comfort on long touring rides.
Windscreen
- Adding a taller screen 'might' reduce wind noise. However, this would deminish the beauty of this naked bike. Personally, I find the miniscule screen gorgeous; it also is perfect for urban riding.
- I found in previous experience that to adequately reduce wind noise, the taller wind screen needs to extend up to the height of the rider's nose. I don't think the NC750 front fairing would allow attachment of such a tall 'unstable' wind screen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ End
For the past four years I have been riding two bikes: Yamaha FZ1-2010 (1000 cc) and Vespa GTS-2010 (300 cc). The Yamaha (fitted with high windscreen and luggage) was used for highway touring, while the Vespa was used for urban commuting. Both bikes performed well for me for those two distinct roles. Years before I rode a Yamaha FZ6-2006 (600 cc). However, I personally didn't want two separate bikes, so I recently looked for a single bike that could do well in both roles. This lead me to sell both bikes and move over to the NC750.
Honda designed this bike as an urban commuter, as reported on their website. Well, this is the BEST bike I have riden for that role. It beats my Vespa 300 on all counts except for nimbleness in slow speed turning (10 kph).
Honda has made the bike's engine large enough, with a relaxed steering geometry, to handle highway riding. The only shortcoming is the miniscule windscreen which results in expected loud wind noise.
The seat is fine for 2 hours of continuous riding. However, longer journeys lead to a sore butt. In fairness, this seat is on par with most other bikes with a similar geometry (standard geometry).
Below is a point-form review of the NC750, for what I consider to be "Better" and "Worse" compared to my two previous and different bikes. I also included "Improvements" which I might undertake to improve the bike to my liking.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Better
Engine
- Twin cylinders gives usable torque at slow engine speeds.
- Twin cylinders have lower rpm, resulting in quiet air box.
- Twin cylinders leaned forward, resulting in low center gravity.
- Engine displacement gives satisfactory power while respecting fuel economy.
Muffler
- Muffler is satisfactory for attenuating exhaust noise.
- Muffler is satisfactorily tuned for quality of sound note.
- Muffler brackets well positioned to prevent contact with foot heal.
Clutch
- No clunk when shifting.
- Smooth engagement of engine on take-off.
- Easy to find neutral gear when rolling to stop.
Gearing
- Gears are are well spaced for use in city and highway speeds.
Fuel
- High fuel economy (25 km/ltr).
- Long travel range (350 km).
- Low compression (10.5:1) uses regular gas (87 octane).
- Gas tank under seat lowers center of gravity.
Trunk
- Front trunk under faul-tank allows helmet and tools.
Brakes
- ABS system adds safety of wet roads.
- ABS system prevents skidding of rear brake.
Wheels
- Metzeler Z8 tires are very good for touring with satisfactory grip.
Suspension
- The suspension only allows pre-load adjustment, without damping adjustments.
- I don't think adjustable damping is necessary for this class of bike.
- The springs and damping are tuned for a softer 'comfort' ride.
Steering
- Low center of gravity results in easier u-turns.
- Easy turning.
- Upright handlebars result in better rider visibility.
- Upright handlebars allow slight rider lean to counter wind force.
Dash
- Meter for consumed fuel (ltr).
- Meter for rate of fuel comsumption (km/ltr).
- Meter for gear position.
Seat
- Seat is level, thus not necesitating additional padding.
- Lower seat (30") allows flat feet and bent knees at stop.
- Lower seat (30") allows walking bike on inclined slope.
Pegs
- Secondary pegs can be used for heal of rider's feet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Worse
Engine
- Pulses (only) when accelerating on high gear at lower rpm (3000).
Brakes
- Single disk instead of double requires stronger lever force.
- Single piston on rear brake requires stronger lever force.
Fuel
- Gas tank under seat demands removal of seat luggage when refueling.
Steering
- Longer trail and rake makes bike flop to side when turning at mid speed (25 kph).
- Bug deflector is missing on front forks, to protect exposed shock piston.
Windscreen
- No wind screen results in high noise from wind.
- No wind screen results in high force on chest and hands.
Seat
- Foam in seat becomes uncomfortable after 2 or 3 hours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Improvements
Fenders
- I added extensions to the front fender, to protect the radiator grill from mud.
- I added a rear fender flap, just behind the rear shock to protect it from mud.
Seat
- Replacing stock seat with a gel-based seat should improve comfort.
Pegs
- I might add 'highway pegs' to give comfort on long touring rides.
Windscreen
- Adding a taller screen 'might' reduce wind noise. However, this would deminish the beauty of this naked bike. Personally, I find the miniscule screen gorgeous; it also is perfect for urban riding.
- I found in previous experience that to adequately reduce wind noise, the taller wind screen needs to extend up to the height of the rider's nose. I don't think the NC750 front fairing would allow attachment of such a tall 'unstable' wind screen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ End
