Some one explained to me my bike has no power.

[Russell733]

I had another 700 Honda way back, 1984 CB700SC that was 81 HP and much faster accellerating then the NC, but now at 55 I am just as happy with the NC. I actually bought it because it was a lot like the old Nighthawk S with the low center of gravity so it feels lighter or more nimble.

And having the quiet bike can be an advantage. I drive past people out in their yards doing 20 MPH over the speed limit, and no one even turns and looks. Do the same speed on a louder sport bike and you are going to get lots of angry glances and stares because it sounds like you are going fast. I like not making people mad and still having fun on the backroads.

 

[Daboo]

I look at hp on motorcycles and how much you "need" in respect to the cars I've owned. My second car was a 66 VW Beetle. It had a 1300 cc engine that put out @50 hp. (Today, many motorcycles have engines that large or larger.) I got it up to 87 mph once on a slight downhill stretch. I was able to put all my new wife's and my belongings in it and travel from Seattle to Denver and back....on the freeway no less!

Later, I owned an 84 Mazda 626 LTS, the top of the line Mazda back then. It had a 2000 a engine that put out a whooping 87 hp. That car also was driven cross-country... again, on the freeway!

So when people say you need at least 1000 ccs or 100 hp to safely go on the freeway, I just shake my head. Why? So you can pop a wheelie at 120 mph? When the speed limit is 60 mph? Or so I can pass safely? I passed other vehicles on both of those cars and they weighed considerably more than a motorcycle.

l was asked with my previous bike, how fast it would go. An answer I gave was, "It will get up to killing speed just fine. What you do with it then, is up to you."

Chris

 

[Cigar Mike]

I am very happy with the power output. It could be more but the mileage would be less. I have found that the power is plenty enough to go down the freeway at over 75 fully loaded with camping gear into a headwind and still get over 65 mpg. We did exactly that on our trip from Denver to Santa Fe NM, That works for me.

 

[zirconx]

I am very happy with the power output. It could be more but the mileage would be less. I have found that the power is plenty enough to go down the freeway at over 75 fully loaded with camping gear into a headwind and still get over 65 mpg. We did exactly that on our trip from Denver to Santa Fe NM, That works for me.

Wow, that sounds great. I hope mine gets that good mileage someday. I just went on a camping trip last weekend, with a lot of traveling on the freeway around 75 mph. My MPG on freeway legs was in the low 50's. On one backroad around 50mph I got 69mpg though.

 

[Antarius]

I get about 55mpg at 75mph. I average 65mpg if I ride 65-68mph.

 

[VE258]

One can look at the things from another perspective-it still can go 0-60 in 5 sec. Faster than most of the cars and only 1-2 secs away from all those fancy and expensive sports bikes.

 

[fratermus]

Slow compared to virtually anything on the road, once you get above 60 miles per hour. It falls flat on its face, and anyone not willing to admit that is, well, lying to themselves.

That statement seems... testable.

Here are the the numbers dduelin referred to earlier:

Passing: 40 to 60 mph 6.9 seconds, 60 to 80 in 8.9 seconds on the NC700X.
" " : 30 to 50 mph 11.2 seconds, 50 to 70 in 11.1 seconds in the Acura TL.
" " : 30 to 50 mph 10.1 seconds, 50 to 70 in 9.3 seconds in a BMW 330i .

It seems unlikely that the Acura TL and BMW 330i are the slowest and second-slowest vehicle on the roads, and the NC beats them as third-slowest.

 

[SergeantChuck]

One can look at the things from another perspective-it still can go 0-60 in 5 sec. Faster than most of the cars and only 1-2 secs away from all those fancy and expensive sports bikes.

2012 Honda NC700X DCT ABS 0-60 mph 5.4 Quarter Mile 14.3
2013 Honda NC700X 0-60 mph 4.9 Quarter Mile 13.9

2012 Honda CB1000RR 0-60 mph 2.6 Quarter Mile 9.8
2013 Honda CBR600 RR C-ABS 0-60 mph 2.8 Quarter Mile 11.0

Motorcycle 0-60 & Quarter Mile Times | Kawasaki, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, BMW, Aprilla 0 to 60 Acceleration Sports Bike Specs & More!

Closer to three seconds. I'm sure you've ridden a sport bike. You really can't compare. It is quite a difference. Is it slow compared to anything on the road? Nah. I do have to slightly agree with the comment about once you get over 60mph. I don't have the confidence in this bike like I did my CBR to aggressively navigate conjested freeway traffic. Just a fact but I love the bike for what it is.

 

[pprior]

One can look at the things from another perspective-it still can go 0-60 in 5 sec. Faster than most of the cars and only 1-2 secs away from all those fancy and expensive sports bikes.

When I was young a Ferrari testarossa cost $220,000 (probably over a million in today's inflation destroyed dollars) was one of the fastest super cars in the world, and did 0-60 in a rad over 5 seconds. I don't think anything that can stay even close to that performance can be considered slow personally...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[We Go Ga]

My old ride: Honda Pacific Coast. 1994. 580 lbs dry wt. 46-48hp. 45-50mpg 7500 rpm redline
New ride: NC700x. 2012. 480 lbs wet wt. 48hp. 65-70mpg. 6500 rpm redline
Same horsepower and over 100lbs lighter=a more nimble and somewhat quicker bike.Neither are "rocket ships" And the 6500rpm redline is not an issue. Plus the NCX is several generations ahead in technology. But I do miss the hydraulic valve train and shaft drive.
CONCLUSION : I am very happy with the NCX

 

[JMark]

The NC is slow compared to a friend's weestrom (the bike I actually wanted), but this thing was thousands less, and after all the additions I'm still in the bike less than a new weestrom. It gets almost twice the gas mileage too. Now for fun I do have the FJ1100, its got enough pep, and easily abused. I was hot rodding around last year and came into an unexpected switchback corner and couldn't slow down enough to make the turn, locked the wheels up and went down. Took me a year to get the nerves back to ride it, and I ride it easy these days. The NC is more fun I think, my '79 gs550e has always been a ton of fun to ride, something about that "more fun to ride a slow bike fast than to ride a fast bike slow" thing.

The weestrom is the main bike I compared with the NC when I was trying to decide what to buy. The weestrom is a very nice bike that really got my adrenaline pumping - lots of fun, but I could foresee getting myself in trouble with that extra power. So I elected to go with the lower cost, lower center of gravity, better mileage of the NC700X. And I'm so glad I did.

Musicman says the NC is slow in comparison. I know the weestrom does have more hp, and it certainly feels more powerful. But IMHO, for my riding style, my NC has plenty of power and acceleration. It is exactly the kind of nightmarish "unexpected switchback" scenario Musicman describes while hot-rodding on his FJ1100 that makes me very happy with my NC.

For me, my NC is certainly not slow. I'm not the adrenaline junkie I used to be in my younger years, but I do get a kick out of carving up switchbacks in the Ozarks and zipping around commuter traffic, which are missions my NC accomplishes admirably, and within my personal comfort zone.

I think we all know the bike has plenty of lower-end torque, and that's one thing that makes it so much fun to ride. But even though many bikes have more powerful high ends, I have to say I'm pleased with my NC in that department too. That extra high-end power comes at a cost. In my view, that cost is way too high to gain an extra edge in something I rarely use. On the occasions when I do need high-end power, my NC has always come through for me admirably.

Just a couple weeks ago I rode to Little Rock and back, on the freeway - started out at 70 mph. After riding for about 15 minutes I realized I was going 85, so I slowed it back down. A couple times I needed to get around an annoying 18-wheeler going 70 - I quickly accelerated from 70 to 85 and passed him authoritatively. I had a big smile on my face. Could a weestrom or ST1300 have done it more quickly? If you put a stopwatch on it, I'm sure the answer would be yes. But my passing time on my NC felt plenty quick to me.

Oh, and I got 70 mpg on that trip, going at least 70 mph all the way - probably averaging more like 75. Doing strictly city riding I get around 60 mpg consistently. But on day trips on 2-lane roads around north-central Arkansas riding 55-60, I usually get at least 80 mpg. And THAT puts a REALLY big smile on my face.

 

[VE258]

2012 Honda NC700X DCT ABS 0-60 mph 5.4 Quarter Mile 14.3
2013 Honda NC700X 0-60 mph 4.9 Quarter Mile 13.9

2012 Honda CB1000RR 0-60 mph 2.6 Quarter Mile 9.8
2013 Honda CBR600 RR C-ABS 0-60 mph 2.8 Quarter Mile 11.0

Motorcycle 0-60 & Quarter Mile Times | Kawasaki, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, BMW, Aprilla 0 to 60 Acceleration Sports Bike Specs & More!

Closer to three seconds. I'm sure you've ridden a sport bike. You really can't compare. It is quite a difference. Is it slow compared to anything on the road? Nah. I do have to slightly agree with the comment about once you get over 60mph. I don't have the confidence in this bike like I did my CBR to aggressively navigate conjested freeway traffic. Just a fact but I love the bike for what it is.

sure. i also use to have CBR. it's a fantastic bike,but i can only ride on it more or less comfortably for about 45-60 min

 

[SergeantChuck]

Oh, and I got 70 mpg on that trip, going at least 70 mph all the way - probably averaging more like 75. Doing strictly city riding I get around 60 mpg consistently. But on day trips on 2-lane roads around north-central Arkansas riding 55-60, I usually get at least 80 mpg. And THAT puts a REALLY big smile on my face.

Hey, Welcome to the forum and I'll say congrats on the bike not knowing when you got it. I live in Cabot. Just down the street. I'll be in Searcy this weekend at the dealer around 2PM.

 

[JMark]

Hey, Welcome to the forum and I'll say congrats on the bike not knowing when you got it. I live in Cabot. Just down the street. I'll be in Searcy this weekend at the dealer around 2PM.

Thanks Chuck! Bought my bike new in September 2012. Have thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll try to make it out to the dealer at 2 this Saturday and look for you!

 

[Bines]

Amen, I have the Honda NC700x and a Suzuki C50 Boulevard and the 'little' Honda will smoke my cruiser all day, any day, at any speed. I have made trips from Florida to Indiana doing 80-85 mph most of the way and had plenty of speed left. Now, it will get up to 90mph faster than the Boulevard, but it takes awhile for the Honda to get to 100mph (only did it once). The top end on the Boulevard used to be about 10mph faster, but with my luggage and big screen on it, the top end on both bikes are probably the same. Unless you are on an Interstate in Texas or flat track racing, you don't need a faster bike. The claim someone needs a faster bike to get out of trouble is baloney, no bike can go quicker from 0-60 (or faster) in a shorter distance than 60-0, not even the bmw s1000rr; slowing down, using proper braking techniques and watching all around you is better than trying to accelerate out of trouble...rant over.

I did some research on this a year or two ago and found the 700X was faster in normal acceleration (zero to 60, roll-on from 60 to 90??? mph) than a BMW 335 or Acura TL. I posted it in the forum but I'm not up to searching for it right now. I doubt your truck or the wife's Kia is up to the task you describe.

To your point, 48 rear wheel horsepower from a 470 lb middleweight motorcycle is well below the output of other bikes in this displacement range like the Yamaha R6 or Honda CBR600RR race replica sportbikes. On the other hand, 48 horsepower is quite a bit more than 650-750cc v twin middleweight cruisers like the 530 to 600 lb Honda Shadow, Boulevard C50 (805cc), Yamaha V-Star 650 make and 48 is still more than the Harley Davidson 883 and Yamaha Star Bolt (942cc) manage to put to the rear wheel and people don't really go around describing these bikes as "underpowered" so let's keep underpowered in perspective.

Honda did not design this engine for output per displacement rather efficiency per displacement and it that light there is really nothing in it's class except perhaps the old BMW 650 single and the Honda is much more refined and a much nicer rider experience. Even the BMW F650 wasn't described as underpowered. It's a 650 thumper and you don't compare that to higher revving triples and fours.

I've had motorcycles with lots less than 48 hp and some with a lot more. They are all fun even if they weren't the top performers in their classes.

Hello, 700 riders!

I've been researching the Honda 700s, and these comments gave me reason to create an account.

I'm coming off a 2005 Suzuki C50 Boulevard now. I've been pleased with its power. I'd say 90% pleased. Horsepower on it is reported to be 36 or 45, depending on who you read, and CCs are 800 to 819. It's 805 CC. 45 degree V-twin. Five speed. Fuel Injected. Liquid cooled. Shaft drive. Disc brake in front and a drum in the rear. It's a great bike. It's done all I've asked of it. Well, did. I crashed it. Too much lean too quickly. So, now I'm looking for a new bike, and had eyed these 700s when I saw them a few years ago.

DavidC83, you ride a C50. Can you compare its power and the 700 some more? I was looking for a little more power. A little more oomph. I rode the C50 at 60-75 MPH on my daily commute. It did it easily. It was okay at doing 80, and would do 110, indicated. It did not feel like it particularly enjoyed doing 110, but neither did I. I'm not looking to be a super sport rider or have a super sport bike. Daily commuting is the bulk of my motorcycle driving. I go off on a little jaunt now and then, and do a few poker runs a year. How is the power and overall performance compared against each other? How's 6th gear on the highway? A 6th gear was so wanted in the C50 that people would put C90 drives on them. It was kind of buzzy on the highway, but I didn't find it all that bad.

Thanks,
Bine.

Also, I had a Cobra exhaust and Cobra fuel manager on my C50. The Cobra equipment smoothed it out a little at highway speeds. I was getting high 40s to low 50s MPG stock. High 40s with the Cobra. It would still get 50ish if I stayed below 65 MPH.