Ride home from dealer review

[yticolev]

Been looking for a windshield, but couldn't make up my mind because there were always too many compromises with the various options I found. I hadn't heard of Madstad, but can't find anything but positive reviews. So, unable to just wait for your review I ordered one too. I'm using the stock short screen now. The high position is better for me than the low, but it's not enough for long rides. Thanks for the heads-up on Madstad.

Did you discuss options with them? I'd recommend it, it doesn't cost any more. I didn't think the picture they posted on their site looked that good. Ideally, they would have their brackets fit directly on the Honda OEM windshield mounts, but the NC700X isn't high enough volume (yet anyway) to justify a single model bracket. I'd bet that if you wanted to make an adaptor between the OEM mounts and the brackets that it wouldn't be hard.

I think the major advantage with the Madstad is it should work no matter what. I didn't like the thought of having to buy sequential cheaper options (the tall Honda one is only $125 at 25% off at Rocky Mountain for example) to get a good fit that will likely cost even more. The Madstad was $290 shipped so I wouldn't be surprised if it is the most costly one out there. But less if you buy just the adjustable brackets and do your own fitting.

 

[yticolev]

Psssst!....It isn't a BMW.

I thought that on an owner's forum I wouldn't run into the common phenomenon on ADVriders of a $7,000 bike being criticized for not being a $10,000+ bike.

If you wanted a bike to be like your old BMW, maybe you should have gone to a BMW dealer.

I didn't want a BMW. Would you prefer a review from someone who has zero frame of reference? If I had come from another bike, that would have been my reference point. Don't hate me because I owned a BMW 30 years ago!

 

[kjang]

I thought of getting the bmw f700gs, but I wanted a dct and bmw doesn't have one
In fact, the bmw dealer keeps calling me trying to make a deal.

Ken

 

[Triumpher]

Welcome to the ride, and as we all know 30F is cold, no matter how old you are, and it just makes sense to admit it. I will also agree that the rear brake has that odd feeling of not working.
BigE

 

[Mycool]

Psssst!....It isn't a BMW.

I thought that on an owner's forum I wouldn't run into the common phenomenon on ADVriders of a $7,000 bike being criticized for not being a $10,000+ bike.

If you wanted a bike to be like your old BMW, maybe you should have gone to a BMW dealer.

Settle down cash...settle down.

 

[glenbo]

For any of you guys who think the ride of the NC is harsh, try 200 miles on a Harley-Davidson Sportster. They have all of 2 inches of travel in the rear shocks and will rattle your teeth if you run over a cigarette butt.

 

[backinsaddle]

I sold my 2004 BMW r1150rs. I've had two beemers and a punch of motorbikes from Japan. The beemer was heavy, not sure footed on sweeps of damp roads. It was terrible at slow speeds and in parking lots. I've had a Vstrom 1000 and liked the riding position and when I got nc700x... WOW! Riding is so much more fun now.
The bike is light and I have fun in the twisties and trips to the store. My shifting is smooth and confident. No issues at all. Your manual has the chain lash measurements and I've had no issue since new. Yes, I wish Honda would have put two disc brakes up front and improved back break, but overall I wish the nc700x was available years ago. Don't over think it, you bought a $7000 motorcycle that is great at what it does.

 

[Rocker66]

Hi Welcome from the UK. The NC may not be perfect (What bike is?) but I'm sure you will get to like it if you give it time

 

[ziggie]

A vstar 650 will rattle your teeth also.i love my nc

 

[dog]

Did you discuss options with them? I'd recommend it, it doesn't cost any more. I didn't think the picture they posted on their site looked that good. Ideally, they would have their brackets fit directly on the Honda OEM windshield mounts, but the NC700X isn't high enough volume (yet anyway) to justify a single model bracket. I'd bet that if you wanted to make an adaptor between the OEM mounts and the brackets that it wouldn't be hard.

I think the major advantage with the Madstad is it should work no matter what. I didn't like the thought of having to buy sequential cheaper options (the tall Honda one is only $125 at 25% off at Rocky Mountain for example) to get a good fit that will likely cost even more. The Madstad was $290 shipped so I wouldn't be surprised if it is the most costly one out there. But less if you buy just the adjustable brackets and do your own fitting.

No, just hit their website and ordered the 20" clear. With those robo-bracket things I'm fairly sure I'll be able to adjust it to whatever works for me. I had seen just too many posts about people trying windshield after windshield, sending them back for mods, cutting them themselves, etc..., that I froze up on the decision. The main thing that I did have a concern about was whether their acrylic is DOT approved for windshields. Thought about contacting them about that, but decided it wouldn't be a deal breaker for me in any case, so why bother.

Actually, I like the adapter plate as it appears to protect the instrument panel area and would provide a smooth surface for the venting air flow. Plus I thought the NC700X system looked fine in the pictures on their website, but I'm kinda famous for my "awful" sense of style as I always favor functionality over form. In any case, I'll do a new thread in the mods area on it after the install.

 

[yticolev]

I don't know that I have a strong sense of style either, but two things struck me immediately about the pictures posted. This system comes with an aluminum base plate that is just about the same size as the stock mini-shield. It looks like a huge black hole esthetically, and perhaps some minor interference with seeing the road ahead. They have an extra inch of height he is going to knock back, and skeletonize a bit more material - sort of a dip between bolt holes. The other change which I believe is just another one of their stock shapes is a diamond point at the bottom to mimic the existing OEM. The pictured shield was square cut at the bottom and frankly, looked bad.

You may actually get one like mine for all I know as a running change, but if you have any preferences at all, you should express them now (although they do exchange screens). But the actual airflow functionality will be the same I'm sure so you will be fine there.

 

[dog]

Sorry about hi-jacking your thread. I snagged this from their site (and I hope they don't mind):



It appears to me that the adapter plate needs to be that high to allow for the maximum height adjustment of the windshield as designed as the top mounting holes are so near the top. As I'm only 6', it probably shouldn't make a difference for me if they go with this design or yours -- so I'm good either way! I haven't seen the design with the square cut bottom you mentioned.

 

[yticolev]

Ah, I hadn't seen it blown up that large. You are right, I described it badly. Thanks for posting the picture. I still think that it will look better with a sharper peak on the bottom to match the styling of the NC700. The base plate mods do not affect the mounting holes, just remove some excess material.

 

[DanWill]

Only 70%? If your front brakes are effective enough and you are maximally braking, using the rear does nothing and is even unsafe. I do use my front brakes as a rule, in fact my primary road bicycle only has a front. And you reminded me that the mag wheels I bought for my BMW had such a useless rear brake that I didn't use it ever. I wish I had kept the stock drum.

For the most part, on a motorcycle, I only use rear brakes for extremely slow stops, such as sub 10 mph stops coming up to a light. They should be good for that, right? No reason for balanced braking there. Well, this rear brake isn't good for that. The first time I tried it at a light, my total time on the bike was less than two minutes. Since it was clear that I wasn't going to be able to stop in time, I had to grab the front brakes.

Understand better what you were saying now. I use both brakes to stop always except in the dirt, then I mainly use the rear, very light pressure on the fronts, if at all, in the dirt.
I don't see the rear brake being dangerous as long as you don't lock it up, and even then if your ready for it to lock its controllable most of the time. Some people lock the back break on purpose just for the fun of it. I'm not one of those. The rear brake also does a lot of good by shifting the weight of the bike putting more downward pressure on the front tire which allows the front brake to stop harder before locking the front tire. Pressure = traction = tire roll rather than lock.

 

[yticolev]

The rear brake also does a lot of good by shifting the weight of the bike putting more downward pressure on the front tire which allows the front brake to stop harder before locking the front tire. Pressure = traction = tire roll rather than lock.

I disagree with that statement, but I respect your right to believe it!

 

[L.B.S.]

I disagree with that statement, but I respect your right to believe it!

I had to do just that with my ABS equipped F800ST, or else I would have to worry about no brakes!

Long story short, I soon learned I had to adjust my "never use the rear brake period unless yer controlling a wheelie or parking lot doddering" 40+ year riding philosophy, by having to hunker the back end down on the ST with a healthy rear brake application first, then a gentle but progressive front brake.

If I simply braked like I've always done, just nabbed the front, and trusted my own judgment and skill, the rear tire would instantly lighten up enough to kick in the ABS, and at that point, if there was so much as a cat's whisker on the pavement in front of me, I would experience the infamous "ABS extended brake release" syndrome. That utterly, utterly sucked!

For the first time in my entire biking career, I wore out a set of rear brake pads.

Now with my NCX, thankfully the ABS works as it should, but in an ironic twist, the ABS equipped bikes also have linked brakes, which means you can't really get all it's worth out of the front caliper unless you also stomp on the rear pedal, which activates the third of the three pistons.

 

[yticolev]

ABS extended brake release? I'm going to guess you are talking about a fraction of a second pulse - perhaps as much as a quarter second - on older ABS systems? I've not heard the phrase before. It sounds like in your case, the ABS wasn't quite as trigger happy if it sensed rear hydraulic pressure. Since I don't have ABS, it doesn't affect me, but I'm glad to know that there is some reason out there for also applying the rear brake. I did know that you had to use it with the DCT linked brakes for full effect.

I have to say that I hate that you have to work around new technology to be safe. I've never liked the idea of automobile air bags either for example. The fact that you have to change long standard hand position on steering wheel safe driving practices so you don't break your arms if the bags deploy is crazy. Not to mention you can't have low height passengers in the front seat. (/rant)

 

[L.B.S.]

ABS extended brake release? I'm going to guess you are talking about a fraction of a second pulse - perhaps as much as a quarter second - on older ABS systems? I've not heard the phrase before. It sounds like in your case, the ABS wasn't quite as trigger happy if it sensed rear hydraulic pressure. Since I don't have ABS, it doesn't affect me, but I'm glad to know that there is some reason out there for also applying the rear brake. I did know that you had to use it with the DCT linked brakes for full effect.

I have to say that I hate that you have to work around new technology to be safe. I've never liked the idea of automobile air bags either for example. The fact that you have to change long standard hand position on steering wheel safe driving practices so you don't break your arms if the bags deploy is crazy. Not to mention you can't have low height passengers in the front seat. (/rant)

2009 model

No, not a pulse, a total dead stick feel to the brakes. Like if you had power brakes in a car, and the engine stalled. This was a situation where if you hit the tiniest of pavement bumps or anything under braking, the ABS computer would spazz, and release pressure at the calipers, effectively removing your ability to stop at all, for many, many yards past where you wanted to stop. It was truly terrifying for me.

You'd be coming up to a red light on a perfect sunny day. Dry, grippy pavement, with absolutely no need whatsoever to need ABS, and all of a sudden *Holy ****! you were pulling the lever and pressing down on the pedal for all you were worth, but sailing straight through the crosswalk and halfway into the intersection, because unbeknownst to you, there was a slight ripple in the pavement back when you had initially applied the brakes.

Dubbed "extended brake release" by all and sundry who discovered this wonder of modern engineering that we had paid through the nose for, on our brand new BMW's...


Agreed on the old grumbly guy rant, lol!

My car doesn't have ABS or airbags, and I love it to heck, these past 22 years. Oh, and it's a "death trap" Suzuki Samurai, which was banned form the 'States, because they were so "unsafe".

Mine is also lifted over a foot, and has decidely un-pavement-grippy knobby tires, to boot. Gee wizz, I've never locked up it's brakes and crashed all these years and hundreds of thousands of Km's.

 

[yticolev]

That does sound scary! Was there a factory software fix available?

 

[Bubba Satori]

I thought of getting the bmw f700gs, but I wanted a dct and bmw doesn't have one
In fact, the bmw dealer keeps calling me trying to make a deal.

Ken

I was looking at the F700GS too.
DCT, better mpg and $1,500 less to spend on farkles were
just a few of the reasons to go with the NC700X instead.