Recent content by MichaelJohn

Lol - my wife was talking to her sister who lives in Iowa the other day and since they were on speaker I just had to throw in that I couldn't decide if I needed a windbreaker for my 68° bicycle ride. My sister-in-law pretty much told me what you said. However, it's not always warm here in...

The usable torque on this bike makes all the difference. It comes on at lower rpm's and around town the acceleration is actually brisk. On the highway you'll have to downshift a gear at two to get decent acceleration but even then it's adequate. My Zero accelerates like a bat out of hell and yet...

The insecurity of riding motorcycle shaped scooters? Really? To quote you: "Directed at an adult, the comment is insulting and displays breath taking arrogance." Oh, and breathtaking is one word.

I would welcome torque/traction control. I have had my rear tire spin up in the wet.

Today it was over 100° here in Walnut Creek, California and I needed to go to Oakland to my office to do a little work. I waited for the temperature to come down before riding in but it was still over 100° at 7:00 so I gave up waiting and hopped on the NC. About 11 miles into my 17 mile freeway...

Like others have said, riding is not bad but stopping in full gear (even mesh) and waiting for a light is no fun. I ran some errands on the NC over the weekend when it was 100 and I noticed that the engine was throwing off some heat - normally I feel nothing. I'm glad it's not as hot as some...

I'd like to see you try that on a manual shift bike.:)

Since I took a long break from motorcycling while my kids were growing up I had to renew my motorcycle endorsement. I took the test at the local DMV on my Zero and it was really interesting. The instructor, who was training another instructor at the time, asked me if I had any riding experience...

I put a Leo Vince slip-on on mine and it really added to my riding pleasure. It adds just enough volume and a lot of character to the sound - much deeper rumble than the stock pipe. I think I paid about $370 from RevZilla but I believe they're up to around $400 now. To me it was well worth it.

There is a big difference in feel between a DCT and a CVT. I used to own a Piaggio BV 350 which was a very nice scooter but I HATED the CVT. if you are used to the direct connection of gears then a CVT just feels sloppy and inefficient. The DCT feels like any other motorcycle except that you can...

I don't have any problems passing on the highway - I just thumb it down a gear or two and it moves right along. I did read somewhere that losing 7 pounds of weight is the equivalent of gaining one horsepower - I am 6' and 150 so I guess I have 10 more horsepower than you!:) Agree completely...

One of the main reasons I bought the NC was for freeway use. My Zero is OK on the freeway but it only weighs 414 pounds so it gets blown around a little and the 150 mile in-town range gets cut in half at freeway speeds. The NC is very solid at 70-75 mph which is my usual speed. I find the wind...

If there is any bike that you could buy without test riding it that would be the NC700X DCT. If you sat on the bike and it felt like a good fit then I can almost guarantee that its riding manners would not disappoint. It is very easy to ride, the low center of gravity is really the special sauce...

Ain't that the truth. Perfect launches every time - that is one of the best things about the DCT. It may be low horsepower, but the torque comes on fast and the DCT allows you to use all of it right away. Since I'm in California I never hesitate to split lanes to get to the front at traffic...

I test rode an AT about a month ago and I really wanted to like it but my 32" inseam had me just a little too high up when stopped to feel comfortable. That plus the fact that it just seems like a big, heavy dirt bike and I only ride pavement. If Honda made something a little smaller, lighter...