Advice for 1300 mile ride on brand new bike

[L18flyboy]

I'm finalizing plans to purchase an NC700X from an out of state dealer about 1300 miles from home.
I'll fly out to Oklahoma to pick up the bike and then ride it back home to San Diego. I own two
Kawaskis that had specific break in procedures for the engine which required low RPMS for the first
several hundred miles -- this kept you at 45 or 50 MPH and made highway riding unrealistic until
you completed the break in. The break in procedures for these bikes (and advice from other
motorcycle owners) suggested that one should keep the throttle moving during break in and not
drone along at a relatively constant speed.

Now with the NC700X I understand the break in procedures is simply stated as "Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration" -- do I have that correct? Or is there a more specific requirement to limit RPMs for some number
of miles? If the break in is that simple, then there is no worry about putting on 1300 miles at 65-75 MPH heading
home from the dealer? Perhaps just keep the throttle moving within a range of speed/RPM?

I've read that the initial 600 mile service is basically just an oil and filter change along with basic inspection of the
bike -- but nothing invasive like a valve inspection. 600 miles will be a little less than half way home on this trip,
so I'm thinking I'll pull into an auto parts store and do my own oil and filter change in their parking lot and leave
the old oil with them. I'll bring a set of tools that I'd normally use on my Kawasakis, but can anyone clue me in
if I'll need anything in particular for doing an oil change on this bike -- for example are the cowl screws anything
special like torx, square head, etc. I'm assuming any bolts are metric, but if they are not then let me know so I
pack the correct sockets and wrench sets.

Thanks in advance for any answers or advice!

Steve

 

[dduelin]

It is an easy task changing the oil. Aside from the filter wrench you need a 17 mm wrench for the drain and a 5 mm hex (Allen head) driver for two bolts that hold on the lower fairing. Honda screws that original filter on really tight. As far as break in goes Honda simply says to avoid rapid full throttle starts and hard braking for 300 miles. Common sense and old school thinking leads us to vary the rpms during this time as well. I might pack a sheepskin or an Air hawk seat cushion in case the seat is not to your liking after a few hundred miles. Personally I get along OK with the stock seat but you may not.

 

[SuperMek]

Hi Steve!

You are absolutely right in your assumptions. There are no special break-in period or advice except don't over-rev the engine and let it run easy and smooth the first 1 000 km (600 miles). There is one but, and only one that is valid for us in Europe, and that is that all service the first 5 years have to be done by any authorized Honda dealer IF you want to keep the 5-year warranty valid. There is nothing special about this with Honda dealers that they perform service better than anyone else, but just a way for Honda and associates to "keep the money in the house".

Now, an oil change is no rocket science and there are two solutions.
a) Make a deal with the dealer where you buy the bike to get the 4 liters of oil and filter, pay for them and get the service stamp in your booklet.
b) Make an arrangement with any Honda dealer on your way home, conveniently about 600 miles away from the bike dealer, to have them do the "authorized oil change" while you wait.

Can any one of these two alternatives be possible to do?

 

[duk2n]

Hi Steve!

You are absolutely right in your assumptions. There are no special break-in period or advice except don't over-rev the engine and let it run easy and smooth the first 1 000 km (600 miles). There is one but, and only one that is valid for us in Europe, and that is that all service the first 5 years have to be done by any authorized Honda dealer IF you want to keep the 5-year warranty valid. There is nothing special about this with Honda dealers that they perform service better than anyone else, but just a way for Honda and associates to "keep the money in the house".

Now, an oil change is no rocket science and there are two solutions.
a) Make a deal with the dealer where you buy the bike to get the 4 liters of oil and filter, pay for them and get the service stamp in your booklet.
b) Make an arrangement with any Honda dealer on your way home, conveniently about 600 miles away from the bike dealer, to have them do the "authorized oil change" while you wait.

Can any one of these two alternatives be possible to do?

+1, I can't agree more

SuperMek, 5 years warranty??? You're lucky, here at Spain we have only 2 years.

 

[670cc]

Oklahoma deal

I'm finalizing plans to purchase an NC700X from an out of state dealer about 1300 miles from home.
I'll fly out to Oklahoma to pick up the bike and then ride it back home to San Diego.

Steve

I saw the Oklahoma deal on eBay. Perhaps that's what you're after? Several dealers in the mid south are selling for $6399 or less. I almost did a deal in Mississippi but found something close to home almost as good.

In my owner's manual I found nothing specific on break in. You should have no problem. She'll go 75 mph at only 4000 RPM so the bike won't be overworked.

Good luck! Should be quite an adventure.

Greg

 

[SuperMek]

+1, I can't agree more
SuperMek, 5 years warranty??? You're lucky, here at Spain we have only 2 years.

Thanks José!
I think it was the car dealers here who started the "race with warranty" and connected it to the "authorized service" as too many owners did their oil changes by themselves. Then the extended warranty in too many cases have showed it to be worth nothing as the vehicle break down and the owner got told that the fix is "out of warranty" for any silly reason you can figure out. We have to see in the future what the 5 year Honda extended warranty will be worth...

 

[richarddacat]

Flyboy, you will definitely find out if you can live with this bike during this little adventure.
I see you also have a KLR so I doubt if you'll have any problems with the ride, good luck, ride safe. Keep notes and report back.

 

[happy]

Hello Steve,
1. Welcome to our jungle
2. Call me Joe
3. 1300 miles, just do not over-rev (personally to me, it means under 5500rpm, maybe hold constant at 4000rpm for cruising)
Regulate this from 0mile gradually opening up more revs every 100miles
4. Oil change, I like Christian's idea about getting oil from dealer and stamp in your log book
5. I don't think you can seriously hurt this engine (long stroke from honda jazz) even if you rev up occasionally during the break-in period (1000km).

6. Good luck and ride safe!

7. Remember to take photos and post them here.

~Joe

 

[Rocker66]

Good advice but it is not reccomended to keep at a steady rate of revs for any length of time durring the running in period

 

[Beemerphile]

US warranty laws are different. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act does not allow a dealer to void a warranty for not using dealer service. You can sign and date the service log yourself. Best if you keep the receipts for the parts.

Auto Warranties, Routine Maintenance, and Repairs: Is Using the Dealer a Must?

I would suggest that finding the correct oil at an auto parts store is unlikely. The oil is 10W-30 motorcycle specific JASO MA rated oil. I would pick up four quarts and a filter at the Honda dealer on pick-up, or better, call and confirm with a Honda dealer 600 miles distant (more or less) that they have the oil and filter.

 

[FlaNC700X]

Welcome again flyboy, 670 at 4000 rpms I'm getting 80 mph?

 

[duk2n]

Mine does 100 km/h at 3000 rpm, 120 km/h at 4000

 

[Cyclerosis]

Well, this is in the owners manual. API Service Classification SG or higher,excluding oils marked as “Energy Conserving,”SAE 10W-30, JASO T 903 standard MA. Am I correct to assume that API Service Classification SH, SI, SJ, etc., would be acceptable?

 

[Beemerphile]

Well, this is in the owners manual. API Service Classification SG or higher,excluding oils marked as “Energy Conserving,”SAE 10W-30, JASO T 903 standard MA. Am I correct to assume that API Service Classification SH, SI, SJ, etc., would be acceptable?

Yes, as long as it is not Energy Conserving. The key specs are 10W-30 and JASO MA. The JASO MA spec is the Japanese standard for non friction modified oil which can be used in 4-stroke motorcycle engines with one oil system for engine, gearbox and wet clutch system.

 

[670cc]

Well, this is in the owners manual. API Service Classification SG or higher,excluding oils marked as “Energy Conserving,”SAE 10W-30, JASO T 903 standard MA. Am I correct to assume that API Service Classification SH, SI, SJ, etc., would be acceptable?

I believe the requirement is for the API SH, SI, etc AND JASO MA, not OR. But, the JASO MA rating is more critical than the API SH ...etc. You just about have to get oil labeled "motorcycle" to get that, although some premium oils like Shell Rotella are MA rated. Even the famed Mobil 1 synthetic has no MA rating, possibly just because they elected not to have it tested for that standard.

Supposedly the MA oils contain more ZDDP, which is useful for protecting cam wear on non roller cam engines. However the NC700 does have roller rockers. My guess is Honda is just being consistent across the product line concerning oil rating requirements. Even if you have a belt drive CVT transmission on a Honda scooter, the manual still specs not using "Energy Conserving" oil even though there is no wet clutch.

But to be safe, use the ratings specified in the owner's manual and don't cut any corners. The NC holds a surprising quantity of oil: 3.6 quarts. (My Goldwing 1800 gets by with 4 quarts).

 

[Cyclerosis]

As an aside to preparing to do the first service on the fly; you'll be sitting in that saddle for long stretches. What I've found helps a great deal, is what you wear. If you don't have an air hawk or sheepskin to take, you may want to consider getting a pair of padded bike shorts to wear underneath your gear. I did some several hundred mile jaunts with and without, and with was definitely a plus. Also a pair of under armor compression shorts will help distribute the 'load' across the saddle.

And, as David L Hough writes in his book "Proficient Motorcycling", take less stuff and more money.

 

[Beemerphile]

Even the famed Mobil 1 synthetic has no MA rating, possibly just because they elected not to have it tested for that standard.

The Mobil1 contains friction modifiers which are not allowed by the JASO MA specification. Mobil1 does have motorcycle specific formulations. Some people buy the car oil thinking that the motorcycle oil is just a marketing gimmick with a higher price. Not the case here.

Supposedly the MA oils contain more ZDDP, which is useful for protecting cam wear on non roller cam engines. However the NC700 does have roller rockers. My guess is Honda is just being consistent across the product line concerning oil rating requirements.

The MA standard does not address ZDDP levels. All JASO T 903 compliant oils, of which the MA and MB standards are sub-sets, have a phosphorus level between 800 - 1,200 ppm. ZDDP is zinc dialkyldithiophosphate, and is the vehicle for providing phosphorus to the oil. It serves the purposes that you describe and has been limited lately by the EPA because phosphorus can poison the catalyst in catalytic converters if the engine is worn and has oil blow-by into the combustion chambers. Diesel and motorcycle oils have been exempted from this because they (in the past) did not have cat converters. You can probably expect a gradual lessening of the maximum allowable ZDDP as time goes on. By the way, the Mobil1 10W-30 "car oil", while not meeting the MA requirement for friction modifiers, would meet the JASO T 903 requirement for ZDDP levels.

Further to this, the MA standard is broken into two sub-categories, MA1 and MA2. You may think that MA2 is a later standard, but it is not. MA1 is the lower (slicker) end of the MA standard for friction performance and MA2 is the upper end. Oils with more friction reduction than MA are called MB. MB and unrated oils should not be used in a motorcycle with a wet clutch. If you have concerns with a wet clutch slipping, a MA2 oil would provide greater assurance than an MA1 oil, even though both would meet the standard. An MA1 oil should provide a slight benefit in fuel mileage because of the reduced friction level so long as it doesn't slip your clutch. Honda says (by specifying an MA oil instead of a MA2 oil) that MA1 oil is acceptable.

Confusing or helpful?

 

[mpgandfun]

The local auto parts store didn't have a filter wrench that was small enough for the NC's filter. I Improvised with
a hose clamp. I tightened the clamp around the filter. I put a socket on the end of a 3/8" extension (about 4" long).
I chose a socket that was big enough to fit over the hex head screw that you tighten/loosen the clamp with.

With the socket & extension in place on the clamp's hex screw, I used a hammer to tap the end of the extension,in a direction
to loosen the filter. It was kinda like the the worlds slowest impact wrench lol. It came off without a hitch.

I reversed the position of the clamp on the new filter to install it. I needed to loosen the clamp a couple times and reposition it, when the hex head moved out of accessibility during tightening of the filter. Btw, my improvised filter wrench allowed me to do the job without removing the plastic cover/shroud.

 

[Beemerphile]

The local auto parts store didn't have a filter wrench that was small enough for the NC's filter.

However, they are available. I have one with a 3/8" socket adapter on the bottom.

I Improvised with a hose clamp. I tightened the clamp around the filter. I put a socket on the end of a 3/8" extension (about 6" long).
I chose a socket that was big enough to fit over the hex head screw that you tighten/loosen the clamp with. With the socket & extension in place on the clamp's hex screw, I used a hammer to tap the end of the extension,in a direction
to loosen the filter. It was kinda like the the worlds slowest impact wrench lol. It came off without a hitch. I reversed the position of the clamp on the new filter to install it. No need to buy a filter wrench after all! Btw, my improvised filter wrench allowed me to do the job without removing the plastic cover/shroud.

While this would work in an emergency, it is not technically correct. The oil filter has an installation torque specification of 26 N-m (19 ft.-lb.) with oiled threads. I would choose to do it correctly unless I was on the road and could not do so. The oil drain bolt also has a specified torque (30 N-m or 22 ft.-lb.) and if you are right there with the right tools you can do both correctly. Aluminum threads don't give much warning when they are about to give, and I would reiterate my warning that most people over-tighten rather than under-tighten them when done by feel. I try very hard not to touch a motorcycle for repair without a torque wrench. Even if no spec is given, there is a general spec by size of bolt. Remember that the general spec is for the size of the bolt, not the wrench that fits it. I have heard of someone stripping a bolt because the bolt took a 12mm wrench and they went to the table for the torque for a 12mm fastener. It turned out to be an 8mm bolt.

 

[duk2n]

Mine does 100 km/h at 3000 rpm, 120 km/h at 4000

Just returning from a quick trip to downtown, actually it does 125 km/h at 4000