Question Buying a 2021, on the fence about DCT?

[taplitt]

Well, I did end up buying the 2021 DCT a few days ago( very few here in western NC!) and having Great fun w no regrets about the the DCT. We have BR Parkway, Nat. forest dirt/gravel stuff, and great rural paved stuff.
I was using std mode w some downshifts going up the parkway, and sport mode to come down with engine braking just right for me.
Twist and go for this old fart baby!

 

[670cc]

Well, I did end up buying the 2021 DCT a few days ago( very few here in western NC!) and having Great fun w no regrets about the the DCT. We have BR Parkway, Nat. forest dirt/gravel stuff, and great rural paved stuff.
I was using std mode w some downshifts going up the parkway, and sport mode to come down with engine braking just right for me.
Twist and go for this old fart baby!

That sounds great! You have a wonderful motorcycle playground where you are.

 

[the Ferret]

Well, I did end up buying the 2021 DCT a few days ago( very few here in western NC!) and having Great fun w no regrets about the the DCT. We have BR Parkway, Nat. forest dirt/gravel stuff, and great rural paved stuff.
I was using std mode w some downshifts going up the parkway, and sport mode to come down with engine braking just right for me.
Twist and go for this old fart baby!

Congrats taplitt. Hope you get many miles of enjoyment out of your new ride. Have fun, ride safe. I think you'll also really enjoy the light weight feeling and a amazing gas mileage from the NC. I know I do.

 

[taplitt]

Congrats taplitt. Hope you get many miles of enjoyment out of your new ride. Have fun, ride safe. I think you'll also really enjoy the light weight feeling and a amazing gas mileage from the NC. I know I do.

Thanks, so true with the handling even at walking speed! It's as easy to feather the throttle in traffic as my adv150, am still on first fill up but sure you are right about mpg!

 

[Hank]

I am at about 16,000 miles on my 2015 DCT. It would be a lot more but in 2018 I bought a Goldwing DCT.

 

[taplitt]

That's still a lot of riding. Keep em both rolling!

 

[neilzill]

Thanks, so true with the handling even at walking speed! It's as easy to feather the throttle in traffic as my adv150, am still on first fill up but sure you are right about mpg!

ive rode sports, cruisers, but my 2018 DCT i wouldn't swap for anything, just so easy to ride, up hill hair pin bends, are easy, no near stalling it, just a great bike.

 

[Lee_0123]

My thoughts after the purchase and the first 600 miles, well now 850 miles

I returned to motorcycling in January 2021 at age 64 after a 40+ year break. I am 6’ 2.5” tall (189cm), with a 33” inseam (84cm), and weigh 225 # (102Kg). The 2021 NC750X replaces my 2017 Rebel CMX500. The decision to change bikes is due to hip pain and knee pain from the Rebels’ compact hip/knee/ankle triangle. On the Rebel I added a forward control set, raised the seat height 3 inches, and moved the seating position back as well. After 8 months on the Rebel, it became apparent that the bike could not be modified enough to fit me properly. I decided to move to a different bike. I bought the NC750X in September.

I looked at a lot of bikes and did test rides at several demo days. The short list was:

• Honda NC750X (okay comfort, lowest price, liked the “frunk”, liked the DCT option, more of a street bike, good fuel economy, available when I decided to “buy”, local dealer has a very good reputation)
• Moto Guzzi V85 TT Travel (most comfortable, best fitting bike I rode but nearly $5K more than the NC750X, no DCT, and the dealer is a 40-minute ride away)
• BMW F900XR (very nice bike, great display, too powerful for me at this stage)
• Yamaha Tracer 9 GT (very comfortable bike, poorly designed display, very torquey even in grandpa mode, and locally twice the price of the NC750X)
• BMW F850GS (too tall and too top heavy)

The NC750X is not fully optioned like some of the other bikes on the short list. This allows me to putz and add accessories as needs are identified and time allows. The deciding factor was the DCT transmission. I was curious about how well it would work and what it would be like to ride for more than a 4-minute test ride.

During the break in period my typical weekly ride is approximately 120 miles on two lane country roads, 40 MPH average speed with the occasional jaunt in the upper 50s. Fuel economy is great, the bike’s exhaust note is neighbor friendly, the longer suspension soaks up the bumps nicely, bike has mid controls so I can unweight more easily when riding on rough roads, and the DCT is interesting. The bike is set in the standard mode all the time. I am running errands on the bike now. The frunk is so convenient. I can drop my full-face helmet with a Cardo in there. So convenient to not have to carry it around. I buy what I need and then pull out the helmet and drop in my purchase, close the hatch and away we go. The stock NC750X wind noise was surprisingly loud compared to the Rebel. Installing a taller windscreen quieted the NC750X down dramatically. I can now hear the motor and tranny doing their thing. A lot of people have commented on the seat being uncomfortable. I don’t find it so. I do find the seating position cramped; the hip/knee/ankle triangle is too compact for me but not as bad as the Rebels’. I have added Knight Design’s lowered pegs (1.375-inch drop) to straighten my knees for a noticeable improvement. My heavy soled work boots have been replaced with thinner soled Alpinstar motorcycle boots for some additional relief.

Overall, I like the NC750X. It is pretty much what I expected. I wish Honda would include built in or optional adjustability for the seat and foot pegs for someone my size. Both the BMW F900XR and the Tracer 9 GT have low, medium, and high seat positions available. I heard the Tracer 9 GT may have adjustable foot peg positions too, but I have not been able to confirm that. I doubt the NC750X is my forever bike, but it is a good interim bike.

Accessories added so far:

Trickle charger installed by dealer

Mounted my Garmin Zumo XT GPS.

OEM center stand

Vetter Quicksilver windscreen replaced the OEM windscreen

Givi V37 racks and panniers

Knight Designs lowered foot pegs, (OEM style not the platform style)

Waiting on OEM USB kit.



Christmas Wish List:

Service manual

Hand Guards

Risers for the handlebars

Front fender extender

Borrow some seat pads from various relatives to see if the added height improves seating position/comfort

 

[Wheelee]

I have put about 1000km on my 2021 NC750X and the gearbox appears excellent. I worked for Audi and their auto box would not change gear on turns as the GPS told the car it was in a turn and the hill hold sensors knew when it was on a hill. Excellent gearbox,

 

[Oldbear]

Well, I did end up buying the 2021 DCT a few days ago( very few here in western NC!) and having Great fun w no regrets about the the DCT. We have BR Parkway, Nat. forest dirt/gravel stuff, and great rural paved stuff.
I was using std mode w some downshifts going up the parkway, and sport mode to come down with engine braking just right for me.
Twist and go for this old fart baby!

Congrats on your new ride. I find “D” to be way too eager to get in 6th. Frankly, the only time I’m in “D” is in rain. Sport 3 really wakes the little bike up, and “M” let’s me control it myself and rev it out. The DCT is Avery slick trans, just wish Honda had focused more on “go” and less on “economy” for the shift algorithm.

 

[taplitt]

Thanks. Yes, I understand what you're saying. I have settled on user mode with sport settings, except I reduce engine braking setting.
Recently, I did about 15 miles on a dirt/gravel Nat. Forest road, and realized how valuable manual shifting can be! Even so, it was a little hairy with the front tire obviously lacking in diameter and tread design.
No complaints on pavement tho!

 

[Canbo]

Taplitt - I turned 70 last October. I traded my Versys 1000 for an NC570X DCT in 2018 because my left wrist couldn't handle clutching anymore. I played with all the AT modes for the first few months and then I tried the MT mode. That's the only one I use now. The beauty of this transmission is that it allows any of us to find a way to keep on riding. I'm glad you found your way.