Canuck in Silicon Valley and new NC700X Owner

[Hyperborea]

Hello all. I've been lurking for a little while now. I just picked up a very lightly used, fully farkled 2012 NC700X a couple of days before XMas. The previous owner had everything on it - full Honda luggage, heated grips, bigger windscreen, centre stand, etc. My only plans for mods right now are crash protection (bars or sliders) and some sort of blinky lights (e.g. Skene Design Motorcycle Visibility Lights).

This is my return bike after not having ridden for about 18 years. My last bike was a 1982 Honda CBX550F I had in Canada. I just recently completed the MSF course (the second time) and got my California license.

 

[Fuzzy]

Welcome to a world of fun. What part of the frozen country to the north do you hail from?

 

[SergeantChuck]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the bike. I'm sure you'll find it accommodating for your needs.

 

[kjang]

Welcome from san francisco. I'm just up the highway from you. I used to work down there many moons ago, now I'm up here. Congrats on the nc700x.

Ken

 

[Old Can Ride]

Riding is sort of like walking, it don't take long before you will be back up to speed. Welcome aboard.

 

[wozza]

Welcome to the forum..

 

[Tucsonrider]

Welcome from the desert southwest..

 

[danrev]

Welcome from Oregon. Buying the NC with all the doodads already on it sure makes it easier. I've spent a little more than a year getting all my doodads on the bike and not quite finished yet. I think.

 

[wukie]

Welcome. Let's go for a ride this weekend (or soon). I live up Highway 17. PM for arrangements.

 

[L.B.S.]

good day, eh

 

[mahbin]

Willkommen from Esaclon, East of you in the Valley!!!

 

[Hyperborea]

I'm originally from T'ranah eh! (translation: Toronto) Thanks for the warm welcome.

I'm going to turn down the ride offers for now though but probably later it would be nice. I'm just working up gradually on my riding. I've been out 3 times now - once to bring it home and twice for short rides in the local area - and I'm planning to take it slow until I get my "bike legs" back under me. I've gone to the community college parking lot each of the last two times out to practice the slow speed maneuvers done on the MSF course (the box and others are painted on the parking lot).

 

[Old Can Ride]

I just recently completed the MSF course (the second time) and got my California license.

Good idea, but I highly recommend taking the course.

 

[Hyperborea]

Good idea, but I highly recommend taking the course.

I agree and I've done it twice now. The first time 20+ years ago in Toronto and the second time about 6 weeks ago here in California. I'm just hitting the parking lot with my bike to run the maneuvers. It handles somewhat differently from the TW200 dual purpose bike that the MSF course provided me plus it doesn't hurt to get better at them.

 

[buckshot]

Anything will handle better that a TW200. Balloon tires will have that effect on a bike.

 

[Old Can Ride]

Anything will handle better that a TW200. Balloon tires will have that effect on a bike.

You are right about the big fat front tires not handling in the dirt. That is why true dirt bikes have 21" skinny front tires. However, TW200 runs for ever, and it ain't nothing but pure fun! Folks who own a TW200 seem to keep them forever.

 

[TheEdge900]

The TW200 is like an adult minibike, for those of us that are vertically challenged and want to ride leisurely off road including in the sand they are hard to beat. And being a dual sport you don't have to trailer it to the riding area. Heck I even ride mine to work about once a month just for fun just no freeway.

In my younger years I had every thing from an mx100 to a cr500 and an XR400. Granted you can't fly on a TW like a true dirt bike, but overall it is the most fun bike I have had except for maybe my mini trail 50 but I am a little big for that now. I don't plan on ever selling mine until I am physically unable to ride.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[Hyperborea]

The TW200 was probably the best choice of the bikes that the local MSF had. Being a thumper it had plenty of torque which made the box maneuver pretty easy. The other choices were a GZ250 mini-cruiser (too short for me and I dislike the cruiser seating position) and a MadAss which has this weird X shaped frame that leaves you sitting on one arm of the X so that you are slanted downwards (and people here talk about the slight slope of the NC's seat).

My wife took the course at the same time with me and she did it on the GZ but she hated the riding position. We'll probably pick her up a used Ninja 250 as a starter. The CBR250R is also interesting but none of them old and cheap enough yet. The sub-500 market looks to have recently picked up in the US after having been mostly dead for a long time but not many of those have been around long enough to be available in the used market.

 

[turbodieseli4i6]

The TW200 is like an adult minibike, for those of us that are vertically challenged and want to ride leisurely off road including in the sand they are hard to beat. And being a dual sport you don't have to trailer it to the riding area. Heck I even ride mine to work about once a month just for fun just no freeway.

In my younger years I had every thing from an mx100 to a cr500 and an XR400. Granted you can't fly on a TW like a true dirt bike, but overall it is the most fun bike I have had except for maybe my mini trail 50 but I am a little big for that now. I don't plan on ever selling mine until I am physically unable to ride.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I gave my TW200 to my 13YO son until he's ready for something different. The TW will go about anywhere, just at a slower and more relaxed paced. I don't plan on selling it at all. Might even add a couple more if I can find the right price.