Considering moving to a NC750DCT

[Dave C]

I'm Dave, and I've had a fair number of motorcycles. I started riding in '72, and I'm 71 now. A few years ago I had some health issues and sold my ST1300 and KLR, but kept my gear. Most of my riding at that point was mid distance touring with a few IBA rides to mix things up.

I recently decided to do an Edelweiss tour and got a Royal Enfield Classic 350 Reborn to get my riding muscle memory back. After about six or eight months I upgraded to an Interceptor 650. The 650 is quite a bit faster than the 350, but still not quite the bike I'm looking for. Actually I'm not sure I trust it for anything other that local day rides. After I get back from Germany later this summer I'm considering selling it and getting either a new or late model used NC750DCT.

One problem is that they don't seem to be very popular in the Mountain West. I'm in far northern Utah, and none of the Honda dealers in southern Idaho, northern Utah or western Wyoming stock them. The closest dealerships are in St George UT, at the far south end of the state, or Las Vegas, Reno, California and South Dakota. Since new ones aren't sold around here, there aren't many used ones here, either. That makes it difficult to just drop in for a test ride. I'm not too worried about service; I generally do all my own routine maintenance, and if I need warranty service at least the local Honda dealers are a lot closer than Royal Enfield dealers.

Before retiring I did most of my riding in the Pacific Northwest, western Canada and southern Alaska. The ST1300 was perfect for that area, great weather protection, but it was way too hot for Utah. I'm not really into adventure touring, despite having had 3 KLRs. Before the ST1300 I had a Concours GTR1000, and before that a whole bunch of Airhead BMWs. Back when dinosaurs still roamed the earth, I had at least 3 of the original CB750s. I'm probably not going to do any more IBA riding, and my touring will probably be limited to trips of several days at the most; no more coast to coast or riding to Anchorage stuff. The majority of my riding will probably be 20 to 100 mile day rides with some of the other old guys in the neighborhood. The NC700/750s have been around for long enough that any issues should have been sorted out long ago, and there seems to be a pretty good knowledge base on line.

FWIW, I'm about 6'3", relatively long torso and arms, 34" (or so) inseam, about 195 lbs.

Any comments, observations or recommendations would be welcome.

 

[dduelin]

I'm Dave, and I've had a fair number of motorcycles. I started riding in '72, and I'm 71 now. A few years ago I had some health issues and sold my ST1300 and KLR, but kept my gear. Most of my riding at that point was mid distance touring with a few IBA rides to mix things up.

I recently decided to do an Edelweiss tour and got a Royal Enfield Classic 350 Reborn to get my riding muscle memory back. After about six or eight months I upgraded to an Interceptor 650. The 650 is quite a bit faster than the 350, but still not quite the bike I'm looking for. Actually I'm not sure I trust it for anything other that local day rides. After I get back from Germany later this summer I'm considering selling it and getting either a new or late model used NC750DCT.

One problem is that they don't seem to be very popular in the Mountain West. I'm in far northern Utah, and none of the Honda dealers in southern Idaho, northern Utah or western Wyoming stock them. The closest dealerships are in St George UT, at the far south end of the state, or Las Vegas, Reno, California and South Dakota. Since new ones aren't sold around here, there aren't many used ones here, either. That makes it difficult to just drop in for a test ride. I'm not too worried about service; I generally do all my own routine maintenance, and if I need warranty service at least the local Honda dealers are a lot closer than Royal Enfield dealers.

Before retiring I did most of my riding in the Pacific Northwest, western Canada and southern Alaska. The ST1300 was perfect for that area, great weather protection, but it was way too hot for Utah. I'm not really into adventure touring, despite having had 3 KLRs. Before the ST1300 I had a Concours GTR1000, and before that a whole bunch of Airhead BMWs. Back when dinosaurs still roamed the earth, I had at least 3 of the original CB750s. I'm probably not going to do any more IBA riding, and my touring will probably be limited to trips of several days at the most; no more coast to coast or riding to Anchorage stuff. The majority of my riding will probably be 20 to 100 mile day rides with some of the other old guys in the neighborhood. The NC700/750s have been around for long enough that any issues should have been sorted out long ago, and there seems to be a pretty good knowledge base on line.

FWIW, I'm about 6'3", relatively long torso and arms, 34" (or so) inseam, about 195 lbs.

Any comments, observations or recommendations would be welcome.

I was riding a ST1300 and a 1981 R100 in 2011 when the NC700X was revealed in Europe but Honda had no plans to import it to the US. In the spring of 2012 I was looking at then contemporary 650 class bikes to replace the R100 when Honda announced the NC was coming to the states. The Suzuki WeeStrom and Kawasaki Versys were both ridden multiple times but neither spoke to me and the Honda did even though all I knew was what riders were saying across the pond. The low redline and 50ish hp of the NC700X was similar to the R100 and being a Honda I figured it would be reliable for a long time and all the info from the UK and Europe was the bike was economical, practical, and fun to ride if 50ish hp and 6500 rpm red line was not off-putting. I put a deposit sight unseen on an NC and picked it up in August 2012. Right away I took to calling it the Modern Airhead. The torquey twin reminded me of the power delivery and galloping cadence of an airhead and still does. With eventual seat, luggage, and windshield changes it became my regional touring bike alongside my ST1300 for longer regional and long distance riding. It [NC] got under my skin.... I've had three NCs since 2012 with periods of a year or more at a time when I did not have one but I always missed one when I didn't have one.

 

[the Ferret]

Howdy Dave and welcome to the forum

1st off enjoy your Eidelweiss tour. My wife and I did a Best of Europe Tour (5 countries) with them a decade or so ago and had a marvelous time. Secondly I'm also a former ST 1300 rider who has also toured all of the lower 48 states, and a couple provinces in Canada.

At 71 I bought a new 2021 750 DCT. In the next week or so, I'll turn over 47,000 miles on it. I've found it to a fun, light weight, good gas mileage, typically reliable and well built Honda. Most of my rides these days are under 300 mile day rides, but I have out of state toured on it as well.

It certainly is a bike you should consider

 

[Dave C]

I was riding a ST1300 and a 1981 R100 in 2011 when the NC700X was revealed in Europe but Honda had no plans to import it to the US. In the spring of 2012 I was looking at then contemporary 650 class bikes to replace the R100 when Honda announced the NC was coming to the states. The Suzuki WeeStrom and Kawasaki Versys were both ridden multiple times but neither spoke to me and the Honda did even though all I knew was what riders were saying across the pond. The low redline and 50ish hp of the NC700X was similar to the R100 and being a Honda I figured it would be reliable for a long time and all the info from the UK and Europe was the bike was economical, practical, and fun to ride if 50ish hp and 6500 rpm red line was not off-putting. I put a deposit sight unseen on an NC and picked it up in August 2012. Right away I took to calling it the Modern Airhead. The torquey twin reminded me of the power delivery and galloping cadence of an airhead and still does. With eventual seat, luggage, and windshield changes it became my regional touring bike alongside my ST1300 for longer regional and long distance riding. It [NC] got under my skin.... I've had three NCs since 2012 with periods of a year or more at a time when I did not have one but I always missed one when I didn't have one.

I've had three NCs since 2012 with periods of a year or more at a time when I did not have one but I always missed one when I didn't have one.

That sounds like a pretty good recomendation. Thanks for the response.