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DCT reliability

Whiteknuckle

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From reading the thread about DCT problems and looking over the pictures of the sheer number of parts / sensors / devices used to keep the DCT working, gives me a bit of concern about the long term
reliability of the DCT bikes.

Back in April 2017 i did sell my 2016 NC750X DCT for a Yamaha FZ07 because of this concern. Main concern was a perceived high maintenance cost as the DCT bike piles on the mileage.
Not sure if it is unwarranted but just the number of devices used on the DCT bikes made me go to a standard motorcycle with fewer things that could fail.

I did miss the DCT bike though and in April 2018 i bought a new DCT. Still wondering if the bike will make it to 100k km without becoming a maintenance nightmare. Not thinking of selling this time
around. Going to keep it until it blows up.
 
I think your concerns are unfounded. The problems you see on here only represent the the very worst on a very tiny percentage. Honda sells alot of these over a growing number of models across the world.
 
From reading the thread about DCT problems and looking over the pictures of the sheer number of parts / sensors / devices used to keep the DCT working, gives me a bit of concern about the long term reliability of the DCT bikes.

There are standardized methods for calculating reliability and due to the increased number and type of components in the DTC, the numbers won't be a good as a manual transmission. Also, Honda would have done extensive testing before using it on a production motorcycle. I wouldn't expect there to be more than a very small number of failures with less than 100k km of service. The biggest issue is that due to the low number of failures there aren't many people with the experience. or knowledge to be able to quickly diagnose and repair DTC problems. The most common failures with manual transmissions are broken clutch cables and worn/abused clutch plates, and you don't need a wizard to rectify those problems.
 
I am one of those guys who do their diligent research before buying a bike. My recent bikes were Honda Varadero, Suzuki V-Strom and, yes, an italian scooter Aprilia SR MAX (Piaggio engine proved in Vespa models) which I still have after 25000 km in its saddle without a hickup, all models with an excellent record of reliability. They all have proved to me that I was not wrong in my decisions and that I did my homework well. I did such research on Honda NC with DCT as well and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind about reliability of my bike, even many thousands of kilometers down the road. And I do plan on keeping it for a long time, because I think it is the best motorcycle I had to date. So, based on my research data, I think your concerns are unfounded. True, today's motorcycles are more complicated than those of days past, but that does not necessarily mean, that they are less reliable, or that older, simpler models are more reliable because of it. Any forum has topics about failures and defects and if you think your Yamaha is bulletproof, then stay in that blissful state of mind if you wish, just don't go to Yamaha forums. Every brand and every model has its own weak spots, some more, others less frequent. And Honda NC range including DCT models is right up there with the best in reliability. I've read of many bikes with 100k, and at least one from Spain with over 200k kilometers, ridden by a courier, with just regular maintenance. And I have no reason to think mine will not hold up as well.
 
From reading the thread about DCT problems and looking over the pictures of the sheer number of parts / sensors / devices used to keep the DCT working, gives me a bit of concern about the long term
reliability of the DCT bikes.
I had similar concerns so I purchased the extended unlimited mileage warranty from Honda. That was over 80,000 km ago. So far, the extended factory warranty has been a waste of money. Haven't used it at all..... Just normal maintenance.

Purchased my DCT in 2014 and I'm still under the factory unlimited mileage warranty ;-)
 
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heh heh. Relax Dreamer. If you read my full OP you will see that yes i did trade the 2016 NC in on the Yamaha in 2017. In 2018 i traded the Yamaha in for a new NC750X DCT.
I do love the NC and it is a Honda so on the one hand i figured it would be ok after all. And if there were many problems with the DCT it would be all over the internet but there
really isnt that much with major problems. Was just a bit surprised in the DCT problem thread there was a picture from the service manual showing all the different sensors and doodads
to make it all work. More things to break.

As i said. Love the NC and am a Honda fan. My car is a 2016 Honda Civic CVT. I had no concerns about the engine in the NC. That thing will probably last forever.
 
heh heh. Relax Dreamer. If you read my full OP you will see that yes i did trade the 2016 NC in on the Yamaha in 2017. In 2018 i traded the Yamaha in for a new NC750X DCT.
I do love the NC and it is a Honda so on the one hand i figured it would be ok after all. And if there were many problems with the DCT it would be all over the internet but there
really isnt that much with major problems. Was just a bit surprised in the DCT problem thread there was a picture from the service manual showing all the different sensors and doodads
to make it all work. More things to break.

As i said. Love the NC and am a Honda fan. My car is a 2016 Honda Civic CVT. I had no concerns about the engine in the NC. That thing will probably last forever.

A bit off topic but I’m wondering how you’d compare the 2016 with the new 750? Any differences worth mentioning?
 
A bit off topic but I’m wondering how you’d compare the 2016 with the new 750? Any differences worth mentioning?

The 2016 NC750X was the first time the DCT was available in Canada.

The differences i can see are:

the seat is redesigned. More flat and sloped toward rear compared to more U shaped on the 2016.
2018 has 2 modes of traction control plus can turn off
2018 has a raise of rev limiter from 6600 to 7500
The adaptive clutch feature is nice on the 2018. Simulates feathering a clutch at slow speeds so no jerky motions
also bike knows when you are going downhill and does a great job with engine braking.

2018 has all around LED lighting. The headlight and front turn signals/running lights are really super bright.

the only feature that is listed on the Honda website is the Showa dual bending forks. They are not on the bike. Was a bit disappointed to see that
missing.
 
A bit off topic but I’m wondering how you’d compare the 2016 with the new 750? Any differences worth mentioning?

We own both a 2016 and NC700x and a 2018 NC750x. From the practical standpoint the 700 gets slightly better fuel economy. The 750 has slightly more guts. Three position traction control, if you include the off position, on the 750 has never been used yet. 99% of the parts are interchangeable between the bikes. LED lighting is a nice upgrade.
 
Yes, DCT is very reliable and very unlikely to cause you problems but when it does, troubleshooting the issue and fixing it can be a lengthy and costly process. That is my unfortunate and indeed rare experience.
DCT Issue
 
Telecam's story is probably one of the top for worst luck...

What we have seen on this forum related to DCT issues usually involves battery or weak battery terminals, the DCT sensors, the shifter pin from hell, shift motor and maybe the clutch packs. All in all, it does not seem so bad to me, at least we now know what to look for.

Change the oil and dct filter with proper correct oil type per manual specifications and cross your fingers :p

But that DCT sure is some freakin' awesome technology when it works flawlessly :rolleyes:
 
telecam's story is more a story of incompetent dealer service. The fault he had is actualy very rare not only for DCT, because shift motor itself (component that failed) is not some new technology, just like an electric drill or your kitchen mixer is not and as such should usualy be very dependable. If the dealer was competent enough, the problem would have been diagnosed and resolved much sooner.

The shifter pin issue seems to be related to 700's, I did not find any shifter pin case related to 750's. Africa Twin and other DCT models share the same component part number with 750's and so far there is no story about it failing. Check out this Africa Twin with DCT (same generation DCT as 750 has) with 168.000 km which is in long term test, with no issues so far:

Afrika Twin

If you can read or translate from German his service log, you will find that the only problems he had so far were rear wheel bearing and right handlebar starter switch, DCT was flawless. How is that for reliability record?

http://www.varahannes.at/afrika twin_htm_files/Infoseite fuer PDF.pdf
 
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Thank you for the replies everyone. Looks like the concern i had is nothing to worry about. The NC is a wonderful bike and a joy to ride. Even tho weather is still decent here i have put bike away for
winter. Did approx 6700km this year. First service was at 1k km. Before putting it away i did oil / filter change (including DCT filter). Insurance ran out on Oct15. Usually only insure for 6 or 7 months as on
average November to March here you cant ride much or too far. Used to have a small scooter to scratch the ride itch over winter (Yamaha BWs125) but sold it.

The 2018 NC750X DCT is the 3rd NC i have owned. The first one was a 2014 NC750S. I only ride on weekends and in good weather. Had a record year on the 750S. From March to October i put
the bike away with over 12k km. The 2nd NC was the 2016 NC750X DCT. Got that because it was the first NC in DCT for Canada.

Cant see ever wanting another bike nor needing anything with more power. The NC is plenty fast for me. Will cruise at 130km all day and rockets from stops leaving cars in my dust.
 
My 2016 NC700X DCT is having intermittent DCT failure issues at roughly 48,000 miles. Purchased it at 46,000 miles and it was working flawlessly for 2k miles. Previous owner reported no issues with the DCT.

Currently in the shop trying to figure out what's wrong with it. Like in telecam's case, I think it may be the shifting control motor that has gone bad, but I'm not 100% sure yet. Waiting for the service techs to get back to me. Here's a link to my thread if you want to keep up with the updates.
 
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