TerraNova
New Member
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- Dec 21, 2012
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- Location
- Durham, North Carolina, USA
I picked up my new NC700X (ABS/DCT) this morning, and put 90 miles on it this afternoon in the Carolina sunshine. I thought I'd share some first impressions and ask some questions. This group has been great to follow as I was making my decision to get the NC700, and I hope these notes will be useful to someone else who is considering this bike.
Keep in mind that this is my first motorcycle - my only previous experience is with a 250cc cruiser I used for a couple days during the MSF course and a 125cc Honda PCX scooter, which I've been riding for the past year or so (and traded in to get the NC700) - so those are the only things I have to compare it to.
1. This thing is heavy. You don't feel it when you're riding - I found it real easy to handle, even at slow speeds - but I had a heck of a time getting it up on the center stand (I'm going to have to practice that more. Any advice?). And I'm worried when I stop to park it that I'm going to drop it in tight parking maneuvers. In fact, I did drop it when I got home at the end of my first long ride, trying to make a tight turn in my back yard to park it behind my house. Fortunately it was on grass, had no damage, and wasn't as hard to pick up as I had imagined, but that was not the way I wanted to end my first ride. I've made this same manuever every day on the PCX and never had a problem, but this bike is bigger and heavier, so it will take some getting used to. Any advice on turns in tight spaces?
2. The seat height isn't really a problem, though I thought it might be (and the dealer was telling me I should consider lowering links). I'm 5'7" with a 30 inseam, and though I'm not able to flat-foot it with two feet, it's not a problem to put my left foot down firmly at a stop. This is probably helped by the fact that I got the DCT and don't need to use my left foot to operate the gears. The seat height makes it a little tricky to swing my leg over to get on and off, though, especially with the top box on the back.
3. The riding position is very comfortable, though I did feel the wind more than I did on my PCX (I have the stock screen, maybe I should consider the bigger one?).
4. The rumble of the engine was more than I was expecting, and at first (I guess still now) I was unsure of whether it was supposed to be that way or whether there was something wrong. Everything I read was how smooth the NC700 engine is, but compared to the PCX this didn't feel smooth. There wasn't a lot of vibration, but I definitely felt the engine and heard the noise, even with earplugs. I know it's a motorcycle so isn't supposed to feel like a scooter ;-) but is it supposed to be very rumbly? Or might something be amiss?
5. The DCT automatic shifting was real nice for a novice like me coming from a scooter - one less thing to think about so I can focus more on being safe on the road and enjoying the ride. And it will be nice for stop and go city commuting, which will be my daily use for the NC700. Kind of strange not having anything to do with my left hand or foot, though. And it was a little disconcerting to hear the clunk of the gear shifts, though I quickly got used to it. It felt like in the D mode it was always in too high a gear, but the S mode felt right. I haven't tried the manual mode yet, though I did accidentally hit the downshifter once, and was puzzled for a moment about what happened. ;-)
Overall, I'm really happy with the NC700X. Still a little apprehensive about the parking, but everything else is good, and looking forward to many fun rides ahead...
Keep in mind that this is my first motorcycle - my only previous experience is with a 250cc cruiser I used for a couple days during the MSF course and a 125cc Honda PCX scooter, which I've been riding for the past year or so (and traded in to get the NC700) - so those are the only things I have to compare it to.
1. This thing is heavy. You don't feel it when you're riding - I found it real easy to handle, even at slow speeds - but I had a heck of a time getting it up on the center stand (I'm going to have to practice that more. Any advice?). And I'm worried when I stop to park it that I'm going to drop it in tight parking maneuvers. In fact, I did drop it when I got home at the end of my first long ride, trying to make a tight turn in my back yard to park it behind my house. Fortunately it was on grass, had no damage, and wasn't as hard to pick up as I had imagined, but that was not the way I wanted to end my first ride. I've made this same manuever every day on the PCX and never had a problem, but this bike is bigger and heavier, so it will take some getting used to. Any advice on turns in tight spaces?
2. The seat height isn't really a problem, though I thought it might be (and the dealer was telling me I should consider lowering links). I'm 5'7" with a 30 inseam, and though I'm not able to flat-foot it with two feet, it's not a problem to put my left foot down firmly at a stop. This is probably helped by the fact that I got the DCT and don't need to use my left foot to operate the gears. The seat height makes it a little tricky to swing my leg over to get on and off, though, especially with the top box on the back.
3. The riding position is very comfortable, though I did feel the wind more than I did on my PCX (I have the stock screen, maybe I should consider the bigger one?).
4. The rumble of the engine was more than I was expecting, and at first (I guess still now) I was unsure of whether it was supposed to be that way or whether there was something wrong. Everything I read was how smooth the NC700 engine is, but compared to the PCX this didn't feel smooth. There wasn't a lot of vibration, but I definitely felt the engine and heard the noise, even with earplugs. I know it's a motorcycle so isn't supposed to feel like a scooter ;-) but is it supposed to be very rumbly? Or might something be amiss?
5. The DCT automatic shifting was real nice for a novice like me coming from a scooter - one less thing to think about so I can focus more on being safe on the road and enjoying the ride. And it will be nice for stop and go city commuting, which will be my daily use for the NC700. Kind of strange not having anything to do with my left hand or foot, though. And it was a little disconcerting to hear the clunk of the gear shifts, though I quickly got used to it. It felt like in the D mode it was always in too high a gear, but the S mode felt right. I haven't tried the manual mode yet, though I did accidentally hit the downshifter once, and was puzzled for a moment about what happened. ;-)
Overall, I'm really happy with the NC700X. Still a little apprehensive about the parking, but everything else is good, and looking forward to many fun rides ahead...
