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Freeway speeds

If I get the NC, I'd have to bear in mind this highway behavior since all my current bikes are CBR1000RR. You guys are honest and helpful. I am very grateful to you folks.

Just thinking out loud ....
Like all engineering trade-offs, what do I want? Do I want MPG and long range per tank or do I want 4 seconds passing ability at highway speeds? We are not going to get both that easily in the same bike.
 
If I get the NC, I'd have to bear in mind this highway behavior since all my current bikes are CBR1000RR. You guys are honest and helpful. I am very grateful to you folks.

Just thinking out loud ....
Like all engineering trade-offs, what do I want? Do I want MPG and long range per tank or do I want 4 seconds passing ability at highway speeds? We are not going to get both that easily in the same bike.
If you ride the NC like you're used to riding on sportbikes, it won't get that 70 mpg's everyone talks about. I do good to get 45-50mpg out of mine. Most of the time 45ish, sometimes less. I have had many bikes including CBR900RR, GSXR 750, and my last sportbike was a ZX10R, of which I crashed and lost my left leg below the knee, so now, I ride the, NC with DCT trans because it works with my leg. Also had several cruisers, and currently have one of those too, those just aren't applicable to this conversation.

The NC is a pleasant and practical bike to ride. Handles great in the twisties, comfortable, and the frunk storage and adding storage cases is great too. It's just getting used to the lack of power when you go from something like a literbike to the NC.

But.....if you keep a literbike and just add an NC to the stable, they both will serve their intended purposes!
 
If you ride the NC like you're used to riding on sportbikes, it won't get that 70 mpg's everyone talks about. I do good to get 45-50mpg out of mine. Most of the time 45ish, sometimes less. I have had many bikes including CBR900RR, GSXR 750, and my last sportbike was a ZX10R, of which I crashed and lost my left leg below the knee, so now, I ride the, NC with DCT trans because it works with my leg. Also had several cruisers, and currently have one of those too, those just aren't applicable to this conversation.

The NC is a pleasant and practical bike to ride. Handles great in the twisties, comfortable, and the frunk storage and adding storage cases is great too. It's just getting used to the lack of power when you go from something like a literbike to the NC.

But.....if you keep a literbike and just add an NC to the stable, they both will serve their intended purposes!
Sorry to hear about the leg and thanks for sharing your story. I love listening to these war stories.

Oh no, I'll never ride the NC like my CBR. I intend to ride the NC to relax and explore further locations and breathe in fresh air in the country-side.
I'm just thinking about the small stretches of freeways which I have to use to commute to my intended nice areas, and whether it was safe and that was why I'm here gathering info from you folks who have a lot more experience than me on the NC. Lots to learn from you all.
 
The NC has to be a lot faster than a CBR 300 which a couple of my buddies have and swear they have " no trouble running 80 all day long" (I love that expression, it cracks me up and everyone uses it. For some reason it seems to be the benchmark .... like if you can only run 75 mph all day long your bike us unworthy lol). I, by the way, rarely get to 80 (the speed limits on our freeways are 65 & 70) and I certainly have never done it all day long, even going to Florida or California on my ST 1300 or FJR. Might hit 80 passing someone, but never cruise at that speed. The exception was on my way back from Cali in Utah I believe, where the speed limit actually was 80.

BTW according to wiki

The highest posted speed limit in the country is 85 mph (137 km/h) and can be found only on Texas State Highway 130.
I just want to point out that posted speed limits on highways in a lot of the US doesn't mean anything. You either keep up with traffic or you get run over...and that can typically mean going upwards of 20 mph over the speed limit. The posted speed limit on I-264/64 here in Hampton Roads is 55, yet I regularly have to go 70-75 to keep up with traffic.
 
Sorry to hear about the leg and thanks for sharing your story. I love listening to these war stories.

Oh no, I'll never ride the NC like my CBR. I intend to ride the NC to relax and explore further locations and breathe in fresh air in the country-side.
I'm just thinking about the small stretches of freeways which I have to use to commute to my intended nice areas, and whether it was safe and that was why I'm here gathering info from you folks who have a lot more experience than me on the NC. Lots to learn from you all.
I doubt you'll have a single gripe about anything other than the power (until you get used to it). It's not a complete slouch, but doesn't hold a candle to inline-4cyl sport bikes. Oh and the oem seat sucks for long distances, but there's plenty options in the aftermarket for that.

My buddy crashed his GSXR1000 about a month ago. We all rode last Friday, so i let him ride my NC with his wife and I rode my cruiser with my fiance. He said "damn, that thing handles good in the curves doesn't it?!" ....and this is coming from a guy that's been on a GSXR1000 that he bought brand new in 2008. Like I said, a pleasure to ride.

Them on my bike. He's taking advantage of the highway peg I have to use for my leg....sweet beer belly too LOL.
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We have a mixed bag of bikes in our little crew. My Vulcan Nomad 1600 or NC700X, CBR1000RR, GSXR 750, Harley Road Glide, etc. The NC is right at home anywhere.


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I just want to point out that posted speed limits on highways in a lot of the US doesn't mean anything. You either keep up with traffic or you get run over...and that can typically mean going upwards of 20 mph over the speed limit. The posted speed limit on I-264/64 here in Hampton Roads is 55, yet I regularly have to go 70-75 to keep up with traffic.
I don't spend a lot of time on the freeway, even on trips, but I will generally stay within 5 mph or so over the posted limit, as I have no desire to find myself with a performance award, the associated fine and increased insurance rates. Being retired, I'm not in much of a hurry to get anywhere anymore. The speed limit on the local freeway is 65 and I'll run 72 without getting run over. In northern Kentucky it is 70 and I'll run 74. The vast majority of my riding is on country back roads with 45-55 mph limits and I'll run 45-60 mph.

Got all the super speeding out of my system years ago. Now I just ride at speeds that are comfortable and dont tax me mentally or physically.
 
I'm assuming you were referring to I-90 ?
That freeway is notorious for cars/trucks breathing down your neck if you do not want to go at 80 MPH on the right most lane.
Yeah. In some places it's not so bad. There's a crazy dingus malingus on every road you'll ever be on. Even when alone ;)
With my 2012, I've dropped to 53 mpg at sustained high speed.
My worst mpg remains 64, while riding 2up and jamming the throttle out going up some mountains.

In my defense we needed to cover some serious ground and get from Seattle to Ashland Oregon in less time than is legally possible.

I think I got 65 on a couple tanks in Montana and Idaho
 
There is no vibrations at all in the bike. Smoothest bike I've ever ridden.

Well, lots of folks complain about low rpm vibrations from engine lug if you opt for the DCT model and ride in Drive mode rather than Sport mode. Drive mode shifts super early in order to maximize fuel economy, and thus lugs the engine a bit in lower rpms and higher gears. But that's easily avoided by riding in one of the Sport modes. I never use D mode, ever....only S mode or manual mode.
I would argue that the usable low RPM range is more like bogging than lugging... but I'm also the guy who sometimes shifts into 6th at 30mph

What do I know ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
If you need 20 seconds to pass, you don't need to pass anyone. You'll already be going a mighty speed
That's generally true and I agree with you.
But, there may be scenarios like long trailers right in front of me and it's drummed into my head in every motorcycle safety class not to follow trailers.
 
That's generally true and I agree with you.
But, there may be scenarios like long trailers right in front of me and it's drummed into my head in every motorcycle safety class not to follow trailers.
I won't dispute riding behind trailers is less ideal but as long as you keep your distance and keep visibility with the truck's mirrors you shouldn't have many problems. I've never gotten stuck behind trucks except on a few mountain passes, but a 'lack' of horsepower wasn't what held me back. A lack of desire for felony charges did.

I've put over 50,000 miles on my NC and owned it for four years. I've commuted up and down I90, I5, 405, 18, and 202/203. It's perfectly fine on all of those, above the limits or right with the flow of traffic. Right lane or not, it's a great ride.

I've done long tours, short tours, overloaded tours, underprepared tours, ridden in rotten traffic and wide open roads with nobody for miles. The NC doesn't complain about any of it. It's not the best bike out there, but as far as I can tell there is no best bike. Just the right bike for the ride
 
Motorcyclist love to complain about tailgaters but from my observations, speeding and tailgating are two of the most common safety violations motorcyclists make. I admit it's rally hard not to do either of those when riding a motorcycle. We generally ride so much faster than cars. One must really concentrate not to tail gate, especially behind vans, SUVs, pickups, semi's and other vehicles that YOU can't see thru THEIR windshield to see what is in the road ahead. It's like riding behind a wall. Your vision is limited to whatever you can see between you and that wall. If it's not a safe enough distance, you are at the mercy of whatever they drive over. A buddy of mine crashed by running over a wheel rim the truck in front of him cleared between it's wheels, and when it came out from under the truck he was too close and going too fast to react and hit it, bending his front wheel, and causing him to go down. He wasn't seriously hurt (could have been though) but did suffer a lot of road rash, had to have his bike towed and repaired at his expense. Doesn't have to be a rim though, could be a dead critter like a groundhog or raccoon, or it could be a ladder or wooden skid, or a big ol pothole. I've seen all of those come flying out from under cars/trucks in front of me and have thankfully learned to stay way back when following those types of vehicles.

I also pass vehicles like that as soon as it's legally possible. If not possible I will simply pull over and rest for a minute and take a swig of water, and let them get a good ways ahead.
 
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I also pass vehicles like that as soon as it's legally possible. If not possible I will simply pull over and rest for a minute and take a swig of water, and let them get a good ways ahead.
That's something rarely done my motorcyclists. Those who do this should be awarded as safety champions.
If I can't run away from the wall, I wait for the wall to go away.
 
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I won't dispute riding behind trailers is less ideal but as long as you keep your distance and keep visibility with the truck's mirrors you shouldn't have many problems.
Except for the problem that happens in an instant and WILL kill you, that being a truck tire delaminating.
If you have ever seen it happen on the road in real time, you will NEVER drive behind a big rig or tandem, even 200 feet behind.
 
Except for the problem that happens in an instant and WILL kill you, that being a truck tire delaminating.
If you have ever seen it happen on the road in real time, you will NEVER drive behind a big rig or tandem, even 200 feet behind.
Yup, this issue has been discussed to death in Motorcycle Safety classes. It is extremely dangerous to say the least; in addition to it reducing our sight distance, there is also the possibility of the rear wheel hurling debris at you at high speed. So, stay away from them.
 
Except for the problem that happens in an instant and WILL kill you, that being a truck tire delaminating.
If you have ever seen it happen on the road in real time, you will NEVER drive behind a big rig or tandem, even 200 feet behind.
I've seen it happen both in my car and on my bike. It's certainly unwelcome excitement.

The only case where I would be 200 feet behind a trailer is at low speed. I try to maintain 3-4 seconds minimum behind big rigs and generally cars as well. At 60mph that's about 350 ft or 110m.

There are so many lethal or seriously injurious potentialities on the road, in a cage or out. To say "never" is to say don't ride. That's a valid choice, but not one I'll be making anytime soon
 
As far as freeway riding goes I no longer play the "go with the speed of traffic". I no longer buy the argument that you are going to be wiped off the road. Stay in the right lane and give everyone plenty of room. They will come zooming up behind me and then find a hole to get over in the left lane to pass. And funny enough I won't be alone in that right lane driving at a slower speed. In many states the speed that tractor trailers are allowed to drive is 5-10mph slower than the posted speeds for cars, but frankly it does not appear to cause that many traffic accidents. People expect there is going to be slower traffic in the right lane. So I say ride your ride and try to ignore the agro cagers. I am mostly concerned with their distracted driving while playing with their cell phones and gadgets. The I must keep up with traffic thing has only resulted in people going faster and faster. You don't have to play along unless you just really want to. I think the NC is capable of the 80mph riding, she will just drink a lot more gas. But like others pointed out she doesn't have much giddy up left at those speeds. The NC is just an all around competent bike. I like the word practical for this bike. If you can get attached to all around practical the NC is a lifetime sort of bike.
 
I was in the Highway Traffic Safety business for 24 1/2 years, over the road sales, 5 days a week, 200 miles (on average) a day. I learned it was most conducive for me to travel in the middle lane on a 3 lane highway. The far left lane is for the speeders, the far right hand lane for the mergers getting on the freeway and those slowing down to exit and the really slow people. Meanwhile I just kept motoring at my speed limit +5. Not trying to tell anyone what lane they should ride in, but I have learned what works for me.
 
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