I took my NC700D to the worst road in Big Bend Nat Park and....

[Hondo53]

It was not good! The road is in Black Gap Canyon. It has many washes that had deep and wet sand (recent rain), many sharp drops and rises, and its all loose sand, boulders, gravel and baby heads. If it had not been for David Lewis in his new Toyota Tundra pulling me up "the wall" i would have died in that hot (108f) hole. My buddy Tom had no problem on his Kawasaki 250 but the heavy NC was not in its element. It went down hard 4 times which bent both crash bars and got totally stuck several times. The last 7 miles on the River road was in a blinding blowing rain/sand storm. Nothing like being wet sand blasted to top off your miserable day.
Definately unforgettable trip for all the wrong reasons.

Best news is the bike and i received very few visible wounds. Only one hand guard broken. No bones!

Lesson learned.
Spike out.

 

[HarveyM]

The can do a surprisng amount of rough stuff:
CannonTrek.CO - Bashing Big Bikes in the Backcountry of Colorado | Adventure Rider

 

[670cc]

Interesting day!

Pictures?

 

[Hondo53]

Much too busy trying to avoid heat stroke and get out alive to even think about a picture. Bue i do have a witness. Right Tom?

 

[Deckyon]

Not surprised. Stock NC, not an off-road bike. Its a commuter. Yes, you can mod the hell out of it and make it work, as linked above. I think Honda did a disservice to the NC by giving it an ADV label just to catch the eyes of people looking for ADV bikes.

Glad no one and nothing got hurt. You now have a better understanding of the limits of your bike. That is invaluable.

 

[showkey]

I think Honda did a disservice to the NC by giving it an ADV label just to catch the eyes of people looking for ADV bikes.

Glad no one and nothing got hurt. You now have a better understanding of the limits of your bike. That is invaluable.

Agree^^^^^^^^^^

Honda ad lines are all about ADV styling not Adv function or cability:

“Honda’s ultimate commuting motorcycle wears a tough, adventure look and features a torque-laden parallel twin engine, long travel suspension, internal storage compartment”

“The NC750X has an adventure-oriented edge, with comfort for rider and pillion. A large windscreen gives great wind protection and there’s plenty of room in the storage compartment.”

While the Africa Twin and others are shown off road the NC700x and CB500x are only pictured on road in ads.

 

[Jarrett]

How off pavement can the 700X go? Gravel roads ok? Dirt roads ok?

 

[Harpomark]

I have the same question. Bought a 2014 yesterday. I have a long twisty gravel driveway and it did fine in and out several times but the Pirelli ( trail riders i think) are not the tire for any loose stuff. I have a real dual sport bike ( DR650) which is basically a dirt bike that you can ride on the roads. My hope for the NC700 is that it functions as a good street/ light touring bike that I can also ride on the occasional gravel road if desired. First impression is that it will do what I want...with some decent 50/50 tires.

 

[670cc]

How off pavement can the 700X go? Gravel roads ok? Dirt roads ok?

Groomed dirt and gravel roads are no problem. It depends on rider ability and tire choice.

On the other hand, rugged road or true off road ability is hampered by the suspension, weight, and small front wheel.

 

[Jt105]

I have no problem on basic, groomed dirt roads. The low center of gravity helps steady the bike. It is the bumps and potholes that are a problem if the road is bumpy. The NC suspension doesn't do well at speed in rugged terrain.

 

[MalcolmReynolds]

The OP is a brave soul. The NC isn't really an off road monster. She is too big, heavy, not really the ground clearance or suspension for hard duty stuff. Take her on a well maintained gravel road, or well maintained trail I might, but for the most part I am considering something more off road oriented for the fun stuff.

Just glad you got out in one piece. Just have to scout the routes you are planning if you want to take the NC. Like you pointed out the smaller 250 is going to be better suited for rougher off road stuff, but gonna stink at any highway travels you have to take to get to the off road stuff.

 

[Hondo53]

Its the west Texas cowboy in my soul that made me do it. Yes the NC can handle gravel and groomed dirt roads quite well. This gave me exagerated confidence. So I did over estimate its offroad capability and i underestimated the technical level of the trail. But most of all, i unerestimated my ability and my advanced age. 108 degrees fahrenheit is a killer in a narrow canyon with the sun bearing down and with a full face helmet on, heavy boots etc. I guarantee that i will never do that again even with the right bike.

 

[Jarrett]

Did you damage the bike at allm

 

[Hondo53]

Aside from bending both crash bars and cracking the passenger handle on left side, just a few minor scratches.