Is NC700X a Dual Sport bike. Yes, it is. And, no, is not.

[GregC]

saw this over at advrider:

When people who say they want a 50/50 bike buy one, they realize they really wanted a 100/100 bike. But since those don't exist, they either quit or decide what's more important to them and buy a 10/90 or a 90/10

When I'm daydreaming of a new bike, I take a real hard look at how I ride. For me, it's 95% asphalt. I really like the 5% of forest roads, packed dirt/gravel, even "real" gravel, but I tend to mostly ride the curvy country and mountain roads. So having a "real" dirt bike makes no sense for me. Frankly, neither does a 1250GS ... I'd be among the legions of those guys that rarely takes the bike off road. Now, a 1250RT ...

 

[NWGABikeGuy]

No, the NC is definitely not a dual sport bike. A dual sport, being basically a trail bike with some extra baggage, will run through rough stuff with much less effort than a street bike (the NC). Taking it a step further, a run through rough trails on a true dirt bike will totally amaze you in how the bike can fly through and eat up sand, ruts, roots, and boulders like they aren’t even there.

While you “can” ride an NC off road, a ride through the same trail on a good dual sport or dirt bike will tell you that the NC is the wrong tool for the job.

Also, if someone wants to learn dirt/trail riding skills, I’d advise learning on a 125 or at most a 250 that weighs half what the NC does. You can properly learn the skills more safely without wrestling an oversized street machine.

Lastly, and this is just my personal standard to live by, I consider dropping a bike to be a total failure, the ultimate screw up. If, during a storyteller‘s ride review, I read that a bike is dropped multiple times, it is, in my opinion, clearly the wrong machine for the job, or the rider needs to go back to basics and learn the skills needed on a proper machine for that type ride.

I don't know about "total failure" or "ultimate screw-up". I would reserve those labels for riders who end-up in the hospital morgue with nothing on but a toe tag... Otherwise, dropping a bike is a mistake. It is therefore a learning experience, and perhaps indicative of a rider trying to learn new skills and making the necessary move outside of one's comfort zone to do so.

 

[showkey]

The idea is staying off the ground………your always one crash away from a life changing event* like:

Broken collar bone or hip that turns into a non union.

* or worse

Testing your limits and the bike sounds like adventure ?

That event can also be no fault of your own:

T boned at 30.

Because it is highly unlikely that the level of diligence required to assure it is restored to original condition is challenging for most shops. Actually nearly impossible with a 30MPH hit. Its suitability for you after the repair is irrelevant to the claims process (here). Yup. Same here...

www.nc700-forum.com