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Just bought an NC - what are your essential mods?

MalcolmReynolds

MalcolmReynolds

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I just picked up a low miles 2012 NC. The bike is basically stock. It has a larger wind screen which is still too small, and it has a center stand. Other than that she appears to be all stock and in like new condition. Very happy to have found a bike in such good shape with low miles. Took it out for a spin and it really just suits my riding style perfectly. I am not a high rev kind of rider, it is smooth, and even revs in the 3-4k range are not obnoxious or feel stretched. Seems like a sweet spot and seems to run very well there which makes me very happy with my choice on the NC. Now I need to get busy farkling this bike.

I know tops on my list are a seat. I have a long inseam so I will be looking for a seat that will give me some more leg room and not quite so angled into the tank.

I also want to get some saddlebags and top case. I have been looking at the Honda bags and I am ready to pull the trigger, but want your feedback on the bag options and what people recommend before I order something.

So what are your favorite farkles for the NC? What do you recommend? Looking forward to your feedback and input. Thanks.
 
I'd recommend what I did: ride some and prioritize what you'd like to change, fix, augment. And ride some more. I didn't even purchase any extra carrying capacity and just made do with an old fairly large daypack whose straps were woven under the pillion, until I knew for sure what I really would get the best use out of, what stuff would actually matter to me... Some of what I saw others talk about just didn't matter to me much at all, and vice versa. And since I only enjoy installing stuff occasionally, it allowed me to ride more during all the best days, and only install farkles when they really made a difference, and when I got in the mood. I'm probably in the minority here ; }
 
My top 3 mods:

20" Vstream - completely deleted the wind buffeting - also has a bar for mounting phone and GPS in line of sight while riding
2" Rox risers - no more sore neck/shoulders after long rides, plus allows me to stand on the pegs without stooping
Seat Concepts seat - added at least 2 hours of comfort to my rides, there are better seats too, so I can only imagine how much better it can be

About your bags...check out Motostorm.it. They have HUGE discounts on gear to fit the NC700X, especially Kappa panniers and top cases. Kappa is Givi's economy line. I love mine and couldn't justify the extra money for the Givi brand. I got a Kappa KGR52 (just like the Givi 52 liter Trekker) and all the mounting parts for $269 delivered. I also got Kappa K33N (just like the Givi V35s) side cases for $212 delivered.
 
GunNut37086 said:
My top 3 mods:

20" Vstream - completely deleted the wind buffeting - also has a bar for mounting phone and GPS in line of sight while riding
2" Rox risers - no more sore neck/shoulders after long rides, plus allows me to stand on the pegs without stooping
Seat Concepts seat - added at least 2 hours of comfort to my rides, there are better seats too, so I can only imagine how much better it can be
Click to expand...

I'll second the 20" Vstream and the Seat concepts. Both very reasonably priced and excellent quality. Allowed me to do a 3k mile round trip doing 400 miles/day in comfort. Didn't even think about wind/bufetting or any sore buns. Both great investments.

FWIW, I went with the OEM luggage and, while a bit more pricey than some aftermarket options, it works very well, fits great, installs easy, and is totally legit. Hard to go wrong with any of the good luggage set ups, but I will tell you I'm happy with the OEM luggage.
 
GunNut37086 said:
My top 3 mods:

20" Vstream - completely deleted the wind buffeting - also has a bar for mounting phone and GPS in line of sight while riding
2" Rox risers - no more sore neck/shoulders after long rides, plus allows me to stand on the pegs without stooping
Seat Concepts seat - added at least 2 hours of comfort to my rides, there are better seats too, so I can only imagine how much better it can be

About your bags...check out Motostorm.it. They have HUGE discounts on gear to fit the NC700X, especially Kappa panniers and top cases. Kappa is Givi's economy line. I love mine and couldn't justify the extra money for the Givi brand. I got a Kappa KGR52 (just like the Givi 52 liter Trekker) and all the mounting parts for $269 delivered. I also got Kappa K33N (just like the Givi V35s) side cases for $212 delivered.
Click to expand...

I just looked at the Kappa's you mentioned and they look just like the Givi cases. Can you tell me what racks are needed to mount the K33N and the KGR52? Trying to figure out what parts I would need to order. Thanks!
 
I am trying to understand the racks/attachments for the Givi/Kapp on the NC. Do I understand it correctly that for the K33N bags you need the PLX1111 racks, and for the top case you need the 1111FZ plus the M5 mounting plate for the Monokey system? Figuring out the attachment systems here is a bit confusing. Thanks again for your input on this.

I had a Madstad on a VL1000 at one time and I really liked it. The turbulence/buffeting on the VStrom was horrific until I finally dialed in the size, angle, and height of the windscreen. But lessons learned in the past is that I need to get my seat situation dialed in before I start messing with the windscreen. Otherwise you end up changing the wind screen a couple of times after you mess around with seating and your seat height changes. At least now after doing this with so many bikes I now know the "order of precedence" when buying stuff so I don't have to keep rebuying it as things change. LOL :D
 
OneGun said:
FWIW, I went with the OEM luggage and, while a bit more pricey than some aftermarket options, it works very well, fits great, installs easy, and is totally legit. Hard to go wrong with any of the good luggage set ups, but I will tell you I'm happy with the OEM luggage.
Click to expand...

I agree - I didn't get the top case as I didn't need that much storage - did get the rear carrier so I could mount a soft top bag if needed.
 
MalcolmReynolds said:
I am trying to understand the racks/attachments for the Givi/Kapp on the NC. Do I understand it correctly that for the K33N bags you need the PLX1111 racks, and for the top case you need the 1111FZ plus the M5 mounting plate for the Monokey system? Figuring out the attachment systems here is a bit confusing. Thanks again for your input on this.
Click to expand...

That sounds right: Here's a thread about the setup-
mounting givi monokey cases (pics)
 
I'm 6'1 ~35" inseam. 2" Rox risers. I run mine slightly forward for a bit more reach. Drop foot pegs. Several options on them. really help with the knee angle. New seat-I went Seat Concepts do it yourself option. Still has a bit of slope so if you search on the site for slope mod there is help there. Other options are available for seats also. As for screen I went madstad. Pricy but good and adjustable. Comes with winglets that stop the air coming around the blinkers, over the frunk, hitting the body and running up to the bottom of the helmet which causes a lot of noise.
The Honda luggage looks good and is tight to the bike but is pricy and slightly odd shape. I went sw-motech racks because there are adapters for it for just about any brand of luggage and they are pretty strong.
 
This seat thing on the NC I think is going to be the hard one to crack. I would like something that raises me up a bit for a bit more legroom and not the angle pushing me into the tank.

I had a Russell Daylong on a Concours once that was pretty sweet, but that is a hard pill to swallow cost wise for that seat. On a cruiser I had a Mustang that also did a nice job of raising me up a bit and the seat was both firm, but giving enough that it made for a pretty comfortable ride. I am hoping there is a compromise here on the NC that will give me enough of what I need that I can adapt.

It does help to put a sheepskin and a beadrider over the top of a seat, but it wouldn't help to negate the angle of the stock seat. I tried once to put some additional padding under the sheepskin front end and that helps a little, but not quite enough without causing fitment issues with the sheepskin and beadrider. Which reminds me I need to order those.

Right out of the gate Corbin is ruled out this time. I have tried multiple times with Corbin seats and every time my backside cries uncle before that seat ever starts to break in and become "comfortable". So I will save myself the expense this time and not even try a Corbin. They are nice saddles, but I have never found a way to break them in so they are comfortable.

A friend and I were out on a ride one time and we were caught in a downpour. His bike had a Corbin seat on it and he forgot to cover it up and it got wet. He had been going through the seat break in blues with that Corbin that was like riding on a slab of concrete and strangely enough the fact the leather got wet and probably the foam and the fact he had to ride on it that way it actually suddenly "gave in" and conformed to his backside. He said that thing finally fit him like a glove and was perfect. But it took an "act of God" to break that seat in! LOL
 
MalcolmReynolds said:
I am trying to understand the racks/attachments for the Givi/Kapp on the NC. Do I understand it correctly that for the K33N bags you need the PLX1111 racks, and for the top case you need the 1111FZ plus the M5 mounting plate for the Monokey system? Figuring out the attachment systems here is a bit confusing. Thanks again for your input on this.
Click to expand...

I agree the racks are confusing.

The 1111FZ is correct for the NC700X top cases. I find I use the top case daily, but rarely use the side cases. That said, you can get an M5 or M7 mounting plate if you're choosing a Monokey top case or get the something like an M5M for a smaller Monolock top case.

The PLX1111 is only needed for the Givi V35 or Kappa K33N, due to the way they curve inward to minimize overall width. I lucked up and got my PLX1111 used for $40 from a local guy. If I hadn't gotten such a good deal, I'd have chosen the PL1111 rack, since it's more versatile, fitting numerous other cases.

Best of luck farkling.
 
I have the OEM Honda side cases and I like that they come off very easily, I use them as suite cases on road trips, I'll take them off when loading and unloading. I also like that they are the same or more narrow then the handle bars so splitting lanes I don't have to worry much about catching them on a vehicle I'm passing. If I was buying side cases I would look at top loaders that are similar in width as the handle bars when mounted. I would recommend some kind of handle bar risers and seat mod or seat replacement as must haves the rest is preference but if you now what you want out of your motorcycle someone on the forum has tried it and reported back on how it worked out. Try asking about how a specific mod worked out and I'm sure at least one person will have a honest review with a pro vs con list about it. Good luck and congratulations
 
Raising the front of the seat worked wonders for me though I am short and don't need the extra legroom. What the Showkey Mod (post #12 above, thanks Greyone1) does is fix the sliding forward onto the narrow front section of the seat situation. After 25,000 miles I did buy a Sargent seat but I think if a budget is necessary saving seat money to spend on a windshield is well spent. If you can afford to do it all at once I recommend the Sargent seat.

Madstad is my choice for a windshield. Like others have said it's very versatile and very effective. It solves wind protection and noise issues and the removable winglets are nice to change up air flow as the seasons change.

I had a Givi Monorack ( rack arms 1111FZ and M5 base plate) and luggage racks (PL1111) for 3 Givi Monokey cases on the top and sides of my first NC700X. When I outfitted the second one I went with SW Motech stuff. SWM allows removing the side racks and the top box base when not it use to save weight and it's better looking in my opinion to not have the luggage racks mounted all the time. The stuff in use now is the NC700X Alu Rack and Quick Lock Evo racks, both with Givi adapters. You have to get the correct adapters for whatever cases you do go with - SWM makes the racks but not the cases. I kept the Givi cases from other bikes and they pop on and off in seconds when I need a top box or all three.
 
Just been doing some more reading last night here on the forum. Looks like I see a lot of recommendations for the Fenda Extenda, radiator guard, and hugger fenders. I found this radiator guard on Amazon: Amazon.com: Motorcycle Aluminum Stainless Steel Radiator Guard Grill Cover Oil Cooler Bezel Protector Grille for 2012-2016 12-16 Honda NC700X NC700 DCT 2013 2014 2015 (Black): Automotive

The price seemed reasonable, but haven't seen anyone post anything about it here on the forum. Anyone have any experience with this radiator guard?
 
MalcolmReynolds said:
This seat thing on the NC I think is going to be the hard one to crack. I would like something that raises me up a bit for a bit more legroom and not the angle pushing me into the tank.

I had a Russell Daylong on a Concours once that was pretty sweet, but that is a hard pill to swallow cost wise for that seat.
Click to expand...

You said the deal for this bike was pretty good, right? Pretend that you paid $200 more for it than you actually did and put that $$ in your dresser drawer. Is that number still pretty decent? If so, great! Leave the $200 in the drawer.


Email Russell and book a build (will probably be in several months). It will cost about $500.00

When it comes time pay, take the $200 out of the drawer and toss in another $300..

By using my totally convoluted logic you will end up spending about $300 (including shipping) for the seat. It will be the best $300 you ever spent on a farkle ;-)


I'm sending my pan out and it is being built May 2 for under $500, all vinyl with a basket weave seating surface. I placed my order in February. It makes sense to only have the front pan done, which is what I'm doing (S-1 price code on their site).

32" inseam here and I can easily flat-foot the bike, but the seat to peg distance feels cramped, even with my dropped foot pegs. The Russell is going to add an some height and increase that distance for even more comfort. I told them to get rid of the front slope and I don't really care if I'm on one foot or the balls of my feet at a stop. I just want to be able to ride for a couple of long days in a row.
 
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I was looking at the Russell page and it looked like they lumped the NC as an S-3 on the web page. Still right at $510 for the front seat alone done in vinyl. I think that is what I will have to do is just order another Russell.

I am going to try and find an affordable stock front seat that I can send into them. I am hoping they can match the rear stock seat in appearance(color, texture etc) so it somewhat matches. I don't want to be without a seat for half of the riding season so finding a donor seat seems like the best solution. I have owned a Russell before and it is a good seat.
 
MalcolmReynolds said:
I was looking at the Russell page and it looked like they lumped the NC as an S-3 on the web page. Still right at $510 for the front seat alone done in vinyl.
Click to expand...

Yes.

But, the S-3 code is the cost to build one custom seat (front pan) and the cost to recover your stock passenger seat (rear pan). If you go that route, you will need to send Russell both your seat pans. If on the other hand you don't want to recover your rear seat to exactly match the front, the cost is only $420 and you would use the S-1 code and obviously send in only your front pan.

It sounds like that is what you have in mind. If so, then use the S-1 code, not the S-3.

That is what I did since I don't even use my rear seat..replaced it with a metal rack with an aux fuel tank.

(the itty-bitty stock fuel capacity drove me nuts)

I'm figuring about $12 to ship my front pan to Cali and a few $$ more to get my new, larger and more comfy seat back to me.

I thought I wanted leather, but after talking to Russell and discussing the hard-core, all weather, bad @ss rider that I am, they recommended the vinyl. Plus, it saved me $50 ;-)
 
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