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Looking for a new bike

bnolsen

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This spring I started consistently riding to work and have been exclusively riding around this summer. I put almost 3000k miles on a 2007 kawasaki ninja 250. I commute mostly on highways, leave about 0500 and the highway speeds at that time aren't nice to that 250, and I hate high revving it.

I've been looking at craigslist for vstrom's and versys's and finally last weekend suzuki had a demo day where I got to test ride some vstroms and an sv650.

The vstrom 650 is a nice motorcycle. But I'm looking around yet...I notice Honda having major incentives on the nc700x and the prices on showroom 2015's are pretty amazing, enough to actually buy one for barely more than the insane prices people are asking for the others used. Found a dealer not far from work where they'll let me ride one, might be I buy it (then figure out how to get it home).

The big thing I hope to find when I test ride is how well the nc700x handles 80+ highway, especially for vibration and if there's any gotchas in the power band. As weak as that ninja 250 is, it's extremely smooth across the whole power band regardless of how fast it's (not) going or how much oil it's burning running 10+.

Man I wish it were easier to test ride stuff. Honda and Kawi never have demo days around here and I would like to at least take a versys for a spin, just to know how one rides.
 
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Good luck on your test ride! Remember this: (I own an NC700X and I once had a 2007 Ninja 250), the NC700 makes its power at much lower RPM than the 250. You’re going to need to shift up at half the RPM as the Ninja. If you try to ride the NC like the 250, it will just hit the rev limiter at around 6500 and the engine will cut out abruptly. Try to ride the NC by shifting well below the redline and use the low end power. That’s what makes it so easy and pleasant to ride.

Once it’s at 6000 RPM, the power output falls off. There’s nothing to be gained by trying to rev it any higher. I can poke along all day in my rural neighborhood and rarely go above 3000 RPM, but then I’m not fighting traffic and city congestion.
 
I certainly do not like revving the ninja (nor do i like the seating position). It took me a couple months to figure out that it should be run at 6k or higher on normal roads just to be able to even respond to any conditions.

h yeah i'm 6'2" with 34" inseam so hoping I can sit up comfortably well.

With stock setup how many rpms is it runninng at 85mph and does it have any headroom still at those levels?
 
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h yeah i'm 6'2" with 34" inseam so hoping I can sit up comfortably well.

I'm 6' with a 33" inseam and find it comfortable to ride. I didn't like the seat too much, but that is a personal thing. As far as the upright seating I'm happy with that. Currently almost 3000 miles into my first major trip on this bike and loving it.

Mine is a DCT model so I'm not going to get into the shifting discussion because I only occasionally over-ride the DCT's automatic mode. I'll let the guys with full manual answer those questions.
 
After the Ninja 250 the NC700X will feel like a magic carpet at 80 -85 mph. The vibration is more of a low frequency pulsing or thrumming felt at 2800-3200 rpm and at 80 the NC is turning less than 4500 rpm. At 85 the bars do not tingle and mirrors remain clear. At 85 it will accelerate easily to 90 but there isn't much headroom left. Acceleration flattens out in the 90s. See the video below.

When I was considering a 650 class bike I rode the Versys and the VeeStrom several times. My recollections of the Versys was that it's 180 degree twin cylinder engine vibrated quite a lot, especially at highway cruising speed of 65 to 75 mph, and the feel and sound of the engine was quite coarse and unrefined compared to the Honda NC. I recall Kawasaki redesigned the engine mounts starting with the 2015 (?) model and less of the engine's vibration is felt in the bars and pegs. I demoed the Versys three times before 2015 and haven't ridden the newer rubber mounted engine. The Versys, like the WeeStrom, have many devoted owners and they obviously aren't put off by what I considered deal breakers. The VeeStrom was very top heavy to me. The seat is a little higher than the NCs and it carries it's weight higher. I rode it out of obligation to make sure it wasn't for me because I really don't like the way the Suzuki looks. It does have a smooth engine however and revs cleanly to over 10,000 rpm and you rev it to 7 or 8,000 rpm to get the extra 35% extra horsepower out of that engine compared to the NC's low-revving engine. The NC700X has all of it's power before 6300 rpm. You are used to revving the Ninja engine to twice that and the Strom might be a good feel for you.

YouTube
 
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h yeah i'm 6'2" with 34" inseam
With stock setup how many rpms is it runninng at 85mph and does it have any headroom still at those levels?
Are you 165lbs fully geared up or closer to 240lbs?
Are you running 85mph on flat ground or on grades?

My personal experience on a NC at near GVWR together with a set of side panniers and a larger screen is that there is nothing much happening if you twist the throttle @ 80 mph. Running in Texas up a grade I could barely maintain 80mph with a headwind with the throttle pinned. I'm about 5'9 @ 145lbs and under 170lbs all geared up.
 
Are you 165lbs fully geared up or closer to 240lbs?
Are you running 85mph on flat ground or on grades?

My personal experience on a NC at near GVWR together with a set of side panniers and a larger screen is that there is nothing much happening if you twist the throttle @ 80 mph. Running in Texas up a grade I could barely maintain 80mph with a headwind with the throttle pinned. I'm about 5'9 @ 145lbs and under 170lbs all geared up.

Wow thanks for all the replies. I'm about 200 normal so at most 220 with all my normal junk. High speed riding will mostly be in flat areas but there's one sort of fly over that I have to go over.

I'm not really interested in going over 90mph at all on anything, never have been. slow traffic at 0500 runs 80mph .... I will probably avoid side luggage for any normal trips but may consider a top box.
 
I'm 200 or so normally so probably 220 or so geared up. Since I live in the Denver area if this bike can't make it up the passes at highway speeds that may be a very serious problem. Trips up mt evans and/or pike's peak may be a possibility as well.

As for luggage I would normally do at most a top box at some point, save any side luggage for real trips. With young-ish kids that's not really in the near future.
 
I suppose you could expect some power loss being that you’re a mile+ above sea level. You’ll just have to ride it and see if it meets your needs.
 
Increasing frontal area dramatically by installing side cases, hand guards, and a larger windshield on a less than 50 hp motorcycle will extract a penalty not seen on a more powerful machine. As a test I ran back to back runs on a windless morning and just by removing the Madstad windshield and hand guards picked up 5 or 7 mph in top speed. I can't remember the exact figure. Imagine what side cases do just by themselves.
 
The NC is a great commuter bike. It is not, however, a great sport bike. It's not fast but it gets great mileage and is (relatively) cheap to maintain. The best way to ride it is to shift early and often. Keeping the revs low increases fuel mileage and (I believe) durability. It'll ride at 80 just fine but it will do better at 70. It will get to 90 in a reasonable time but it dies soon after, topping out somewhere around 100. It really is closer in the way it rides to it's automotive cousin, a Honda Fit than to any other motorcycle.
 
I dunno … I’ve got OEM bags, a top case, a large CalSci windscreen, barkbusters, and I’m not a small guy. But I have no problem getting to 80 in the humid, heavy air South. And I can pass cars going up Black Mountain. I’ve never had to hesitate when wanting to pass someone.

So the NC700x has pretty much all the power I can use.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hey Bnolsen, welcome to the Ride and a Hearty Welcome from northern IDAHO where we too have lots of mountain passes, inclimate weather and strong winds. I ride in them all of the time and know a little something about what you mentioned. There are a lot of others here that have much more experience that have already spoken up and others that have yet to chime in. Here is what i have found with mine so far for the 18 months/14k miles and that i've owned it.

I am 6'6", 230lbs(more with atgatt) and have a 36" inseam. I have the 2012 NC700x, manual. When it was in stock trim i had no trouble pulling two mountain passes between where i live and western Montana(we run between 70mph-80mph posted speed limits up here). I have mountain passes in every direction i travel and it seems i can not get away from them no matter where i head off to haha. Anyway, then i swapped the front sprocket for a 17T trying to get a little better mpg, that worked and it slowed the rpms down just a little on the freeway. Liking that mod pretty well, next i changed rear tires and went up one size to a 150/70-17" with the same results. Woot, super happy.

After the front sprocket and one size larger rear tire change i immediately noticed another small increase in mpg. However, it came at a cost. With those two mods, i could no longer pull the pass in 6th gear and had to shift down if there was a 10+mph or so head/cross wind. Not really a problem. This year i changed rear tires again after wearing that one out and i stepped up an additional size and am now running a 140/80-17". Again i noticed an increase in mpg and but again i noticed a decrease in ability to pull the passes now at all in 6th gear. Now i have to drop to fifth every time i pull the passes which i don't mind and really don't care about that.

What i have noticed now is if there is a strong/violent head winds, i have to down shift into 4th gear on passes. I also have to drop into 5th gear on reasonably flats roads with all of my touring gear in the same conditions if i want to maintain 70mph-75mph. Again, i could care less.

Passing folks on the interstate at 75mph-80mph is a breeze if i'm not fighting heavy cross/head winds and have no touring gear! With the tire/sprocket changes it feels like my NC pulls much longer in each gear before i feel the need to shift it up and man does it pull hard! I like it!! Also with the changes i've made, it is like i've added an extra gear. It's been a while since i've run with my GPS so i'm trying to remember what my rpm is at 75mph, i believe it is 3200. If that's not right i'll return and correct that statement tomorrow.

If you don't mind pulling passes at 65mph to 75mph, that is where the NC seems to really shine. However, if you'd rather pull them at or around 75mph-80mph, then the NC probably is not for you. However, the NC will always give you her best. And for those times you do not have the throttle pinned, she'll give you incredible "Smiles per Gallon" for the remaining 80% of your daily ride.

Here is a website i used for calculating gear/tire changes. I know there are several others out there that work just as good or better, it is just the one i use. Hope it helps you make your decision and see in real figures what simple changes will accomplish without spending the cash first in trial and error. Gearing Commander ⚙
 
I have a Vstrom 650 & NC700X. My personal preference is the Honda NC700X. At 62 I can't pick up the Vstrom if I drop it, which is why I'm getting rid of it. I can hold the Honda handlebars & do squats so I won't be stranded if I drop it away from home. MUCH less top-heavy than the Vstrom. The Honda feels much more nimble & has more low-end & mid-range torque which makes it more relaxing to ride in my opinion. Vstrom is long, tall & engine feels more peaky. Also the Vstrom starts feeling a little busy at 70. 5,200 rpm vs 3,500 rpm on the Honda.
 
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