Lorelai comes home (new 2018 NC750x)

[670cc]

Got a call from my insurance agent. The RMV had kicked back my title/registration for two missing signatures. Did that yesterday. Tags in a week or two.

All of the first group of accessories had arrived, and are paid for. So I had to go nuts again (including an email from the credit card company, again, asking if it was really me). Worked on the second set of accessories. So the above is on order, plus a T-Rex center stand, Eastern Beaver fuse block and accessory plug, grip puppies, slack adjuster, and laser monkey.

I haven't seen T-Rex mentioned a lot on here, but I liked the look and size of their crash bars better than the Givi (too small) or R-Gaza (too wide). So it made sense to go with their engine guard and center stand, they all should work together... Their luggage rack was available with a Givi case, so I got the 32 liter (I'm gonna need somewhere to store all the winter riding gear). The only other thing I saw from T-Rex was highway pegs, but I'm not paying $120 unless I can't find cheaper/just as good.

The Laser Monkey from Tru-Tension looked quite useful. Their Chain Monkey, well, ok, maybe. But a facebook ad from BPS Racing popped up one day, and I liked their slack adjuster better, so I went with that one. First time in 11 years that I ever bought from a facebook ad.

The credit cards are smoking again. Oy Vey, and I'm not even Jewish.

I will need some cold weather riding gear. Trying to decide what ATGATT means for me. Gloves with palm sliders. Jacket with elbow, shoulder, spine protection. Legs? Knee and hip protection? I'll be wearing my composite toe Redwing work boots most of the time.

No, T-Rex is not mentioned much here and I hadn’t heard of them until you mentioned T-Rex

I’m curious what is different about the T-Rex center stand that makes it cost $50 more than the Honda OEM center stand? I couldn’t really tell from the T-Rex web site.

 

[Janus]

I have an Aerostich R3 suit and I'm very happy with it. Bought a chest protector but it came with all the other pads

 

[Gripanimal]

I’m curious what is different about the T-Rex center stand that makes it cost $50 more than the Honda OEM center stand? I couldn’t really tell from the T-Rex web site.

Haven't received the T-Rex order yet. I didn't want to chance the Honda center stand not fitting well with the T-Rex skid plate. Worth $50 more? Don't know. It would be interesting to know if they use a heavier gauge metal. I can weigh it when it comes in. I'll have to look around to see if the Honda one mentions weight anywhere. Not even sure if that makes a difference, just trying to justify the cost difference. There probably is no justification.

My second round of accessories have begun to trickle in. The Oxford Heated Grips and Grip Puppies are in, plus the front fork protectors from ebay. I also received my license plate/registration, so I am legal to ride when it warms up.

I have an Aerostich R3 suit and I'm very happy with it. Bought a chest protector but it came with all the other pads

I thought about getting a suit, and its nice to know that you like it. I will consider one for the future. For now, I decided to go with a jacket, and will look at overpants. I work at a power plant, and operating boilers requires sturdy clothes with arcflash protection. The pants are a Carhartt canvas. Gotta fit those under something. I was looking for a jacket to match the bike. The jacket I chose looked darker red in the pictures, but I just got it this morning, and it is a bright red. I'm ok with that. Its a Joe Rocket with the Honda Racing logos. I'm 6 ft and a half inch, 235 lbs with a little bit of a gut. I ordered the 2XX, and it fits well. Comfortably snug with a hoodie underneath, as seen in the picture.

 

[Gripanimal]

I’m curious what is different about the T-Rex center stand that makes it cost $50 more than the Honda OEM center stand? I couldn’t really tell from the T-Rex web site.

Perusing the SW Motech catalog, their center stand is $41 more than OEM. Cost of custom build?

I hadn't originally budgeted for gear. Thanks to all of you and your incredible insights, I blew up my budget, and bought some items that balance budget and protection.

The Joe Rocket jacket pictured above. I'm fairly certain it won't be a good cold weather jacket. I have a few others that may work better.

A pair of Joe Rocket Phoenix Ion overpants. Could only get silver, but Lorelai does sport some silver.

A pair of Forma Cape Horn boots. Functional, protective, and stylish.

And finally, two pairs of gloves. First, a pair of Reax Superfly for warm weather, and second, a pair of Firstgear Outriders for colder weather. Thanks to Rabbitt for that recommendation.

Still waiting on a few accessories to arrive. Hadn't heard from T-Rex in two weeks, so I asked for an update. Found out they are in Texas, and were hit hard by the polar vortex. I should have a shipping status tonight.

Stressed myself right out yesterday thinking about all the spending. Told my wife I'm just gonna finish the list, and be done.

I'm done. (Oh look, shiny.....)

 

[Gripanimal]

I forgot to mention I ordered a Givi E450 top case and the Admore LED kit to go with it.

 

[melensdad]

Perusing the SW Motech catalog, their center stand is $41 more than OEM. Cost of custom build?

I hadn't originally budgeted for gear. Thanks to all of you and your incredible insights, I blew up my budget, and bought some items that balance budget and protection.

The Joe Rocket jacket pictured above. I'm fairly certain it won't be a good cold weather jacket. I have a few others that may work better.

A pair of Joe Rocket Phoenix Ion overpants. Could only get silver, but Lorelai does sport some silver.

A pair of Forma Cape Horn boots. Functional, protective, and stylish.

And finally, two pairs of gloves. First, a pair of Reax Superfly for warm weather, and second, a pair of Firstgear Outriders for colder weather. Thanks to Rabbitt for that recommendation.

Still waiting on a few accessories to arrive. Hadn't heard from T-Rex in two weeks, so I asked for an update. Found out they are in Texas, and were hit hard by the polar vortex. I should have a shipping status tonight.

Stressed myself right out yesterday thinking about all the spending. Told my wife I'm just gonna finish the list, and be done.

I'm done. (Oh look, shiny.....)

Not that you asked but the brands that impress me the most are Forma, FirstGear, Klim, Dianese and Rev’It.

Forma and FirstGear are mid-priced brands that offer superior design, good to better materials and great bang for the buck. Neither are budget brands, nor are either premium prices. I own Forma boots and 2 of my jackets are FirstGear jackets. My wife also has 1 pair of Forma boots & 2 FirstGear jackets. Klim, Dianese and Rev’it are super premium priced brands.

Seriously consider used moto gear. I recently got a $450 pair of Klim Gore-Tex pants, very lightly used (couldn’t tell they were actually used) for 1/2 price. Ditto a pair of winter Rev’it gloves. There are bargains available in highly protective gear.

I have 4 moto jackets, 5 moto pants, 3 moto gloves. But finding lightly used gear has saved me a bundle on premium Klim and Rev’it gear. I’d say 2/3rd of my gear was bought new, 1/3 lightly used. Most of my new stuff was on sale. Look, buy off season, shop around. You can get good stuff without destroying your budget ... at least sometimes.

 

[Gripanimal]

Learning all the time! The more educated I become, the more able I will be to find the good deals without sacrificing quality. So, thanks for the education!

 

[Gripanimal]

Let the farklization begin!! I wanted to go for my first real ride today (the little 2 mile ride when I got her home didn't count), but the temp never got above 30f. So I started going through all my accessories. I decided on installing the luggage rack with the Givi E450, and started on the SW Motech handguards. I had to put a little effort into removing the bar end weights, so I only got the left side done before the sun went down and the real cold set in. The right side should go quicker. I also put the left side Grip Puppy on. The Oxford Heated Grip looks like it replaces the OEM grip, so I'll do that another time, maybe next weekend. I know, you don't have to say it... if I had more time and less cold, I would have just done it.

There's a lot of stuff for me to go through. I will also quickly review some of the gear I have ordered. I'll do a separate post for each item's review. I'm also taking some pictures, I'll post those as well. So for now, it was a good day!

 

[Gripanimal]

T-Rex Racing Luggage Rack

When I ordered the luggage rack, there was the option to add, through TRex, either a Givi 26l or 34l top case. I chose the 34l. Soon after, I received an email that the 34l was not available. I made the assumption that it would no longer be offered through TRex. I could be wrong in that. I knew the 26l would be too small, so I shopped elsewhere, and decided on the E450. Two big reasons for this decision were I wanted a larger size, and I wanted the light kit. I am happy with my decision for a larger case. YMMV.

The rack is a very nice piece, very solid. The rack has a 10 lb weight rating. I believe the Givi case is rated 6.6 lbs, I'd have to look it up. The rack came all put together, and ready to install. The Givi top case holes were pre-drilled and threaded, ready to install a Givi top case mounting bracket. I installed the Givi mounting bracket before installing the rack on the bike. Installing the rack on the bike was a breeze. I had to remove the front seat, and that caused the only issue I ran across, which was lining up the seat screw holes upon reattaching. Nothing remarkable, just an easy go. Looks great in the end!

 

[Gripanimal]

Givi E450 Top Case

I chose a Monolock Series case because it came with a mounting bracket, the size seemed right, and it had the option for a lighting kit (to be installed at a later date). Everything appeared solid and clean out of the box. I like the built-in handle for easy carrying. I bench-tested (ok, couch-tested) the locking mechanisms, tested the keys, everything was great. There isn't much to it, and there isn't much to say, because the equipment is great, works well, and the installation process is so simple.

Attaching the mounting bracket to the TRex Racing luggage rack was simple. The holes in the rack were pre-drilled and threaded. Could not have been easier. Top case slides on and locks in place. Ta-Da!

 

[Gripanimal]

SW Motech Handguards

I'm not a backyard mechanic. I've had five motorcycles previously, but I just rode. Never accessorized, never tuned, was just happy riding. This is literally the first time I have had to alter an OEM anything in any way.

Sorted out the parts, made sure they were all there... but was I missing four screws? Didn't see them, couldn't find them... until I noticed they were already screwed into the handlebar clamps. Doh. Parts list, check! The only mistake I made, and it was a little one, was installing the handguards on the wrong bar. See the red circle in the instructions picture for the correct orientation of the bar. Read the directions more carefully. Went outside, pulled the exterior bar weight off, and... what now? Went back in, read on the forum, watched a few youtube videos, I would have to destroy the clips holding in the interior weight. Went back out, and figured out how to use two flathead screwdrivers to work the clip out until I could grab it with pliers. Yup, destroyed it upon removal. Put the long screw back in, and worked the interior weight until it came out.

While the end was off, I decided to throw on the Grip Puppy. Comparing the right oem grip to the left with the grip puppy, it's easy to see what a huge improvement it is for my larger hands. Of course, only many miles will show how much of a benefit they are.

The installation of the handguard onto the handlebar was simple. Just follow the directions, tighten the screws in the order as directed, and make a quick run to Lowe's if you don't have any blue locktite. I only had time to do the left side because the frigid cold was returning. I did purchase the LED turn signal kit, but any electrics install will be waiting for warmer weather.

 

[Gripanimal]

Reax Superfly Summer Gloves

There wasn't an exact color match to Lorelai's Red, Silver, and Black scheme, but I like the white for visibility to other drivers. The size is large. Maybe I could have gone with an XL, but the L seems to fit well, except for the thumb webbing. Could be a little deeper. Looks good and feels good. A little tight going on, but once the hand is in, fit is good. Solid knuckle protection, top of three fingers, palm slider. If the leather does stretch a bit, I'm sure they will feel like a comfortable second skin. No outside of pinky hard protection, and no visor squeegee.

 

[Gripanimal]

Firstgear Outrider Winter Glove

A nice glove, but sized really small. I would have to go up at least one size, maybe two, to get a good fit. Palm slider. No pinky protection. No visor squeegee. Those aren't dealbreakers for me. The problem I have with these gloves is the gauntlet... its too small to go over any cuff, and too bulky to fit inside.

These are the first winter gloves I have ever bought, so I'm confused as to what gear these work with. I will be returning these for improper size and gauntlet fitment. I've looked around at a lot of gloves. Would love a gauntlet that fits over a jacket sleeve, but also don't want to pay $300. I am leaning towards the Scorpion EXO Tempest glove. If anyone has any other suggestions on gloves with larger gauntlets plus knuckle protection and palm sliders, please let me know.

Thanks to melensdad for the Outrider recommendation. I don't think they'll work for me.

 

[Gripanimal]

Joe Rocket Phoenix Ion Overpants

I wanted a black pair, but they only had silver. I figured it did go with the color scheme, so what the hey. Conspicuity, right? I would be wearing them over a pair of very thick Carhartt work pants, so I ordered the XXL. Good choice. The pants fit, and are comfortable. I am 6' 0", 235 lbs, with a 40" waist. The inseam zipper and velcro bottom work well, but how well with boots? Remains to be seen. Thick and warm, should be great for colder weather. Summer? I'm not sure how well these will work. Bacon should come from pigs, not me after a ride. I'll know for sure as spring progresses into summer.

 

[Gripanimal]

SkullRiderz Armored Hoodie

Here's one I wasn't expecting. I saw an ad on facebook, and you know, whatever. It kept popping up. Actually, I thought the idea of an armored hoodie was pretty cool, watched the video, and liked the look. So I ordered one.

Cons: This is not an armored hoodie. This is nothing like a hoodie. I wear hoodies a lot, and this is not one. I understand the marketing is to sell, but I think they are seriously deficient in their understanding of men's fashion. NOT a hoodie. The hood doesn't have a drawstring. What hoodie doesn't have a drawstring in the hood? If you're walking into the wind, it will probably blow off your head. There is no removable liner. This is just a cooler weather garment, but that's what a hoodie is. Not meant to be summer gear.

Pros: This is a beautiful JACKET!! I like just about everything this offers. Elbow, shoulder, and back protector. Abrasion rated (take ratings how you will). It looks great and feels warmer than a summer jacket. How well it will hold up in 40f remains to be seen. The sleeves are snug. The cuffs are snug. I did try a hoodie on under it, and it fit, but there wasn't a lot of room. The shoulder front seam is also a little snug with arms forward. Don't know yet if that will be uncomfortable or not. Would I buy one again? There are a lot of armored jackets out there. I'll have to ride to see if it competes. But then again, I haven't really ridden with the Joe Rocket jacket either.

I ordered an XL Tall. Glad I got the tall. I also ordered an XXL Tall for my son. I tried it on. The sleeves still feel not roomy, but the torso has extra space. No upsizing for me.

 

[Gripanimal]

So many plans for riding and installing accessories this weekend, but we hired a contractor to extend our driveway, so I'm busy working on clearing out the area. And, we bought a truck. Funny story... I had pulled the battery from the NC back in January, after trailering it home from New York and locking it in the shed. I brought the battery indoors, and put it on a trickle charger. Yesterday, I took the battery out and went to put it in the NC, and... I couldn't find one of the terminal nuts. Looked everywhere. Very angry with myself for losing such a small but vital piece. So I drove to the nearest Kawasaki dealership to see if they had any. Fortunately, he did. On the way home, I drove past my mechanic's car lot. I've been looking for a truck or large SUV for almost a year, waiting for the right vehicle to come along. And there it was... a slightly beat up 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 4.7l 4x4 5-speed with only 72,000 miles on it. Looks homely, but no rust, and mechanically in perfect condition. Oh, and the price was very, very right. My mechanic had been driving it for months, and working on it. He bought a new truck, and just wanted to get rid of it. Deal was done in about two hours. If I hadn't lost that terminal nut...

After installing the battery, Lorelai fired right up! Let her idle for a good 10 minutes. Got all my gear together, dressed, and ready to go!

First impressions:
- The shifting is very smooth. She likes to purr at about 2800 rpms with level travel at 40 mph. I was switching between 5th and 6th gear at about 40 mph, depending on traffic. The wind was gusty and loud, hard to hear what the bike was doing. I was glad to have a gear indicator, because it was so quiet shifting, plus...
- my Cape Horn boots necessitate the raising of the shift lever, or lowering of the footpeg, maybe both. Sometimes I was shifting with the side of the boot.
- I may have blipped it over 3k a few times, but generally kept it between 2500 - 3000. Stable. Easy. Butter. Instant mpg range varied between 60s and 100s. I'm going to guess it averaged in the 80s in city traffic, which is exactly what I was looking for. Itching to see what my country road commuting can get!
- Even with my boots on, I couldn't flat foot completely on both sides. So very, very close. It wasn't uncomfortable, just mere millimeters, and yet noticeable. The slightest of leans, and one side was there. Most of my riding will be country lanes with little stopping, so I'm good.
- Posture on the bike was good. I can see why so many of you raise the handlebars, but I wasn't uncomfortable. I had to practice straightening my back instead of slouching, but for the time I was out, it was all good.
- First complaint: I did notice the position of the footpegs is right where my legs stand, and I kept bumping them with my calves when stopped. Slightly annoying.
- Second complaint, and I'll need more riding to verify: The headlight didn't seem to be as bright as I wanted, or cast as wide/far a beam as I thought a low beam should. That's a little concerning for me, as a lot of my riding will be done at night. I may have to accessorize that, in addition to, or in place of, the fender DRLs that I haven't installed yet.

My gear:
- The Cape Horn boots may be just slightly small. I walked around in them for a short time, and they were easy enough to walk in, but I wouldn't want to spend all day in them. While riding, they were entirely comfortable. For my purposes, they'll work.
- The Joe Rocket Phoenix Ion pants were great. My only gripe is going with gray. The black were out of stock, but looking at the pictures, I would prefer black.
- The Reax Superfly gloves worked well. A little short on the thumbs was all I noticed. Maybe one size up next time.
- The Joe Rocket jacket is not a cool weather jacket. Its just a lot of mesh with a waterproof (read sweat factory) liner. In the wind... great. As soon as I stopped... sweat. I'll probably love it in warmer weather without the liner. It was 65f during the day riding. I had a hoodie underneath it, and with the night down to 50f, it felt like all I was wearing was a hoodie.

The few accessories I have installed so far:
- The TRex Racing luggage rack worked great for carrying the Givi E450 top case.
- The frunk is nice, but my head is of the larger persuasion, and so it my full-face helmet. The frunk cover was oh-so-close to latching, but just couldn't do it with my overly-sized helmet in there. Having the E450 top case was nice. I brought a pair of slippers to wear at my destination so I didn't have to keep my boots on, and hey, just threw the slippers in the top case. Held the helmet with plenty of room to spare. No worries. I like no worries. It is very convenient.
- The SW Motech handguards: I was only able to install one of them last week, the left side. It was a good comparison. I don't think it was as big a difference as I thought it would be, but I did feel a difference, and will appreciate their existence while riding in the 40's.
- Also had a grip puppy on the left side, and felt a difference between having and not having one. Not a huge difference on a short ride, but I could tell it would be appreciated on a longer one.

Just a fantastic ride. Supremely happy with the NC.

 

[r3tic]

I've also just picked up a NC750X last fall. I agree the headlight is a little subpar for night driving. One thing to check the the adjustment, I noticed the light never hit the ground in front of me while riding. After adjusting, the road was illuminated but better but I would not say sufficient for highway speeds if you want to see potholes before you are on top of them. I've ordered $70 LED spotlights from Amazon and there is a world of difference. I actually need to figure out how to partially cover them for on coming traffic.

I picked my bike up new as well and the shift lever from the factory is not at all appropriate for actually riding.

I have almost 300mi under my belt and am truly loving the NC.

 

[Gripanimal]

Rode to work Tuesday, an hour each way. First time commuting. Love the bike. Gear, not so much.

The Reax Superfly gloves are summer gloves, and great ones for that. NOT for cool weather. My hands froze in the sub-50* temps with strong winds. They really hurt. Plus, I ordered a size too small, and the thumbs were far too short. Four days later, they are starting to feel better. If that is typical for Reax gloves, I would not buy another pair. I could order a larger size, but there are other brands to try, and that is too bad for Reax, unless one of you could tell me for sure that the short thumbs were just due to the small size. I won't give them a thumbs down because ordering too small was my fault. I ordered a pair of Alpinestars Corozal Drystars, and I'm looking at the Dianese Carbon 3 Short for summer.

The Skullriderz armored hoodie is fairly warm. A good cool weather jacket. The sleeves are tight, but I was able to get an actual hoodie on underneath, with even a Champion DuoDry wicking long-sleeve shirt under that. So thumbs up there.

The Joe Rocket Overpants are well-vented, and still keep my legs warmer. Not sure how warm they'll be in the summer, maybe too warm?

The Forma Cape Horn boots are great. I may have been able to go up a size, but they are wearable as is. Walking around is good. If not for the calf protection, I might forget I'm wearing biking boots.

And lastly for gear, the balaclava would not fit under my helmet. So i went without, and my chin froze. I put it back on, but pulled my whole head through the face hole, so it just covered my chin. Fantastic!

Today was my 2nd commute, with a few lessons learned. I had to wear the Scorpion EXO Tempest gloves, size XL. They fit my hands, but the stupid gauntlet waterproof inside thing incited me to grab scissors and cut them out just so I could fit them on wearing a jacket.

For Lorelai, I'm spoiling her with a 20" Madstad and a Go-Cruise. I'm working 80+ hours a week through April, so install time on all the accessories I previously ordered, and are currently sitting in a large box in my living room, is nil.

I just had my driveway extended 75 feet, and will be building a new bike shack at the end of it. Lots of yard work, building, springtime house maintenance... oy vey, and I'm not even Jewish!

 

[Gripanimal]

Logged my 2nd fill-up on fuelly.com. According it it, I'm at 70.2 mpg. Today's highway ride may drop that slightly. My goal is stay on country roads, but if I'm running late to work, it's highway all the way.

 

[dduelin]

Rode to work Tuesday, an hour each way. First time commuting. Love the bike. Gear, not so much.

The Reax Superfly gloves are summer gloves, and great ones for that. NOT for cool weather. My hands froze in the sub-50* temps with strong winds. They really hurt. Plus, I ordered a size too small, and the thumbs were far too short. Four days later, they are starting to feel better. If that is typical for Reax gloves, I would not buy another pair. I could order a larger size, but there are other brands to try, and that is too bad for Reax, unless one of you could tell me for sure that the short thumbs were just due to the small size. I won't give them a thumbs down because ordering too small was my fault. I ordered a pair of Alpinestars Corozal Drystars, and I'm looking at the Dianese Carbon 3 Short for summer.

The Skullriderz armored hoodie is fairly warm. A good cool weather jacket. The sleeves are tight, but I was able to get an actual hoodie on underneath, with even a Champion DuoDry wicking long-sleeve shirt under that. So thumbs up there.

The Joe Rocket Overpants are well-vented, and still keep my legs warmer. Not sure how warm they'll be in the summer, maybe too warm?

The Forma Cape Horn boots are great. I may have been able to go up a size, but they are wearable as is. Walking around is good. If not for the calf protection, I might forget I'm wearing biking boots.

And lastly for gear, the balaclava would not fit under my helmet. So i went without, and my chin froze. I put it back on, but pulled my whole head through the face hole, so it just covered my chin. Fantastic!

Today was my 2nd commute, with a few lessons learned. I had to wear the Scorpion EXO Tempest gloves, size XL. They fit my hands, but the stupid gauntlet waterproof inside thing incited me to grab scissors and cut them out just so I could fit them on wearing a jacket.

For Lorelai, I'm spoiling her with a 20" Madstad and a Go-Cruise. I'm working 80+ hours a week through April, so install time on all the accessories I previously ordered, and are currently sitting in a large box in my living room, is nil.

I just had my driveway extended 75 feet, and will be building a new bike shack at the end of it. Lots of yard work, building, springtime house maintenance... oy vey, and I'm not even Jewish!

Heated grips are really good for extending the season of summer or spring gloves. Symtec Heat Demon heaters fit under the stock grips and are very reliable warm grips for less than $60.