Information New 2013 NC700x

[doliner2]

Hey everyone,
I just purchased a new to me 2013 NC700x manual w/ 20k miles. Picked it up at a BMW dealership in Detroit that took it on trade and was selling it for $2999! I rode it home to Baltimore over 24 hours and had a mostly excellent time minus seat comfort and poor brake performance. Coming from two goldwings, this bike is amazingly light and fun to throw around in the twisties. Bike came with some goodies: Honda bags and rear trunk, tall windshield, center stand, and Sargent seat. No maintenance history so planning on full fluid change, new tires, steering head bearings, wheel bearing, air filter, spark plugs, and brakes. First upgrades are the aprilia rear shock (my wife was not impressed with the ride quality) and a better seat (likely Seth Laam). Interested to hear if anyone has other recs for maintenance or mods. This forum has already been a wealth of information and I'm excited to find other NC owners to ride with on the East Coast.

 

[TNHoosier]

Welcome and Congrats on your new ride!

 

[670cc]

Welcome to the forum.

A few comments on your maintenance plans:
All sounds good, but if you are trying to limit expense, the spark plugs are expensive iridium type that actually last much longer than Honda suggests. I am still using the original spark plugs at 73,000 miles. If you are thinking of changing tires simply due to unknown aging, you could check the manufacture dates on the tire sidewalls. It is possible that a valve clearance check/adjustment has been done, but if you want to cover everything, that could be added to the list. The rear wheel brake side bearing seems to be by far the most likely wheel bearing to fail. I don’t read much about other bearing failures. And, coming from Goldwings, you are now going to become intimately familiar with drive chain maintenance (ugh!).

For modifications, if you are used to the upright seating on a Goldwing, you may eventually be wanting bar risers on the NC. They seem to a popular add-on.

Good luck!

 

[doliner2]

Welcome to the forum.

A few comments on your maintenance plans:
All sounds good, but if you are trying to limit expense, the spark plugs are expensive iridium type the actually last much longer than Honda suggests. I am still using the original spark plugs at 73,000 miles. If you are thinking of changing tires simply due to unknown aging, you could check the manufacture dates on the tire sidewalls. It is possible that a valve clearance check/adjustment has been done, but if you want to cover everything, that could be added to the list. The rear wheel brake side bearing seems to be by far the most likely wheel bearing to fail. I don’t read much about other bearing failures. And, coming from Goldwings, you are now going to become intimately familiar with drive chain maintenance (ugh!).

For modifications, if you are used to the upright seating on a Goldwing, you may eventually be wanting bar risers on the NC. They seem to a popular add-on.

Good luck!

Thank you for this very comprehensive and helpful reply! Sounds like I can hold off on spark plugs. Will add the valve adjustment to the list.

 

[670cc]

Thank you for this very comprehensive and helpful reply! Sounds like I can hold off on spark plugs. Will add the valve adjustment to the list.

I will add an afterthought to the spark plug suggestion. If and when you do the valve adjustment, you might take the spark plugs out to make the crank easier to turn. When doing so, see if the orginal iridium plugs are still there. A former owner or dealer could have already substituted some cheaper copper plugs and then you won’t have the long life potential of the OEM spark plugs.

Also, checking valve clearance involves removing the radiator, and you will dump half of the coolant. So if doing a coolant change is on your list, perform it in conjunction with the valve work.

 

[doliner2]

I will add an afterthought to the spark plug suggestion. If and when you do the valve adjustment, you might take the spark plugs out to make the crank easier to turn. When doing so, see if the orginal iridium plugs are still there. A former owner or dealer could have already substituted some cheaper copper plugs and then you won’t have the long life potential of the OEM spark plugs.

Also, checking valve clearance involves removing the radiator, and you will dump half of the coolant. So if doing a coolant change is on your list, perform it in conjunction with the valve work.

Thanks 670cc, this is all invaluable guidance. I coolant change is planned so I'll have the valve adjustment done at the same time.

 

[the Ferret]

Howdy doliner and welcome to the forum. That's a heck of a deal for that money. Very well appointed and low miles.

 

[ljurgens]

For that model year, for the seat, maybe look into the seat slope mod. It might help you, won't help your passenger.

 

[doliner2]

Howdy doliner and welcome to the forum. That's a heck of a deal for that money. Very well appointed and low miles.

Hey Ferrett, appreciate the welcome and the kind words. I was shocked when I saw it, especially since it's cosmetically in excellent shape. The low purchase price will hopefully let me put in $1500 of maintenance and upgrades without too much consternation from my wife .

 

[doliner2]

For that model year, for the seat, maybe look into the seat slope mod. It might help you, won't help your passenger.

Thanks ijurgens, will do!

 

[sanleandro_rider]

Hey everyone,
I just purchased a new to me 2013 NC700x manual w/ 20k miles. Picked it up at a BMW dealership in Detroit that took it on trade and was selling it for $2999! I rode it home to Baltimore over 24 hours and had a mostly excellent time minus seat comfort and poor brake performance. Coming from two goldwings, this bike is amazingly light and fun to throw around in the twisties. Bike came with some goodies: Honda bags and rear trunk, tall windshield, center stand, and Sargent seat. No maintenance history so planning on full fluid change, new tires, steering head bearings, wheel bearing, air filter, spark plugs, and brakes. First upgrades are the aprilia rear shock (my wife was not impressed with the ride quality) and a better seat (likely Seth Laam). Interested to hear if anyone has other recs for maintenance or mods. This forum has already been a wealth of information and I'm excited to find other NC owners to ride with on the East Coast.

Awesome! My red 2013 has over 100K miles. Thank you for the seat suggestion. I am on the west coast. I think you made a great choice.

 

[davidc83]

I bought my 2013 NC700x new in 2013. Still have it, now with 71,000+ miles. I changed my spark plugs at 60,000 miles with new iridium. There were nothing wrong with the old plugs, matter of fact, I kept them and will put them back in if I ever need them. I have never had an issue with the steering head bearings and still have the original, and no issues with steering. I dont like opening that area up unless bearings actually need to be replaced. I also have never had an issue with wheel bearings-but I always place a lot of high temp tractor grease on the rear wheel shaft and on those bearings when I change the rear tire. Get used to doing some chain maintenance, but dont over-do the cleaning (dont use stiff brushes, just wipe clean with cloth and re-lube chain)-I hate chain maintenance. You got a great deal on that bike. Valves checks are easy on this bike-even I can do it and I am not mechanically inclined-takes me 2 hours but I tend to double, triple, quadruple check everything when doing the valves. As far as the tires, with 20,000+ miles, those are not original, check the dates on the tires and you may not have to buy new ones yet. Brake fluid change is easy to do, even doing it manually, even I can do it. Nothing much you can do about the brake performance-not a goldwing and never going to have those brakes. If the seat is sloped for you, you can do a mod, take the seat off, place some kind of bumpers under it and place the front seat tab on top of the bracket instead of inside the bracket-the 2 bolts which hold the seat on in the back is all that is needed. By the way, welcome from Florida.

 

[milesprwr]

You got a great deal, especially with all those extras! Welcome from the Bay!

Just remember with the Aprilia rear shock, you'll need a stiffer spring, especially if you're thinking of doing two up with your wife a lot.

I'm also rocking a red 2013, DCT, with just under 50k miles.

+1 on the Seth Laam seat. I'm absolutely love the it and I've never thought about my butt since. Like some members on the forum, I did have the rear wheel bearing go bad and had to replace it. An easy job. You can tell if it's on the way out while the bike is on the center stand, listen as you turn the wheel. Also I'd you grab the top and bottom of the wheel and try to move the wheel laterally, you'll feel play if the bearings are on their way out.

 

[doliner2]

You got a great deal, especially with all those extras! Welcome from the Bay!

Just remember with the Aprilia rear shock, you'll need a stiffer spring, especially if you're thinking of doing two up with your wife a lot.

I'm also rocking a red 2013, DCT, with just under 50k miles.

+1 on the Seth Laam seat. I'm absolutely love the it and I've never thought about my butt since. Like some members on the forum, I did have the rear wheel bearing go bad and had to replace it. An easy job. You can tell if it's on the way out while the bike is on the center stand, listen as you turn the wheel. Also I'd you grab the top and bottom of the wheel and try to move the wheel laterally, you'll feel play if the bearings are on their way out.

Thanks Miles! Appreciate the confirmation of Seth Laams work and the guidance on the bearings!

 

[doliner2]

I bought my 2013 NC700x new in 2013. Still have it, now with 71,000+ miles. I changed my spark plugs at 60,000 miles with new iridium. There were nothing wrong with the old plugs, matter of fact, I kept them and will put them back in if I ever need them. I have never had an issue with the steering head bearings and still have the original, and no issues with steering. I dont like opening that area up unless bearings actually need to be replaced. I also have never had an issue with wheel bearings-but I always place a lot of high temp tractor grease on the rear wheel shaft and on those bearings when I change the rear tire. Get used to doing some chain maintenance, but dont over-do the cleaning (dont use stiff brushes, just wipe clean with cloth and re-lube chain)-I hate chain maintenance. You got a great deal on that bike. Valves checks are easy on this bike-even I can do it and I am not mechanically inclined-takes me 2 hours but I tend to double, triple, quadruple check everything when doing the valves. As far as the tires, with 20,000+ miles, those are not original, check the dates on the tires and you may not have to buy new ones yet. Brake fluid change is easy to do, even doing it manually, even I can do it. Nothing much you can do about the brake performance-not a goldwing and never going to have those brakes. If the seat is sloped for you, you can do a mod, take the seat off, place some kind of bumpers under it and place the front seat tab on top of the bracket instead of inside the bracket-the 2 bolts which hold the seat on in the back is all that is needed. By the way, welcome from Florida.

Appreciate the welcome and all of this knowledge re: my maintenance plan. Sounds like it may be sending a lot of parts back and saving some money. Can't get over how much fun this bike is to ride.

 

[doliner2]

Awesome! My red 2013 has over 100K miles. Thank you for the seat suggestion. I am on the west coast. I think you made a great choice.

Thanks for the kind words Sanleandro!

 

[dduelin]

My hat is off to you and your wife for riding two up on a NC for 500+ miles. Regarding the brakes maybe remove and deglaze the pads and see if that helps. The rear brake was never great but the front brake does most of the work under hard braking anyway. When the 2012-2013 bikes were new and tested by Motorcycle Consumer News it's 60 to 0 braking test placed it among the shortest stopping distance of 600cc sport bikes and shorter than many otherwise higher performing motorcycles.

 

[doliner2]

My hat is off to you and your wife for riding two up on a NC for 500+ miles. Regarding the brakes maybe remove and deglaze the pads and see if that helps. The rear brake was never great but the front brake does most of the work under hard braking anyway. When the 2012-2013 bikes were new and tested by Motorcycle Consumer News it's 60 to 0 braking test placed it among the shortest stopping distance of 600cc sport bikes and shorter than many otherwise higher performing motorcycles.

Hey Dave, appreciate the kind words and the suggestion. Given the brakes look original front and rear, I found some takeoff discs on Ebay and EBC pads that I'll put on front and back. It's easy to splurge on this bike given how much cheaper parts are than for my old Goldwing.

 

[doliner2]

My hat is off to you and your wife for riding two up on a NC for 500+ miles. Regarding the brakes maybe remove and deglaze the pads and see if that helps. The rear brake was never great but the front brake does most of the work under hard braking anyway. When the 2012-2013 bikes were new and tested by Motorcycle Consumer News it's 60 to 0 braking test placed it among the shortest stopping distance of 600cc sport bikes and shorter than many otherwise higher performing motorcycles.

Also, I have taken your suggestions and ordered a Tuono rear shock / 800lb spring and DDC from Cogent. My wife was not pleased with the "motion of the ocean" in the rear and I wasn't super pleased with the brake dive in the front. Looking forward to the difference these 2 mods make.

 

[dduelin]

Also, I have taken your suggestions and ordered a Tuono rear shock / 800lb spring and DDC from Cogent. My wife was not pleased with the "motion of the ocean" in the rear and I wasn't super pleased with the brake dive in the front. Looking forward to the difference these 2 mods make.

Two up on an NC may be more weight than the suspension can handle and the weight transfer under braking isn't going to be helped much with the DDC upgrade although that alone will improve the fork's ability to absorb road imperfections immensely. Perhaps a spring upgrade along with the DDC emulators will be the complete package. I would be surprised if Cogent recommended an 800 lb spring unless the two up weight is unusually low for a couple.