New to bikes, kind of

[Civerus]

I am looking to get a silver/black NC700X, 6-speed. It has been at least six years since I have touched a manual shift two-wheel device.

I would consider myself fresh, considering the only two wheels I have ridden we're dirt bikes. I am required to take a riders course obviously (mandatory Texas law), and will be purchasing the appropriate safety gear. But this is a different story for a different time.

Would anyone here recommend a NC700X as a starter bike for a new rider.

I have many options to go through, including from GSX-R 1000's and down the line, I am not looking for something that crazy though.
I don't care much for 160mph speeds, I have gone fast, faster than I care to go, I don't need to do it anymore.

I am in the market for a cruiser bike, but am not interested in a massive price tag or a large bike, preferably light as I am a short guy (5'6"), and comfortable to take on 200 mile trips back to my home town occasionally. Other than this, it would be a commuter/Friday night bike. (I suppose what I am saying is, power is not an issue if it can do 65mph.)

The look of the NC is awesome to me, I love it, and I will probably be adventuring/exploring off-road with it from time to time, which also prompts me to not get a shiny head-turner, and the Dan-moto exhaust is plenty for me for addons.

In a short answer, would you recommend this bike to a new rider, and a short description of experiences/why.

Also heated grips? Anyone have any experience on if you can feel these through gloves? Sorry slight /curiosity thats off-topic.

 

[Old Can Ride]

What ever bike you buy it has to fit you, and only you will know what fits you. Buy what fits you, not what fits someone else.

With your height I would consider the Honda CTX700N.

[video=youtube;dSDMOWnK6Yk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSDMOWnK6Yk[/video]

 

[Chestnut]

I would also be concerned about the NC's height vs yours. Not as big a deal if you're experienced, but as a new rider it can make a big difference. You can lower the bike a bit if you want to (mine is). Otherwise the CTX like OCR suggested might be worth a look. Not something you're gonna take too far into the boonies, though.
Aside from the height issue, I think the NC would be a great beginner bike. That was a big part of its design. The low center of gravity helps a lot, makes it easy to save yourself when you start to get a little sideways at a stop/near stop. Isn't gonna drop you off the back if you twist the throttle a little hard, and maintenance is easy so far.
The bike will do 65 (or 75, or maybe even 85) all day long.
Plenty of heated grip options, try to find some gloves that aren't insulated in the palm for use with them, though.

 

[670cc]

Well, I guess one question would be: What are your financial resources? There are plenty of older bikes that make excellent rides for first timers. I always try to buy used, slightly older bikes because they are so much better values, but if your finances are good, I think the NC would make a good bike for a new rider.

If your height is a hindrance, the NC can be lowered.

I would be very careful with your thinking that "the Dan-moto exhaust is plenty for me for addons." You may find yourself sadly mistaken once you get the bike.

Greg

 

[Fuzzy]

Heated grips are great and will be felt through you gloves.

Your dirt bike experience gives you some experience with high seat, but ony you can judge that challenge. If you want to get off road you want some ground clearance. Shifting gears will come back quickly.

 

[bamamate]

I had a 25 year gap in riding and it didn’t take long to feel at home on the NC. It is a great bike for someone getting back into riding.

There are gloves specifically made to work with heated grips. They have little insulation in the palm so the heat comes through and have full insulation on the backside.

 

[SergeantChuck]

There are several of us here that are vertically challenged. I'm 5.8" but have a long torso. My inseam is 30". I can barley put both feet flat on the ground. It is not an issue for me. You really need to sit on one and see if you are comfortable with the height. Storage is another plus when compared to the CTX.

Galaxy S4

 

[uneasy4now]

I'm a new rider and a satisfied NCX owner. It was a bit intimidating at first compared to the 200cc dual sport I rode in class, but I got over it quickly. I really like the alert, upright, feet-under-you riding position of the NCX. If you prefer the pegs-forward cruiser position the CTX might be good. The storage on the NCX is hard to beat though...

I took an advanced rider class this fall, and a lady who isn't as tall as you showed up with an NCX (and her hubby on a Triumph Tiger). I noticed the seat had been replaced on her NCX, but I didn't ask about other modifications.

 

[TonySilver]

Hey there!

Everybody here has great points. I am a new rider and 5'8 also, the bike fits me good, and I love it! I would recommend to buy it used there are quite a few now for sale on the used market, plus you can also go with cash in hand and test it out. Some people will let you test if you are serious with cash. Take it to a parking lot or big open space where you can focus on the aspects you might like or not like on the NC.

Finally, let us know what you choose,

Tony

 

[jtkirk]

Also would be a little concerned about your height. Heated grips are a must. What TonyS said about finding a used one makes a lot of sense.

 

[estarr]

I bought this bike as a first bike as well and quickly grew into it. Like others have said I would look at used because there are some good deals that I have seen. I got mine with 1700 miles on it for 5100 bucks. But I have seen them repeatedly for around 5500 to 6000 with very low miles.

 

[danrev]

The NC is a great bike for someone new to riding. I took my DMV riding test on mine and passed with a near perfect score. Like other posts height may be a real issue for you. I'm 5'9" with a 30" inseam and can flat foot OK with the stock seat. With the Seat Concepts seat I'm on the balls of my feet. Not a really big deal for me, but probably for someone shorter.

 

[Hakea]

In a short answer, would you recommend this bike to a new rider, and a short description of experiences/why.

Hi Civerus,

I'm in a similar position to you - "New to bikes, kind of..." and I bought an NC700SA as the bike to restart my riding after a long absence. I had several bikes in my younger days, up to 850cc in size, but hadn't ridden for years. My experiences may not be the same as yours, but this is how it seems to me so far:


Like you, I love the look of the bike, its practical features, and the riding style. By "riding style" I mean that it's not a high revving screamer that needs to be wound up to work but it has plenty of torque and can pull well from pretty much anywhere in the range. I could potter gently along while I got used to it, yet it still has all the grunt I'll ever need.

So far so good. But I have to admit that the height and weight were an issue at first - and I'm 5'10". It's not that it's a particular heavy bike - it's not. But compared to most smaller entry level bikes the weight does take practice and experience to handle as easily. Not going in a straight line or round corners, which is the easy part if you're being sensible. But any low speed manoeuvres, which include getting in and out of parking spaces, turning it around in the garage or carport, and any slow speed riding such as U-turns and all those other awkward situations where the speed and angles aren't working so smoothly in your favour. All of those took me a while to feel confident with. You may also find that it takes you a little longer than you'd hoped before you're fully comfortable again.

By comparison, I also have a Honda CBR500RA. It's not a whole lot lighter - about 20-25 kilos (50lbs?) depending on configuration and fuel load - but it feels a lot lighter than the NC700. I think it's because up to a certain weight a bike is pretty easy to balance and push around (for the average rider's height and strength) but above that point any extra weight takes proportionally more effort to deal with (if that makes sense! ). Anyway, the 500 is a breeze to ride. When I had a test ride on it I felt immediately at home, in any situation. It's higher revving but still well below the screamer range that, for instance, the Ninja 300 gets to. Both the NC700 and the CBR500 have the same rated power - 47hp - but the NC700 has 40% more torque. Of course, it's not just the max figures that matters but how the whole "Power Band" performs across the rev range. Despite the differences in character, I find both bikes deliver plenty of what I need and are easy to deal with. I'm also not interested in racing or boasting rights on high top speeds, but I do want enough grunt to be able to cope comfortably with max legal highway speeds and still have something in reserve. Both bikes do that.

I'm sure that you wouldn't be disappointed with an NC700 but maybe it might be worth checking out the 500 range as well, perhaps the CB500F? I think the X version has a higher seat, but the F is similar to the NC700. In fact I think they're quoted as being the same seat height but, oddly enough, the 500 seems lower to me, probably because it's a lighter bike and so easy to ride.

Good luck with your choice.

 

[ahernandez74]

Heated grips are great and will be felt through you gloves.

Your dirt bike experience gives you some experience with high seat, but ony you can judge that challenge. If you want to get off road you want some ground clearance. Shifting gears will come back quickly.

You shouldn't have any problem getting back on a bike. Take it slow at first. It's like when you ride a bicycle, and you get back on after a while... You'll never forget.
Heated gloves can help handle the cold all around a lot better. Sometimes the grips won't cover the outside of your fingers which is the coldest. Honestly, i don't think that heated grips are that necessary. You can get a small windguard for the outside.. and that'll do all the difference for you.
I would be more concerned/interested in a heated jacket liner. The NC700 is pretty good at tackling the miles and making it all look easy... You can also get some good deals for it and cheaper than other comparable bikes. Might want to check out cyclegear , revzilla, and other sites for some good jackets and gear

 

[CorEnFa]

My bike experiences were VERY limited coming to the NC700X.

I had a singe speed Puegot when I was a kid, then fast forward 20 years and I got a Piaggio MP3 (CVT - no clutch or gear changing - and that weird 2-wheel up front config).

My *only* experience with a geared bike was at the rider's safety course that I had taken 2 years before I got the NC700X. That being said, I bought the NC, rode it around the parking lot for 5 minutes to get my "gears back in my head" and then hit the road home. In all, before getting the NC, I had maybe 2 miles of riding on a geared bike.

What makes it good as a beginner's bike -

The power is consistent and useful. You won't accidentally launch the bike into a telephone pole at 100MPH on your first day (had a friend who did that. Note the word "had.")

The Neutral gear is EASY to find. Unlike my trainer bike where I could hunt around for a week and still not get the da** thing in Neutral.

You can *almost* let the throttle off of the bike completely and it will drive without stalling. Almost.

It's easy and cheap to maintain.

There's nothing remarkable about the bike. This may sound like and insult, but it's a high compliment in my opinion. It's not too heavy, it's not too light. It's not too fast, it's not pokey. It's not too sporty, it's not too rugged. It's not too big, it's not too small. It's not too techno, it's not too retro.

IMHO, the bike is a near ideal beginner's bike and a great all-around bike. Since I've gotten my NC, I've gotten more into motorcycles (it was my first "real" one after all). While I'd love a Ducati Multistrada, or BMW R1200RT, I don't want to think about the maintenance, or the monthly payment.

Cheers-

 

[tweak89]

I am looking to get a silver/black NC700X, 6-speed. It has been at least six years since I have touched a manual shift two-wheel device.

Would anyone here recommend a NC700X as a starter bike for a new rider.

I am in the market for a cruiser bike, but am not interested in a massive price tag or a large bike, preferably light as I am a short guy (5'6"), and comfortable to take on 200 mile trips back to my home town occasionally. Other than this, it would be a commuter/Friday night bike. (I suppose what I am saying is, power is not an issue if it can do 65mph.)

The look of the NC is awesome to me, I love it, and I will probably be adventuring/exploring off-road with it from time to time, which also prompts me to not get a shiny head-turner, and the Dan-moto exhaust is plenty for me for addons.

In a short answer, would you recommend this bike to a new rider, and a short description of experiences/why.

Also heated grips? Anyone have any experience on if you can feel these through gloves? Sorry slight /curiosity thats off-topic.

Where were you two weeks ago when I was selling my NC?? Haha!

I would consider the NC a good starter bike, but maybe not for you. You are an inch shorter than me and will certainly not be able to flat foot on this bike unless you lower it. I'm quite familiar with riding around Houston, and one foot down on our oily side streets on a hot summer day and down you go if you aren't firmly planted! Otherwise it's fairly docile nature will keep you from getting into trouble, but with still enough kick to maneuver through our crazy traffic if need be. I had no complaints with the bike at all (been riding for 20+years) and would have kept it had I the room to do so. I didn't get rid of it because it did anything badly, rather my riding plans changed for what I wanted out of my second bike (I have a big touring cruiser and a scooter as well).

The seat aslo continues to be an issue for lots of folks so that is something else to consider for you longer rides. There are a couple of options available, but YMMV when it comes to comfort.

I assume when you said "cruiser" you meant the style of riding rather than the type of bike. But, the V-Star line (especially the 650) is an excellent starting point for getting back/into riding. It looks bigger than you would expect, but with a nice low seat and center of gravity it makes a great bike for the causal rider and the vertically challenged. Also, as OCR recommended, the CTX line might be a better choice. I sat on one while waiting for my Ninja 650 to be made ready and it was nice and low. I'm not a huge fan of the foot peg placement, but it had a nice feel.