GLC
Member
Having owned by '22 NC750xd for exactly two years and having covered 8000+ miles with some of my personal must have upgrades already installed, I found myself looking at new bikes coming on to the market lately and compared mine to see if I would be tempted to trade in for anything else. So far nothing I've seen would be a better fit for my personal circumstances (69 this year) and riding conditions (Delmarva peninsula, pleasure riding only, no commuting). That doesn't mean I consider the '22 NC750XD to be nirvana with no possibility of improving, as shown by my own upgrades. That got me to thinking that the only likely contender for a trade in would be the 'next generation NC750XD', if/when one is planned. As the last revision was 2021 we may be due for the next model in a couple of years (or maybe not), so I thought perhaps Honda would like to hear from the NC Forum with a wish list of 'must have' and 'desirable factory options' for the next generation. So below is my wish list and it would be great if forum members would let me know their 'must have' and 'desirable factory options' so that we can come up with a nearly perfect bike together. I say 'nearly' because we all know there really is no such thing as the perfect bike.
The only factory options I had installed straight away were the factory center stand and USB port in the frunck, so I'll start with those two as my first 'must have's.' Here are my next 'must have's' for the next gen bike and why:
3) Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to stop the bike changing gear when in auto mode and leaned over. This is a constant niggle at a junction when turning left or right (particularly left).
4) Self-cancelling indicators
5) Adjustable footpegs (at 6'1" I needed the SW Motech fully adjustable pegs to get a less cramped position.
6) Additional USB port near the dash/handlebars for GPS/phone etc. I use the frunck usb for my phone/google maps etc., so the cable has to come out the top of the frunck along the rubber waterproof seal channel, which is not ideal.
7) Taller and wider screen properly wind tunnel tested to avoid buffeting and road noise which was terrible on the standard factory unit. I have a GIVI unit now which is much better but still not perfect.
8) Air temperature/humidity gauge in the dash.
9) Redesign the rear grab handle and taillight unit so that a small rack can be integrated as standard, allowing a roll bag to be strapped to it (similar to the SW Motech ALU rack which will probably be my next accessory).
10) Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) integrated in the dash
11) Brake pad wear sensors integrated in the dash.
12) Remote preload adjuster on the rear shock. Honda don't even supply the wrench to adjust the shock in the so called 'tool kit', which is just inexcusably cheap of them in my opinion.
13) Remote battery tender plug in.
Now for the desirable factory options:
14) Front fender extender.
15) Rear tire hugger.
16) Secondary TFT dash with android auto/apply car play/ GPS connectivity.
17) Bar back risers. (For my 6'1" frame I found the SW Motech bar back risers perfect).
18) Heated grips (already an available factory option I believe)
19) Heated seat
20) Cruise control for freeway riders.
I think that just about covers it for me. Others will have different priorities of course depending on their own personal circumstances, but I tried to keep the must have list down to those items I think we all deserve to have on a 2025 motorcycle from Honda for safety and convenience reasons. Thirteen 'must have's' might seem to imply the current bike has a lot wrong with it, which is not the case, but it does show there is room for improvement, justifying a model upgrade. Besides, it needs more than just 1 or 2 modifications to get Honda to update an existing bike. Most of these suggestions are cheap electrical units costing Honda just a few dollars if installed during manufacture. The windshield and rear rack are more redesign issues than manufacturing expense. Some may be surprised to see I didn't include any engine or suspension modifications. For my riding I find the power more than sufficient and the suspension, though basic, is good enough for me. Besides adding third party suspension would add hundreds to the cost not just a few dollars as with my other suggested modifications. The desirable options are all available from third party vendors today, but it would be nice to have Honda designed accessories that are guaranteed to plug, play and fit seamlessly with the rest of the bike's design. I didn't mention anything about an updated DCT system as I'm sure the latest version would go into any new model upgrade and may well be integrated with the IMU request (item 3) above.
Let me know what you all think and what would your 'perfect next gen NC750XD' come with as standard?
The only factory options I had installed straight away were the factory center stand and USB port in the frunck, so I'll start with those two as my first 'must have's.' Here are my next 'must have's' for the next gen bike and why:
3) Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to stop the bike changing gear when in auto mode and leaned over. This is a constant niggle at a junction when turning left or right (particularly left).
4) Self-cancelling indicators
5) Adjustable footpegs (at 6'1" I needed the SW Motech fully adjustable pegs to get a less cramped position.
6) Additional USB port near the dash/handlebars for GPS/phone etc. I use the frunck usb for my phone/google maps etc., so the cable has to come out the top of the frunck along the rubber waterproof seal channel, which is not ideal.
7) Taller and wider screen properly wind tunnel tested to avoid buffeting and road noise which was terrible on the standard factory unit. I have a GIVI unit now which is much better but still not perfect.
8) Air temperature/humidity gauge in the dash.
9) Redesign the rear grab handle and taillight unit so that a small rack can be integrated as standard, allowing a roll bag to be strapped to it (similar to the SW Motech ALU rack which will probably be my next accessory).
10) Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) integrated in the dash
11) Brake pad wear sensors integrated in the dash.
12) Remote preload adjuster on the rear shock. Honda don't even supply the wrench to adjust the shock in the so called 'tool kit', which is just inexcusably cheap of them in my opinion.
13) Remote battery tender plug in.
Now for the desirable factory options:
14) Front fender extender.
15) Rear tire hugger.
16) Secondary TFT dash with android auto/apply car play/ GPS connectivity.
17) Bar back risers. (For my 6'1" frame I found the SW Motech bar back risers perfect).
18) Heated grips (already an available factory option I believe)
19) Heated seat
20) Cruise control for freeway riders.
I think that just about covers it for me. Others will have different priorities of course depending on their own personal circumstances, but I tried to keep the must have list down to those items I think we all deserve to have on a 2025 motorcycle from Honda for safety and convenience reasons. Thirteen 'must have's' might seem to imply the current bike has a lot wrong with it, which is not the case, but it does show there is room for improvement, justifying a model upgrade. Besides, it needs more than just 1 or 2 modifications to get Honda to update an existing bike. Most of these suggestions are cheap electrical units costing Honda just a few dollars if installed during manufacture. The windshield and rear rack are more redesign issues than manufacturing expense. Some may be surprised to see I didn't include any engine or suspension modifications. For my riding I find the power more than sufficient and the suspension, though basic, is good enough for me. Besides adding third party suspension would add hundreds to the cost not just a few dollars as with my other suggested modifications. The desirable options are all available from third party vendors today, but it would be nice to have Honda designed accessories that are guaranteed to plug, play and fit seamlessly with the rest of the bike's design. I didn't mention anything about an updated DCT system as I'm sure the latest version would go into any new model upgrade and may well be integrated with the IMU request (item 3) above.
Let me know what you all think and what would your 'perfect next gen NC750XD' come with as standard?