Upgrading from a Burgman 400 in Toronto

[sezme]

Hi everyone, I've all but decided to buy a used 2012 NC700XA with 15000 km on it. I've been riding scooters since 2010, and a Burgman 400 for the last 3 years. Unfortunately I was in a collision at the beginning of the month with a spontaneous left-turner and the Burgman was damaged beyond repair. The rider (me) was luckily OK beyond a few smallish bruises that have all healed by now.

I was initially going to replace my Burgman with another one, though they are kind of hard to find around here. But I happened across this NC700XA for sale in the classifieds which looks to be in terrific condition and has lots of farkles: heated grips, fog lights, crash bars centre stand, Shad Comfort seat, and best of all, a full complement of Givi luggage: top and side cases. So adding up the usable litres of storage including the frunk comes out to quite a bit more than what I had on the Burgman. Plus the fuel efficiency on the NC700 seems like an improvement as well. The price seems about the same as I'd have to pay to get the same condition Burgman I lost: ~$5500 Canadian. My insurance company has been low-balling me on the settlement, but I'll keep trying to get them up to a realistic amount, and meanwhile I'm keen to get on two wheels again. This bike seems like a good deal, so I may well buy it as early as tomorrow.

Here's a question. As I said, I've been riding scooters since 2010. And that means CVT and no shifting. Left hand controls the rear brake, and the right hand controls the front brake. The feet do nothing except rest on the floorboards. The NC700XA in question here is the manual transmission model (the only kind sold in Canada in 2012 – though it does have ABS which is a must for me). When I first got my motorcycle licence, I took a weekend course where I learned to ride motorcycles with shiftable gears, but I haven't been on one since then. How long do you think it will take me to get used to riding a manual bike? I've been trying to refresh my memory by watching YouTube videos where they explain how to shift, but of course watching and doing aren't the same thing. My only other slight concern is that it's a taller bike than the Burgman was, and my inseam is only 30", though it looks like others with the same sized legs have managed on the balls of their feet. Thoughts? Anyone have experience going from a Burgman or similar to the NC7X0?

 

[670cc]

Well I guess the simple answer is that it shouldn’t take an longer for you to relearn shifting than it does for a beginner to learn it the first time, and that’s not usually long. I go back and forth regularly between our CVT scooters and my manual shift bikes and the transition is seamless, but then I’ve been riding both for a long time.

Since you have nearly ten years of two wheel experience and you having the riding skills in general down pat, I’d think you learn shifting quickly. I prefer the manual shift transmissions over automatics, as I get more satisfaction from smoothly and actively operating all the bike’s controls.

If the NC is too tall, there are ways to lower it. The Shad seat has soft foam and essentially lowers the seat height a little compared to stock.

 

[GregC]

I started riding the DCT as my first bike after the MSF basic course - which used manual bikes. Rode the DCT exclusively for 4 years.

I went to Alaska this summer and rented a BMW 700GS for a little over a week. In preparation, I rode my brother’s Wee Strom about 4 times to get used to manual transmission.

I had no issues riding the manual in Alaska. You learn shifting quickly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sezme]

Well, this evening I took the plunge and bought the bike. I’ll wait a bit to ride it (I need to get insurance and plates for it first), but in the end the seat height wasn’t an issue. The previous owner is the same height as me and she’s had it lowered at the dealer, so it fits me perfectly.

Side note: I’m the third owner and I noticed that the first owner had previously posted photos of it on this forum. It’s serial #39.

 

[670cc]

That’s great! Don’t be a stranger to the forum. Let us know how it goes with the NC700X.

A mystery with a clue needs to be solved. I did a little research. So, oakvilleadvisor was the first owner?

 

[sezme]

A mystery with a clue needs to be solved. I did a little research. So, oakvilleadvisor was the first owner?

Looks that way. I was looking through old posts on this site yesterday and I saw photos of a bike that looked really familiar. And sure enough the serial number confirms it's the same one. The second owner was also in Oakville. She had it for two or three years but only put 5000 km on it. I on the other hand plan to use it for daily commuting with the occasional longer trip. I've updated the spreadsheet with my info.

I'll certainly be back here and post my impressions as a scooter rider moving to a motorcycle. One thing I've already noticed just from supporting the bike while standing next to it is that by force of habit, I squeeze the clutch lever because on my old bikes that was the rear brake. I was so used to walking with scooters holding onto the rear brake (left handlebar) and the grab handle on the left rear. I'll need to relearn walking it with my hands on both sides of the handlebars so that I can apply the brake if necessary.

 

[Red River Rider]

The thought of shifting a manual is scarier than it actually is, especially since motorcycle transmissions are sequential. My suggestion would be just practice sitting on it and clicking from first to second then down to neutral, all with the clutch pulled in of course, until you get a feel for that again. Then turn the bike on and get a feel for the friction zone in first gear. The NC definitely has the smoothest manual trans I've ever owned so you shouldn't have any issues getting used to her.( I've gone through my fair share of bikes in my short time riding, bad habit/ addiction of buying and upgrading then selling).

Just take it slow and enjoy the ride, bike is pretty hard to stall and save the rev matching and other advanced stuff for when you're comfortable with the ergos.

 

[superdedooperman]

I was seriously considering a Burgman 650 before deciding on the NC. I loved how fast and comfy they were.

 

[sezme]

…bike is pretty hard to stall …

And yet… I took it for a short run on the back alley behind my house tonight. You might be surprised how many times I stalled it!

But I’m sure I’ll get a feel for it before long. Just have to take it slow and steady at first. Anyway, once I was out of first gear, it seemed fairly straightforward. It’s basically getting used to that friction point that was the (ahem) sticking point. .

 

[sezme]

OK, today I got all the government papers to legally ride on the street. I went for a loop around my neighbourhood a few times this evening and I've pretty much mastered starting from a stop without stalling which was my biggest problem yesterday. I also have to remember to use my right foot for the brake. Definitely not as easy as a CVT scooter, but I'll get there. I may even learn to enjoy it. Maybe I'll attempt the ride to work tomorrow.

 

[potter0o]

You might find a skills refresher course helpful to practice skills on the new machine.

 

[Giuseppe]

Had a Yamaha Majesty 400

Hello,
Newbie on the forum, I had a 2007 Yamaha Majesty 400 scooter that I put 55,000 miles on. I had rode motorcycles before (1973 Suzuki T500). I picked up my NC750X about a month ago and haven't looked back, I did ride the Majesty earlier this week to keep it fresh so I can sell it next spring. Only once did I forget the clutch was NOT a brake, and that was the first week, and it was from starting out of a parking spot. It of course lurched and died instantly but that was a lesson learned. Several times I've forgotten to shift down to 1st after stopping, but that has happened less and less. I am adding a top box, like I had on the Majesty, mostly to carry my laptop and occasional groceries, I also added a center stand and a 12 accessory port. I think because of the larger tires, the front end feels stiffer on the NC, so I think its more stable, just my perception.

 

[Red River Rider]

Maybe I'll attempt the ride to work tomorrow.

When riding on the street in traffic you want to always keep it in a low enough gear where you can accelerate out of a problem fast enough. It's why rev matching and downshifts are taught when approaching a stop sign, you never know when the person behind you on their phone won't see you and plus motorcycle transmissions tend to want to stay in "sections". For example it's hard or impossible to shift up to third from a stand still, works the same when your in a high gear and come to a stop. The transmission needs a lil forward momentum to slide into the adjacent gear so you can get it stuck in 4th and it won't want to shift down, all you do is let it the clutch a lil and keep kicking the shifter down but the way to avoid that scenario is downshifting as you stop. You just pull in the clutch, blip the throttle to get the rpm up and downshift all in one swift motion, this keeps the transmission and engine speed around the same rpm and let's the engine aid in braking the motorcycle to slow down brake wear.

 

[sezme]

I did ride to work today. It's 14km from my home and I kept to the city streets except for the last bit where the speed limit was a bit higher. I think my shifting skills are coming back reasonably well. Just had to get a feel for the clutch. I'm remembering what hand/foot does what, so that's not a problem. Not having a lot of experience with manual bikes, I'm still getting used to the revs, and I may well be shifting before I need to. Any tips on the RPM when you typically shift into 3rd, 4th, etc?

OK, here's the "funny" part of the ride. Background: my previous ride to work at the beginning of this month was on my Burgman. That's when a guy in a pickup truck made a left turn without warning right in front of me, making my Burgman irreparable, at least from the insurance company's point of view. So today was my first ride in to work since then, and my first ride on the new bike. I get onto the highway portion of the ride, turning left from a side road, behind a pickup truck with two wheelbarrows in the back. As soon as the pickup truck started accelerating, both wheelbarrows fell off and landed in the middle of the highway. Fortunately, I was far enough behind and going slow enough that there was no problem avoiding them. But, crikey! There sure do seem to be a lot of damn fools in pickup trucks around here.

 

[Dellaster]

... But, crikey! There sure do seem to be a lot of damn fools in pickup trucks around here.

Everywhere, my friend. They’re everywhere.

 

[Red Rider]

But, crikey! There sure do seem to be a lot of damn fools in pickup trucks around here.[/QUOTE]




Had to do a double take and check your location. Thought you were driving in my neck of the woods..

 

[sezme]

I mean, to be fair, the first one (the smidsy guy) was a Florida man. The wheelbarrow guy, though, we Ontarians have to take responsibility for him.

 

[Dellaster]

Had to do a double take and check your location. Thought you were driving in my neck of the woods..

They’re a plague upon all of North America.

 

[TheIronWarrior]

I mean, to be fair, the first one (the smidsy guy) was a Florida man. The wheelbarrow guy, though, we Ontarians have to take responsibility for him.

There should be extra testing required before you're allowed to buy a truck or full-sized SUV. So many people who own them are incapable of operating a vehicle of that size and almost no one (in my personal experience with the 'average road user') knows how to effectively secure a load.

 

[sezme]

I should say though, so as not to paint all pickup truck drivers with the same brush (and so that this doesn't turn into a pickup truck driver bashing thread), that a friend drove me to Oakville with his truck and trailer to carry my new bike back to my house in Toronto.