Why a NC700X?

[chewybrian]

Hi, new member, here. I don't own this bike, but I am about ready to pull the trigger on a 2013 NC700X(new leftover).

It seems to me that this bike is a winner, will do exactly what I need it to do, reliably, for a great price.

Without spoiling your answers by giving all my reasons, I would like to know why you bought this bike, and what it does for you (or doesn't do).

I will give some info on me my intended use, so you can see if it fits me.

I'm a big guy, 6'4", and this bike fit well sitting on it; fit rules out many bikes for me, so that was a big one. Any other wookies riding this bike here?

I'll mostly use it for commuting a short distance and cruising around the suburbs. I'd like to be able to tour once in a while, so I would like to fit side cases and maybe a top case(recommendations?). I'm not a wheelie popper or canyon carver. I'd like it to be fun to ride, but I'm not hung up on top speed or quarter mile numbers. Other bikes I was/am considering strongly are Kawasaki Versys 650 and Suzuki V-strom 650.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[TN Thunder]

Both of the other bikes are very good. Have friends that ride them and tried to buy a VStrom 650 a while back. I purchased a NC700X to be able to rund paved roads and do some East Tenn. mountain gravel (not really gravel here as they use crushed limestone mostly). I read up on it and wanted something lighter (I normally ride a Honda Valkyrie Tourer) and built to hand rough road surfaces. It also touted to have great power in the mid-range and fabulous gas mileage. All of these it does have. Only drawback to me is the seat. I added a Givi tall windscreen and am adding a center stand. Had to learn how to maintain a chain as my last bikes were shaft driven. Some folks on this forum use the NC for touring bikes but my butt can't handle that seat for that long. It is a great little bike and performs well. Around here I rarely ever get to use 6th gear due to the roads and mountains. Hope you enjoy whichever bike you get but for the Honda you can't really go wrong.

 

[670cc]

I did not buy mine for exactly the same reasons as you, but I think that's beside the point. It's what you want for you.

You might also consider the Honda CB500X. I've seen leftovers of them, too, although not as many. It's lighter and a bit cheaper than the 700, and makes almost as much horsepower. They're a blast to ride. That being said, the 700 might still fit you better.

As to the 2013 NC700X, I think it was the best year made. It was the only one that had no recalls.

For cases, I would stay away from the Honda cases as they lock you in to only one size and style of luggage. The mounts aren't compatible with any other brands of cases. If you go with SW Motech luggage hardware, you can adapt to almost any brand of luggage, so your selection will be much broader.

 

[drdubb]

I thought about how I actually ride and the NC fit the bill. I ride the countryside in my neck of the woods and take weekend trips about twice a year. I do plan a three weeker for this summer. I do about 6000 miles a year. The low CG is good for me as I'm short. I changed the saddle, added crash guards, racks and Givi panniers & top case. I did the Madstad windscreen along with heated grips.

 

[Deckyon]

Put 12000 miles on it last year (my first year owning it) and I have it all geared out for longer trips. I added a new windscreen and have an AirHawk 2 on the seat and all my seating issues have basically gone away on rides up to at least 8 hours.

Love the bike, would not change it.

As for gearing it out for touring, there are plenty of options. Check here for some absolute specific options.
NC700X '12-'16 - Honda - Shop by Bike | TwistedThrottle.com

 

[Old Can Ride]

Howdy from Texas!

 

[Cigar Mike]

I went with the NC because it has adequate power for me, great gas mileage and is inexpensive. The cost may have been the biggest factor at the time since I was buying two bikes at once. Since owning the bike it has got the job done for me. I put on a few accessories that makes it comfortable for me which I do to every bike I buy. I have come to really appreciate the frunk as well. I have no intention of taking this bike off road. I will take it on a dirt road you can drive the family car on, but that is not what I consider off road.

I forgot to mention. It is fun to ride. This is only the third street bike I have owned. My experience is limited on the pavement therefore I may have had different expectations then others.

 

[Midnight Rider]

I'm 6'6", so wanted something taller, I loved the gas mileage and wanted ABS. Coming from a Vespa I also wanted something that was able to go off the blacktop a little. Coming from the Vespa I also wanted built in storage. I wanted to start commuting regularly on the bike as my car has 190000 miles on it and I did not want to carry on putting so many miles on it, so the bike needed to be reliable and easy to work on, as I do my own maintenance.

I think that about wraps it up...

 

[chewybrian]

Thanks, all. There are some good responses already.

I thought about how I actually ride and the NC fit the bill. I ride the countryside in my neck of the woods and take weekend trips about twice a year. I do plan a three weeker for this summer. I do about 6000 miles a year. The low CG is good for me as I'm short. I changed the saddle, added crash guards, racks and Givi panniers & top case. I did the Madstad windscreen along with heated grips.

That is a big reason I am landing here... Do I actually race around and pop wheelies or jump obstacles in the dirt? No. I am looking at "Adventure bikes" for the most part, because they fit me so well, and I prefer the 'standard' upright seating position with pegs under me. But, my typical adventure is a run to Starbuck's

and a stop for a loaf of bread on the way home. Also, I want to ride, not wrench. So, it looks like a good fit.

I love that set-up. I would like to mirror the whole thing, save the windshield and heated grips (because Florida). With this bike, I could get the rack and bags and still be under the price of my other choices, And, it should be cheaper to run with that epic mpg--62, 77, for real?. My last bike was a TU250,

and got similar mileage with a lot lower HP.

 

[ALF]

i just recently got my 2014 DCT and I love it, Im 6'1" 230lbs and fits me well, I love the low end torque..at a stop light I can hit it hard and see all the other cars on my mirrors like a mile away.... lol

 

[misterk]

I bought mine to do some off road stuff and something lighter than my Goldwing. I have the dct, and love it, I am actually more or just as comfortable on the nc as the wing. I do ride the wing more when it is cold.


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[TGorman]

I had an 07' wee strom and my riding is prob 50/50 pavement/off pavement. They call that bike the Swiss Army Knife of bikes. Good at many things great at nothing. I agree with that statement. I was comfortable on long pavement rides and traveling over several days. When off pavement I was beating the snot out of that bike and it made me work for the fun. So I decided to sell it and get two bikes. A proper dual sport and a street bike. I chose the NC for my street bike because of a couple of reasons.
1. Cost - They are a great bike, good quality used examples are very affordable. I got my 13' with only 230 miles on the odo for $4k (center stand + heated grips + Givi windscreen). Hard pressed to find another bike like that for that money.
2. Best friend rented one in New Zealand and was "thoroughly impressed" and "dude, you'd really like that bike"
3. Frunk - Lockable dry storage without having to use a tank bag (I hate tank bags).

 

[Deleted member 1183]

At 6'4" I am surprised that the NC fits you. I am 5'8" and at times on long journeys I find my legs get a little stiff from the sharp bend required to the footpegs.

However my main reasons for purchase were the long stroke (undersquare) motor which is rare in modern bikes, and its fuel economy. I purchased it as a runabout and it is good at that, but it turned out to be a much better motorbike than expected, and to date I have done many long journeys on it, one of which was 825kms. I went for the NC as opposed to the S for the longer suspension travel.

 

[Dave Modisette]

I bought mine because it's tall (i'm 6'2") and it has a low center of gravity. I got it completely decked out at purchase with Honda OEM Top case, saddle bags, center stand and extended windshield. It didn't stop there. I now have a Shad Seat, A tank bag that fits my iPad, a GoPro that clamps to my mirror, extra LED flashing rear stop lights on my Top Case and a handle bar mounted power supply for my phone and iPad. The NC is my favorite of three bikes.

 

[DC-Honda]

It is only my second bike. First one was a Naked Suzuki Bandit 600ccm from '98.

With this one i learned that i want something more upright and not a racer. I also looked for BMW GS and similar.

Then i learned about the NC750x, learned that it has DCT and i wanted to try it. Not that i can't shift, but i found it quite tiresome on the Bandit, especially in my region, where there are lots of steep hills and curves. DCT works almost perfect and the Frunk is awesome. I like gadgets like this.

 

[supertux1]

I did a few test rides on a 2014 DCT and a 2015 manual last year and I'm waiting for the 2016 or a good price on the left-over new/old stock in the spring.

With all of it's compromises I still find it a very good bike for what it is, and with minimal investment I can make it better over the years, so I am pulling the trigger as soon as the local dealers are done with winter powersports sales and the snow clears.

I prefer the DCT simply because not worrying about shifting or stalling allows me to pay more attention to my surroundings and other traffic. This bike has a very low RPM range to work with which becomes a non-issue when the thing is shifting for you. The manual tripped me up the first few miles, trying to ride it like a sport bike, hitting the rev limiter and all that, but I got used to it. It pulls from idle all the way to redline, giving all 50 horses throughout the entire range, whereas most bikes you only get that in the top half. Forget to shift from second to first at that stop. No problem, roll away in second gear... Downshifting to pass? Not on this bike, you'll hit the rev limit, you have to upshift. Or just get the DCT and forget all that. I don't think you can go wrong either way.

On paper, this bike is very ho-hum, which is why I don't think it gets the press attention where bigger and faster always wins. There are definite points where Honda chose basic components in order to reduce the cost/make profit and if you're used to a more expensive bike they will become apparent. But for $7 grand versus double or three times the price for a BMW, it's an awesome value and there are things you can do to make it that much better and STILL come out ahead value wise.

The shocks aren't preload adjustable nor is their response very fast or tunable, so the bike is going to behave differently with just you, you and your luggage, or you and pillion, or all three. For $1,000 you can fix that with RaceTech Gold Valve front fork cartridge emulators and an entry level Ohlins rear shock. I found the suspension adequate for smooth road variations, but big potholes and bumps are going to be jarring. I wouldn't consider two up long distance touring on it without suspension upgrades but YMMV.

The brakes are very basic, front being single disc. Not a problem though, the bike tops out at just over 100mph and takes a while to get there compared to other bikes. It's not a track bike though, and the simplicity of a single disc means easy maintenance. ABS is a bonus, but probably annoying at the rear if you ever get serious about off-road, then again you're probably better off buying a used $2k dirt smasher to fool around on if that's important to you. So, for what it is, brakes are fine.

The stock seat is a wooden bench. Hard, sloped and slippery; at 6' and over like me, your nuts will be bashing the frunk. For a couple hundred bucks you can upgrade to a more plush/grippier seat and install some grip pads on the frunk to grab with your legs so you don't slide around as much and feel more connected to the bike. Not a big deal, I wouldn't try a SS1000 on the stock seat though, but that's just me, YMMV.

If you're willing to spend a few more hundred dollars, you can outfit the thing with crash bars, hand guards, bash plate and knobby tires and have an adequate off-road machine.
I don't have experience with this, but I think it's low-down torque would be an asset here. I have my doubts about doing any Dakar and rock bashing stuff on 17" fronts. Maybe leave that insanity for the BMW crowd? There's a limited choice for 17" front dirts but you an do it with TKC80's.

Everything else is sort of aesthetic. The beak looks goofy, the lights are plain incandescent. The windshield is tiny and at over 6' you'll probably hate it, but it's an easy upgrade.
The muffler is very basic, but functional, and upgrading to an Akrapovic isn't going to bring miracles. It isn't loud, so you won't be able to rev-bomb the cager moving into your lane.

Can't wait for mine!

 

[670cc]

You get flat torque throughout the rev range, but not all the horses until almost redline. The 47th horse shows up just around 6200 RPM. Horsepower at 3000 rpm is about 23.

To get all the (approximately) 50 horsepower throughout the rev range, you would need a torque curve that started off peaked way high at 2000 rpm, then fell with a constant slope toward red line. That is not the NC. The NC actually has a fairly flat torque curve, so that means horsepower builds steadily in proportion to RPM. Double the rpm and you double the horsepower.

The torque/horsepower curves are here: http://www.mcnews.com/mcn/model_eval/2012decnc700x.pdf

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

 

[chewybrian]

Thanks for all the replies. I tried to answer earlier but it went to a moderator for approval (not sure why; maybe because I added a couple pics?). It seems clear that most owners are satisfied with the bike, and it sounds like a no-surprises purchase, if you understand what you are getting up front.

I thought about how I actually ride and the NC fit the bill. I ride the countryside in my neck of the woods and take weekend trips about twice a year. I do plan a three weeker for this summer. I do about 6000 miles a year. The low CG is good for me as I'm short. I changed the saddle, added crash guards, racks and Givi panniers & top case. I did the Madstad windscreen along with heated grips.

How I actually ride...that is what draws me to this bike. My 'adventures' are usually just a trip to Starbuck's or a stop at the grocery store, and I just want to ride, not wrench or polish. I love your set-up, and I'd be ready to match it, other than the heated grips (because Florida).

At 6'4" I am surprised that the NC fits you. I am 5'8" and at times on long journeys I find my legs get a little stiff from the sharp bend required to the footpegs.

However my main reasons for purchase were the long stroke (undersquare) motor which is rare in modern bikes, and its fuel economy. I purchased it as a runabout and it is good at that, but it turned out to be a much better motorbike than expected, and to date I have done many long journeys on it, one of which was 825kms. I went for the NC as opposed to the S for the longer suspension travel.

As to fit, this is about as good as it gets, stock, for a big guy--if you want a standard. I don't like the cruiser set-up. The NC is a little tight for the knees, as with any standard. But, it is much easier in the hips, which is where I need relief.

If you're willing to spend a few more hundred dollars, you can outfit the thing with crash bars, hand guards, bash plate and knobby tires and have an adequate off-road machine.

I'd like to add all that, save the knobbies, just because, and still never go in the dirt. Well, maybe not a skid plate.

 

[tew47]

Welcome from Semmes, Alabama, Roll Tide !!!!

 

[Therapy]

Me? Well I'm 6'4", 225# with long legs. I have had several bikes over the last 40 years, none of which were tall enough really. But...
With a home made Frankenseat http://nc700-forum.com/forum/nc700-mods/9275-frankenseat-my-mod.html?highlight=frankenseat
Frunk (Oh so nice)
Great gas mileage
Inexpensive
Liquid cooled
Easily maintained
Light weight
Low COG
DCT (LOVE it)!!

It works just fine.

I think there are more......