JamesD
Member
Scratch my comment on getting a 2016. The US didn't get all the improvements other countries did.
Your thoughts on long-distance touring on the NC?
- Thread starter WhatYes
- Start date
It's typical marketing strategy. Lure you in with a reasonably priced motorcycle, get you hooked enough to buy it, then make the profit on some overpriced luggage, useless plastic wind deflectors, and the center stand that should have been on the bike anyway.
Wanderer
Elite Member
I've only been through two tanks of fuel, both around 65 mpg, primarily running on the freeway at 70-80 mph. Fuel light came on around 170 miles both times. I'm guessing if you're running back roads, you can do better than 200 miles per tank. I plan on mounting some rotopak's at some point for a long-range camping trip. Russell Day-long is in the works as well.
WhatYes
New Member
Wonderful feedback, folks. I didn't expect this many replies and with so much detail! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. You confirmed a couple of things that I had been reading about. The first being that the stock seat probably needs to go. That's the same situation as on my FJR. A lot of people upgrade to Corbin, Seth Laam, or Sargent seats. I had my stock seat reworked by Spencer at "A great day to ride", and the result is so so. I plan to try to test drive an NC for full day in the spring and see where it goes from there. I have like the bike from the day it first came out and wouldn't be at all surprised if the wife and I each end up picking up on a nice used 2012 or so model. Keep contributing if you have anything else to add and again thanks so much.
TN Thunder
Site Supporter
Longest trip on my NC was 531 miles in a day. Strictly stock. Dead at the end of the day. I have since put Rox risers, 1"up and 1/25" back to help in sitting more erect. I have also installed a Puig Touring windscrteen and saddlebags, no top case. I have just ordered a set of highway pegs to be able to change leg position. I am still using stock seat but that will change soon. On the 531 mile trip I rand 65 to 80 and averaged 61.7mpg. Locally I run 35 to 70 and average 68.5. It all depends on roads, wind and speed. I have milked 80mpg twice but have lately been in mid 70s. Interstate speeds and wind will definitely drop your mpg. The seat is the worst part of the NC. I did not buy it to do cross country. I prefer a heavier and more powerful cruiser for comfort. My local travels are usually 180 to 250 miles day rides.
As for mileage, the NC is great. Two up will cut that and slow you down and the passenger will kill you if they have to sit on that rear seat very long.
As for mileage, the NC is great. Two up will cut that and slow you down and the passenger will kill you if they have to sit on that rear seat very long.
bruceb17
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My two cents. On top of of other good suggestions, I suggest get handlebar risers and foam grips. I got one from Twisted Throttle that raised the handlebar 30mm and toward me 20mm. Much better riding posture and less fatiguing for long rides. PM for details if you like. And foam grips makes for nice soft larger grip and helps reduce handlebar vibration.
WhatYes
New Member
FYI, I will never be riding 2 up. As mentioned my wife rides her own bike and is interested in the nc700x as well. It's possible we might actually end up with a matched pair.
fiah
New Member
I've seen several of these, often with the husband on a NC700X and the wife on a NC700S, or the husband with a manual and the wife with a DCT. There has to be a difference of course, you can't just go and buy 2 completely identical bikes!
Nofear2trek
Elite Member
Easy fix, his could be the DCT pulling the moto-mule trailer.
Ray
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Old Can Ride
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"Thoughts"! That requires thinking.
happy
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I seriously don't see any point in riding a motorcycle attached to such a thing.
Go buy a cabriolet instead.
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netizen
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We need to meet up for a ride sometime soon! Your right down the road from me!
mtiberio
Member
after I changed the saddle, windshield, handle bars, foot pegs and added crash bar mounted mini-floor boards, I'd say my NC is a long distance tourer...
I seriously don't see any point in riding a motorcycle attached to such a thing.
Go buy a cabriolet instead.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Some people like riding, some like driving cars. Not all get it.
Triumph 'n Shadow
Member
In reality, any bike can be toured on.
The final thought is how comfortable do you want or need to be.
I read, maybe on this forum even, that a gentleman and his wife rode together on a Ninja 250 from maybe California to Washington, DC.
So, with that in mind, the NC would make a good touring bike.
With many bikes you may want to make changes to make the ride more comfortable.
New seat, higher wind screen, maybe highway pegs.
You will want to do that to the NC as well.
Keep in mind that the NC is a base rate or lower grade version of an Adventure Bike.
You are getting lower grade suspension and not getting all the electronics as if you were getting a Triumph Tiger or BMW GS.
But then, you are not paying those very high prices either.
Even without the super grade suspension and the extreme electronics dashboard package of the high end bikes you are getting a very, very good machine.
This allows you to spend the $4-5K from the Triumph or the $10K!!! from the BMW on the additions to make the bike even nicer.
You will be able to set the NC up to your liking and still be thousands of dollars cheaper that the other two!
The gas mileage on the NC varies a lot!
Depending how you ride will determine your gas mileage.
I do not ride crazy and I do hit speeds in the mid 60s on a regular basis and I get a consistent 70-77 miles per gallon.
Again, how you ride will determine your mileage.
It will take several thousand miles to get your bike's engine broken in and so you should see your mileage improve over time.
Yes, it does have the little 3.7 gallon gas tank.
But I get a regular 220 to 240 miles on a tank before I stop.
And it is not that close to empty at that point.
The smaller tank encourages you to stop a little more allowing people at the various gas stations and mini marts around the world to see your beautiful machine!!!!!!
The biggest thing to remember when touring with the NC - the gas tank is under the back seat so don't load down the back seat too much making refilling the tank more work because you have to unload the back seat each time!!
We hope you decide to join our NC owners fraternity and realize what most people do not, that the NC700X is a fantastic riding experience!
God bless!!
Michael
The final thought is how comfortable do you want or need to be.
I read, maybe on this forum even, that a gentleman and his wife rode together on a Ninja 250 from maybe California to Washington, DC.
So, with that in mind, the NC would make a good touring bike.
With many bikes you may want to make changes to make the ride more comfortable.
New seat, higher wind screen, maybe highway pegs.
You will want to do that to the NC as well.
Keep in mind that the NC is a base rate or lower grade version of an Adventure Bike.
You are getting lower grade suspension and not getting all the electronics as if you were getting a Triumph Tiger or BMW GS.
But then, you are not paying those very high prices either.
Even without the super grade suspension and the extreme electronics dashboard package of the high end bikes you are getting a very, very good machine.
This allows you to spend the $4-5K from the Triumph or the $10K!!! from the BMW on the additions to make the bike even nicer.
You will be able to set the NC up to your liking and still be thousands of dollars cheaper that the other two!
The gas mileage on the NC varies a lot!
Depending how you ride will determine your gas mileage.
I do not ride crazy and I do hit speeds in the mid 60s on a regular basis and I get a consistent 70-77 miles per gallon.
Again, how you ride will determine your mileage.
It will take several thousand miles to get your bike's engine broken in and so you should see your mileage improve over time.
Yes, it does have the little 3.7 gallon gas tank.
But I get a regular 220 to 240 miles on a tank before I stop.
And it is not that close to empty at that point.
The smaller tank encourages you to stop a little more allowing people at the various gas stations and mini marts around the world to see your beautiful machine!!!!!!
The biggest thing to remember when touring with the NC - the gas tank is under the back seat so don't load down the back seat too much making refilling the tank more work because you have to unload the back seat each time!!
We hope you decide to join our NC owners fraternity and realize what most people do not, that the NC700X is a fantastic riding experience!
God bless!!
Michael
WhatYes
New Member
Again, wonderful feedback; WAY more than I anticipated. Thanks, especially, "Triumph 'n' Shadow" (Michael).
Just a bit more info about me and my buying habits. I never, EVER buy new vehicles anymore. Would much rather get a few-years-old model and save a ton of money. I pay cash for my vehicles and try to contain costs. I bought my '03 FJR almost 3 years ago for under $5k and it runs like a champ. Rode it yesterday and am really fighting whether I want to replace it.
However, I think what will likely happen is we'll end up replacing the wife's GSX650F with an NC because - despite the higher seat height - I think it'll be an easier bike for her to handle. We have a lot of gravel and dirt roads around here and she's really not comfortable on that GSX on the gravel, understandably. She's ridden the NC before and really liked it. But we'd have to find someone who will be willing to let us take it out for a long test ride, like 50-100 miles, before we'd pull the trigger. If there are any of you in the Western Colorado area who'd like to meet up with us, respond and maybe we can do some riding together. We're in Montrose, 1 hour south of Grand Junction (God's country and the most beautiful riding in the world less than 1/2 hour from our front door; part of why we moved here!).
For now I'll likely keep the FJR and if she gets an NC I'll ride it and see what I think of it. Going back and forth between the FJR and NC will really tell me whether I want to make that downsizing or not.
BTW, if we do make this jump, which wouldn't be til the spring, we'll be selling her '08 GSX650F (pic attached) if you or someone you know might be interested.
Just a bit more info about me and my buying habits. I never, EVER buy new vehicles anymore. Would much rather get a few-years-old model and save a ton of money. I pay cash for my vehicles and try to contain costs. I bought my '03 FJR almost 3 years ago for under $5k and it runs like a champ. Rode it yesterday and am really fighting whether I want to replace it.
However, I think what will likely happen is we'll end up replacing the wife's GSX650F with an NC because - despite the higher seat height - I think it'll be an easier bike for her to handle. We have a lot of gravel and dirt roads around here and she's really not comfortable on that GSX on the gravel, understandably. She's ridden the NC before and really liked it. But we'd have to find someone who will be willing to let us take it out for a long test ride, like 50-100 miles, before we'd pull the trigger. If there are any of you in the Western Colorado area who'd like to meet up with us, respond and maybe we can do some riding together. We're in Montrose, 1 hour south of Grand Junction (God's country and the most beautiful riding in the world less than 1/2 hour from our front door; part of why we moved here!).
For now I'll likely keep the FJR and if she gets an NC I'll ride it and see what I think of it. Going back and forth between the FJR and NC will really tell me whether I want to make that downsizing or not.
BTW, if we do make this jump, which wouldn't be til the spring, we'll be selling her '08 GSX650F (pic attached) if you or someone you know might be interested.
Attachments
ld_rider
Elite Member
Not sure I understand....Is is because of all the plastic on the GSX and worries about a drop? Or not comfortable riding on gravel in general?
The NC does gravel about as well as any 500+lb street bike (or GSX) does...no better, no worse. Mostly it is the rider...
Remember: The NC is an "adventure style" motorcycle. Not to be confused with say, a KTM ;-)
From Honda: During the week the NC700X is an awesome commuter, while on the weekend it lets you go exploring in the country, or carve up a twisty canyon road.
My point is...Someone uncomfortable in gravel on a Suzuki might just be as uncomfortable on a NC, maybe even more so since it is a bit taller. Actually, I think just about everyone is uncomfortable in gravel!
EDIT: Smart about buying used...there are quite a few used NCs kicking around at prices that are so low it almost makes sense for you guys to try one (or two) on for size and if it doesn't work....Sell it for what you paid! Good luck and have fun!
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HarveyM
Active Member
I have the 2016 (Canadian NC750x DCT) and just got back from a 7 hour (mainly secondary roads) & a 5 hour (highway) riding days with only gas stops (no lunch breaks, no walking around), so my thoughts are fresh. On my new engine I find some vibration accelerating in the 60mph (~3000 rpm) range which smooths out by 68mph (~4000 rpm). At other speeds there’s minor (not distracting) vibes from the foot pegs, but zero at the handlebars. The screen is high enough for me at 5’6” but I found some side buffeting on the chest. My feeling is it’s not wide enough for reasonable protection. I found the handlebars to be a reasonable reach, but the tilt to be awkward and put my wrists at a poor angle (I have a bit of carpel tunnel). I have no problem with the seat shape, but after a 3 hours it feels like it’s carved out of billet aluminum. I was resting my butt on the pinion, or riding jockey style (legs partially supporting me) to get some relief. The suspension feels like it needs more compliance over frost heaves/expansion strips, but I’m 160 lbs then add in Givi rear racks (no panniers on this ride).
Those are the negatives, the positives: great gas mileage- I was ‘filling up’ 1 gallon roughly every 1 1/2 hours (highway), a very stable highway presence, great engine (for legal/ traffic speeds, here between 60-70mph) and generally relaxed ergos.
Those are the negatives, the positives: great gas mileage- I was ‘filling up’ 1 gallon roughly every 1 1/2 hours (highway), a very stable highway presence, great engine (for legal/ traffic speeds, here between 60-70mph) and generally relaxed ergos.
WhatYes
New Member
Yes, thanks, I'm well aware it's not a true adventure bike and we don't plan to do any serious off-roading. More than anything it has to do with weight and CG for my wife. I, personally, find her GSX to be feather-light, but then that's the difference between my 640 lb or so FJR and her 530 lb bike. It appears that the NC may be, at best, only a few pounds lighter, but the CG is said to be so low. It may also be that after she rides the NC she might not feel any more comfortable than she is on the GSX, especially with the higher seat height. We shall see. She only recalls that when she was test-riding bikes about 2 years ago (we were bumping her up from her entry-level Rebel 250) she really liked the NC and for awhile we thought that's what we were getting til a friend offered up the GSX. As an aside, the GSX is a freakin' ROCKET. It is - bar none - THE SMOOTHEST bike I've ever ridden. I REALLY don't want to get rid of it. But the wife just has never felt 100% comfortable on it and has laid it over about 4 times at parking lot speeds.
All very true and again, we'll see. She might very well NOT feel any more comfortable on the NC. I will tell you the 1/4 mile gravel drive to our house always brings in just a bit of butt-pucker for me on the FJR!
Final note: We have an over-abundance of incredible canyon roads around here; Ouray ("America's Switzerland") is 30 minutes from our house, Telluride is 1 hour. Here's a short video of my favorite ride nearby, a 235 mile loop from the front door of our house, through the mind-blowing Gateway Canyon, which straddles the western border of Colorado and Utah. (music is my original stuff, btw)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCkDo6qeUj0
drdubb
Site Supporter
another option might be the cb500x. RideApart.com raves about the bike. I considered it before I got my NC. I wanted a lighter motorcycle with antilock and fuel injection that could take light offload. I went with the NC, but almost got the CB.
