Honda NC750X DCT/ABS

lowrider1

New member
Anyone have one...rode one...wish they had one?

I'm on the verge of selling Two DRZ 400 (one SM and one E), an 82 Goldwing with 12K miles and consolidate into the Honda. Gunna keep the Harley and TW 200 of course but the Honda seems like a good on road bike and could do forest service roads and the like as well. I want something smoother riding on long trips and I miss my ST 1300 and 1200 Bandit , both of which destroyed by #1 and #2 sons respectively.

Any thoughts?
 

jkam

nomadic man
Consider the Suzuki V Strom 650.
Much more aftermarket support than the Honda.
Bulletproof bike that can take a lot of abuse.
 

lowrider1

New member
Wee Strom is a great bike and would serve me well.

Do you mean it has more after market Products available? I've had a gaggle of Honda products over the years (and still have 2 ATV's) and never had any problems with them. ..dealer wise or getting after market parts. Pretty much change oil, plugs and tires and keep on going. All dealers can be a PIA but I do my own work so that's not a consideration to me.
 

jkam

nomadic man
Yes, there are many more goodies available.
The Wee Strom is very easy to maintain.
Nothing wrong with the Honda.
Another I like is the Triumph Tiger 800.
I rode a friends in the hill country of Texas for a few days.
It was the smoothest injected bike I've ridden.
Great power, very comfortable and lots of goodies to make it better.
 

Ole Chipper

Member
Have a 2014 NC700X and really like the bike. Put some Shinko 705's on it for fire roads which greatly improved the bike all around. Better road manners and increased dirt traction. Should be your first mod if you buy one.
Also have a 2017 XR650L and 2005 ST1300. The NC700 is a nice middle of the road bike. Actually ride it more then either bike. Awesome to be able to put some road miles on it yet still explore a fire road or mild trail if needed. Great commuter or parts runner.
That said it doesn't cruise down the interstate like a ST. Runs out of power above 70 MPH and is a little nervous next to semi's and cross winds on the super slab. Little to lite weight and not enough wind protection. Won't cruise at 95mph, heck even 75mph like a ST.
Of course the XR is of no comparison on the road or off road. NC is capable of getting into some really bad area's but you have to be really careful. No high speed blasting down a trail/road and no jumping. It quickly runs out of suspension travel plus it's heavy off road. Lots of potential damage can be easily done. I consider it more of a scrambler type bike. Seat is a horrible after couple hours.
I would look at the Africa Twin. Which is my plan. If your looking for a ST mine will be for sale pretty quick once snow melts.
 

lowrider1

New member
Thanks Jay!
I've looked at the Tiger but not closely...I'll look again. There's a fully equiped 2019 WeeStrom at the Honda dealer with a decent markdown that is tempting...could win out but it depends where I need to go to get the 750.

Hey Chipper!

Good info on your 700 and thanks!!

The ST I had was a 2005 also and I loved it...my favorite street bike ever. I built a small trailer for it to haul camping gear and my wife's stuff when she came along. Trailer was about 300 lbs loaded and with 2 up the ST would easily run in the 90's. I took a trip to the Eastern Canadian Provinces and it ran all day pulling the trailer for almost 4K miles...wonderful bike and I miss the V4 power, the fairing protection and adjustable windshield on the road for sure!

I have considered getting another ST many times but I'm settled on a mid size bike that will do just about what you described on your 700...light off road and mostly back road travel when possible. A couple years ago I had 9 bikes at one time and I never could find time to ride them all so I'm still in the "downsizing" mode. I'm aiming at the Honda 750, the Harley and maybe a newish TW 200...my current one is a '91 and still running fine but I'd like to have disc brakes.

Just finished building a new shop, a hanger and a little house and I'm going to do some serious riding this year as soon as we get the ice off the roads...and the snow melts of the Road to the Sun at Glacier NP...great trip in a cage so it should be wonderful on a bike.
 

perterra

Adventurer
Keeping an eye on this, been looking for something more street worthy than my KLR650 and more trail worthy than the GL1800 I had. The GL was great on the highway, hit a dirt road and it followed a rut until it fell over, the KLR will run dirt all day, but scares the crap out of you on a busy interstate in cross winds at 75 mph.

I have spent as much on rigging my KLR out as the bike cost me originally and it's a great bike if you keep at 65 mph or under on the interstate, but with our interstate speeds at 80 mph, the rate of closure is to great to feel comfortable.

I have been eyeballing a big GS BMW
 

lowrider1

New member
Perterra,

I have a lot of extras on my DRZ's and I fully understand the concern about high speed interstate travel on them...slowed down and ride 2 lane road mostly and I'm finding there is more to see at 60 mph than 75...55 is even better. Took a trip to St George, UT a few years back and found 60 on 2 lanes took an extra day but I think it was more enjoyable and saw more...some of which wouldn't have been missed if I hadn't seen it. Lesson learned though.

I'm thinking instead of selling everything and buying the Honda I may just keep my SM and put a 39 tooth (instead of 44) on the back with a 15 on the front and see if the less road vibration is acceptable and dirt riding is still OK for other than rough single track. Most of my dirt riding anymore is 2 lane off road too...forest roads and the like. I'm planning a trip into the Fraser valley/canyon later in the summer. Only problems with going North is I must leave my Glocks home...great country in BC though. Thinking...thinking...and it hurts.
 

perterra

Adventurer
Perterra,

I have a lot of extras on my DRZ's and I fully understand the concern about high speed interstate travel on them...slowed down and ride 2 lane road mostly and I'm finding there is more to see at 60 mph than 75...55 is even better. Took a trip to St George, UT a few years back and found 60 on 2 lanes took an extra day but I think it was more enjoyable and saw more...some of which wouldn't have been missed if I hadn't seen it. Lesson learned though.

I'm thinking instead of selling everything and buying the Honda I may just keep my SM and put a 39 tooth (instead of 44) on the back with a 15 on the front and see if the less road vibration is acceptable and dirt riding is still OK for other than rough single track. Most of my dirt riding anymore is 2 lane off road too...forest roads and the like. I'm planning a trip into the Fraser valley/canyon later in the summer. Only problems with going North is I must leave my Glocks home...great country in BC though. Thinking...thinking...and it hurts.

My biggest issue is where I like to explore, I like the west and I am always short of vacation time. It's 10 hours at 80 mph from my front door to El Paso. To Moab it's a solid 1,000 miles one way. Traversing 2,000 miles to get to a starting point and then get home eats in to your time.
 

Tswhit15

Member
I don't know much about that bike. I did see a honda nc700 at a local motorcycle retailer and I was able to sit on it for a bit and can say it seemed very comfortable and ergonomically sound for someone my size (5'7"). I would love to take one for a test drive someday however it seems that all/most of them are DCT? Which is not something I'm interested in. I do have a vstrom 650 which I've put some miles on and I can say it's a very fun bike to ride and very dependable. I wouldn't take it on single track but it can handle dirt roads/gravel ect.
 

lowrider1

New member
Understand long commutes to good riding areas...one of the reasons I chose the Idaho Panhandle when I retired. There are so many places to ride out West that I need to look for an excuse to leave the state. Bonner County, ID has more than 4K miles of forest service roads not to mention trails and logging roads. Then there are at least that many miles of snow machine trails in the Winter...just no reason to stay at home at least that's what my wife keeps saying...my answer is I gotta keep up the machines at home...DEAR!
 

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