NC700X Test Ride

Daboo

New member
I made an appointment today to test ride the Honda NC700X. When I called yesterday, the salesman was a little iffy about it, so I made it clear that I was looking for a test ride, not to stand there staring at it parked on the carpet. (This dealership does do demo rides. Not all do.) Like I told him when I showed up today, I've done my homework. I've looked at it in person before and read every review. It was time to see what I thought about it in person.

So...my impressions...

Pros

  • Engine and drivetrain. I really liked the engine on this bike. It pulled effortlessly with minimal rpms. The engine and manual transmission are well thought out and make riding around in town effortless. Power for merging on the freeway was great. No issues at all.
  • Clutch. Seamless. It wasn't too heavy and the shifts were smooth.


Cons

  • The Seat. Wow. Waterboarding would be preferable.
  • Windshield? What windshield?
  • Wind Management. You might as well buy the standard version without the windscreen.

I was looking for a bike with a more compliant suspension than I have on my Burgman 400. I didn't find it. I took my 400 back over the same roads to see if I was being too critical, but I don't think I was. The ride was firm and I felt like I could feel every road imperfection. Of course, the tires were filled to 36/40, but I think that's where they are supposed to be. So what I was hoping to find with that "dual sport" suspension being able to absorb potholes, etc. better, really didn't seem to be the case. The only "plus" on that was with the slightly larger circumference 17 inch tires, the front wheel won't go into a pothole as far...but it wasn't that much of a difference.

I didn't know my tail bone had that little padding till I sat on this seat. I sat towards the back of the seat. That wasn't comfortable. I sat forward. Ouch! Well, not that bad, but it really wasn't good. There's a bone up there I've never felt before and would rather not feel again.

Wind management. There's none. You're exposed to the elements totally. If you ride in 70+ degree weather, this bike would be great. If not, you'd better be prepared to buy all the wind deflectors that Honda sells, and a new windshield. And since you bought the bike before mounting those items...you wouldn't know if they would do the job till you were totally committed.

Storage...the "frunk" is useful, but only in a limited way. You'd need to count on buying additional luggage...and it isn't cheap.

The engine and tranny is really the sweet saving grace on this bike. The shifts came very naturally to me, and I haven't been riding a manual transmission bike since the early 1980s. The engine rpms are so low, you're good to accelerate in any gear close to what you should be in. I pulled away from a stop once in 2nd, and it was hardly noticeable. The shifts were very positive. Nothing vague at all about them. And the clutch engagement was silky smooth.

Power was fine. I was riding on the freeway heading directly into a stiff 20 mph headwind and I didn't sense the engine was struggling at all.

I left with the feeling that this bike would've beat me to death on the SS1000 that I did last year on my Burgman 400. The 400 is a barcalounger in comparison. In addition, to get the NC700X up to the place where it moves from being an expensive toy to something useful for commuting, I'd have to spend money on:

  • Seat
  • Windshield
  • Luggage
  • Wind deflectors
  • Hand guards

That's probably $2500-3000 in additional money over the purchase price. Not worth it IMHO.

The CTX700 comes in this June. I'll test it too when it arrives. I'm looking forward to it because it has that same wonderful drivetrain. Of course you're still looking at over $1000 for luggage to make it more than a toy, but the fairing will solve some of the problems I found in the NC700X.

I caution you to not take too much of what the magazine reviewers say about any of these motorcycles as "gospel" till you've ridden them yourself. The impression I get from reading some of the magazine reviews is the NC700X is a great bike for commuting on. I was mentioning the NC700X on an NT700V forum, and one of the guys test rode it and said 5 minutes on the freeway was enough to convince him the NC700X wasn't the bike for him. That's what I experienced. Of course, he isn't getting paid by Honda advertising and the magazine reviewers are. So when all you've had is the "first look" reviews...which are nothing more than reworded Honda press releases...calm yourself down. :D The reality may not be the same.

Chris
 

gregsfc

New member
Thanks for the info. That's pretty much the same review I got from someone on the NC700X forum in a PM. Maybe it's the same person, but it's starting to sound like it's not for me either. I went and sat on one. Didn't like the foot placement although some say it's great once you get used to it, but it's much different than the scooter I own, and I like that aspect of the scooter. Also, it was a little tall and is designed for light off road and dirt road use, which is a waste for me, which means it sits a little taller than what I need although I was a little surprised that I was able to come closer to flat footing it than I can my scooter. The NC is listed at over an inch higher seat height than my scooter but that doesn't equate to what I found in real life.

My background: I'm a first-time rider who bought a Piaggio BV350 scooter eleven months ago. What a great scooter and really very good for what I use it for (a 55-mile-per-day, state highway, rural commute through one small town and the rest out in the country). I've been able to achieve an average of 67 mpg (winter and summer) on the scooter with a big, tall windshield. Plenty enough power and top speed for regular, non-interstate highway travel. The median rider on fuelly achieves only about 64 with the stock windshield, so I'm kind of a fuel sipper with my driving habits and route. I expect I could do at least as well on the NC or CTX with much more refinement and performance capabilities and durability.

Once I learned about this Honda power train, I realized that this is even more conducive to what I need in the long term than my scooter. I'm the type of person who normally wants to get the full life out of a vehicle and I usually keep one for many, many years before changing, but I've become disillusioned with scooters a little for highway travel. I'm not liking the CVT trannys (I think the Burgman might be better design but that's more bulk than I'm looking for); don't like that I can't put it in a high gear and just cruise; don't like that it requires major transmission work every 12,000 miles in the form of a new belt that takes $175 plus a lot of work or a lot more dollars to pay someone to replace it, and that, one can expect other transmission components to start wearing out around 18,000 miles or so, e.g. slider/rollers, variator, variator fan. It's also starting to feel a little smallish on my long rides. I also think that I can get many more miles out of 17" radials than my rear scooter tires. The first one lasted me only 7300 miles, and, from what I've read, I did really well, so I've pretty much maxed out what I can get. MC tires may not last any longer, but I've got a feeling, the way I obsess with tire pressure and the way I ride, they'll last me 10K or more.

I'm very interested in the CTX700. I've studied the reviews. The reviews lately have been very helpful. They are sort of first ride reviews from a couple of journalists who rode some models during a California event. I agree about being wary of reviews, but it does help one to get some insights, especially if the journalists/riders are willing to be critical of the negatives they find; and combined with looking at pictures of other folks sitting on them; studying the specs and components; understanding the service requirements and intervals; and conducting some test rides, I think I can come to an intelligent decision.

There is going to be a CTX700ND available at a near-by dealership soon. Even though I'm interested in the fairing model and the standard tranny, I think that model will be close enough for me to decide between a CTX and an NC. I don't have a full understanding about chain-driven motorcycles and what kind of aggravations one has with respect to service, but it seems like the biggest drawback is the continual chain maintenance. I was reading a post that states every 300 miles to clean and lube. Well, for me, that's about once every eight days, so that's a drawback, but something one just has to commit to, because there seems that there are advantages to chain drive too; chiefly that they're very efficient. The other thing is storage solution or luggage. The scooter provides ample storage. The NC700X doesn't provide enough to be that big a factor in my decision, and that leads me to a question for any experienced rider on here.

Aren't there inexpensive luggage solutions if: a; I don't need to lock it up? b; I don't need to weather proof it? c; I'm not that concerned about appearance of the luggage? And, d; I don't care to strap it to the seat or something? I've seen pictures of soft luggage strapped to the rear seat for under $100. Is something like this achievable on a bike like the CTX700?
 
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Harald

New member
snip
I also think that I can get many more miles out of 17" radials than my rear scooter tires. The first one lasted me only 7300 miles, and, from what I've read, I did really well, so I've pretty much maxed out what I can get. MC tires may not last any longer, but I've got a feeling, the way I obsess with tire pressure and the way I ride, they'll last me 10K or more.

snip

I don't have a full understanding about chain-driven motorcycles and what kind of aggravations one has with respect to service, but it seems like the biggest drawback is the continual chain maintenance. I was reading a post that states every 300 miles to clean and lube. Well, for me, that's about once every eight days, so that's a drawback, but something one just has to commit to, because there seems that there are advantages to chain drive too; chiefly that they're very efficient.

The other thing is storage solution or luggage. The scooter provides ample storage. The NC700X doesn't provide enough to be that big a factor in my decision, and that leads me to a question for any experienced rider on here.
Aren't there inexpensive luggage solutions if: a; I don't need to lock it up? b; I don't need to weather proof it? c; I'm not that concerned about appearance of the luggage? And, d; I don't care to strap it to the seat or something? I've seen pictures of soft luggage strapped to the rear seat for under $100. Is something like this achievable on a bike like the CTX700?

Depending on what tire you get, it's possible to at least double the mileage of your scooter tire with a 17" motorcycle tire. I've gotten 15,000 miles out of Michelin Pilot Road 2 tires on my 650lb 145 horsepower FJR1300 bike and I don't ride like a grandpa. A more cautious rider would get even more mileage.

My current bike is the first one I've ever had with shaft drive. All previous bikes have been chain drive. I love the shaft for low maintenance and longevity, but chains do rob less power. Chain maintenance is not big deal on a bike with a centerstand because you just put the bike in gear and have the engine spin the back wheel while you spray lube on the chain. Virtually all modern bikes have o-ring chains, so all you need to do is get the dirt off and coat it so it doesn't rust. WD40 work great for this purpose and was what I used on my last chain that was still good with over 30,000 miles when I sold the bike. Not having a centerstand makes it much more of a hassle to lube a chain, but it can still be done with a wheel stand or with a helper. Another option is a self oiler like the Scot oiler that automatically drips oil onto the chain so you don't have to.

If you don't have the need for secure storage, luggage can be as simple as a duffle strapped across the seat. There's also nice soft saddlebags that can be thrown across the seat for more space. I haven't seen a CTX700 in person, but I can guarantee that it's possible to attach hooks to the bike (if they're not already there) to hooking bungee cords or bungee nets onto. Also consider Rok Straps because that can be looped around passenger foot pegs or grab handles and they're safer than bungee cords.

My wife is enamored with the hard bags on my bike, so I can guarantee that I'm going to have to pony up for the hard bags for her new CTX700 when we get it. :)
 

gregsfc

New member
To Harold...

Thanks for sharing your experiences and insights. All good news. I'll definitely look into my options to make chain maintenance easy and quick as long as it's not too expensive and some cheap luggage options too. I especially like the idea of hooks. The CTX700 has passenger grab handles, but the CTX700N (naked version) does not. I'll be getting the one with grab handles.

It looks like that I'll want and need some sort of wheel stand or helper, and at the other forum someone showed me an example of one that was pretty inexpensive. I don't think I'd ever mount a center stand on the CTX700 because it is so low riding already. It seems as though stand would come in handy for some minor wrenching stuff as well, such as removing the wheels for tire replacement, checking, inspecting, etc.
 

ctx

New member
Thanks for that honest and informative review. Sorry to hear the seat is so awful! Wow, anything that's comparable to water boarding sounds dreadful. Happy to hear the engine and clutch are top notch; very important to me when choosing a bike. So what do you think overall? Do the pros outweigh the cons or vice versa? Very cool the dealership let you do a little test drive - that's very important when decided whether or not you want to buy.
 

Daboo

New member
ctx, I ended up buying a new NT700V, what is called the Deauville in Europe. The price had been lowered dramatically from $11,200 down to $7600, which put it in the range of the NC700X and CTX700. I found the engine to be torquey like the NC700X. It'll pull from about 2500 rpms on level ground. You won't break any acceleration records if you're in too tall a gear, but it performs in that respect much like the NC700X.

The difference IMHO, is in what comes with the bike. It has a 3/4 fairing built in, and the side bags are designed into the rear of the bike, instead of being tacked on as an afterthought. (Actually, I think Honda did think about this. If they can sell you side bags as an accessory, they make more $$$.) The bike is considered a Sport Touring bike, and in the 330+ mile ride I took to get it home, I have to agree. It handles well in corners and eats up the miles. The windshield even works as it should, and is adjustable without tools. The bike has been used for about 15 years in Europe by motorcycle couriers and some police forces. It's not an ST1300, but neither is a CTX700.

I think if you can find a new or used model of that bike, it is a better deal. The price will be lower in the end, and I think it is a better bike.

The pros on the NC700X and CTX700 are the drivetrain. It is great. The cons to me are the accessories that have to be added on...and may not do the job you want. But you'll never know till you install them and spend your $$$. The NC700X for my riding needs, must have some way to divert the rain, wind and cold around me. As it comes from the factory, all that hits you. As a year around commuter in Seattle, this is a big deal. There are wind deflectors sold for it...but do they really do much? From lurking on the NC700X forum, it would appear the jury is out on that. Both bikes need some storage added to keep from donning a back pack each time you ride. And the CTX700 would need both a larger windshield and lower fairing added.

While I like the CTX700, some of the reviews and pictures point out one glaring fault with it that bothers me, but won't bother everyone. The foot pegs are placed where they will drag first in corners. I'm used to using more cornering angle than it appears the CTX700 has. It is designed as a cruiser in seating position and so it seems like it inherits that kind of riding style.

If I could give one piece of advice to everyone, it is to look at these bikes objectively. We get a group think when we spend a lot of time on a forum like this, and because we don't have anything to go by, but Honda publicity info directly from Honda or put out by magazine reviewers, we think the bikes are perfect and get our hopes up. We lust after them, to put it bluntly. It's hard to be objective like that.

Chris
 
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