Honda NC750X: Boringly brilliant, brilliantly boring. Doesn't excel at any single thing, but no other bike comes so close to being the ultimate 'machine for everything' that the NC does. I own 3 bikes, one of them a mighty ZZR1400, but the NC is my weapon of choice 90% of the time.
I bought a new NC750X-DCT in the spring of 2022 and am now starting my third summer with this amazing bike. I am 60 years old and started my motorcycle career in 1979 with Honda CB100. From there I have ridden everything from hysterically fast bikes to BMW RT. I have to say that this verson NCX is really a good all round bike. I use it for work and day trips. In sports mode, you have more than enough power with today's technology. Good torque. The smartest thing is the tank, which is a storage room, and the tank is under the seat. The bike is easy to ride and suits me well, who is only 170cm tall. In addition, hand protectors against the cold, center support have been fitted and a lowering kit is to be fitted which is waiting to be mounted. I am quite short in the legs. It feels very light as the weight is concentrated low. I've looked at the Honda Rebel 1100, but I'm still a bit unsure, as the NC is incredibly good as it is.
I had a NC750S DCT.Used it for everything, commuting, days out & touring. Positives were power, power delivery, loved the dct ( sport mode). Negatives was that the rear suspension really struggled with pothole Britain especially two up & the seat ( or should that be brick ! ) & I had a aftermarket seat. Now got a Super Meteor 650. Much better
Really good review. Had a 2018 DCT for two years. Like you, I added a footshift kit and that made it the most versatile bike I think I've ever owned. Able to let it do everything, change gear on occasion when I wanted, or indeed switch to manual and do all the changing - as you said, like one of the best quick shifters you can find. Tremendously versatile and capable of doing anything you need from a motorcycle and most things you want from one. I rather regret selling it back then and could well see myself getting another. But it would have to have foot shift, and the 2021 models onwards (newest of the three 'styles' no longer have the option. Not that an older first or second series one would worry me. The NC has simply seen constant, gradual refinement over the years.
I’ve got a 2014 model and I’ve had it for 8 years . DCT and I always use D much prefer it to S but drop it in if I’m in the mood ( rarely) Rode to Russia 2018 and back with just a roll bag and backpack , no problems at all . I’ll hang onto it for a while yet !
Hi stephen, thanks for the comment. the NC is without doubt a bike that will give Rocketship miles of trouble free service. i think a lot of that is down to the relaxed nature of the engine, ie nothing seems too over stressed so minimal wear on the major components. i rate that engine very highly, i never feel under gunned even two up either. its interesting that its only really used in this bike.
I’ve got the newer 2017 DCT version and I love it. It offers great space with side cases and top case and on the 2017 - 2020 models you can get a tank bag from givi made specifically for that range as from the 2021 they removed the holes on the black strips on the tank…weird why they removed it as it looked far better with them. But I agree that the suspension is bad on bumpy roads, especially with a pillion. Am curious how the new model handles bumps in the upcoming review.
Hi all thought id give a round up of some of the comments received about my NC750, so here goes. can also just say firstly, my thanks to all those who have taken the time to comment, its very much appreciated. so my bike currently has 26000 miles on the clock, it had a good service history when i bought it and was well cared for. as i said in the video, i did change the chain and sprockets. the chain was a DID with the rivet link, with the right tools its a fairly straightforward job and very rewarding when its done. well it hasn't come off so it must have been ok LOL. Roland asked about the exhaust, well spotted, when i bought it the owner had fitted a very loud after market, which made me virtually deaf on the 250 mile trip home from liverpool when i bought it.so i found a standard one on ebay, i assumed it was the right model and it fitted no issue and it does sound great. it did also cure another fault when i fitted it. the after market exhaust didn,t have the small ledge for want of a better word, that works as a stop for the centre stand. this allowed the stand leg to come up to far and would bump my heel, fippin annoying. so beware if you go after market exhaust as you might find the same issue. hope that gives you all a bit more info. just one more thing, i tested a Honda NX500 today for a review that's coming in a couple of weeks, you may be surprised at the verdict. ride safe and see you in the next video
I always use car satnavs too but have killed one due to water ingress into the screen. The UA-cam solution is to use a little clear bathroom sealant around the periphery of the bezel where it meets the screen. No issues since 👍
Thanks for the comments Paul, always good when my thoughts are echoed. the suspension is the only reason id think of trading this bike. its hard to understand how Honda could have let those glaring issues get onto a bike with such other great qualities. that standard seat {brick etc. i suppose it keeps the after market world revolving LOL.
I own a 2020 manual version of the NC750X, and I'm very happy with it. Nice, relaxed engine with plenty of torque and amazing fuel economy (100.3 mpg UK over 20000 km so far). It's also easy to work on. The one downside is the chain drive. Chain drive sucks, and I'll never understand why Honda didn't give their most practical bike either shaft or belt drive, that would have made it perfect. Honda, like the other Japanese manufacturers, used to make excellent middleweight shaft drive motorcycles, but for some reason they have stopped doing so and only offer cheap, dirty chains.
Hi thanks for the comment. totally agree that a shaft would be great. manufacturers don't seem to want to add the ultra reliable shaft drive, i can remember bikes like the kawasaki gt550 etc being shaft driven, my example had absolute rocket ship miles on and still was tight and slack free. we seem to be in this cycle of built in obsolescence, when we should be striving for sustainability. I'm hoping to take out a new NC dct in a few weeks to compare new to old.
@@johncummins3860 How many times in history has that happened on a Honda? Anyway, belt drive would be fine too, but chain drive just sucks. And chains can snap too and cause a lot of damage, it doesn't happen often, but neither do exploding shaft drives.
I bought one with 24k on it. All bells and whistles it really was a peach. It really looked the business But I couldn't get on with it. And like most riders, I've had a lot of different bikes. Turbulent screen from 30 mph was the first impression. Top gear seemed too high and you really needed to change down to get it going. The engine, which is not jazz or civic btw, was easy to work on and frugal, 80+ mpg. A good bike and ticks a lot of boxes, but I always felt needed needed more hp and character.
I had an NC750S manual which i soon realised was the wrong choice, i should have gone for the X and with the DCT gearbox. Perhaps if I had i wouldn't have sold it after just 1 year.
I have the latest gen, bought new last summer. Not sure if the suspension is the same as previous models, and yes, it isn't the best, but i seem to live with it ok. Seat is now much better than the previous ones and i find it really comfortable. I bought the manual version as i prefer that, its also a bit lighter and less complexity. It still has the X tag and it isn't an adventure bike by any stretch of the imagination. I just think of it as a comfortable street bike with decent wind protection for longer rides and touring. After decades of having stupidly powerful bikes, this sort of power suits me now and it does have decent torque. Very happy with mine and this bike will be with me a long time i reckon.
Hi Jeff id be very interested to try the manual against the DCT i imagine its a very usable combination. the DCT does change up when you don't always want it to, around long bends etc.. I'm going to be testing the latest version of the NC750 x in the next few weeks so il do a direct comparison between old and new.
@@theartisanrider472 I originally looked at test riding the latest NC because of the DCT. I have bad hand osteoarthritis and thought the DCT would be beneficial. It was ok but i wasn't totally sold on it, having rode manual bikes for 50 yrs. I then tried the manual one and because it now has slip/assist clutch the clutch lever is so super light it didn't affect my arthritis so much.
thats interesting jeff, some of the clutches now are extraordinary light to operate, changing gear is one of the greatest pleasures of riding motorbikes in my view. ride safe@@moto-jeff
I really like the Givi side bags and rear luggage as well. Can you tell me model bags and model hardware they are ? Nice fair honest assessment on your video. Well done.
Great review. I have the crosstourer and it’s superb. Did you know the new 1300gs needs to shaft replacing at 80000km at the customer expense. Unbelievable.
The crosstourer is a very overlooked bike, i rate that very highly, also the old varadero and last version of the trans alp. very reliable very dependable.
Owned a 22 plate dct for 3 months. Hated it. The dct was unpredictable in hairpins or steep inclines. The suspension is absolutely awful. The swing arm was like cheap box steel. Very un Honda like. Changed for a v strom. Best bike I ve ever owned. Horses for courses. The frunk on the honda is soooo useful. I made string pulls for the frunk and fuel access “ suspicious” of a cable failure. Mossey of fame ran one for 20k and waxed lyrical but had front and rear suspension changed.
I do like this 750 but I’m a bit bummed about the tank size and the 17” front wheel as I live in Canada where things are far apart and there lots of gravel (at least on the roads I like to ride). I had an Africa Twin with a DCT. It was excellent but I would never pay $1,000 to up grade another bike.
hi so i use a standard handle bar clamp with a ball mount, pretty standard garmin type, then just clip on like a car mount. the key thing is that you don't get the vibration on the middle of the handlebars like you would on stuff mounted on metal bars mounted higher up etc etc, i killed two cheap sat navs till i worked that out, LOL. the garmin are good becouse you can use gloves on the touch screens. goodluck. just to say, ive just bought the chigee unit for my CB500 africa tiny project well worth a look. ride safe
its an interesting question, and one ive talked about in a later video on small capacity adventure bikes. bikes like the NC can handle long periods at constant revs which makes them excellent tourers but theres more of a limit that people can tolerate. by that i mean, if your running the engine at 6000 or more revs particularly smaller capacity bikes can be very fatiguing on the rider. the NC will cruise happily at 70mph at around 4000 revs if not less.thats great for the engine and you. im working on a project bike for touring, which will feature in the next episode. worth a watch. cheers paul
Hi all thanks for all the continued comments on the NC750, it just shows what a devoted following the bike has. this is what motorbikes should do, bring people together. your never alone if you ride a motorbike. Ive just finished a review of the HONDA NX500 which goes out saturday, like the NC Honda continue to put out bikes that bring a smile to your face.
You could've showen us the foam under the seat. You should've taken the camera off the screen because we cannot see the road. Seeing you face is lovely but it doesnt add much to the video.
Hi Philip so the dog bone is a link bar that adjusts the position of the rear shock in relation to the frame. if you look under the bike at the rear shock on single shock bikes. you will see a link bar that is a bit like a double ended ring spanner that is flat. placing shorter dog bone links into the set up lifts the rear of the bike. there is a caution to doing this as it will change the steering characteristics depending on how much lift you go for, ie it can make the steering quicker.. ive noted on a test i did yesterday on the new NC750X that the suspension set up is vastly improved, il be uploading that episode in a couple of weeks. best regards paul
Honda NC750X:
Boringly brilliant, brilliantly boring. Doesn't excel at any single thing, but no other bike comes so close to being the ultimate 'machine for everything' that the NC does. I own 3 bikes, one of them a mighty ZZR1400, but the NC is my weapon of choice 90% of the time.
I bought a new NC750X-DCT in the spring of 2022 and am now starting my third summer with this amazing bike. I am 60 years old and started my motorcycle career in 1979 with Honda CB100. From there I have ridden everything from hysterically fast bikes to BMW RT.
I have to say that this verson NCX is really a good all round bike. I use it for work and day trips. In sports mode, you have more than enough power with today's technology. Good torque. The smartest thing is the tank, which is a storage room, and the tank is under the seat. The bike is easy to ride and suits me well, who is only 170cm tall. In addition, hand protectors against the cold, center support have been fitted and a lowering kit is to be fitted which is waiting to be mounted.
I am quite short in the legs. It feels very light as the weight is concentrated low.
I've looked at the Honda Rebel 1100, but I'm still a bit unsure, as the NC is incredibly good as it is.
I do mostly 2-up touring and replaced my fork springs and shock spring with Hyperpro springs and it made quite a difference.
I had a NC750S DCT.Used it for everything, commuting, days out & touring. Positives were power, power delivery, loved the dct ( sport mode). Negatives was that the rear suspension really struggled with pothole Britain especially two up & the seat ( or should that be brick ! ) & I had a aftermarket seat. Now got a Super Meteor 650. Much better
you don't find the SM has short travel and harsh suspension?
@@Sankara561 No,much better
Really good review.
Had a 2018 DCT for two years. Like you, I added a footshift kit and that made it the most versatile bike I think I've ever owned. Able to let it do everything, change gear on occasion when I wanted, or indeed switch to manual and do all the changing - as you said, like one of the best quick shifters you can find.
Tremendously versatile and capable of doing anything you need from a motorcycle and most things you want from one.
I rather regret selling it back then and could well see myself getting another. But it would have to have foot shift, and the 2021 models onwards (newest of the three 'styles' no longer have the option. Not that an older first or second series one would worry me. The NC has simply seen constant, gradual refinement over the years.
I’ve got a 2014 model and I’ve had it for 8 years . DCT and I always use D much prefer it to S but drop it in if I’m in the mood ( rarely) Rode to Russia 2018 and back with just a roll bag and backpack , no problems at all . I’ll hang onto it for a while yet !
Hi stephen, thanks for the comment. the NC is without doubt a bike that will give Rocketship miles of trouble free service. i think a lot of that is down to the relaxed nature of the engine, ie nothing seems too over stressed so minimal wear on the major components. i rate that engine very highly, i never feel under gunned even two up either. its interesting that its only really used in this bike.
I’ve got the newer 2017 DCT version and I love it. It offers great space with side cases and top case and on the 2017 - 2020 models you can get a tank bag from givi made specifically for that range as from the 2021 they removed the holes on the black strips on the tank…weird why they removed it as it looked far better with them. But I agree that the suspension is bad on bumpy roads, especially with a pillion. Am curious how the new model handles bumps in the upcoming review.
Hi all
thought id give a round up of some of the comments received about my NC750, so here goes. can also just say firstly, my thanks to all those who have taken the time to comment, its very much appreciated.
so my bike currently has 26000 miles on the clock, it had a good service history when i bought it and was well cared for. as i said in the video, i did change the chain and sprockets. the chain was a DID with the rivet link, with the right tools its a fairly straightforward job and very rewarding when its done. well it hasn't come off so it must have been ok LOL.
Roland asked about the exhaust, well spotted, when i bought it the owner had fitted a very loud after market, which made me virtually deaf on the 250 mile trip home from liverpool when i bought it.so i found a standard one on ebay, i assumed it was the right model and it fitted no issue and it does sound great. it did also cure another fault when i fitted it. the after market exhaust didn,t have the small ledge for want of a better word, that works as a stop for the centre stand. this allowed the stand leg to come up to far and would bump my heel, fippin annoying. so beware if you go after market exhaust as you might find the same issue.
hope that gives you all a bit more info. just one more thing, i tested a Honda NX500 today for a review that's coming in a couple of weeks, you may be surprised at the verdict.
ride safe and see you in the next video
I always use car satnavs too but have killed one due to water ingress into the screen. The UA-cam solution is to use a little clear bathroom sealant around the periphery of the bezel where it meets the screen. No issues since 👍
Thanks for the comments Paul, always good when my thoughts are echoed. the suspension is the only reason id think of trading this bike. its hard to understand how Honda could have let those glaring issues get onto a bike with such other great qualities. that standard seat {brick etc. i suppose it keeps the after market world revolving LOL.
I own a 2020 manual version of the NC750X, and I'm very happy with it. Nice, relaxed engine with plenty of torque and amazing fuel economy (100.3 mpg UK over 20000 km so far). It's also easy to work on. The one downside is the chain drive. Chain drive sucks, and I'll never understand why Honda didn't give their most practical bike either shaft or belt drive, that would have made it perfect. Honda, like the other Japanese manufacturers, used to make excellent middleweight shaft drive motorcycles, but for some reason they have stopped doing so and only offer cheap, dirty chains.
Hi
thanks for the comment. totally agree that a shaft would be great. manufacturers don't seem to want to add the ultra reliable shaft drive, i can remember bikes like the kawasaki gt550 etc being shaft driven, my example had absolute rocket ship miles on and still was tight and slack free. we seem to be in this cycle of built in obsolescence, when we should be striving for sustainability. I'm hoping to take out a new NC dct in a few weeks to compare new to old.
You won't be saying that when the shaft drive explodes when out of warranty !!
@@johncummins3860 How many times in history has that happened on a Honda? Anyway, belt drive would be fine too, but chain drive just sucks. And chains can snap too and cause a lot of damage, it doesn't happen often, but neither do exploding shaft drives.
I bought one with 24k on it. All bells and whistles it really was a peach. It really looked the business But I couldn't get on with it. And like most riders, I've had a lot of different bikes. Turbulent screen from 30 mph was the first impression. Top gear seemed too high and you really needed to change down to get it going. The engine, which is not jazz or civic btw, was easy to work on and frugal, 80+ mpg. A good bike and ticks a lot of boxes, but I always felt needed needed more hp and character.
@@johncummins3860 there's is that LOL
I had an NC750S manual which i soon realised was the wrong choice, i should have gone for the X and with the DCT gearbox. Perhaps if I had i wouldn't have sold it after just 1 year.
I have the latest gen, bought new last summer. Not sure if the suspension is the same as previous models, and yes, it isn't the best, but i seem to live with it ok. Seat is now much better than the previous ones and i find it really comfortable. I bought the manual version as i prefer that, its also a bit lighter and less complexity. It still has the X tag and it isn't an adventure bike by any stretch of the imagination. I just think of it as a comfortable street bike with decent wind protection for longer rides and touring. After decades of having stupidly powerful bikes, this sort of power suits me now and it does have decent torque.
Very happy with mine and this bike will be with me a long time i reckon.
Hi Jeff
id be very interested to try the manual against the DCT i imagine its a very usable combination. the DCT does change up when you don't always want it to, around long bends etc.. I'm going to be testing the latest version of the NC750 x in the next few weeks so il do a direct comparison between old and new.
@@theartisanrider472 I originally looked at test riding the latest NC because of the DCT. I have bad hand osteoarthritis and thought the DCT would be beneficial. It was ok but i wasn't totally sold on it, having rode manual bikes for 50 yrs. I then tried the manual one and because it now has slip/assist clutch the clutch lever is so super light it didn't affect my arthritis so much.
thats interesting jeff, some of the clutches now are extraordinary light to operate, changing gear is one of the greatest pleasures of riding motorbikes in my view. ride safe@@moto-jeff
I really like the Givi side bags and rear luggage as well. Can you tell me model bags and model hardware they are ?
Nice fair honest assessment on your video. Well done.
Great review. I have the crosstourer and it’s superb. Did you know the new 1300gs needs to shaft replacing at 80000km at the customer expense. Unbelievable.
The crosstourer is a very overlooked bike, i rate that very highly, also the old varadero and last version of the trans alp. very reliable very dependable.
Shaft needs replacing???? Unbelievable.
At 75 years old I wish I could replace my shaft and keep on going for another 75…
Owned a 22 plate dct for 3 months. Hated it. The dct was unpredictable in hairpins or steep inclines. The suspension is absolutely awful. The swing arm was like cheap box steel. Very un Honda like. Changed for a v strom. Best bike I ve ever owned. Horses for courses. The frunk on the honda is soooo useful. I made string pulls for the frunk and fuel access “ suspicious” of a cable failure. Mossey of fame ran one for 20k and waxed lyrical but had front and rear suspension changed.
I like these bikes. Shame we don't get them in Australia. Honda say we're not going to get them either 😢
I do like this 750 but I’m a bit bummed about the tank size and the 17” front wheel as I live in Canada where things are far apart and there lots of gravel (at least on the roads I like to ride). I had an Africa Twin with a DCT. It was excellent but I would never pay $1,000 to up grade another bike.
It seems to be a really good all rounder type of bike. How long have you had it and what's its current mileage?
Mate how do you mount that sat nav? It’s a great idea, bike sat nav are a massive rip off. I have a perfect Garmin car sat nav I could use
hi so i use a standard handle bar clamp with a ball mount, pretty standard garmin type, then just clip on like a car mount. the key thing is that you don't get the vibration on the middle of the handlebars like you would on stuff mounted on metal bars mounted higher up etc etc, i killed two cheap sat navs till i worked that out, LOL. the garmin are good becouse you can use gloves on the touch screens. goodluck. just to say, ive just bought the chigee unit for my CB500 africa tiny project well worth a look. ride safe
@@theartisanrider472 cheer mate
Hi bit confused about the exhaust ? Doesn't look like one for that year . Looks late 2016 onwards please in lighten us on this please .
Ro
Does riding on high speed divided highways strain the engine (e.g., RPM feels high)? One up touring is what I have in mind.
its an interesting question, and one ive talked about in a later video on small capacity adventure bikes. bikes like the NC can handle long periods at constant revs which makes them excellent tourers but theres more of a limit that people can tolerate. by that i mean, if your running the engine at 6000 or more revs particularly smaller capacity bikes can be very fatiguing on the rider. the NC will cruise happily at 70mph at around 4000 revs if not less.thats great for the engine and you. im working on a project bike for touring, which will feature in the next episode. worth a watch.
cheers paul
How about wind and rain protection on this bike?
What are those handguards pls?
Hi all
thanks for all the continued comments on the NC750, it just shows what a devoted following the bike has. this is what motorbikes should do, bring people together. your never alone if you ride a motorbike. Ive just finished a review of the HONDA NX500 which goes out saturday, like the NC Honda continue to put out bikes that bring a smile to your face.
In the city, in the national road and in Highway, what's the average fuel consumption?
I have average 3,6 litres/ 100km during past 50tkm, so city must be below that and highway above.
Have you ever had to reset the DCT
You could've showen us the foam under the seat. You should've taken the camera off the screen because we cannot see the road. Seeing you face is lovely but it doesnt add much to the video.
Huge issue is tank filler cap under the back seat. You can't have a bag there when riding solo. Stupid design.
No audio…
What do you mean by “lifting the dog bones”?
Hi Philip
so the dog bone is a link bar that adjusts the position of the rear shock in relation to the frame. if you look under the bike at the rear shock on single shock bikes. you will see a link bar that is a bit like a double ended ring spanner that is flat. placing shorter dog bone links into the set up lifts the rear of the bike. there is a caution to doing this as it will change the steering characteristics depending on how much lift you go for, ie it can make the steering quicker.. ive noted on a test i did yesterday on the new NC750X that the suspension set up is vastly improved, il be uploading that episode in a couple of weeks.
best regards
paul
gʻ