Intro and some general questions about the NT700V

[Salparadise]

Greetings folks- and happy off season to those for whom being chilled to the bone has lost its novelty. I just signed up for the forum because I've found a 2013, low-milage, NT700V that I am really interested in. Although I've been aware of these bikes, I've never ridden one or given them a lot of consideration. I've been out of riding for about five years and want to get started again. I've had a few motos and plenty of miles. Some of the bikes I've owned are the VFR800, ST1100, K1200RS, and a V-Strom 650 (1st gen). I've said more than a few times that my ideal bike would be a Honda for reliability, with the comfort, lightness, and handling of the Wee Strom, the wonderful engine from the VFR, and shaft drive like the ST1100. It seems to me that the NT700V has a lot of what would make me happy. I know it won't jump like a VFR or ST at interstate speeds, but that's okay. What I am really wondering about is handling –– is it nimble in the twisties? I live in the mountains, so this is kind of important. I would also hope to hear that it will cruise at 70-75mph without being buzzy or feeling wrung out. And is it nice and stable at higher speeds too? I want a bike that's agile on day rides, but long-legged enough that longer touring is a pleasure too.

I'd really appreciate your thoughts, and if you can make any comparisons to the bikes I'm familiar with that would be great!

 

[Brillot2000]

Welcome Aboard and Greetings from SoCal.

FYI, the Honda NT700V was only sold in the United States for the 2010 and 2011 model years. I am highly doubtful that the unit you found is in fact a 2013 model year. It might have been sold in 2013 and the current seller thinks it's 2013.

 

[mikesim]

Welcome! The NT700 was only imported to the US in model years 2010 and 2011. The 2010's could be either Silver or Red. ABS was offered on only the silver models although not all silver models are equipped with ABS. In 2011, the NT700 was only offered in black and all models had ABS. I would be cautious about a 2013 NT. It may have been purchased in 2013 but is likely a 2010 or 2011. I find that my NT is very nimble in the twisties. Cruising at 70-75 or higher is not a problem as I have made many trips on the slab cruising at 85. The buzziness in highly subjective but I don't find the vibration objectionable. It is IMHO stable at highway speeds. I bought mine 10 years ago and now have 131,000 miles on the clock and have traveled to all the lower 48 and one province. I think you would enjoy NT ownership.

Mike

 

[Beermebeerme1]

I'll parrot what has already been said and add that 5k on the tach gets me 72 or 73 mph. Cruising at 75 is not buzzy to me. I bought mine in mid September and have added 2000 miles since then. Frankly, I look for opportunities to ride it and will take it to work tomorrow.

I'm happy with the handling, economy, and comfort. I expect i will do some distance rides after I retire next year. Your money isn't my money so I can't tell you how to spend it. I paid $4k for mine with 8100 miles and feel like I got a good deal. If that is helpful, great. If you pick one up, please join the forum.

Regards, Randy

 

[ARKNT]

Welcome. The NT is a good solid bike, not many large problems.
The pannier latches are quite weak but can be replaced with external latches if need be.
Like others, in USA only 2010 and 2011.

Brad

 

[Phil Tarman]

Hi, and welcome to one of the best Forums anywhere. Most of us here joined when we got our NTs. A lot of us have moved on to other bikes, but stayed here for the people.

I'm like Bruce and Mike, I'm still riding the NT. As Mike said, they were only imported in '10 and '11, but some '11 models were marketed as '12s.

I had started riding in '97 on a friend's Honda Shadow 600. Then I bought an '83 GL650i Silverwing and rode that for a year before buying a '99 Kawasaki Concours. I rode two of those for 165,000 miles before before, after having my 5th knee replacement in '08, I decided that it was time for a lighter bike. I had seen and sat on an '08 Deauville in Germany while on a ride there that summer. When I heard in the fall of '99 that Honda was going to import the Deauville as an NT700V, I decided to get one. I got it in March and at the end of April did the first-ever Iron Butt Association SaddleSore 1000 in the whole Western Hemisphere!! Woo-Hoo! .

Then in '13, I took my "Epic Post-Retirement Ride to Alaska, the Four Corners of the US, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Labrador. That was an 80-day, 21,000-mile trip.

Dudley, NT#1 during the Epic Ride. This was between Valdez and Glenallen, looking east toward the Wrangell range:


I ended up riding that bike 139,000 miles and was pretty sure it would be the last bike I ever owned. But then a friend from the Forum traded his '10 NT (which just happened to be farkled almost exactly like mine, right down to having been lowered) on a Triumph 900 GT Pro. So, I traded NT#1 for NT# 2, "Horse" ('with no name'). Since I'm 78 now and up to 6 knee replacements, Horse will really be my last bike, the one I'll ride till one or the other of us dies or can't ride/be ridden any longer. In addition my wife has developed some dementia in the last year and I'll be spending most of my time with her, so my riding will be limited.

As far as handling, it's plenty nimble for me. I will admit that I don't push as much as I used to in any kind of riding, but twisties and sweepers alike are exciting for me on the NT. In the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming last summer, I passed more bikes than passed me. Out here in the west there are lots of places where the speed limit is between 75-80. And in most of those, if you're riding 75, you blocking traffic. On the Epic Ride, across AZ, NM, and west TX, traffic was moving at 85+. My cruise control let me hold 85-90. Gas mileage dropped, but the bike felt fine at those speeds.

I track my fuel mileage on Fuelly and of the 108K miles I tracked with Dudley, I averaged 47.1mpg. I've ridden Horse 5600 miles and averaged 49.6 mpg so far.

Here's Horse:

IMNSHO, you can't go wrong with an NT. Oh, BTW, the dealer where I bought Horse had him priced at $4999. They gave me $1500 for Dudley, put new tires on Horse and swapped over things I wanted to keep from Dudley.

 

[DirtFlier]

The NT700V is a reliable machine with the only flaw being the saddlebag lid latching mechanism but there are plenty of solutions to that. Everything else has worked perfectly in the 79k miles I've had mine and it is not maintenance intensive. I bought mine new in Dec 2009 and I've been across the country several times on it and also across some of the eastern Canadian provinces.

Just fill the tank and GO!

 

[harryhendo]

As a fellow Virginian, I can unequivocally say that the NT700V is made for the twisty roads of our state. It handles very well and seems to sense the curves as you go into them. Power delivery is excellent, and the torque is well suited for mountain roads. On it, I've traveled throughout the state (and into WVa and Kentucky) many times, and it puts a smile on my face every time. Riding the Blue Ridge Parkway is a real joy on the NT.

 

[RedNigel]

Mine is happy cruising up to 85 MPH. It will go faster than that over prolonged periods, but anything over about 85 begins to feel "tight"
I routinely get high 40s and low 50s for mileage. Some people do better.
I have 75K on her and only on second set of brake pads
Replaced fork seals and steering head bearing once.
The bike (Knock wood) has never let me down
I stopped doing valve checks at 30K and she runs like a top still

The only con is my pannier latch system has finally given up the ghost. In lieu of a more permanent solution I have put a small cleat on each pannier cover and use mini bungies to hold them closed (Gorilla Tape works very well too!)
I may make a better latch system my winter project

 

[Woodaddict]

on the sly,,,,,,,,,,,,,looking at bike at triple tree head bearing area, on right side is the name plate / VIN. without asking to see the title, you could secretly look inside between plastic and head and see its a 2010 or 2011. then you have more leverage to talk to them. WHY you selling me a 2013???????????

 

[Tantalus]

I'll echo most of the above. As a new owner, I use it as a commuter, which I consider it's best application, but am planning to tour, as well. Excellent weather protection for it's size. It's also different, particularly as we enter another era dominated by parallel twins with chains.

Only true flaws are the bag latches and the fake speakers and vents, real estate that should have gauges/outlets/storage instead.

 

[mikesim]

on the sly,,,,,,,,,,,,,looking at bike at triple tree head bearing area, on right side is the name plate / VIN. without asking to see the title, you could secretly look inside between plastic and head and see its a 2010 or 2011. then you have more leverage to talk to them. WHY you selling me a 2013???????????

As David said, the name plate will tell you the model year, but the tenth character of the VIN also identifies it. A-2010, B-2011, etc.

Mike

 

[Salparadise]

NT700V was only sold in the United States for the 2010 and 2011 model years.

You're all correct- It's a 2010. I guess I read it wrong. So I heard back from the seller but he doesn't seem interested in answering questions or having a conversation. He said, "look at the pics- that's what you're getting." The pics do look good. He said that the tires and batter had been replaced but he didn't say when. It's 2 1/2 hours away and I'd have to either find a trailer or someone to donate their time and drive my vehicle back, all while not knowing if the deal would all work. It's strange that someone is so terse with a prospective buyer when trying to sell a bike.

 

[mikesim]

With an attitude like that, I think I would pass...... that's just me.....

Mike

 

[Sunny]

You're all correct- It's a 2010. I guess I read it wrong. So I heard back from the seller but he doesn't seem interested in answering questions or having a conversation. He said, "look at the pics- that's what you're getting." The pics do look good. He said that the tires and batter had been replaced but he didn't say when. It's 2 1/2 hours away and I'd have to either find a trailer or someone to donate their time and drive my vehicle back, all while not knowing if the deal would all work. It's strange that someone is so terse with a prospective buyer when trying to sell a bike.

or may be he has had his share of low ballers and idiots ... and is plain frustrated ...

NT is a good bike and I would take a chance on it and him ... worst case, you and your buddy get a road trip and a good lunch out of the trip ....

 

[Moto-Kafe]

Pictures do not tell the overall condition of a bike.........that's a Lame Line to use as a salesman, no matter how many idiots have tried to lowball him. Describing something you are selling, kinda relates to your Integrity, in my book (The Book of Me, Volume 1). Throw a sales ad out there with little-to-no information, and I view the Seller the same way.........."Shady".

 

[Salparadise]

With an attitude like that, I think I would pass...... that's just me.....

Describing something you are selling, kinda relates to your Integrity

I agree with both of you. Buying is inherently risky- it’s the sellers job to inspire some confidence. True even if standing side by side with the bike between. In this case something just seems off, as though he sees me as an annoyance- looking a gift horse in the mouth, Doesn’t work for me. So I’m going to be looking for another one. If anyone has a lead let me know please.

 

[Brillot2000]

I agree with both of you. Buying is inherently risky- it’s the sellers job to inspire some confidence. True even if standing side by side with the bike between. In this case something just seems off, as though he sees me as an annoyance- looking a gift horse in the mouth, Doesn’t work for me. So I’m going to be looking for another one. If anyone has a lead let me know please.

This is the scenario that I see regarding this seller. The bike is either an estate sale or the seller knows absolutely nothing about the bike. The lack of the seller wanting to communicate with you is a "Huge Red Flag" to me and is quite suspicious (SUS). Also, you have not brought the subject such as the asking price, mileage, clear title, sat for years, etc...

There are members on this forum selling their bikes in the Forum - For Sale section. I think there's one listed now for $4,500 with a lot aftermarket Farkle. You might want to look into that one. The cost of an airline ticket, complete the transaction and ride it home, or hire a motorcycle transport company to deliver it to your front door.

I personally would not pursue the seller you are referring to move on to looking within the forum for a bike.

 

[Salparadise]

I think there's one listed now for $4,500 with a lot aftermarket Farkle. You might want to look into that one. The cost of an airline ticket, complete the transaction and ride it home, or hire a motorcycle transport company to deliver it to your front door.

Yes, when a seller can’t be bothered to communicate it certainly does raise red flags. Plus there’s a certain etiquette or protocol that we are attuned to, and these norms exist for good reason. Not going to chase this one.

The one you mentioned in OR looks good, and I definitely like the farkles. If this weren’t the middle of November I’d consider flying there and riding back. Maybe cruise down the CA coast and turn left before Mexico. I was into that sort of stuff a few decades ago.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Yes, when a seller can’t be bothered to communicate it certainly does raise red flags. Plus there’s a certain etiquette or protocol that we are attuned to, and these norms exist for good reason. Not going to chase this one.

The one you mentioned in OR looks good, and I definitely like the farkles. If this weren’t the middle of November I’d consider flying there and riding back. Maybe cruise down the CA coast and turn left before Mexico. I was into that sort of stuff a few decades ago.

Check into shipping costs. It would probably be cheaper than flying and riding back.