Is this the shape of things to come?NC700touring
- Thread starter Lorien
- Start date
Great looking ride with all the right stuff from the get-go. Judging from the guy's forward lean position I can tell you right away I'd be adding a set of bar risers. That's not a big deal 'cause I'd hate to buy a bike I couldn't add a farkle or two to.
Thanks for the post!
LL75
Thanks for the post!
LL75
Nicole
Guest
I wonder how much of the new stuff from this one will bolt up to the older ones?
Probably none of it. It's a completely different platform. The engine is a parallel twin that is literally 1/2 of a Honda Fuse car engine. The frame is more scooterish.
I'd be interested if they made a sport touring version (better fairing for weather protection) with shaft drive. But not for another 250-300,000 miles if my NT ever wears out.
I'd be interested if they made a sport touring version (better fairing for weather protection) with shaft drive. But not for another 250-300,000 miles if my NT ever wears out.
Bear
2
Nice try, but no cigar. Chains just don't make it for touring. Sure, O Ring and X ring chains do well on sport bikes--they are just too much of a hassle.
Nicole
Guest
@Sailariel I have to agree. Chains are a pain
mikesim
Site Supporter
Amen! I'm with Alex! Give us the shaft! Errr... that didn't come out quite right, did it? Seriously, it's a nice looker but I like the ol' NT better. Notice that the pannier lids are quite large, but the box behind 'em are considerable smaller... whassup with that? Also, I like the way the turn signals are integrated into the fairing of the NT vs the "hung on" look of the NC
Just my .02
Mike
Warren
2
I agree with the comments about the chain. I really like the bike and think it would work well for me but I will not buy another bike without a shaft drive
ohblackwater
Guest
I'll be the odd man out on this one and say that I just don't like it. I don't like the looks of it. It's supposed to look rugged like a dual sport, with the exposed bars, etc. but to me it looks like a kid's transformer toy. Looks to me more like something that "kinda resembles a cool motorcycle, but if you hit a button it turns into a buffalo or something". Looks real heavy to me too. By the time this is out on the market and one of you guys buys one, I may sell my Valkyrie and buy your NT. Ha! 
To me the NT is just a beautiful bike. Looks like it was well planned, not thrown together with mismatched parts out of a junk pile then dressed up to make it look like purposeful junk. The NT is a classic look with excellent form and function, and this NC just looks like an "adventure poseur". Sorry for my negative opinion on the NC, but to me it's not 1/2 the bike that the NT is. Maybe it's got great cred under all that crap of an exterior, but Honda missed my boat on that one for sure.
To me the NT is just a beautiful bike. Looks like it was well planned, not thrown together with mismatched parts out of a junk pile then dressed up to make it look like purposeful junk. The NT is a classic look with excellent form and function, and this NC just looks like an "adventure poseur". Sorry for my negative opinion on the NC, but to me it's not 1/2 the bike that the NT is. Maybe it's got great cred under all that crap of an exterior, but Honda missed my boat on that one for sure. 
Nice bike. I'm learning, slowly peryhaps, to be happy with what I've got and I'm pretty happy with my NT.
Terry
Terry
To follow up this may the be shape of things to come but personally I hope not. I still like a real fairing and a real windshield which of course a totally lacking on this. And there is that chain drive which I can totally do without.
Mellow
Admin
Yeah, Honda is coming out with off-road styling without the off-road ability on some of their designs... this one, the CrossRunner and CrossTourer. The CrossTourer at least has some additional fork travel which helps.
I know many with the more off-road type bikes never take them off-road so maybe they are hitting the mark better than I think.
The fairing issue goes a couple different ways... it's nice in the summer to not have so much of a fairing, less so in the winter. However in very hot weather a fairing is better than no fairing.. kinda hard to make everyone happy on that one, you just buy the bike knowing how more or less the temps / weather will affect the overall ride. I do find on the Super Tenere the ride generally feels about 10 degrees cooler.. so, it's nice on a hot day. Yet, when it's cold, the ST1300 is much more preferred.
The chain issue is a big one for me which is strange as I've never had a chain-drive bike but have ridden with many that do and see the extra steps they take during a ride to deal with it. I would think if the rest of the bike just 'does it' for you then a chain may be a minor point. I considered the Triumph 800xc when looking at the Tenere but it was going to be more expensive out the door so I just waited for the Yamaha to show up and passed on a trip w/friends I wanted to make.
This bike looks good to me, it will appeal to some and not to others, we'll see if it makes it's way to the U.S.
I know many with the more off-road type bikes never take them off-road so maybe they are hitting the mark better than I think.
The fairing issue goes a couple different ways... it's nice in the summer to not have so much of a fairing, less so in the winter. However in very hot weather a fairing is better than no fairing.. kinda hard to make everyone happy on that one, you just buy the bike knowing how more or less the temps / weather will affect the overall ride. I do find on the Super Tenere the ride generally feels about 10 degrees cooler.. so, it's nice on a hot day. Yet, when it's cold, the ST1300 is much more preferred.
The chain issue is a big one for me which is strange as I've never had a chain-drive bike but have ridden with many that do and see the extra steps they take during a ride to deal with it. I would think if the rest of the bike just 'does it' for you then a chain may be a minor point. I considered the Triumph 800xc when looking at the Tenere but it was going to be more expensive out the door so I just waited for the Yamaha to show up and passed on a trip w/friends I wanted to make.
This bike looks good to me, it will appeal to some and not to others, we'll see if it makes it's way to the U.S.
Mellow
Admin
The VFR1200 is close...
I think the next generation of ST will be the VFR engine so Honda re-uses that for the VFR/Crosstourer/ST? But, big tank and integrated bags... not sure how much it would weigh, that would be a big selling point for many... but, might be a very cool sport tourer.
Does anybody know how to stuff the VFR800 motor into a NT frame? now that would be a mid size 4 cylinder sport touring machine, that us old people could ride. I really like the VFR800 but I can not bend my body that far to ride it 700 to 800 mile days. I am lucky if I could do 80 miles with out pain.
Warren
2
valve checks would be real fun on that one.
Coyote Chris
Site Supporter
When we talked about this bike before, I did some reading of Euro tests and IIRC the valve interval was 8,000 mi. That would lead me to think it was screw ajusters. Which isnt a bad thing if the valve cover comes off fairly easily, depending on radiator mounting, etc. Chains, unfortunately, are cheep to make and lightweight. But are a complete maintenance headache, o ring or not. When I looked at the Suzuki SV650, he dealer said he reccommends they (chain and sprokets) get replaced at 10,000 miles. Sounds like a good way to make money if you are a dealer. This may not be possible anymore, but my Yamaha XV920RH Sport touring bike had a fully enclosed chain running in a lithium grease bath. I hardly ever had to touch it and I never replaced it.
Nicole
Guest
I got 20k on the chain on my Suzuki GS500. it all depends on how much you stress the chain and how well you lube/maintain it.
I have had chain, belt and shaft drive bikes and chain maintenance is not a big deal for me. The extra cost, weight, power loss, and complexity of shaft drive almost offset the convenience of it for me. As for the new Honda 700 variations none of them will darken my driveway with only around 50HP...even with chain drive. Unless Myth Busters can bolt on a JATO kit without Honda voiding the warranty...
Nice concept Honda. Thanks, but no thanks. I will stick to my NT.
I'd love an NT with a VFR engine in it, BUT, it MUST have shaft drive. No shaft drive, I won't buy it. That's why I ended up on an NT in the first place. If I didn't mind a chain I would have bought something else.
And I would not want an ST with a VFR engine. Too heavy for what I use a bike for.
And I would not want an ST with a VFR engine. Too heavy for what I use a bike for.