New NT owner but not new to NT's

Pbro63

Pbro63

Joined
Nov 6, 2020
Messages
53
Location
Temple City, CA
Bike
NT700v, MG v85tt, KTM 690
Hi all, I've been perusing this forum on and off for years and finally acquired a new to me '10 NT700v. I owned an NT before... a brand new NT 650 aka Hawk GT I bought in 1988 the first model year. That was my favorite bike ever I put over 80k miles on it , did courier work with it in college and just never tired of riding it or even looking at it. Fast forward after a 20 year hiatus from motorcycling (kids grew up) I got back into motorcycling with the adventure / dual sport bikes. First a 250cc CSC RX3 and more recently a Moto Guzzi V85tt, it now holds a similar place as my Hawk GT. Which brings me back to the NT700 I loved to tour and cruise on my 650 and was really jealous that the Euros got the 650 shafty and then the 700. We got nada. When the NT700 came out in 2010 I knew one day I would get one. They are somewhat rare now and I found this one on Craigslist with low miles so I bought it. The test drive went great but when I got home under further inspection I realized it spent most of its time outdoors, I guess I could have been more selective but the test drive got me. The faded palstics - check, rust and corrosion - check. Yet in the first few days it didn't matter I was just riding it , feeling it out..noisy transmission whining sounds - check.
So I tore it down removed all the body work and started working and cleaning. First thing was oil change , shaft drive tear down and lube, coolant flush and refill....after those few items it feels and sounds much better. So the body work is still off with a few more maintenance items to complete and a lot of farkling in store. I hope to be more active on this forum and thank you to everyone who's come before for sharing a wealth of information and inspiration.
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Congratulations on a nice bike. Love that picture of your bike with all the bodywork off, shows how robust the bike really is. Looks like you are enjoying it so far.
 
Camelot said:
Congratulations on a nice bike. Love that picture of your bike with all the bodywork off, shows how robust the bike really is. Looks like you are enjoying it so far.
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yes I am , and agreed even naked the bike is a looker 🤭 Took it for a few rides and did a lot of reading up before the strip down and maintenance. I rode it around the neighborhood naked and just the simple maintenance made a world of difference. Much quieter now without the whining sound, added some motor oil additive at the change. I've ordered up a few accessories. Apollo heated grips that have the switch built into the grip, a delkevic exhaust system and a pair of the large pannier lids from France color matched for the red burgundy. The latching mechanism seems to be in good working order..knock on wood. Any recommendations for a throttle mounted cruise control? I'll want to get that before installing the grips. Lastly I'll install a lithium battery.

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There's a nice silencer built into the core. It's removable but I'll leave it in, me likes quiet. Its a nice looking system, I'll give a nice review when the time comes.
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Peter, I've got a Kaoka throttle lock that I'm trying to put on mine. It's got good reviews. If you'll go to my post "Anybody else got one?" you can read some discussion and see an example of the one Chuck Henderson's had on his NT -- when he had an NT. Be advised that you either have to read a long post to get to my mention of the Kaoka or skip to the last paragraph. But after that there are several posts about the Kaoka. I'm guessing that most people thought the Kaoka was what I was referring to when I asked the question in the title. What I was talking about was the "My Local Riding Area" sticker. :cool:
 
Last summer I stumbled on an ad for a 2010 (non-ABS) red NT like the one the OP found. Mine was being sold by the original owner, who had tinkered with bikes all his life. The NT was his life-long prize, and he had kept meticulous repair/service records since new. Indoors kept, blemish-free, and pleasure ridden (about 20K miles) on back roads when weather was favorable, this bike had my name written all over it. Several states away, it happened I was buying a toy hauler trailer two hours away from where the bike was, so I picked it up on my way home.
Being a former Honda Hawk GT owner for many years, and also a devoted Transalp fan, this was the bike I had dreamed about for way too long.
However, a really busy summer and fall, and now virtual teaching the granddaughters for as long as the Covid is a threat, I'm just not riding the bike and ready to send it along to a good home. It's parked, covered, and in a steel garage for the winter, but I would be willing to get it out from under wraps and take some current shots for anyone who's interested. Not interested in gouging anyone on the price, so would sell for $3500. I'm in NE Georgia. Email me direct at peter.tamblyn@gmail.com
 
peter tamblyn said:
Last summer I stumbled on an ad for a 2010 (non-ABS) red NT like the one the OP found. Mine was being sold by the original owner, who had tinkered with bikes all his life. The NT was his life-long prize, and he had kept meticulous repair/service records since new. Indoors kept, blemish-free, and pleasure ridden (about 20K miles) on back roads when weather was favorable, this bike had my name written all over it. Several states away, it happened I was buying a toy hauler trailer two hours away from where the bike was, so I picked it up on my way home.
Being a former Honda Hawk GT owner for many years, and also a devoted Transalp fan, this was the bike I had dreamed about for way too long.
However, a really busy summer and fall, and now virtual teaching the granddaughters for as long as the Covid is a threat, I'm just not riding the bike and ready to send it along to a good home. It's parked, covered, and in a steel garage for the winter, but I would be willing to get it out from under wraps and take some current shots for anyone who's interested. Not interested in gouging anyone on the price, so would sell for $3500. I'm in NE Georgia. Email me direct at peter.tamblyn@gmail.com
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I'd say go ahead and take some pictures of it and post it in our classifieds area.
 
Phil Tarman said:
Peter, I've got a Kaoka throttle lock that I'm trying to put on mine. It's got good reviews. If you'll go to my post "Anybody else got one?" you can read some discussion and see an example of the one Chuck Henderson's had on his NT -- when he had an NT. Be advised that you either have to read a long post to get to my mention of the Kaoka or skip to the last paragraph. But after that there are several posts about the Kaoka. I'm guessing that most people thought the Kaoka was what I was referring to when I asked the question in the title. What I was talking about was the "My Local Riding Area" sticker. :cool:
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Thanks for the feedback. I saw the you tube video for how to make your own throttle lock for like $5 in washers. It looked relatively easy. All in all however I think I will pull the trigger on the Atlas throttle lock that is manufactured by an inmate here.
 
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Got the Delkevic muffler mounted and took it for a test ride on the naked bike. Interestingly it is shorter on the bike than in their website's pictures. I think they must have photoshopped something to make it look longer and more appealing. That said it sounds really nice. Deep and throaty with the silencer left in., a little louder than stock. Installation went smoothly with a bit of trial fitting involved. The O2 sensor bolted right in and the rubber mounted centerstand stop welded to the midpipe is perfectly alligned. Where the midpipe attaches to the the exhaust pipes from the cylinders looks a little cluttered where as the original pipe had a large heat shield that runs the length of the whole exhaust. It looks as though the absence of a heat shield is a non issue as the pipe is nicely tucked in though final judgement needs to be reserved for warmer weather and a longer ride. I may try to fabricate a little something for visual presentation at the junction point however.

The stock exhaust is a beast weighing in at 20 lbs. where as the Delkevic system weighs just 6.5 lbs. Combine that with the lithium battery I installed 2.25 lbs vs. 6.4 lbs for the stock lead acid battery it replaced and one ends up with about 4.15 + 13.5 + .4 (removed smog canister) = 18 lbs lighter motorcycle which is a big deal in the larger scheme of things. If you have a 20 lb weight around just give that a lift and imagine dragging it around everywhere you ride.

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I had a similar open Delkevic muffler on the VFR800. With it, the 4 cyl had a very sharp bark. I replaced it with a bigger more closed muffler at Delkevic's recommendation. YMMV
 
Frosty said:
I had a similar open Delkevic muffler on the VFR800. With it, the 4 cyl had a very sharp bark. I replaced it with a bigger more closed muffler at Delkevic's recommendation. YMMV
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I'm curious which one that was and how you liked it? I only tested it briefly so the jury is still out.
 
I went from a short open muffler (silencer) to a larger, longer, closed, oval shaped one. It has a far more pleasant tone for this motor.

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Pbro63 said:
Apollo heated grips

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Welcome Aboard and Greetings From the LA Area in the San Fernando Valley.

I have a set of these for 5 years now. They were originally installed on my 2015 Zero SR. I took them off the bike when I turned in the bike after it being declared a lemon and it was bought back by Zero. I have been using them on my NT for 3 years now.
 
Brillot2000 said:
Welcome Aboard and Greetings From the LA Area in the San Fernando Valley.

I have a set of these for 5 years now. They were originally installed on my 2015 Zero SR. I took them off the bike when I turned in the bike after it being declared a lemon and it was bought back by Zero. I have been using them on my NT for 3 years now.
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Thank you, we're neighbors almost. We should meet up for a ride sometime soon!
Just got them installed along with a volt meter /USB plug, an Atlas throttle holder and a longer larger Delkevik that's sounding much better than the shorty. Thanks @Frosty

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I agree about the NT probably hitting rock bottom as regards used prices and as we get older, we tend to gravitate towards lighter and possibly lower bikes! I've been kicking around the idea of buying an RE Himalyan but probably won't do it because I'm way too loyal to the Big H. :cool:

Happy Holidays to all and let's hope 2021 is much, much better!
 
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