Honda NC700XA

To be honest i havent ever heard a jap inline four with a nice sounding can, they all sound like banshee's. A Vee four or twin sounds great with the exception of the louder Dukes including the £42K thing which sounds appalling.
Loudest i have heard this side of Santa Pod was the Honda 250/6 racer with the open pipes, that hurt.

Not sure if this is true but I heard a rumour that dealers are selling these for 'over list' such is the popularity.

Could be the next CX !

certainly the most interesting bike this year for me ( regardless of exhaust)

Just checked RRP -£5850 is a total bargain

Oooooooo my demo ride tomorrow, along with the F800GS.


Can't wait.

When i had mine dealer said 6 weeks to get hold of another and they have to prove to Honda they have taken a £100 deposit as they are loosing sales across Europe due to long waiting list.

Big Den said:

When i had mine dealer said 6 weeks to get hold of another and they have to prove to Honda they have taken a £100 deposit as they are loosing sales across Europe due to long waiting list.

Click to expand...

Have a Look on autotrader Den

y2blade said:

Oooooooo my demo ride tomorrow, along with the F800GS.


Can't wait.

Click to expand...

What a fantastic afternoon.
Both bikes were very good, Both were very different to each other (I knew this before I started, it has helped me decide which way forward).
Of these two, One stood out clearly as the better bike for my needs.

y2blade said:

What a fantastic afternoon.
Both bikes were very good, Both were very different to each other (I knew this before I started, it has helped me decide which way forward).
Of these two, One stood out clearly as the better bike for my needs.

Click to expand...

Wouldn't it be easier to just say "I have decided on the F8..."?

Or do you want to play it out like all these TV show contests with words like the "...and the answer is...." (then go have a shower , feed the pets, fettle the bike for an hour or so , sit down with a coffee, surf the web for an hour and then get back to the TV just in time for the answer?

JayC said:

Wouldn't it be easier to just say "I have decided on the F8..."?

Click to expand...

Bloody drama queens............

givi do a rack for them already (in april )

had a play on an auto version last week

light and nimble but box found wanting in town - changes up mega early and for squirting its in one maybe two gears higher than a regular revving bike

dont see the point of the manual mode - might as well buy the normal version

nippy enuff after you get used to the torque

riding position excellent

for the low power motorway speeds give it no problems - holds 100 easy and accel between 60-90 while not quite as quick as versys

not far behind

i be buying when i decide which version x or s to buy

oh and ex demos are going for a a grand less than list with no more than 2k miles on them

Sorry, bloody photobucket wasn't working on Firefox last night so couldn't upload pictures.

Here we go:

After trying the F800GS I popped across to Blade Honda to ride the NC700X.


First thing to comment on (and the thing that divides opinion between those than know how to get the best from any engine, and those that just blindly rev he tits off everything) is the engine.
The engine in this bike it very low-revving (redline is at 7k) but thankfully the pull is very good right from tick-over, I found it best to keep it between 3-6k, the engine is keen and has a lovely note to it (They do sound amazing on open pipes), despite what I'd read they do pull well even in top gear...in short, get to know the power delivery and ride it accordingly.

It squeezed through traffic well and had good punch for quick and safe overtaking even at speed.
The Gearbox was typical Honda (nice solid feel to it) and shifted positively.
The Brakes (although single disc on front) were very good and never felt lacking.
The seat was very comfy, no problems at all.
The Clutch very light with good feel to it.
The handling was superb, it felt very light to flick from left to right and cornered very well with a very stable feel to it.
The suspension (although older style forks) was very good, tbh it felt just right as it never felt too soft on the brakes yet it didn't wallow or bounce on bumps mid-corner, it absorbed potholes well too.
The screen was perfect, kept the wind off my chest and didn't notice and buffeting..plus not too big to spoil the look of the bike.
The finish was very good, and as expected everything is well thought-out including a huge storage area under the dummy tank (fuel tank is under the pillion seat), it would be very easy to put a 12v power-socket in the main storage area.
Styling is always a matter of personal taste and I love the look of it (The IXIL exhaust transforms the only bit I don't like)






I was out on it for an hour and a half and only took it back when I did as time was getting on a bit, could have easily and happily stayed out on it all day.

A big thank you to Andy at Blade Honda, I will be back.

I absolutely loved it.

To Add:
I had a good look at a white one, the paint is big flake metallic (I thought it was just flat white)
I think White will be the colour I go for.

y2blade said:

To Add:
I had a good look at a white one, the paint is big flake metallic (I thought it was just flat white)
I think White will be the colour I go for.

................

Click to expand...

Looks really good in white

Andres

First white one I've seen a good picture off, really nice. I think it is a very smart looking bike, better looking than the Versys and although in many ways comparable, quite different. I honestly think I might have bought one had they been out at the time I was buying the Versys.

Davy F said:

better looking than the Versys

Click to expand...

not difficult and +1 about if theyd been out before the v

had a go

on a red one yesterday, nice little commuter but thats about it, after riding a blinged up KTM 990 Adventure for most of the day, other drivers see you, and give you a bit of respect.

this little honda was just about invisable, bit like riding a scooter, in a short half hour spin, 3 drivers pulled out in front of me.

anyway, it was fun to ride, stopped very well and handled really well. dealer said one of his customers gets 90 mpg, but guess he would be 'captain sensible'

didnt like the seat, too slippery, and you slide forward. auto gearbox was different, and a tad unnerving, doesnt have a clutch lever, so that would take some getting used to after 40 plus years with one.

a few photo's taken with my phone

<a href="http://s960.photobucket.com/albums/ae82/nickpmarshall/?action=view&current=IMG_1894.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae82/nickpmarshall/IMG_1894.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s960.photobucket.com/albums/ae82/nickpmarshall/?action=view&current=IMG_1896.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae82/nickpmarshall/IMG_1896.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s960.photobucket.com/albums/ae82/nickpmarshall/?action=view&current=IMG_1895.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae82/nickpmarshall/IMG_1895.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Nick Marshall said:

anyway, it was fun to ride, stopped very well and handled really well. dealer said one of his customers gets 90 mpg, but guess he would be 'captain sensible'

didnt like the seat, too slippery, and you slide forward. auto gearbox was different, and a tad unnerving, doesnt have a clutch lever, so that would take some getting used to after 40 plus years with one.

Click to expand...

I didn't experience anyone pulling out on me, maybe I just command respect on the road


I had read that about the seat too, but then I sit towards the front of the seat and grip the tank with my thighs (comes from Horse riding) so I never even noticed the slippery seat tbh (btw I was wearing denim jeans)

I need to try the Auto one before I buy mine....I loved the (Typically) "Clever Honda" storage compartment in the front ...BMW really missed a trick not doing that with the F650/F800GSs...what is under the dummy tank on those? just a wasted space isn't it!



Glad you had fun on it too...I absolutely loved it.
I think it is The perfect bike to accompany my FireBlade.

I would wait a bit, the F800 GS might not have been it for you but one of these might, they'll have great fuel economy, loads of style and a competitive price to the NC700X, although no bread bin. http://www.husqvarna-motorcycles.co.uk/newsitem/24160/first-look-tr650-strada-and-terra.aspx

Paul

Nick Marshall said:

on a red one yesterday, nice little commuter but thats about it, after riding a blinged up KTM 990 Adventure for most of the day, other drivers see you, and give you a bit of respect.

this little honda was just about invisable, bit like riding a scooter, in a short half hour spin, 3 drivers pulled out in front of me.

anyway, it was fun to ride, stopped very well and handled really well. dealer said one of his customers gets 90 mpg, but guess he would be 'captain sensible'

didnt like the seat, too slippery, and you slide forward. auto gearbox was different, and a tad unnerving, doesnt have a clutch lever, so that would take some getting used to after 40 plus years with one.

a few photo's taken with my phone

<a href="http://s960.photobucket.com/albums/ae82/nickpmarshall/?action=view&current=IMG_1894.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae82/nickpmarshall/IMG_1894.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s960.photobucket.com/albums/ae82/nickpmarshall/?action=view&current=IMG_1896.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae82/nickpmarshall/IMG_1896.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s960.photobucket.com/albums/ae82/nickpmarshall/?action=view&current=IMG_1895.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae82/nickpmarshall/IMG_1895.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Click to expand...

All them bloody camera's and you take the piccy with yer phone

Nick

Has probably shifted all those camera.s by now