I took the much anticipated NC750X DCT out for a test today. It is hoped to be the bike the NC700X wasn't!
Despite the previous , current in other countries, NC700X being a very good seller for the big H , it was reported to have shortcomings in the power category.
To put you in the picture of where I am with the current crop of motorcycles , I am well behind the times! Since getting the 1200GS I have set foot in very few dealership showrooms.For many years prior to buying an F8GS (the bike previous to my current 1200) I hadn't set foot in a showroom for years. I would see a bike that was new to me on the streets that millions had seen before me over a 1 or 2 year period. My policy was simple - can't afford, won't look...end!
So, I am now fully up to date with the ' NEW' NC750X DCT , oh , and I saw a Crosstourer for the first time today in the dealership,
. My my , I'm so privileged! The Crosstourer looks a bloody fine bit of kit and very appealing, except for the price tag and a pointless change over on a personal level. Though I can't help thinking that if the CT has cruise control as well as the DCT , it would surely be a keeper. Perhaps I need to take up the Gym!
On arrival at the dealership on my GS, and during some idle chit chat with a salesman, he happened to remark on how windy it was today.
'Is it'? I thought - I hadn't noticed , though it was bloody cold.
Keys got , the dealer runs through the switch gear etc etc , and the functionality of the DCT. It was only the DCT variant I was interested in , that was where the 'itch' lay, currently for me. I had to see what it was all about.
He wandered off back indoors with the parting words "take your time..."
Now, I've ridden, even owned, a couple of T&G scoots where you have to feed in a handful of revs before the variomatic box wakes up and whisks you away. No such thing here with the NC DCT.
The weirdest thing was no clutch lever on a bike - even the scoots have a lever where this one isn't, albeit for operating a brake.
This....is....bloody...weird!
The bike I was testing had an aftermarket Remus pipe, which immediately threw my mind back many years in arrears to the sound of a CX500, but a bit more audible!
My unplanned route would take me through some stop start traffic, onto a dual carriageway for several miles, onto A roads and B roads, even some D's, for the best part of 1 1/4hrs.
I had obviously taken for granted over the last two years just how solid , planted and well protected from the elements one is on a GS.
I took the wind blast full in the head - the result of small screen vs std GS screen.
That wind the dealer spoke of - jeez, it's bloody windy out here today! Again, it wasn't noticed on the big GS.
It's funny how you take your own 'customising' for granted , well actually in this case it wasn't funny at all! I arrived with bar muffs and heated grips , I took the NC out naked , and it was bloody freezing.
So, the NC750 on the road. Whilst it took a while to get my head around this bike it started to sink in - it was beginning to make sense and beginning to appeal.
I do try hard to totally forget my current vehicle, when test riding, and instead to judge the test vehicle on its own merits / flaws. Not always easy to completely ignore your own bike / car and its familiarities , but in the desire to be totally non bias , especially when testing something that isn't even in the same category, it is the only way to sum up all pros and cons during that test ride.
The NC750 delivers a healthy dollop of torque at low revs, throughout the gears, and changes gear totally seamlessly. There is no lunging whatsoever. In fact if you can't hear the motor , which is how it was on this test at anything over 40mph due to wind noise, you don't even know it's upshifted. It really is that smooth , silky smooth, even.
I find it quite fascinating how the science of engines can take a displacement , let's say 750cc, and get so many varying power delivery results. I mean this NC , it was in 4th, sometimes 5th at 25 / 28mph and it just pulls , cleanly, torquey, and just gets on with it. It really is a lazy bike, but not a slow bike!
I didn't keep the NC wound to the stop, though an indicated 90mph said to me that this is ample enough for living with day to day, and it would no doubt do it all day, every day, if that was what was required.
Two areas of bikes I have long disliked are gearboxes when the oil is hot. 'Crunch' into 1st , crunch around town. Even my GS would crunch when I was touring the Alps in such high temperatures. This DCT has no crunch , no bangs, no drivetrain lash , or very very minimal , at least. The NCT is car technology stepping over the bridge into the world of two wheels , and to be quite frank , it is bloody amazing! This IS the future on two wheels and Honda have stolen a lead on all its competitors.
Honda have long been my most disliked brand of the four from Japan, and I don't, or ever have really known why! I have long heard the stories of build quality but it held nothing with me .... until now.
The NC is beautifully built and knocks the build quality of my previous F8GS into a cocked hat! The frame is very nicely finished and looks to be coated in something very long lasting. Time will tell!
The power delivery was , how shall we say , more than adequate. Power is upgraded from the NC700 , and whilst it won't win many drag races, this is not what this bike was built or designed for. It is a commuter bike, sold at a budget, much like Suzuki when the Bandit was unleashed upon us and is designed to tempt you aboard and explore a whole new way of motorcycle (climb astride) travel, as opposed to Scooter (step -thru') travel.
Not at any stage did I feel like I was riding an overgrown Scooter , no , this is a motorcycle, and a very fine one too!
It is one of three bikes in the Honda line up that share the same chassis, of which one is a Scooter .... this, the NC750X ,however, is still not a Scooter!
Off the dual-carriageway and onto to some proper roads. I experimented between the various modes of transmission usage - Auto Drive / Auto Sport / Manual Drive / Manual Sport , but occasionally I got a little lost in the functionality. Had it not been so cold , white fingers, and been able to focus fully, then I feel certain this bike is one that most people would adapt to very quickly.
The NC750X pulls well , to the point that you don't feel you are moving quite as fast as what the speedo leads you to believe. It's no rocket ship, it doesn't snap your neck back under acceleration but it is very progressive where it is meant to be , low down in the rev range.
I took a few B roads, which had mud trails down the centre of both lanes, and all the usual debris that gets collected at this time of year, along with damp patches, wet patches , and general standing water. I took it a bit careful through these sections as I wasn't too confident with the feedback from the front end. New bike, unfamiliar grip, totally different front suspension. The latter being one area of dislike. There are no adjustments to be made with the front suspension and so when compared to the big GS (sometimes comparisons just can't be helped) you have one setting suits all , and in this area it felt harsh on the roads I was using.
The NC comes into its own when the traffic builds up and it is here that this bike absolutely excels. The more numb my fingers became the more thankful I was for not having a clutch lever. The NC750 continued to grow on me.
In Manual Mode upshifts were taken care of with the left index finger, downshifts with the thumb. The same applies, of course , in Sport Mode, only the NC holds the gears a little longer, thereby increasing the revs before the next upshift.
Back to fully Auto and it's uncanny how it sorts itself out from hard braking in , say 5th , to do a walking pace sharp right hand 90 degree junction turn and finds itself in the right gear just at the right time. A cursory glance at the OBC indicates the bike has selected 2nd gear - get to about 30 mph along the road and take another cursory glance - 4th gear. Eh?? But I didn't even feel it upshift another ratio, let alone 2! Honestly, it's a bloody marvel, it really is.
On a few occasions I tried to 'upset' the box with quick up/down shifts but the NC was having none of it, whatever I wrote, it played the tune.
The switch gear feels better quality than that of my GS , albeit the indicators are all on the wrong side. You just can't win!
The std horn on the GS is nothing to write home about , the std horn on the NC...even less so!
The pillion perch doesn't offer a great deal of room and I would imagine would be fairly cramped for two-up touring with luggage.
Of course, there has to be compromise, there always will be, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the NC750 has far more going for it than it does against.
I have never been a fan of dancing on gear shifts , despite my fondness of 2-strokes! I have had a fair few 4-strokes too that require a riding style much the same as strokers in order to make good progress, but I learnt to enjoy 4-stroke torque from an early age, in fact before I'd taken my test and on an XS650 I had sneakily purchased on the wrong side of Mum's approval! At 17yrs of age an XS650 has mind blowing roll on!
My years of 'need for torque' were borne from numerous FJ1200s over the years and was chuffed to bits to find that the 1200GS would eventually be the bike to deliver all that torque back to me some years down the line, effortlessly pulling through the gears. You're not going to get that in a 750 , even less so with an auto transmission.
I thought long and hard about my riding style, health, physical build etc. I thought about all the things that a 'head' should be thinking of and pushed the desires of the heart aside for a while.
The NC750X DCT makes total sense to me , it does exactly what I require a bike to do!
I mainly commute - box ticked.
Poor joints and Raynauds disease - auto transmisson - box ticked.
Easier manoeverability - box ticked.
Build quality - box ticked.
Fuel economy - box ticked.
If I drop it , I pick it up on my own - box ticked.
Whilst there is no substitute for cubes when touring, and again, I really enjoy the effortless torques of litre+ bikes , I asked myself ' how often do I tour'?
Can I tour on the NC750? Of course I can - it's a 750 for heaven sake! It would take me, and fully loaded with luggage, to the Alps and back no problem at all. It would have to be worked a bit harder though to earn its keep for a rider/pillion/luggage jaunt. However, being a solo rider results in another box being ticked.
I am finding it difficult to fault this little gem and as each hour passes it just keeps making more and more sense to me.
Some people have found a short coming in the fuel tank access being placed beneath the pillion seat as it means unloading whatever is loaded on the seat in order to access. I would question why are you in such a hurry to fill up? You're on holiday, aren't you?
The NC750 has an increased fuel range, reported to be a total expected fuel run of 250 miles! I can barely get 150 from my 1200GS. Whilst riding style will play a big part in fuel economy, I didn't see the fuel needle shift today despite feeding the NC some beans on numerous occasion.
The storage under the dummy tank has to be seen to be believed. No You Tube video will truly show how cavernous this luggage space is. I would think a very short person could probably bed down in there to save carrying a tent!
The brakes have more than enough stopping power, despite being a single disc affair upfront. Although equipped with ABS I could lock the front up, not so the rear. The 'wavy' rear disc is the centre portion cut out from the front 'wavy' disc. As stated, the NC was built with budget in mind.
The handling was very good and could cut some very good lines through nadgery twisty B roads. B roads can be a leisurely 'Auto' ride , or a more spirited 'Manual Mode' by way of finger / thumb shifting or go into Sport Manual and hold that downshift for momentum maintaining exit of the bend.
After 15 minutes riding my fingers were bloody frozen numb, white in fact , and how I lasted another hour doesn't make total sense to me.
At walking pace the NC is totally under rider control with an extremely low CoG, thanks to the Scooter style chassis being constructed in the manner that it has, which in turn is due to the 62 degree slant of the engine block.
When I arrived back at the dealership and voiced my approval , sales speak went into auto-pilot from the salesman: " I have just sold 3 of these, oddly enough to BMW riders...."
I quickly jumped in with " I'm sure it's all horse for courses and recent Honda riders have probably changed to BMW too"!
I don't go in for the quick seal the deal guff, though I can understand why sales people do it. Getting a bite on the hook is all about percentages. In saying that, I've certainly had a nibble, but prefer to see it as my decision based upon my requirements, not those of the quick seal deal.
The NC750 is without doubt a great fun bike , and yes, it has put the fun back into riding. When the roads are getting more and more congested, this bike hits the 'chill out man' zone perfectly.
Depreciation - yes, the little Honda is going to get hit hard in a couple of years.
The GS too is hit hard, as is a Harley. The only difference is that the Harley and BM hold their levelling out values much longer than most bikes / brands.
I'm not in this for the long haul , I'm not getting any younger , I am not interested in the long term investment. I am interested in what makes my life easier , more comfortable in the short term, which can only lead to longer term benefits.
On a personal level , financially, I am not comfortable enough to see long term ownership of the BMW badge. I had no idea what after purchase expenses were like for the badged brand and have not been looking forward to the 6K service bill just for the sake of keeping up appearances with the warranty bumf.
Don't get me wrong , the 1200GS has been without doubt the pinnacle of my motorcycling career, and I am only too glad, and privileged to have been able to ride, "own" such a superb machine for the last 2 years, but all things come to an end, and though I can face that end, I will nevertheless look back in the future with fond memories of the 1200GS.
Right now, the Honda is working for me, and I really didn't expect it to. It is the kind of bike that, if you are remotely interested in an auto transmission on two wheels, in any of it's variants, it will silently nod its head during the test drive and thinking to itself ....... 'see, told you so - it's not about the stories, it's not about the opinions, it's about the first hand experience!' And if you're 'chosen' it might just slip you a knowing wink!
Colours:
White - Test bike , just looks too bland.
Black - Always been my top colour , not sure that is looks attractive enough in the flesh!
Grey - Now this is a very VERY nice colour scheme.
Red - I am the worlds bigger hater of all things Red - this Red is stunningly gorgeous, rich in depth and really
does impress!
At £6899 otr I think it is pretty hard to beat. In fact it's probably the equivalent of the car world Ford Focus 'no brainer' but in the bike category, IMO!
I was quoted approx £1800 for the full Honda luggage system to mull over , though there are more important immediate upgrades I would place long before luggage.
Those being - a larger screen , heated grips and centre stand.
Or perhaps it was £1800 for all of the above...can't recall.
As pleasant and unobtrusive as the Remus was , and I'm sure much nicer than the std system, I can't help but wonder how nice this bike would sound with a Beowulf can.
As a fully kitted out machine it would still be well below the purchase price of my, at the time , 2012 1200GS with no luggage, at the loss of all day comfort (well, that's not entirely true with the GS low seat option) , a 'look at me, I have a badge' profile , the through the rev range grunt on tap and the solid 'stuck to the road' feel. But it's not all about those things.... is it?
I haven't done a deal with my GS , yet! I am still in thought mode (good thoughts) about todays ride and still trying to fully discipline myself to follow my head this time around , and not my heart.
I will be wanting to see all 4 colour schemes out in the open, on the dealership forecourt and nose to tail to make a proper assessment.
As I said, I don't do Red, but this Red is pretty much ripe enough to want to lick it all over before sinking your teeth into .... or is it .... was it the interior lighting playing tricks?
So, I have 6K service due and one summer left on the GS before something has to give. My arithmetic tells me that the 6K service fee will amount to nothing more than unnecessary dead money.
The future is uncertain .... but it's much clearer than it was yesterday!
PS: A thanks to JB for PM a conversation about where I stand with PCP and early settling of the finance, etc etc...
Despite the previous , current in other countries, NC700X being a very good seller for the big H , it was reported to have shortcomings in the power category.
To put you in the picture of where I am with the current crop of motorcycles , I am well behind the times! Since getting the 1200GS I have set foot in very few dealership showrooms.For many years prior to buying an F8GS (the bike previous to my current 1200) I hadn't set foot in a showroom for years. I would see a bike that was new to me on the streets that millions had seen before me over a 1 or 2 year period. My policy was simple - can't afford, won't look...end!
So, I am now fully up to date with the ' NEW' NC750X DCT , oh , and I saw a Crosstourer for the first time today in the dealership,
. My my , I'm so privileged! The Crosstourer looks a bloody fine bit of kit and very appealing, except for the price tag and a pointless change over on a personal level. Though I can't help thinking that if the CT has cruise control as well as the DCT , it would surely be a keeper. Perhaps I need to take up the Gym!On arrival at the dealership on my GS, and during some idle chit chat with a salesman, he happened to remark on how windy it was today.
'Is it'? I thought - I hadn't noticed , though it was bloody cold.
Keys got , the dealer runs through the switch gear etc etc , and the functionality of the DCT. It was only the DCT variant I was interested in , that was where the 'itch' lay, currently for me. I had to see what it was all about.
He wandered off back indoors with the parting words "take your time..."
Now, I've ridden, even owned, a couple of T&G scoots where you have to feed in a handful of revs before the variomatic box wakes up and whisks you away. No such thing here with the NC DCT.
The weirdest thing was no clutch lever on a bike - even the scoots have a lever where this one isn't, albeit for operating a brake.
This....is....bloody...weird!
The bike I was testing had an aftermarket Remus pipe, which immediately threw my mind back many years in arrears to the sound of a CX500, but a bit more audible!
My unplanned route would take me through some stop start traffic, onto a dual carriageway for several miles, onto A roads and B roads, even some D's, for the best part of 1 1/4hrs.
I had obviously taken for granted over the last two years just how solid , planted and well protected from the elements one is on a GS.
I took the wind blast full in the head - the result of small screen vs std GS screen.
That wind the dealer spoke of - jeez, it's bloody windy out here today! Again, it wasn't noticed on the big GS.
It's funny how you take your own 'customising' for granted , well actually in this case it wasn't funny at all! I arrived with bar muffs and heated grips , I took the NC out naked , and it was bloody freezing.
So, the NC750 on the road. Whilst it took a while to get my head around this bike it started to sink in - it was beginning to make sense and beginning to appeal.
I do try hard to totally forget my current vehicle, when test riding, and instead to judge the test vehicle on its own merits / flaws. Not always easy to completely ignore your own bike / car and its familiarities , but in the desire to be totally non bias , especially when testing something that isn't even in the same category, it is the only way to sum up all pros and cons during that test ride.
The NC750 delivers a healthy dollop of torque at low revs, throughout the gears, and changes gear totally seamlessly. There is no lunging whatsoever. In fact if you can't hear the motor , which is how it was on this test at anything over 40mph due to wind noise, you don't even know it's upshifted. It really is that smooth , silky smooth, even.
I find it quite fascinating how the science of engines can take a displacement , let's say 750cc, and get so many varying power delivery results. I mean this NC , it was in 4th, sometimes 5th at 25 / 28mph and it just pulls , cleanly, torquey, and just gets on with it. It really is a lazy bike, but not a slow bike!
I didn't keep the NC wound to the stop, though an indicated 90mph said to me that this is ample enough for living with day to day, and it would no doubt do it all day, every day, if that was what was required.
Two areas of bikes I have long disliked are gearboxes when the oil is hot. 'Crunch' into 1st , crunch around town. Even my GS would crunch when I was touring the Alps in such high temperatures. This DCT has no crunch , no bangs, no drivetrain lash , or very very minimal , at least. The NCT is car technology stepping over the bridge into the world of two wheels , and to be quite frank , it is bloody amazing! This IS the future on two wheels and Honda have stolen a lead on all its competitors.
Honda have long been my most disliked brand of the four from Japan, and I don't, or ever have really known why! I have long heard the stories of build quality but it held nothing with me .... until now.
The NC is beautifully built and knocks the build quality of my previous F8GS into a cocked hat! The frame is very nicely finished and looks to be coated in something very long lasting. Time will tell!
The power delivery was , how shall we say , more than adequate. Power is upgraded from the NC700 , and whilst it won't win many drag races, this is not what this bike was built or designed for. It is a commuter bike, sold at a budget, much like Suzuki when the Bandit was unleashed upon us and is designed to tempt you aboard and explore a whole new way of motorcycle (climb astride) travel, as opposed to Scooter (step -thru') travel.
Not at any stage did I feel like I was riding an overgrown Scooter , no , this is a motorcycle, and a very fine one too!
It is one of three bikes in the Honda line up that share the same chassis, of which one is a Scooter .... this, the NC750X ,however, is still not a Scooter!
Off the dual-carriageway and onto to some proper roads. I experimented between the various modes of transmission usage - Auto Drive / Auto Sport / Manual Drive / Manual Sport , but occasionally I got a little lost in the functionality. Had it not been so cold , white fingers, and been able to focus fully, then I feel certain this bike is one that most people would adapt to very quickly.
The NC750X pulls well , to the point that you don't feel you are moving quite as fast as what the speedo leads you to believe. It's no rocket ship, it doesn't snap your neck back under acceleration but it is very progressive where it is meant to be , low down in the rev range.
I took a few B roads, which had mud trails down the centre of both lanes, and all the usual debris that gets collected at this time of year, along with damp patches, wet patches , and general standing water. I took it a bit careful through these sections as I wasn't too confident with the feedback from the front end. New bike, unfamiliar grip, totally different front suspension. The latter being one area of dislike. There are no adjustments to be made with the front suspension and so when compared to the big GS (sometimes comparisons just can't be helped) you have one setting suits all , and in this area it felt harsh on the roads I was using.
The NC comes into its own when the traffic builds up and it is here that this bike absolutely excels. The more numb my fingers became the more thankful I was for not having a clutch lever. The NC750 continued to grow on me.
In Manual Mode upshifts were taken care of with the left index finger, downshifts with the thumb. The same applies, of course , in Sport Mode, only the NC holds the gears a little longer, thereby increasing the revs before the next upshift.
Back to fully Auto and it's uncanny how it sorts itself out from hard braking in , say 5th , to do a walking pace sharp right hand 90 degree junction turn and finds itself in the right gear just at the right time. A cursory glance at the OBC indicates the bike has selected 2nd gear - get to about 30 mph along the road and take another cursory glance - 4th gear. Eh?? But I didn't even feel it upshift another ratio, let alone 2! Honestly, it's a bloody marvel, it really is.
On a few occasions I tried to 'upset' the box with quick up/down shifts but the NC was having none of it, whatever I wrote, it played the tune.
The switch gear feels better quality than that of my GS , albeit the indicators are all on the wrong side. You just can't win!
The std horn on the GS is nothing to write home about , the std horn on the NC...even less so!
The pillion perch doesn't offer a great deal of room and I would imagine would be fairly cramped for two-up touring with luggage.
Of course, there has to be compromise, there always will be, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the NC750 has far more going for it than it does against.
I have never been a fan of dancing on gear shifts , despite my fondness of 2-strokes! I have had a fair few 4-strokes too that require a riding style much the same as strokers in order to make good progress, but I learnt to enjoy 4-stroke torque from an early age, in fact before I'd taken my test and on an XS650 I had sneakily purchased on the wrong side of Mum's approval! At 17yrs of age an XS650 has mind blowing roll on!
My years of 'need for torque' were borne from numerous FJ1200s over the years and was chuffed to bits to find that the 1200GS would eventually be the bike to deliver all that torque back to me some years down the line, effortlessly pulling through the gears. You're not going to get that in a 750 , even less so with an auto transmission.
I thought long and hard about my riding style, health, physical build etc. I thought about all the things that a 'head' should be thinking of and pushed the desires of the heart aside for a while.
The NC750X DCT makes total sense to me , it does exactly what I require a bike to do!
I mainly commute - box ticked.
Poor joints and Raynauds disease - auto transmisson - box ticked.
Easier manoeverability - box ticked.
Build quality - box ticked.
Fuel economy - box ticked.
If I drop it , I pick it up on my own - box ticked.
Whilst there is no substitute for cubes when touring, and again, I really enjoy the effortless torques of litre+ bikes , I asked myself ' how often do I tour'?
Can I tour on the NC750? Of course I can - it's a 750 for heaven sake! It would take me, and fully loaded with luggage, to the Alps and back no problem at all. It would have to be worked a bit harder though to earn its keep for a rider/pillion/luggage jaunt. However, being a solo rider results in another box being ticked.
I am finding it difficult to fault this little gem and as each hour passes it just keeps making more and more sense to me.
Some people have found a short coming in the fuel tank access being placed beneath the pillion seat as it means unloading whatever is loaded on the seat in order to access. I would question why are you in such a hurry to fill up? You're on holiday, aren't you?
The NC750 has an increased fuel range, reported to be a total expected fuel run of 250 miles! I can barely get 150 from my 1200GS. Whilst riding style will play a big part in fuel economy, I didn't see the fuel needle shift today despite feeding the NC some beans on numerous occasion.
The storage under the dummy tank has to be seen to be believed. No You Tube video will truly show how cavernous this luggage space is. I would think a very short person could probably bed down in there to save carrying a tent!
The brakes have more than enough stopping power, despite being a single disc affair upfront. Although equipped with ABS I could lock the front up, not so the rear. The 'wavy' rear disc is the centre portion cut out from the front 'wavy' disc. As stated, the NC was built with budget in mind.
The handling was very good and could cut some very good lines through nadgery twisty B roads. B roads can be a leisurely 'Auto' ride , or a more spirited 'Manual Mode' by way of finger / thumb shifting or go into Sport Manual and hold that downshift for momentum maintaining exit of the bend.
After 15 minutes riding my fingers were bloody frozen numb, white in fact , and how I lasted another hour doesn't make total sense to me.
At walking pace the NC is totally under rider control with an extremely low CoG, thanks to the Scooter style chassis being constructed in the manner that it has, which in turn is due to the 62 degree slant of the engine block.
When I arrived back at the dealership and voiced my approval , sales speak went into auto-pilot from the salesman: " I have just sold 3 of these, oddly enough to BMW riders...."
I quickly jumped in with " I'm sure it's all horse for courses and recent Honda riders have probably changed to BMW too"!
I don't go in for the quick seal the deal guff, though I can understand why sales people do it. Getting a bite on the hook is all about percentages. In saying that, I've certainly had a nibble, but prefer to see it as my decision based upon my requirements, not those of the quick seal deal.
The NC750 is without doubt a great fun bike , and yes, it has put the fun back into riding. When the roads are getting more and more congested, this bike hits the 'chill out man' zone perfectly.
Depreciation - yes, the little Honda is going to get hit hard in a couple of years.
The GS too is hit hard, as is a Harley. The only difference is that the Harley and BM hold their levelling out values much longer than most bikes / brands.
I'm not in this for the long haul , I'm not getting any younger , I am not interested in the long term investment. I am interested in what makes my life easier , more comfortable in the short term, which can only lead to longer term benefits.
On a personal level , financially, I am not comfortable enough to see long term ownership of the BMW badge. I had no idea what after purchase expenses were like for the badged brand and have not been looking forward to the 6K service bill just for the sake of keeping up appearances with the warranty bumf.
Don't get me wrong , the 1200GS has been without doubt the pinnacle of my motorcycling career, and I am only too glad, and privileged to have been able to ride, "own" such a superb machine for the last 2 years, but all things come to an end, and though I can face that end, I will nevertheless look back in the future with fond memories of the 1200GS.
Right now, the Honda is working for me, and I really didn't expect it to. It is the kind of bike that, if you are remotely interested in an auto transmission on two wheels, in any of it's variants, it will silently nod its head during the test drive and thinking to itself ....... 'see, told you so - it's not about the stories, it's not about the opinions, it's about the first hand experience!' And if you're 'chosen' it might just slip you a knowing wink!
Colours:
White - Test bike , just looks too bland.
Black - Always been my top colour , not sure that is looks attractive enough in the flesh!
Grey - Now this is a very VERY nice colour scheme.
Red - I am the worlds bigger hater of all things Red - this Red is stunningly gorgeous, rich in depth and really
does impress!
At £6899 otr I think it is pretty hard to beat. In fact it's probably the equivalent of the car world Ford Focus 'no brainer' but in the bike category, IMO!
I was quoted approx £1800 for the full Honda luggage system to mull over , though there are more important immediate upgrades I would place long before luggage.
Those being - a larger screen , heated grips and centre stand.
Or perhaps it was £1800 for all of the above...can't recall.
As pleasant and unobtrusive as the Remus was , and I'm sure much nicer than the std system, I can't help but wonder how nice this bike would sound with a Beowulf can.
As a fully kitted out machine it would still be well below the purchase price of my, at the time , 2012 1200GS with no luggage, at the loss of all day comfort (well, that's not entirely true with the GS low seat option) , a 'look at me, I have a badge' profile , the through the rev range grunt on tap and the solid 'stuck to the road' feel. But it's not all about those things.... is it?
I haven't done a deal with my GS , yet! I am still in thought mode (good thoughts) about todays ride and still trying to fully discipline myself to follow my head this time around , and not my heart.
I will be wanting to see all 4 colour schemes out in the open, on the dealership forecourt and nose to tail to make a proper assessment.
As I said, I don't do Red, but this Red is pretty much ripe enough to want to lick it all over before sinking your teeth into .... or is it .... was it the interior lighting playing tricks?
So, I have 6K service due and one summer left on the GS before something has to give. My arithmetic tells me that the 6K service fee will amount to nothing more than unnecessary dead money.
The future is uncertain .... but it's much clearer than it was yesterday!
PS: A thanks to JB for PM a conversation about where I stand with PCP and early settling of the finance, etc etc...
