2012 Honda NC700X | Honda’s New Concept | First Ride

Ingenuity goes a long way when developing a motorcycle that’s tasked with upsetting the apple cart, and fortunately the NC lacks none of it. Tucked behind the low-slung steel tube frame is the most creative piece to the NC700X puzzle, the engine, which is mostly a Honda Fit four-cylinder car engine sans two cylinders. The 670cc parallel-twin powerplant has significantly undersquare bore x stroke dimensions (70.3 x 80mm) and is canted forward 62 degrees for ideal weight distribution. At its bottom, the engine runs a new primary balancer and crankshaft that’s been twisted 270 degrees for quelled vibes and added character. Back up top, special combustion chamber shapes, a single 36mm throttle body acting on both cylinders and low-friction coated pistons work to provide a wallet-friendly 64 mpg, as suggested by Honda.

The NC700X engine is innovative in terms of construction. The intake ports, for instance, converge to a single port inside the cylinder head, and the exhaust ports similarly meet inside the head to require a single exhaust pipe. That innovation trickles down to the transmission of the NC700XD model, which comes equipped with ABS and Honda’s lighter, second generation Automatic Dual Clutch Transmission. Biggest news is that the NC’s DCT now operates off a “learning function”, which recognizes what type of riding you’re doing and adjusts the shift patterns accordingly. Drive and Sport options in addition to a Manual mode (controlled via buttons on the left clip-on) are standard fare, and the ABS stays linked rear to front. The devoid-of-ABS standard NC700X remains a clutch-operated six-speed manual transmission for those opposed to completely forgoing their shifting rights.

The NC700X’s steel frame looks avant-garde when stripped of its fairings, but is a key component of the NC design thanks to its low center of gravity. The bike’s suspension is long in contrast, with the 41mm nonadjustable fork providing 6.0 inches of travel up front and the preload-adjustable shock offering 5.9 inches of travel out back. A single 320mm brake disc paired to a three-piston caliper mounts directly to the NC’s front 17-inch cast aluminum hoop and is matched by a 240mm disc out back; a set of Metzeler Roadtec Z8 Interact tires complete the chassis package.

The Honda’s 6250-rpm rev limiter initially feels like the end to all things fun and admittedly takes some time to get accustomed to, but once you get the feel for the bike’s low-end and midrange power all is forgiven. Power builds respectably past 4000 rpm and the NC pulls well to around 6000 rpm, at which point it begins to taper off; by no means is the parallel-twin engine a top-end happy, rev-hungry powerhouse, thus short shifts and the torque curve are your friend. Throttle application is smooth and consistent, and the twin surprisingly doesn’t buzz you into oblivion thanks to the internal balancer. According to Honda reps, the small amount of vibrations that remain are intended to provide some character to a bike that could otherwise borderline vanilla.

Straddling the standard-transmission-equipped NC model bolsters the fun factor as the manual transmission feels more assertive and provides more control over the power delivery. The standard transmission isn’t without its downfalls, however, and shifts don’t come at the slightest tap of the lever. Clutchless upshifts are difficult to manage, and you really have to be precise with the clutch and throttle combination in order to avoid abrupt gear changes. Shifts are much more composed with the DCT-equipped model, and this coming from a person who wasn’t particularly a fan of the automatic-transmission-equipped Honda VFR. Drive mode leaves the bike in an overly tall gear for improved fuel mileage, as expected, but Sport mode now surprisingly manages to keep you satisfied by always selecting a gear that seems sufficient for the road ahead. Honda’s new manual override feature also allows you to manually switch gears via the paddles without automatically (for lack of a better term) reverting you to manual mode, a feature I appreciated when looking to downshift and pass cars on the highway, etc.

There are limitations when taking this adventure bike past its comfort zone, the primary concern being footrest clearance. I managed to swipe the ground on multiple occasions through tighter sections of road, a quick reminder that the NC is more about leisurely cruising than any type of aggressive riding. The OE Metzeler Roadtec Z8 Interact rubber has its limits as well, and the stiffer sport touring construction doesn’t provide total compliance mid-corner on rougher canyon roads.

Beyond its unintimidating nature that lends itself to newer riders, the NC700X has an advantage for the everyday commuter and long-distance rider: utterly impressive fuel mileage. I personally averaged 64 mpg during a 125 mile test loop without so much of a thought about fuel conservation, highlighting the NC’s potential to be extremely easy on your wallet. And with a price tag of just $6999 ($8999 for the DCT/ABS-equipped model), getting one in your garage won’t hurt the bank account much either.

While the NC700X may not send blood rushing to your eyeballs the way a CBR600RR or CBR1000RR will, the truth is that it’s the correct answer to the problems currently faced by the motorcycle industry. Affordable, practical and fun (in its own way), the NC is Honda’s best-yet counterpunch to the many blows it’s been delivered over the past five years.

Specifications