Honda NC750X - the Underrated Adventure MotorBike

If a motorcycle has the tallness and handsomeness of an adventure motorbike, the comfort and ease of control of a scooter, and the passion of a large-displacement motorcycle, will you be moved?

Here introduces such a very unique motorcycle - NC750X from Honda. It looks like an adventure vehicle at first glance, but has the frame and engine of a scooter, as well as the clutch of the DCT version, so this whole motorcycle is still very interesting.

First of all, let’s look at the appearance of this motorcycle. The front face of the 21-model NC750X has changed a lot. The headlights are more inclined to family headlights. The shape of the headlights on the CB400X and CB500X continues on the NC750X, but it is more layered than before.

Another obvious change is the small wings on the sides. Although they are only covers, they have a considerable impact on the overall vision. The design of the beak that has been extended makes the head appear fuller, and the proportion of the whole vehicle will be more coordinated.

The color distinction of the whole vehicle is mainly through the small wings and the color change of the fake fuel tank area. The color of the rest of the area is black as the main color, with local silver, which makes the whole vehicle more stable in color matching.

The 745cc liquid-cooled 8-valve inline twin-cylinder engine has a maximum power of 43kw/6250rpm and a maximum torque of 69Nm/4750rpm. The torque burst point is relatively forward. Compression ratio is 10.7:1. The advantage of a relatively small compression ratio is that the requirements for the quality of the oil are low.

The curb weight of the DCT version is 224 kg; the MT version is 214 kg. With a fuel tank capacity of 14.1L, the official fuel consumption does not exceed about 3.5. According to the case of 4 fuel consumption, the cruising range is at least 300 kilometers.

The seat height of the NC750X is 802 mm. Riders with a height of 175cm can easily land on the ground with forefeet. With front and rear 17-inch hubs, the front wheel is 120mm wide, while the rear wheel is 160mm wide, using Dunlop tires. The front shock absorber adopts Showa 41mm upright shock absorber with a stroke of 140mm; the rear center shock absorber is equipped with a multi-link structure, and the preload is adjustable.

In terms of braking, the front Nissin opposed four-piston caliper single disc, the rear Nissin single-piston caliper with a single disc. The configuration of shock absorption and brake is not very high-performance, and there are no inverted forks and double discs. In Honda's concept, that the configuration is sufficient for basic use is fine.

This motorcycle is equipped with an electronic throttle, including four riding modes: sport, standard, rainy, and custom, which vary in the power output of the engine, the degree of TC involvement, and the sensitivity of the ABS.

At the same time, it also uses Honda's speciality - the DCT version of the dual-clutch gearbox, which liberates the left half of the body of riders. That means the left hand does not need to squeeze the clutch and the left foot does not need to be in gear. If you want to have a sense of control, you can also switch to the MT manual transmission mode, and the gear shift becomes the paddle shift.

There is also a small caliper under the rear disc for the handbrake. The NC750X changes to the N gear when the flame is turned off, so the design of the handbrake can prevent the motorbike from slipping.

The shift logic of the DCT version is related to the engine speed and the accelerator opening. In automatic mode, the normal mode will shift gear at 2000 rpm. If the accelerator is applied vigorously in the lower rev range, the vehicle will have a downshift and fueling action on its own. Although the power has also been improved, the timing of power switching is slightly delayed.

In the automatic transmission Sport mode, you will find that the shifting speed is close to 7000 rpm. At this time, the fun of manipulation comes slowly. In manual transmission mode, the top speed of the 1st gear is 70km/h, 100km/h in 2nd gear, 130km/h in 3rd gear, 160km/h in 4th gear, and the top speed is above 180km/h. The combination of the electronic throttle and the dual clutch makes the gear shifting so smooth that you don't believe it's a manual mode. Even in the case of heavy fuel oil upshifting, the motorbike upshifts smoothly.

The frame of the vehicle and the placement of the engine have the direct effect that the center of gravity is very low and relatively concentrated, giving it a tumbler feeling when riding. It's very flexible and light when doing side-to-side swinging, tilting, and bending. The low center of gravity needs to overcome the centrifugal force in the corner, whose angle of inclination needs to be larger. When doing the action of bending corners, there is a pleasure  of lying down and cornering.

However, due to the lack of a clutch, even if you use the manual mode during the riding process, it is difficult for people who are used to riding a traditional motorcycle to make accurate operations on the three data of speed (engine), torque and speed (vehicle) in the same gear. That means it's all up to the accelerator and brakes. For a DCT motorbike, maybe we should change our minds. Don't consider this semi-cheating method of the clutch, but put more effort into the cooperation of the accelerator and brake.

The shock absorbers of this motorcycle are all soft and comfortable, and the brake configuration is not high-performance. After the speed reaches 40km/h, the front of the bike will press down significantly when making a strong braking action, but in general the braking is relatively linear.

The NC750X is a new attempt by Honda to cross the border. It is not only for Honda, but also a relatively unique existence in the entire motorcycle system.

(Reprinted)