Honda’s revamped NC750X has a lot to offer for just £6k
Honda’s upgraded NC750X now offers even more for under £7k
Understated and far from flashy, the NC750X is Honda’s unsung middleweight hero and since it first arrived in 2012 (as a 700) it has been satisfying a specific corner of the motorcycle market. This isn’t a bike designed to grab headlines, it is a no-frills commuter that delivers exactly what its band of loyal buyers demand: reliability, ease of use, excellent fuel economy and lots of practicality. Honda gave the two NC models several updates including traction control, but have the changes made much of a difference?
All torque
Level 1 of the twostage traction control system allows some rear wheel spin while Level 2 is more intrusive. It’s easy to switch between modes via the barmounted button (hold the button down to de-activate the system). It’s a welcome safety net, but the NC’s gentle power delivery doesn’t demand such a system, especially on the DCT bikes. I can’t see many ever deactivating it, or changing out of the default Level 2 mode for that matter.
Is DCT worth it?
Honda’s dual clutch makes sense on some bikes but not others and it is well suited to the NC’s relaxed outlook on life. It only adds £639 to the price (or £10 a month on PCP) and is ideal for commuting. Overtaking is still a bit irritating as even in the highest of the three Sport mode levels it is slow to kick down the gears to give you the boost of acceleration you demand, but you can always manually override it. The initial pick-up isn’t too brutal from a standing start and it does make the ride less strenuous.
Which model, X or S?
The NC750S (right) is the more street-styled option and is identical to the X aside from a 3kg weight reduction, lower 790mm seat, shorter bars and lack of front fairing. It gains the same engine updates for 2018 but lacks HSTC and costs £500 less than the X at £6359 or £6999 with DCT. I’d usually pick a street bike over an adventure one, but the X’s higher bars and bigger fairing suit its purpose in life perfectly. Tyres aside (the X has Battle Wings, the S wears T30s) I’d pick the X every time. Why Honda didn’t give the updated S-model TC is a mystery.
Rev happy
Honda have added 900rpm to the rev limit but with peak power and torque at exactly the same spot as last year, it seems a little pointless. On a DCT bike in automatic mode it never allows you to get near the red line and in manual you are seldom inclined to rev the hell out of the motor, it’s just not that kind of engine. Or bike for that matter. An odd thing for Honda to do and pointless for most road riders.
Should I upgrade?
If you have an older NC700 then the improvements the 750 engine (which arrived in 2014) makes to the bike are significant, so it is worth considering an update. But if you already own an NC750X then you are basically upgrading for HSTC and not a lot else (and you don’t even get that on the NC750S).