Here in the land of Harleys and highways that stretch to infinity, Americans don't care much for sensible motorcycles. Unlike the majority of global bike buyers, North Americans tend to choose escape over utility, performance over practicality – that's simply how it's been done in the land of the free, at least until a funny thing happened on the way to the global recession.
As bank balances thinned and fuel prices crept skyward, sales of puffed up sportbikes and cartoonishly endowed cruisers plummeted. Americans rediscovered that motorcycles could be used for tasks like workaday commutes and trips to the grocery store, not just for riding into a Marlboro Man-approved sunset, fringe in tow. As consumers matured, manufacturers slowly responded with bikes better suited for purposeful priorities.
The American Honda Motor Company rode the wave of frivolity while it lasted, experimenting with stunts like stuffing a mammoth 1,795cc v-twin into their VTX series of cruisers, until the humbler (but still hulking) 1,312cc mill took over. But Honda eventually got sensible and beefed up its scooter lineup, launched the beginner-friendly CBR250R, and – lo and behold – took a cue from the European market by introducing the NC700X stateside. But here's the rub: As much as the alphanumerically cumbersome model visually resembles a rugged BMW at a glance, the NC packs enough practical equipment to suggest there's a sea change in the way motorcycles are being marketed and sold in the US.
First, the price.
The NC700X starts at $6,999, or about 60 percent the price of the cheapest car in America, the Nissan Versa 1.6 S. Sure, it's got half the number of wheels (and zero protection from the elements), but this all-new Honda also lays claim to a bunch of innovations that signal a new string of priorities for American bike buyers. For starters, shift-phobic newbies can order an NC700X with an automatic, dual-clutch transmission. The $2,000 package is bundled with anti-lock brakes – an unfair deal for clutch-loving ABS aficionados, but more on that later.
By moving the fuel tank under the seat, the so-called false tank has now been freed to function as a giant glove compartment – or, should we say, helmet compartment; the 5.5-gallon cavity still clicks shut with a large, full-face AGV crammed inside, leaving one less thing to lug after a long ride. And speaking of lengthy rides, the NC700X is motivated by a modestly sized 670cc parallel-twin that's capable of 64 miles per gallon, for a theoretical cruising range of 236 miles with the 3.7-gallon fuel tank.
Swing a leg over the saddle, and you're met with an LCD instrument panel with a digital speedo and bar-style tachometer display. Straddling the NC700X doesn't feel ergonomically dissimilar to mounting a run-of-the-mill office chair that happens to be 32.7 inches above ground, and our tester was equipped with a suite of accessories like a tall windscreen ($170), fairing deflectors ($90), cowl panels ($90), saddlebags ($600, plus $90 for panel kits), heated grips ($230, plus $60 worth of wiring and harnesses), and a trunk ($300, plus another $300 in mounting hardware.) Yep, Honda knows there's loot to be scored in the accessories racket, and it's not holding back on the available doodads. Order the ABS/dual-clutch combo, and the clutch lever is replaced with a Sport/Comfort/Neutral rocker switch at the right grip, and a +/- shift override at the left; otherwise, it's fairly standard motorcycle stuff from the cockpit, with an adventure touring vibe and a street savvy twist, thanks to the towering accessory windshield mashed up against the LCD display.
There isn't much sound or fury as the twin-cylinder engine spins to life, and the mellow hum from the midsized parallel twin won't exactly set your horsepower loving heart aflutter. But tilted forward 62 degrees (which frees up the aforementioned storage compartment and lowers the bike's center of gravity), the engine works effectively in concert with the 41mm forks and a rear Pro-Link equipped swingarm to make the NC700X's 474 pounds (or 505 when equipped with the dual-clutch and ABS option) feel rather light on its toes. Honda says engine architecture shared with the four-wheeled Fit helps the parallel twin powerplant sip fuel, but their R&D department is mum on the exact correlation. They do, however, state that a uniaxial primary balancer "achieve[s] the emotional comfort of a slightly rough throb and satisf[ies] the development concept of a 'ride to suit mature tastes.'" Seriously.
Read more by Basem Wasuf at Autoblog.com
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