Honda have updated their hugely successful NC700X with an extra 75cc and a host of subtle tweaks. The NC750X is the ‘overlandie’ version from the NC family, which all use the same basic platform of a low revving, economical parallel twin engine in a diamond trellis steel frame. (Read a full review of the editorial long-distance test here)
When it was launched in 2011 the manual Euro-model NC700 produced 35kW of power to fit the A2 licencing regulations here, but when the cheaper CB500 series arrived the following year the power was so very similar, and the bike nearly £1000 cheaper, the NC almost became superfluous to the Honda line-up. Except that is, for it’s terrific torque characteristics and brilliant realworld fuel economy.
With the NC750X, which will be on show in the UK at Motorcycle Live 2013, that power has now increased to 40.3kW, torque is up from 62Nm to 68Nm and claimed economy seems to have improved a couple of mpg too.
It is a terrible shame that they then curtail what could be a truely great overlander, by fitting a tiny 14.1 l fuel tank, unchanged from the previous model. They don’t seem to have changed the switchgear either, which is a shame. There’s a new gear indicator on the dash which might be useful, and an extra balance shaft in the engine to make it even smoother, though it’s hard to imagine just how much smoother it could be.
We are yet to see whether the chain size has been increased, as that proved somthing of an achillies heel in the old model, but that’ll be one of the questions we can answer when we get to actually try one. A report will be forthcoming.