Honda’s always been the friendliest of motorcycle companies. There are no oil stains or stripped bolts on Big Red – even its most fire-breathing sports bikes seem clean-cut and recently bathed.
But how to make its bikes even friendlier, to appeal to a more mainstream buyer? To somebody who doesn’t care about leather or racing, but who wants to save fuel and park easily and cut through congested traffic, and who has no idea how to work a clutch?
Honda’s answer is to make a motorcycle with an automatic transmission that’s easy to ride, simple to maintain and as non-intimidating as possible – without being a scooter. And now, you meet the nicest people on an NC750X.
Not a catchy name, but a catchy motorcycle for those who want a simple introduction to two wheels. The 2016 NC750X is an evolution from the NC700 of previous years, and it shares its low centre of gravity for more manageable handling (the gas is stored beneath the seat) and its clever storage compartment in the space where you think the gas tank would be. This year, that lockable cargo space is a litre larger and big enough to hide a full-face helmet.
The parallel-twin engine is low-stressed and bulletproof. It makes 58 horsepower, which can break all of Canada’s speed limits but not by much. Honda makes no claims for zero-to-100 km/h acceleration times, but a rudimentary counting of One Mississippi, Two Mississippi clocks in at about seven seconds. Adequate and manageable.
The NC750X can be bought for $8,999 as a regular six-speed motorcycle; however, its tour-de-force is that, for $9,999, it comes with an automatic, dual-clutch transmission that operates as simply as in any car. There’s no clutch lever – you can just twist and go.
This is not a continuously variable transmission with a single true gear, as on a scooter. Nor is it a conventional automatic transmission, such as the unpopular Hondamatic of 1977. It’s a dual-clutch transmission that works under the same principles as the most advanced sports cars, which is intended to provide a satisfying six-gear drive.
This is the second generation of Honda’s motorcycle DCT. It was introduced in 2010 and revised the following year to make it lighter and more compact. It also allows the bike to learn your riding habits, so it can better predict if it should shift up or down or just hold the gear longer.
Honda supplies the DCT option on seven different models, and just as in a car, you can set it to how you prefer to ride. Turn on the engine, press the right thumb button into Drive, and it’ll operate like an automatic transmission car. Press the right thumb button again and it’ll switch to Sport, holding the gears into higher rpms. You can even adjust Sport to three different levels, from mild to (comparatively) wild.
If you prefer, you can shift gears for yourself, so flick a different switch on the right bar and the transmission will change from automatic to manual. There’s a finger-operated flick-lever on the left handlebar that shifts up through the gears and a thumb button that shifts down. And even in automatic, these will override everything to be always available.
Does it work? Well, it takes a little getting used to. Upshifts are seamless, thanks to the dual-clutch that always keeps the next gear ready, but automatic downshifts can be clunky and unexpected. I enjoyed flicking the levers in manual, but automatic wasn’t as smooth as a car.
In the standard automatic mode, the gearing is set low, to use as little fuel as possible. I’d be in fifth gear before I knew it and acceleration was sluggish. Sport was too jerky on the sportiest setting, but the mildest setting seemed the best compromise. I don’t like compromise, though, so I much preferred manual.
Low fuel consumption is a big part of the NC750X’s appeal. It has an Eco setting that changes the colours of the LCD readout, depending on whether you’re riding economically or wastefully. There are nine different colours available, all personalized by the rider if desired.
I went for a ride in the country and watched the display colours change, showing me I was wasteful at 4.5 litres/100 km and mindful at 3.2. I figured I could afford the extra litre, so set the transmission to manual and just enjoyed myself. The taller windshield for this year let me ride longer without growing tired, and when I got a bit too spirited, the standard ABS linked brakes were there to help keep everything under control.
The NC750X is not a fast bike, but it’s not slow, either. Above all, it’s easy to ride and it’s forgiving. It’ll do pretty much anything you ask of it, which is quite an achievement for a motorcycle.
DCT is not there yet – its downshifts are still too clunky – but it’s a vast improvement on anything from the past. If it opens motorcycling to more people, then it’s a good thing, indeed.
You’ll like this bike if ... You want simple and safe.
TECH SPECS
Base price: $8,999 ($9,999 DCT)
Engine: 745cc liquid-cooled parallel twin
Transmission: Six speed manual or six-speed DCT
Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 3.2, observed
Alternatives: Honda CB500F, BMW F700GS, Kawasaki Versys 650, Suzuki V-Strom 650
RATINGS
Looks: The NC750X is part of Honda’s Adventure motorcycle series, so it looks like an adventurous machine, not the pussycat it really is.
Performance: It’s not fast, but it’s fast enough. And its fuel consumption is so low, it’s almost irrelevant.
Technology: Good with the clever ABS linked brakes, and good with the dual-clutch transmission.
Cargo: A 22-litre storage compartment big enough for a full-face helmet is a wonderful thing.
THE VERDICT
8.0
Not exciting enough to attract most conventional riders, but manageable enough to attract new motorcyclists.
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