New 2012 Honda NC700X 700cc Parallel Twin!

I will probably be thinking very seriously about one of these in a couple years. I am getting ~45mpg pretty regularly with a 08 CBR1000RR on my commute so I think I could do well with the NC. I don't really have the cash to add another street bike to the stable or I would be thinking seriously about it now (when did college get so expensive and how did my baby girl get so grown up that I have to worry about it?).

dropped the the local dealer for a look see. I immediately liked the bike, I couldn't believe how light it felt. My xxl flip up fit into the Xbox, with room for summer gloves maybe. If I had the coin, I would have picked it up right then, just for fun. It's very upright, but not dorky, squishy, soft suspension. This pretty girl who was helping me wouldn't sit on the bike for a picture, imagine that. I told her, well being turned down is a story too, and she laughed.

The tag read $7960 with set up and freight, tax here would be $719 plus 120 for tags = $8796. That's about $3500 more than I paid for the cbr250r. Pretty good deal if you compare it to the smaller bike, but still a good chunk of change.

If I can get 50mpg tucked doing 75-80 on I-5 (superslab) on my 1989 ZX-10, I REAAAALLY doubt that this bike gets 47mpg

just sayin..

Great post. I was getting around to all of that about Base specific fuel consumption charts and the sweet spot on my new thread over here.
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http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=813587
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Would you care to copy your post over onto that thread so we can continue the general conversation of fuel efficiency over there without being so far off topic as we are here?
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Your bsfc map shows how narrow the sweet spot of efficiency is which is why Pulse and Glide makes such a big difference to fuel economy and why Honda put "just enough" power into the NC700 engine even though they would have known that sporty riders would whine against the bike as being low revving and under powered.
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Your 70 mpgUS on your CBR250R is right in line with the average. I hope you have joined us in promoting the best all around value in motorcycling on Fuelly as it seems to be the best and still growing English speaking resource for comparing real world fuel mileage. Spirit Monitor is also quite active. There is an Indian site that shows very impressive numbers for their air cooled 110cc bikes many of which are in the 120 mpg range due to their limited top speed of 100 kph. Those bikes sell for $1700 brand new!
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You would like changing to the +1 tooth 15T on the front of the CBR. It is only 7% longer but makes high rpms in the ultra low first gear hand off to second more smoothly. Your rest of world speedo error will be almost completely corrected though your odo will be then be long by 7%. And top speed will go up a 1 % to 94 mph as will your FE.

Well, I did it. I brought a NC700x home today. I generally like it, but the seat is from hell. I tried an Alaska Leather sheepskin to see if it helped. It does, but the seat is shaped wrong. It pushes you forward. How is it they get the difficult stuff right and miss something so obvious and seemingly simple? Oh well, I have not owned many bikes where I kept the stock seat. This one will be a challenge to "custom" because of the way the front and back are split, but SOMETHING is going to happen.

It is a well done package, but it is entry level (read budget) in terms of suspension, brakes, and power. Mine happily came with Metzeler tires instead of the normal Dunlop or Bridgestone "rim protectors" so I am happy with that. Tomorrow I call Revzilla and order a set of Givi V35 side cases with mounts.

Ping Seat Concepts, they might be looking to develop a seat for your bike.

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=621311

congrats on the new bike beemerphile

Congratulations!

I said the same thing about the seat but that was only the first 50 miles or so. I've had mine a week now. After four rides totaling 450 miles I don't notice the seat at all anymore. I wore jeans that first ride and some Tourmaster mesh pants the other rides. The jeans seemed to bunch up in the front but the riding pants don't. I plan on doing a 400 or 500 mile ride on it Saturday and that will tell me more. I'll take a sheepskin I have with me just in case! I could do 500 or 600 miles on the stock ST1300 seat and had to go to a Sargent to get a 1000 mile in a day seat. Mine came with Metzelers too but the Bridgestone 023 on other 700's are very good tires. I ran a set on my ST1300 and really liked them. I kind of looked forward to 023's again but oh well.

I will probably transition to Michelin Pilot Roads after the Metzelers wear out. We'll see. I run both Metzelers and Pilot Roads on my BMW with good results. I hope I get as lucky as you adapting to the seat, but I am a 600-1000 mile per day rider on long trips so I expect a custom is in order. I am sure the nut can be cracked but they sure would have made it easier with a side gas fill and a one piece seat. Dang 'em!

Here is a link to the Honda worldwide site with some details on the engine design. Another important aspect of Honda's current philosophy is evident in the large catalysts that the NC700 and the CBR250R have. Take a look.
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Hopefully if enough of us complain about the seat, maybe we can Get a Russell day long made for it!
I just bought a Michelin Commander 2 for my GL1200 and its supposed to last 24,000 miles.
http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com/2012/michelin-commander-ii-cruiser-tires-test
I want a long lasting set of tires for the NC also.

I'm not entirely sure the seat problem isn't mostly a matter of middle-aged men wearing boxers and ending up sitting on their losing-the-fight-with-gravity nutsacks.

I think I'll invest in a pair of briefs to see if that fixes the problem. Gotta be cheaper than modding the seat.....

Talcum powder helps a bunch!
If you are chaffed afterwards, zinc creme (the white stuff you use for diaper rash) works wonders too. The zinc stimulates the cells in the healing process.

Before your ride:

After your ride(or before):

"Zinc oxide is a topical skin product that is used as a protective coating for mild skin irritations and abrasions. It can promote the healing of chapped skin. Zinc oxide works as a mild astringent and has some antiseptic properties.
Zinc oxide is commonly used to prevent or to treat rash by forming a protective barrier between the skin. Moderate concentrations (e.g., 15%) are usually used for prevention and maintenance of rash. Higher concentrations (up to 40%) may have absorptive properties and are usually used for treatment of rash."

I'm not getting a rash. It's just that the combined effects of the seat height/shape and 47 years of gravity means I end up sitting on my nuts! Alright when I'm by myself or there are just guys around, but adjusting one's nuts in mixed company simply isn't appropriate behavior for those of a refined deportment and genteel upbringing, such as myself.

Jesus.
This is one of those posts that WOULD NOT benefit from a picture
for further elaboration. Thank you for not posting one.

And all this time Honda having been saying...

Sounds like the seat produces something else..

Maybe I should try swinging my leg over the front instead of the rear of the bike.

It's not an inherent design flaw with the bike; it's just a matter of figuring out a new mounting habit that gets my butt cheeks on the seat before the twins arrive.

:eek1

Dang Mike! Maybe we need to have a cubby made in the seat for the family jewels. Nothing like hitting the brakes hard to make the ole eyeballs buldge out huh?

Bicycle seats have had holes in the middle for years..
Ventilation more then anything else, but it's a good starting point.

Got my fun zone wet more then once, but it was even somewhat
enjoyable since the rain puddles on the road get hot very fast, so..

:huh

Maybe we're talking this too far.

A hardcore LD rider I know swears by these undergarments.

http://www.ldcomfort.com/