New 2012 Honda NC700X 700cc Parallel Twin!

[Two Plugs]

Hi All,
Honda's kicking the ball into the biggest open goal it can find launching a 77mpg 700cc parallel twin super scooter at the height of fuel price paranoia. But it's not the version that will attract most interest among existing motorcyclists, for whom getting on any kind of step-thru is like volunteering for puberty reversal – either way foregoing both their balls and ability to attract a mate. But they'll definitely be given pause by the next two 700s Honda will serve up in November – a naked do-it-all (pictured in the MCN link below) and...

An new adventure-bike-lite to compete with BMW's F800GS and the Triumph Tiger 800XC...
The new Africa Twin?

Early November we will know... At the anual EICMA international Motorcycle Exhibition in Milan, Italy.


http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/Ne...t-going-to-be/

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/Ne...a-super-scoot/

[GrahamD]

wooooooho, looking forward to the next 18,652,346 posts before it arrives

Looks interesting so far

only 18,652,345 posts to go...

The engine's vaunted character comes from its uneven 270 degree firing order

Well that does it. It's just a S10 copy then..

[Two Plugs]

Originally Posted by GrahamD

wooooooho, looking forward to the next 18,652,346 posts before it arrives

Looks interesting so far

only 18,652,345 posts to go...

Well that does it. It's just a S10 copy then..

Come on, Graham... You start to sound like a BMW owner... ;)

There is still hope... I guess this new bike could not only be the real Africa Twin successor, but also replacing the current Honda XL700V Transalp.

It will be more adventureaus than that overdone Crosstourer V4; that's for sure. And cheaper - to buy and to run.

[GrahamD]

at this point, with almost no info...

77mpg (Lets just call that Imperial) would suggest.

Lower power AND / OR possibly a full fairing style bike like the scooter so I would be skeptical of that figure on a "blunt" ADV bike.

The lower power is not a big deal on an ADV bike as long as it's in the right place but if there is too much Honda plastic around I wouldn't like to drop the thing too much. They have done some pretty efficient bikes as concepts years ago, so will be interesting.

Anyway all speculation...

[Rema in Paluda]

Originally Posted by GrahamD

The lower power is not a big deal on an ADV bike as long as it's in the right place but if there is too much Honda plastic around I wouldn't like to drop the thing too much. They have done some pretty efficient bikes as concepts years ago, so will be interesting.

Well be honest, the S10 has plastic all over too ;-)

The thing is, the engineers are forced by upcoming European laws to do something about the horrendous bad feul economy of motorbikes, if you look at cars (and politicians don't understand much of aerodynamics) they say, its quite inbelievable a 1200 kg car is as efficcient as a 250 kg motorbike, hauling 4 four people instead of 2.

So the new planned Euro 4 thats planned could have also a fuel consumption rule, not only a ppm measure, its still all just planning talks, but it could get bikes with incredable mileage, like the Heron heads did for te MM3,5 in the 70's.

So it could be, we not lose power that much, because feul economy is in essence getting *all* power out of the gas. Now feul is getting more and more bike and eco unfriendly with the high percentage of food mixed through it, there will be a huge gain if they tune the bikes better to eating maizefeul :-)

(though i find it ridiculous, to mix falkuable food through our gas, but thats more something for another forum...)

[atgreg]

I'll believe it when I see and touch it

[Paulvt1]

I did wonder what the 3rd bike to use this engine would be. It makes sense if it's a D/S type bike. Perhaps a rival for the wee strom?

[GrahamD]

Originally Posted by Rema in Paluda

Well be honest, the S10 has plastic all over too ;-)

(though i find it ridiculous, to mix falkuable food through our gas, but thats more something for another forum...)

falkuable food?

[Two Plugs]

@ Paul... Honda already has an Vstrom competitor. In fact, the Vstrom was released in first place to compete with... The Honda Transalp XL650V (current model: XL700V).

I'm still a bit puzzled about the engine capacity (700cc) where the competition chooses for 800cc... But then, the new '2012 Vstrom is still a 650cc and doing great.

For that reason (and the STRONG complains from the public that Honda is neglecting their own XRV/XLV/XR heritage) I tent to believe that this new bike will replace both the '2008 XL700V Transalp (which is a real good bike on aspects of build quality, comfort, etc) and the XRV750 Africa Twin which was taken out of production in (I believe) 2003.

[Paulvt1]

That would make a lot of people happy. Question is, will it be a Versys clone, or a hardcore AT successor? I guess we'll know at Milan..

[Dharuma]

Originally Posted by paul thompson

I did wonder what the 3rd bike to use this engine would be. It makes sense if it's a D/S type bike. Perhaps a rival for the wee strom?

I think it's a naked, an "adventure bike" and a scooter (if I read the articles right).

[DADODIRT]

Have fun with it on that side of the pond.
What are the chances us FFers are gonna see it here?

[Ed Teach]

Every year since the AT was retired from production somebody says that Honda will relaunch it. And then things like the Varadero or the CrossWhateveritis come into the scene
Come on!! It is another motorcycle magazine joke
I will believe in a new Africa Twin only the day that I can test ride it and compare it with my former RD04

[ujeni]

Do I want a modern Honda twin dual spot? YES!
Do I want 77mpg? YES!
Do I want a modern Africa Twin? HELL YES!!

Do I think it is gonna happen...let alone happen here in the US?.... nope

Prove me wrong Honda. Prove me wrong.

[AKoffroader]

Originally Posted by DADODIRT

Have fun with it on that side of the pond.
What are the chances us FFers are gonna see it here?

Go back to the beginning of the Super Tenere thread. Same thing said. There's a 2012 sitting in my garage 30' from where I'm typing this.

If it arrives here you can thank Yamaha (WR250R, XT1200Z) and Suzuki (2012 Wee Strom) for launching new DS bikes in the middle of a recession to kick things off.

AK Greg