Hondas frugal twin NC700C. Not so...

After spending the last couple of weeks trying to find the log in button, i'm finally getting a chance to throw the cat among the pidgeons so to speak.

I currently ride a 2000 VFR800Fi, and i'm very happy with it, but when you take your bike in to a main dealer and they happen to notice during a routine tyre fitment that it needs new headstock bearings....well, you've a few hours to play with.

This was how I happened to end up on an NC700C test ride. I covered around 150 miles on the bike, and set the trip meter for 126 of them just to get an idea of how little fuel I was going to use up on my gas sipping mule run.

40mpg was all it managed- i managed to drain the tank in 126 miles which with a cost of 139 pence/litre = 40mpg.

Now don't pin me down as one of the haters for this champion of utilitarian motorbike- I enjoyed my time on the bike. It's got a strangely eager engine that revs freely and spins up fast, feeling like it shoul have a redline of around 9k, not the low 6k. Handling was confident and stable, with an ease to tip and flick that brought to mind small japanese 400's like the SuperFour's fom honda.

But I think it would be interesting to hear from someone who hasn't experienced the messianic MPG figures being banded around the net.

Now I will admit I didn't ride with constraint- my journey contained long stints at 100mph, along with some city work and smooth flowing main roads with speeds ranging from 70-80mph. But I still expected to return 60ish mpg figures.

So I'd like to know if anyone else has ridden these bikes and experienced similar poor MPG. For reference I get 42mpg out of my VFR reliably, and that's with similar riding.

Imperial or American Gallon?

Greetings,
Sounds like you have the answer to your question already. The NC is not the machine for the way you ride, and the VFR seems to be a good match for you.
Out here in rural USA and two lane roads, I get a steady 65 mpg with the fill-ups.

Art

deleted for not paying attention

aggressive city work and stints of 100mph will drop mpg in the toilet on most efficient bikes, so it isn't much of a surprise.

What's a NC700C?

It's the bike located right next to the "X" key.

Oh, that makes sense.

I gave the fellow some credibility until he claimed his VFR gets 42 mpg reliably riding 80 to 100 mph. I had a '99 VFR800FI and he's full of crap on that claim. It got low to mid 40's riding briskly but not when riding 45 mph over the limit.

To be fair, I have gotten figures as low as 45 mpg with the X but that was running 150 interstate miles at a steady 80 mph into a 20 mph headwind in temps under 45 degrees. I kind of expected the usual mid 60s mileage to be affected by an airspeed at or near 100 mph.

he's probably talking about imperial gallons, not US gallons

+2 on the above^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Something on the OP......................Does not pass the smell test.......................150 mile test drive????????? and long stints at 100 MPH............the bike is tapped out at 100. Sorry throwing the BS flag.

You sir, need to take a look into Brake specific fuel consumption.

And onther hint: The NC700 was designed to be designed as a motorbike to be operated at how 90% of the motorcyclist tend to drive. Which is below 6000 RPM and below 130 km/h.

Don't be suprised by running 100 mph (160 km/h) you're going to get pretty bad economy. Keep the NC below 75 mph and you'll be getting 60 - 75 MPG (US) depending on your cruising speed and driving habbits.

You ran it at 100 mph for extended periods and still got 42 mpg. That sounds pretty good to me.:eek1

don't buy any land in south florida without seeing it first.

And buying a demo machine

Art

Imp. Gallon mpg figures should be higher than US Gallon mpg figures as the Imperial Gallon is 20% larger than the US Gallon ...

40 mpg IMP is the same as 33.31 mpg US.

Well, despite a few claims to me speaking from the bulls ass, I'm glad to see this thread got a few responses.

Yes i'm on about imperial gallons, as I live in the UK- for the record the speed limit on the motorways here (like your freeways I believe) is 70mph, however as general the traffic runs about 90+ in the overtake lane- so believe me when I say my claims of steady 100 is not bullcrap. I'll grant you I'm not riding in the speed limits, or arguably the spirit of the bike, but then again I felt it would be worth raising this point for those who maybe can only afford one motorbike, and as it's their only mode of transport it may be the rider wishes to have a thrash on it.

For some background, i'm 29yro, i've been riding on the roads since I was 16, and i've had many bikes in that time- i've never driven a car, and I use my bike as my only transport all year/all weathers. Over the years I've developed a steady pace I find is safe for me and comfortable, and usually that is operating at 10-20mph above the speed limit-except built up areas and 30mph zones. traffic takes note, and I can position myself well whilst making rapid progress.

@ dduelin-VFR rider- where are you located? as i'm sure you're aware, temperature, throttle stability and smoothness of breaking and a number of other factors affect mpg- i've used online calculators based on amount filled up, miles travelled, then amount re-filled. That's how I obtained my 42mpg. I've had both and rc36 and now the rc46, and both have reliably been ridden in this manner and given that mpg- now I don't claim everyone will have the same experience, but I'm certainally not telling tall tales.

@ cbolling- sir your correct, the way I was pushing it 42mpg wasn't bad- but with the quoted figures i'd expected higher.

and for those wondering the NC700C is the slightly basic looking varient- the X as you all seem to ride is the cross-runner styled varient

Isn't the naked one called the NC700S?

Then you really don't know what you're talking about. Aggressive city riding and 100mph stints on the motorway will net you sub 40 mpg on most any of the frugal middleweights. If that is how you ride day-in, day-out, that bike is a bad choice for you if you're going to be worried about MPG.


Of course, if you were really worried about MPG, you'd take it easy on the throttle.

I get the feeling you misunderstand my original comment- I wasn't planning on buying one, I just happened to have a chance to try one and make my own judgment on the odd engine and frugalities. I don't believe I ever actually moaned about the fact it was so low- just was surprised it was as low as it was based on the displacment, power output and low rpm cealing- all factors that should have still helped keep the mpg use low.

lol, you are right though, if mpg really concerned me i'd get a 125 cbf- But alas, I ride every day a 50 mile commute 2 up and need a particular motorbike to fulfill my allrounder niche-hence a VFR. :)