Honda Integra and NC750X MY 2016 – first contact

Honda Integra and NC750X MY 2016 – 4 years after the birth of the NC project, the great success pushes Honda to invest heavily in updates, which concern both aesthetics and substance, with a completely new Showa fork, the improved DCT management SW and much more.

Explaining them to us are Paul Nowers, PR of Honda Europe and his Italian colleague Costantino Paolacci, Junichi Sakamoto, the Project leader, as he had been in the past for Goldwing and other important models, and the engineer in charge of the development of the DCT gearbox, Kosaku Takahashi, in this role since the VFR1200 which brought the dual clutch to its absolute debut in the motorcycle field. NC, New Concept, is a line of products based on the same engine - chassis platform, available in various models. Born in 2012, the NC family has been very successful, so much so that a big evolutionary step arrived in 2014, with the transition from 700 to 750, and 55 horsepower. 130 thousand units sold, of which 70 thousand in Europe, thanks above all to negligible consumption, value for money and practicality. Of all the best-selling is the NC750X, which just last year was Honda's best seller in Europe, but which has always been among the top 10 best-selling motorcycles.

Let's start with the news regarding the NC2016X MY750. Here you will find a further dedicated gallery with 116 photos, in addition to the one at the bottom of the article. First of all, the aesthetics have been revised, with an updated design by an Italian, Valerio Aiello. The headlights are new, both of which switch to LED technology, the rear tail benefits from it with a much more elegant look. It also changes the “fake tank”, which is actually one of the big advantages of the NC, given that the compartment is large enough to hold a full-face helmet. The capacity increases, which is now 22 liters (+1) and the lid is equipped with guides, useful for fixing a possible bag from tank. The windshield also grows, by 7 cm in height, with improved aerodynamics to optimize protection. The instrumentation is new, now with negative backlighting, which can be set in 4 modes and with the rev counter that changes color depending on the rpm, gearbox mode and other parameters. Small details demonstrate obsessive attention to customer needs, an example of which are the valves on the wheels, now L-shaped, to simplify tire pressure check operations. With the transition to Euro 4 it also changes shape exhaust terminal, which becomes more compact (-7 cm) and lighter (-0,5 kg) and it also improves the sound. It can be had in 5 colours, many of which are brand new, and the innovations don't just stop at aesthetics. The most important part in fact concerns the chassis and the SW of the DCT gearbox (optional on the NC750X chosen by over 50% of customers). Now the sport mode is divided into 3 levels, where the middle one corresponds to the only one available in the past, which is combined with a more "quiet" one and an even more sporty one. Besides this it now also has smoother operation during reacceleration, with the electronics simulating the rider's hand "peeling" the clutch to avoid jerks. Uphill the control unit that manages the gearbox maintains the gear, based on the reading of the throttle position, the same thing, but in reverse, downhill. Finally it was the minimum gear engagement time when starting the vehicle is halved. The last substantial part of updates concerns the chassis. New front brake caliper, But especially the fork is new, a Showa with Dual Bending Valve, which improves the hydraulics of the previous one. The rear mono becomes more easily adjustable. Last little news, the key, which is shorter and more compact. We remind you that with the NC750X Honda completes the update of its Crossover family, 4 models with displacements from 500 to 1200.

As for Integra, the package of changes to the NC750X is practically confirmed in its entirety, for a model that was a small success especially in Italy. Here you will find a photo gallery with another 76 photos of the new model. A total of 18 were sold in Europe, in Italy last year it almost equaled the sales result of the NC750X (2235 units against 2292) and it is the first ever case of a scooter that mixes concepts of a motorbike. The base is in fact the same as the other NCs, both in terms of engine, but also for frame, chassis and wheels. In practice the superstructures change, making it a maxi scooter. Also in this case the transition to LED light clusters can be seen above all at the rear, with a lighter and more pleasant appearance, while the others aesthetic updates are aimed at increasing perceived quality. Let's mention for example the metal inserts on the footboard, but there are many updated details. Also in this case new colors, which are 5 in total, 2 for Integra S and 3 for the “standard” model.

We have talked about the great success of the NC project, the most important elements that made it possible are the engine and the DCT gearbox, available as the only option for the Integra, on request with a price increase of around 1.000 euros for the other models . The engine is a "long stroke", the main feature that benefits the delivery of torque, effectively accommodating the real use of the motorcycles, which as emerged from a study conducted by Honda, is mainly below 7000 rpm. In the new models it remains true to itself, angled forward by 62 degrees to lower the center of gravity and centralize the masses, with 55 horsepower at just 6.250 rpm. Another fundamental characteristic of this engine is consumption, a big advantage because it is also in the order of 28 km per liter “real”. The other "highlight" is the double clutch, each of which is connected to a shaft, one for even gears, one for odd ones. A concept borrowed from cars, but sensationally miniaturized to be mounted on a motorbike. Honda believes a lot in this technology and the data proves it right, today motorbikes with DCT gearbox represent over 50% of the sales of Honda models that include it as an option. It even surprised on the Africa Twin, which from a sales hypothesis of around 30%, is gathering over 40% of the preferences for the double clutch in Italy. The penetration index was 2012% on NC in the first year, 15, now we are in Europe at 55%, with 9 models in the range using this solution.

All the changes from the NC750X and Integra are present on the NC750S, except for the Showa fork. For the NC750X there is still the possibility of purchasing it in Italy in the Travel Edition version, with a package of options with a substantial customer discount, in the order of 1000 euros.

Driving we started our test with the NC750X straight away we enjoyed the significant improvement in city traffic as far as the smoothness of operation of the DCT gearbox. Once out on the winding roads in the hinterland, its ability to exist was confirmed an easy bike, for everyone, but capable of giving satisfaction to even the most experienced driverswith at least a couple of big improvements. The fork has actually progressed, the suspensions remain rather "soft", this is part of the concept of an easy bike, without too abrupt or sudden reactions even when taken to the limit, but now the hydraulics of the front fork work decidedly better and allow you to go faster when cornering with greater safety. The rear, at least in the basic configuration, is a little too dry, which could create some bad mood especially for a possible passenger. Even outside the city, the innovations of the DCT are being felt. Particularly the control unit that manages it "reads" the various situations better and better, making its use in manual mode or “calling” gear changes with the buttons on the left of the handlebar even less of a necessity. However, they are excellent two additional Sport modes. We almost liked the less aggressive “1” more than the “3”. In fact, between tight bends it allows you to maintain a sufficiently low gear ratio, making better use of the engine than in "D", but without ending up always keeping it "hanging". Furthermore, by doing so, even with sporty driving, consumption remains negligible, The declared figure is 28,6 km/l, but it is difficult to go below 25 km/l! The selection is quite simple, the motorbike starts in "N", with a first press of the button it switches to D (and actually now this operation is much more sudden), with a second press in "S", in the level selected last its use. To switch from one to the other you need to hold down the button for a long time, with the bike stopped or even in motion, but with the throttle closed. In the off road section we then appreciated the possibility of having fun causing some loss of grip during acceleration, without fearing excessive and difficult to control reactions. With the right tire you can easily think about using it for this purpose too, obviously without the desire to make it too demanding off road. The extra liter of the compartment is instead a great novelty, in light of the fact that we managed to put on the modular helmet you see in the photos, including gloves and other small items. The other big improvement in using the NC750X concerns aerodynamic protection. We are not at the top, but it is certainly not a bike from which one would expect this, however compared to the old model the step forward is important and is also useful in case of rain, where a large part of the torso is now protected.

In the second part of the day we got into the new Integra, even finding it almost more fun to drive than the NC750X. The credit goes partly to the tyres, Bridgestone T30 Evos are fitted as standard, which perform better on asphalt. Secondly, expectations lead any motorcyclist to expect less from a scooter than from a motorbike, even if from an aesthetic point of view the substance is very similar. In our opinion, the Integra is confirmed as the best scooter ever from many points of view. A motorcycle frame makes it the unrivaled maxi scooter for all the competition to ride It's fantastic around the bends and approaches much more powerful bikes without any problems. With updates eliminates much of one of the major gaps with its main competitor, thanks to the smoother operation of the DCT in traffic and at low speeds, now free of annoying jerks during gear changes. Of course, the classic variator is still more dedicated to comfort, but the double clutch allows much higher performance, with significantly lower consumption. The new instrumentation is beautiful, with which you can play to change the layout, but above all it is more refined and complete, as well as very clearly visible. It's a shame that everything wasn't completed with one or two buttons on the handlebar, which are significantly more comfortable than those on the instrument. Contrary to what you might think, you are almost more comfortable on the NC750X. In fact, on the Integra the feet-high position requires that the legs are bent and tied to this position. In the long run, the knees suffer. Small recommendations for a product which, in our opinion, remains a winner, well beyond the sales results achieved to date. It has one and only one important flaw, the reduced capacity of the underseat, where it is possible to stow only a small helmet, but there is always the possibility of mounting a top case (45 liter capacity) to resolve this, which is why Honda Italia includes it in the price (660 euros the value of the "gift").

Prices are 9.390 euros for the Integra MY 2016, 9.490 for the “S” version. In both cases ABS is obviously standard. From 7.390 the NC750X, a thousand more for the DCT. The Travel Edition is available in both with an additional 2.000 euros, therefore 9.390 or 10.390.

Here you can find the video of our test.

Test clothing:
Jacket: Alpinestars Motion Waterproof Jacket
Trousers: Alpinestars Denim Pants – Raw Indigo
Shoe: Alpinestars Vulk Shoes
Gloves: Alpinestars Polar Gore-Tex Gloves
All these garments are part of the Alpinestars 2016 collection which you can find described in this article.

Helmet: Kabuto Ibuki