Honda NC700S DCT – Road test

In the past the market was "simple". Going back, now over 20 years, the real sportswomen were the masters. Mainly for two reasons: scooters didn't exist and sports bikes were the only motorbikes with "exaggerated" power. With a cost lower than that of a small car you could buy a vehicle with top-car performance. Today, scooters prevail in the rankings, in a thousand variations, engine sizes and price ranges. The rest, with somewhat reduced volumes, is shared by the actual motorcycles. But it's a fight for crumbs. In order to pursue more challenging objectives, the only way forward is to develop more usable and versatile products, which will undermine market shares otherwise destined for scooters.. Honda is perhaps the first to have made an important attempt in this direction, with decent sales results. It did so with a proposal developed from a single platform, which gives life to three distinct models. With the test of the Naked version the trio closes, after having tested the "scooter" version, the Integra, and the "Crossover" NC700X, we try the NC700S for you, the cheapest of the three, but perhaps the most fun.

Aesthetics and finishes:

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Entry level, but quality: excellent finishes and modern look

We are faced with the entry level of the NC platform. The two sisters are different, especially the Integra, which changes from a motorbike to a scooter, even if in a completely new and particular way. The “X” is more fashionable, with a crossover look and a higher drive setting. The Honda NC700S that we are about to test is a naked one, more conventional, more similar to the "classic" CB500F, from which however it differs in details that are anything but banal. We are referring, in particular, to the presence of a fake tank, which instead turns out to be a very convenient compartment, capable of accommodating even a fairly sized helmet. Compared to the NC700X, the position of the opening block changes, which here is placed laterally, and is slightly less comfortable. In the version with DCT gearbox the other big difference, compared to a "conventional" motorbike, is represented by the curious absence of the two controls on the left side: they are missing clutch lever and gear shift control. For the rest we are faced with a good quality product with a level of finish and care in production that is worthy of the price. Despite being the cheapest of the three, the price list for the DCT version is over 1.500 euros higher than the CB500, €7.250 versus around 5.700, with which it shares the level of power and performance. The frame is on full display, with its dark gray steel tubes, with a pleasant contrast between the dark and light parts, clearly evident on the white test specimen. All in all the appearance is compact and modern. Tastes are subjective, but the difference is evident, to continue the parallel between the two bikes, with a CB500F. The latter, although still pleasant, does not hide the fact that it is a very "basic" motorbike, frail at times, while the NC700S is also more important in terms of look.

Engine and performance:

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The engine and gearbox block is the fulcrum of the "new concept" NC

The name is an acronym for "New Concept", to underline what Honda wanted to do with the NC700 platform, available in the three models launched on the market last year. The study behind the design of these motorcycles has led to a profound revisitation of the concept of the motorcycle. By definition we think of the motorcycle engine as small, but powerful, revving very high, compared to that of a car. What is surprising is that instead, on the basis of the study of the habits of a group of motorcyclists, has emerged as extremely It's rare to raise the speed above 6.000 rpm per minute. This means minimally exploiting the potential of engines designed to give their best from 6 rpm onwards, if not more. Furthermore, to obtain increasingly greater maximum power, elasticity and bass delivery must be sacrificed. Based on this information, Honda decided to develop an in-line twin-cylinder unit, which would express its best within the "standard" range of use. So the 670cc has a power that seems contained on paper, 47,6 horsepower, but delivered at just 6.250 rpm. The torque data speaks of 60 Nm, always low, at 4.750. The result is an engine that seems to push far beyond what the numbers suggest, at least in daily driving and without straining its neck. The CB500, still twin-cylinder and with a power of 48 horsepower, therefore essentially identical, shifts the speed by over 2 thousand rpm higher. On a practical level, driving one or the other is a completely different experience. As long as you don't drive excessively, the NC seems to go double, with significantly superior fluidity and elasticity. All combined withinnovative dual clutch gearbox. A automotive solution applied to a motorcycle, with a miniaturization operation of the components, which makes the NCs as comfortable as scooters, but as sporty as motorbikes with a traditional gearbox. The elimination of the clutch is a small sacrifice in terms of tradition and sportiness, more than balanced by the convenience of a transmission that can operate fully automatically in traffic. However, the two buttons on the handlebar allow you to choose the desired ratio, and it is also possible tocompletely manual use, as well two automatic options, the standard, D and the sporty S. Other features of the engine are thereliability and low maintenance cost, with very limited workshop interventions. Spark plugs, for example, are replaced at 48.000 km!

Ride and handling:

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The cheapest of the three also happens to be the most fun

The platform is unique, but the results of the three versions are very different. Obviously the Integra is the one where the differences are highlighted the most, being a scooter. However, the “X” is also different from the “S”. If the former gains in the more "fashionable" aspect and has a small advantage in city driving, in light of the raised driving position, the NC700S is the most fun of the three to drive around the bends, with her naked setting and the more motorcycle position. The handling remains at very high standards, and the comfort in all contexts is perhaps its best quality. The weight is 212 KG, but the low center of gravity and driving position don't really make them noticeable. The sales success of the NC is proof of how Honda has innovated in a new but correct direction. Thanks to the versatility and ability to compete with the convenience of a scooter. The chassis is excellent, the 17" rims fit a "classic" 120/70 at the front and a 160/60 at the rear. The brakes are petal, with a single disc at the front, 320 mm and 240 at the rear. They are combined, as standard, with Honda C-ABS, anti-lock braking system with combined braking, where the rear brake control "helps" the front by operating the third piston of the caliper. The other two are obviously controlled by the front lever.

Price and consumption:

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Low price, even more management costs

Behind the NC project, there is the desire to develop products with reduced prices, but above all management costs. The price list is 7.250 euros, 600 euros less than its sister "X", with very similar equipment. The useful ABS is also standard, especially for those who would buy it as their first motorbike, and the robotised gearbox is included. The version with the classic manual gearbox and clutch lever costs a thousand euros less. There are 14 liters in the tank, of which around 12 are "useful", which allow for more than decent autonomy, in light of the truly negligible consumption. THE NC700S is able to travel almost 30 km with one liter, on average 25, on motorway and extra-urban routes, without however significantly decreasing in city use.

PROS AND CONS

We like it:
Fun, economical, especially in terms of consumption and maintenance costs, comfortable and versatile

We do not like it:
A little stiff in setup

Honda NC 700X: the Motorionline Report Card

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