Honda NC 750 S DCT test

Menus

• The roadster in its travel livery and double clutch
• Good at everything
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• Contact
• In the city
• On the highway
• Departmental
• Braking
• Comfort
• Convenient
• Consumption
• The DCT box
• Conclusion

The roadster in its travel livery and double clutch

Good at everything

Honda brought to motorcycles the concept developed in the automobile in the 90s: the same base and platform and several aesthetic variations. The NC 750 is the first example of this philosophy brought to the motorcycle world, with a roadster, a trail and a maxi-scooter with another peculiarity – almost – borrowed from the car with an automatic gearbox and in our case with the double clutch. Dual Clutch Transmission. After a first edition in 700 cm3 with the NC 750 S, the manufacturer has increased to 745 cm3 the engine for the ideal bike? The future of two-wheelers? Test….

Discovery

From a distance, the NC 750 is indeed a roadster, a motorcycle in its own right, opulent and rewarding. Compared to the CB650 and the Hornet, it is even more imposing, more massive. And yet, its price has nothing to do with other models at just 7,499 euros, the cheapest in the category despite the debauchery of electronics and technology.

The Honda lineage here is undeniable and yet relatively modern, from the front headlight surmounted by a small bubble to the rear LED lights. The fairly wide double two-stage saddle promises comfort. The matte black engine fades into a trellis frame, but discreetly displays the automatic gearbox and Dual Clutch Transmission logo in the mass of the crankcase. Only the pot seems basic and not very discreet but disappears in the accessorized version with the side luggage and the top case, perfectly matched to the colors of the motorcycle, especially in its matt white version..

In the saddle

The feet touch the ground well for the pilot of 1.70m, but for the anecdote not as well as on the CBF 1000F (except naturally in duet or the weight of the passenger is enough to compress the rear shock absorber a little) . It just goes to show that the cubic capacity or the type of motorcycle does not necessarily imply accessible saddle heights.

Before his eyes, the pilot found the same dashboard as the previous vintage in the 700 cm3 version. Completely digital, the meter displays clearly including under the sun, gear indicator engaged, speed, bargraph for engine speed, five-stick fuel gauge, clock and alternately: totalizer, partial double trip. With the automatic gearbox and therefore no gear engaged when stationary, there is a parking brake, accessible to the handlebars and coupled with a red indicator light on the dashboard.

The fairly thin saddle allows you to grip the false tank well…. which turns out to be a mini-chest, much like Mana fire. The hands rest naturally on the handlebars, close enough to the rider, with the arms slightly bent, to form a natural triangle.

In terms of the controls, we find those of the Integra 750 with on the right, normal and sport mode and on the left the possibility of switching to manual with paddles. A swipe of the paddle to the right and the first engages with a characteristic clonk. Accelerator and go ….

Contact

The first few meters go smoothly. At most, the left foot tries to find the selector and the left hand does not find the clutch handle either. As much on the Integra, with a scooter position, we don’t think about it, as much on the bike, these absences are shocking at first. And then we got used to it, especially in the city…. where the 750 can be picked up almost as quickly as a basic 500cc or the late CB500. Above all, without having to put your hand on the clutch, both hands are firmly placed on the handlebars and thus provide better guidance and overall control..

In the city

Because the NC 750 is easy to handle, from the lowest speeds, further helped by the absence of selector and gear to change, which allows to have the hands permanently on the handlebars with a much greater grip for those who are accustomed in particular to easily having two fingers on the clutch and two others on the brake. We completely forget the 215 kilos all full made with flawless handling that allows you to slip easily into traffic. Even the version with luggage is forgotten. Because usually, suitcases mean plump in width and the more experienced may have been fooled with prominent suitcases that quickly serve as anchor or reef to move tight. But on the 750, unlike for example a CBF1000F, the side cases are particularly thin. We certainly lose a little capacity, but suddenly, we forget them completely every day in the city, because less wide than the handlebars, they always go and with still room..

In normal mode version, the NC 750 is soft, even soft. Of course, the gearbox shifts into the next gear even before we have time to say phew and we find ourselves almost systematically in town in fifth or even sixth gear and therefore almost under-revving. At this rate, the acceleration is lagging a bit, because we must not forget that there is only 40.3 Kw and 68 Nm of torque. But it must be recognized that consumption is then to match and that it is not uncommon in the city to travel 275 kilometers before seeing the reserve start flashing. This explains it. Now, to start having fun driving, we will almost always switch to sport mode. There, the gearbox shifts later and stays in a lower gear for a longer time in order to be in a range more responsive to the demand of the right grip. And then we find between the legs a more dynamic and much more enjoyable machine.

On the highway

The NC 750 takes it easy on the motorway, purring at 4,000 rpm to 135 km / h in last gear. However, need to accelerate a little hard and the gearbox automatically goes down a gear if you suddenly turn the throttle to give the boost to the revival and propel the roadster to 165 km / h barely 1.000 rpm higher and still at 1,500 rpm from the red zone…. thus allowing a theoretical maximum speed of nearly 200 km / h. But at this speed, the head unscrews, not to mention that you will have lost your license. The course is impeccable, including in large curves and on a degraded surface. We could have feared that the luggage and the top case of the accessorized version would put a strain on the cap, but this is not so and suddenly, we can consider going far and in duo. But at the aforementioned extreme speeds which will quickly make you stop at the next gas station for thirst. Even at 155 km / h average (real or 165 km / h counter), the reserve lights up from 175 kilometers reducing the range to just 200 kilometers … enough to encourage beyond safety to stay on a more reasonable pace. Finally, depending on the road, the wind may even reduce the need to turn the right handle, the protection offered by the nose screen being limited. In the end, we can be content depending on the wind and to stay in a comfortable driving between 130 and 140 km / h (real, ie between 140 and 150 km / h meter).

Departmental

Fancy a bucolic ride and the NC 750 is happy to be content with normal mode to admire the scenery. Feel like pushing a bit and you will go straight into sport mode. With a higher speed, the recoveries are immediate and you do not stay on a too long report between two sequences. The roadster swings easily and lends itself to all the pranks of its driver, without complaining. Like many Honda models, the NC750 is a model of neutrality, reinforced by a reliable and precise front end. If the pace still needs to pick up a notch, don’t hesitate to switch to manual mode, which is essential to extract the necessary watts for more vigorous times. Because the twin is more comfortable on the torque than on the revs, especially with a red zone at only 6,500 rpm that it reaches relatively easily if we are not careful. There is then the possibility of going into Sport mode, but of playing with the speed paddles to go down one or more gears. We can thus force the NC 750 to pass from 6th gear to 2nd gear, to re-accelerate strongly by chaining the turns. Because otherwise, with a rhythm favoring low revs and especially 2,000-3,500 rpm, the twin cylinder easily struggles to resume in fully automatic mode and especially if you want an "attack" mode..

Braking

The rear brake was quite soft at the start of the test with a pedal that sank easily under the foot without giving the impression of wanting to help stop the bike; a phenomenon which was markedly attenuated then, to become a very honest retarder. The ABS, which is not very intrusive, will not even put a grain of salt and will not intervene even with maximum pressure, at least in the dry. In contrast, the front brake offers a good feeling and good power, largely sufficient to stop all the inclinations of the model. The slightly flexible shock absorber can at most lead to a tipping on heavy braking.

Comfort

The first contacts with the saddle provide a good feeling of comfort for both the rider and the passenger. Their relative thickness will put the overall comfort in perspective a little, in the category average overall, with identical comfort for the pilot and passenger and an imperative need to stop after 200 kilometers for acceptable runs of 300 km in the road. daytime. Beyond that, a specific comfort saddle must be provided. On the other hand, the NC 750 absorbs the defects of the pavement rather well and does not heckle the pilot at all on degraded pavement, allowing the cobblestones to be linked together without bad grace..

Convenient

Originally, the NC 750 is already a model of its kind with its fake tank, which allows you to take a tablet, a long lock, a big camera and rain pants or even a full face helmet (but not a modular one). all the same). So when you equip the whole thing with a top case and side cases and the model is ready to cut thousands of kilometers with everything you need, sir and madam, thanks to the 93 liters of luggage. The top-case alone is a model of its kind allowing to keep two integral and even two modular without any difficulty. We may regret the opening of the trunk or the saddle (to fill the tank) placed on the left side of the motorcycle.

Note the discreet but effective parking brake located on the handlebars and well placed.

Consumption

With a normal mode tending to favor under-revs, the NC 750 offers a range of more than 300 kilometers in mixed use, especially when there is a lot of town (the gearbox is regularly on 5th or 6th gear in town) . The average consumption then turns around 4.3 liters per hundred kilometers. On the motorway, with a speed at the legal limits, consumption rises to 4.9 liters per hundred kilometers and exceeds 5 liters / 100 km if one settles instead at more than 150 km / h, with an autonomy which can then be reduced to 200 kilometers. In fact, there is in fact a difference of 100 kilometers between passages on reserve. The reserve has already ignited after 175 km on the motorway at a steady pace while it only lit after 265 km at mixed pace.

Note the tank placed under the passenger seat; the latter being placed on a jack, thus making it possible to fill the tank without having to remove or hold the end of the saddle. Handling is easy and particularly practical.

The DCT box

With or without DCT box? As much, the version of the DCT box was noisy and moderately pleasant on the previous 700 cm3 version, it has clearly improved on the 750 cm3 version and we now forget it on a daily basis, especially in town. Gear changes are automatic smoothly. Normal mode is rather a rain mode which favors very low revs and which does not allow to have all the pleasure of the NC 750 on a daily basis. The Sport mode on the other hand optimizes the dynamics and the possibilities of the engine rather well, knowing especially that one can even in automatic mode force the passage of one or more lower gears to get out quickly from the flow of traffic. It is thus quite possible to descend from 6th gear (60 km / h) to 2nd gear at almost the same speed, but suddenly by titillating the red zone. At a red light, the gearbox automatically goes into first gear. Suddenly, for the very urban user who wants a rewarding motorcycle but easy to handle and who no longer wants to bother with multiple gear changes every hundred meters, the DCT gearbox is a must since its NC 750 version. ; without having to switch to a scooter. For the user who takes his motorbike on weekends only for country walks or even small stuffs with friends, the DCT box loses much of its interest, despite the small price of 300 euros additional necessary to benefit from it. As much as it has become difficult to do without ABS today given the progress made and the more in terms of safety that it brings, the NC 750 is then an excellent machine in itself which can very well do without the gearbox. Automatique.

Conclusion

The NC 750 is a great Honda, that is to say a motorcycle that is easy to handle, reliable, pleasant for everyday use, built for the road and more particularly economical, especially in terms of consumption. It is aimed at all bikers, including even especially beginners who will find a machine pleasant, useful, even utilitarian and capable of realizing the great difference between daily and urban use and long journeys for the holidays. Good everywhere, it may lack an extra soul, aesthetically or engine, which would raise the thrilling of its owner to the highest heights. But at only 7,199 euros in its ABS version but without DCT and 7,499 euros in its DCT version, the biker will find in it more than a motorcycle accessible at the price level, a real adventurer, faithful, able to take it very far.

Strong points

• grip
• practical and storage
• consumption
• DCT box
• elegance in its white livery

Weak points

• motor character
• comfort

The technical sheet of the Honda NC 750

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