New Honda adventure bike..

[Walace]

I will be riding down to South America in about one year anybody know if the NC700X would be a good option for doing the trip?

2012 NC700X Overview - Honda Powersports

[MountainMan]

Looks interesting. Nice streetbike. The clearance might be a bit of a problem with a 17" front tire. Fuel tank is a bit small at 14 litres. Heavy at 472 pounds. Not sure of the bikes suitability for dual sport riding but if a person is going to stick to the main roads, probably fine. If you plan on doing a fair bit of off highway riding or even off road riding, then you may want to extensively test it out locally beforehand. Setting it up might be a bit of challenge until the availability of aftermarket parts gets sorted.


Specifications

NC700X

ENGINE
ENGINEEngine Type670cc liquid-cooled parallel-twinBore And Stroke73mm x 80mmInductionPGM-FI, 36mm throttle bodyIgnitionDigital transistorized with electronic advanceCompression Ratio10.7:1Valve TrainSOHC; four valves per cylinder

DRIVE TRAIN
DRIVE TRAINTransmissionSix-speedFinal DriveChain

CHASSIS / SUSPENSION / BRAKES
CHASSIS / SUSPENSION / BRAKESFront Suspension41mm fork, 6.0 inches travelRear SuspensionPro-Link® single shock with spring-preload adjustability; 5.9 inches travelFront BrakeSingle 320mm disc with two-piston caliperRear BrakeSingle 240mm disc with single-piston caliperFront Tire120/70ZR17 radialRear Tire160/60ZR17 radial

DIMENSIONS
DIMENSIONSRake27.0 degreesCaster AngleTrail110.0mm (4.3 inches)Wheelbase60.6 inchesSeat Height32.7 inchesCurb Weight472 pounds. Includes all standard equipment, required fluids and full tank of fuel—ready to rideFuel Capacity3.7 gallons

[John Ferris]

Is this a "NEW" bike ?

I don't know much about Hondas but I would not buy any bike that has not been in prouduction for 2 years.

New implies that there could be recalls and limited parts availbility on any brand of bike.

[Walkabout]

Originally Posted by John Ferris

Is this a "NEW" bike ?

I don't know much about Hondas but I would not buy any bike that has not been in prouduction for 2 years.

New implies that there could be recalls and limited parts availbility on any brand of bike.

Yes, it is new, to the UK market at least.
I think Honda claim this to be a street/commuter bike and their marketing blurb heavily emphasizes the fuel economy that can be achieved.
That parallel twin engine is reputed to be exactly one half of one of the Honda car engines, which may be a way forward for all of those manufacturers who make both bikes and cars; in this case it is taken from the Honda Jazz, but that car might be known by some other name elsewhere in the world.

[docsherlock]

I likey but what about the new V-Strom 650?

[John Ferris]

Interesting review at Ash on bikes.

Honda NC700X | Ash On Bikes

[Walkabout]

Originally Posted by John Ferris

Interesting review at Ash on bikes.

Honda NC700X | Ash On Bikes

Ah! Kevin Ash, the thinking biking journo.

He writes in some of the UK national press but I didn't know he has his own website - makes sense these days.
His reviews are far more detailed, and thoughtful, than the average stuff churned out by the biking press in the UK (and I see that he is pretty much saying that in his article in your link).
At least he has taken a ride on this bike, so it will be interesting to see how many riders dip their toes into this water and take on this new Honda - any of the 3 models!!

ps And that price is very competitive, especially for a bike manuf in Japan (I wonder how long that will last, before it is outsourced?)
The price gives the lie to the recent price hikes in the UK by, say, Yamaha which has often been blamed on the exchange rate for the Yen.