Going to test ride an NC750X tomorrow
Discussion
Well the Enfield is gone and the Jaguar soon to follow. Its only been a week and i already hate not having a bike in the garage 
Looking at reducing my monthly costs, I have had the thought of buying a do it all bike and using it for commuting. I still have the TVR and Trabant for really rough winter days and the girlfriends car when she is not using it, so it wouldn't be my only transport. The Enfield just wasn't getting used enough as the slow cruising speed and kick start only (which was killing my knee) meant it used to take an extra 20 minutes to get to work on, so was really only used for leisure.
I popped into the local Honda dealer for a chat today and have booked a test ride on an NC750X tomorrow morning which should be good fun as i have never ridden a new bike before, and the demonstrator they have has the DCT gearbox which should be interesting.
What do you guys think about this bike? Reviews all seem favourable and realistically I need a bike that is cheap to run, reliable, practical with luggage (which Honda offer a good deal with) and suitable for occasional pillion use and a bit of light touring.
To be honest I am surprised I have found a new bike i actually like the look of, I normally have odd / old taste in vehicles
Looking at reducing my monthly costs, I have had the thought of buying a do it all bike and using it for commuting. I still have the TVR and Trabant for really rough winter days and the girlfriends car when she is not using it, so it wouldn't be my only transport. The Enfield just wasn't getting used enough as the slow cruising speed and kick start only (which was killing my knee) meant it used to take an extra 20 minutes to get to work on, so was really only used for leisure.
I popped into the local Honda dealer for a chat today and have booked a test ride on an NC750X tomorrow morning which should be good fun as i have never ridden a new bike before, and the demonstrator they have has the DCT gearbox which should be interesting.
What do you guys think about this bike? Reviews all seem favourable and realistically I need a bike that is cheap to run, reliable, practical with luggage (which Honda offer a good deal with) and suitable for occasional pillion use and a bit of light touring.
To be honest I am surprised I have found a new bike i actually like the look of, I normally have odd / old taste in vehicles
Thanks guys that sounds promising 
My commute is 30 miles each way mixed dual carriageway and flowing A roads. I have never looked at a new bike before as i have always just seen it as an extravagance, but the monthly payment on a brand new NC750X (£110) is less than what I will be saving on fuel running the Jag, and it means I get a bike again that can tour and go out with the misses on.
The only thing I am a bit worried about is getting bored of the performance but I guess I will find that out tomorrow. I used to happily run a CX500 (before the Enfield) so I am used to slowish bikes and it has never really fussed me. I have the TVR for trackdays anyways. I will let you guys know how i get on!
My commute is 30 miles each way mixed dual carriageway and flowing A roads. I have never looked at a new bike before as i have always just seen it as an extravagance, but the monthly payment on a brand new NC750X (£110) is less than what I will be saving on fuel running the Jag, and it means I get a bike again that can tour and go out with the misses on.
The only thing I am a bit worried about is getting bored of the performance but I guess I will find that out tomorrow. I used to happily run a CX500 (before the Enfield) so I am used to slowish bikes and it has never really fussed me. I have the TVR for trackdays anyways. I will let you guys know how i get on!
Thanks for the replies guys, I have had a great morning on the NC750X and an CB500F 
NC750X
Very interesting gearbox and very easy to use. Very quiet and bland though, obviously not very quick. \might be better with the standard gearbox though.
CB500F
Surprisingly I much preferred riding this. Much lighter, more fun, smoother engine, great manual box (a revelation after the Enfield!). Revvy little twin and being lighter than the NC it actually felt peppier to me. Not sure if the performance would get a bit boring though even though it was still more than capable of safe overtakes. Being unfaired it was actually more comfortable to me than the NC as the screen on that seems to throw a lot of wind into my upper body.
I am hopefully going back on Monday to have a try at the CB500X which with the added luggage would be a better fit for me I think, but riding the unfaired CB i seemed to really gel with it so the salesman recommended i try a CB650 as well to see if it gives me the best of both. I love the look of the CB650 but need to do some research on what luggage there are for it so I have the option to do some light touring if wanted.
I think te CB500X is top of the list at the moment though for practicality, riding pleasure and cost (providing it is similar to the F on the test ride)
Big thanks to Norton Way Honda as well as they are being very accommodating
NC750X
Very interesting gearbox and very easy to use. Very quiet and bland though, obviously not very quick. \might be better with the standard gearbox though.
CB500F
Surprisingly I much preferred riding this. Much lighter, more fun, smoother engine, great manual box (a revelation after the Enfield!). Revvy little twin and being lighter than the NC it actually felt peppier to me. Not sure if the performance would get a bit boring though even though it was still more than capable of safe overtakes. Being unfaired it was actually more comfortable to me than the NC as the screen on that seems to throw a lot of wind into my upper body.
I am hopefully going back on Monday to have a try at the CB500X which with the added luggage would be a better fit for me I think, but riding the unfaired CB i seemed to really gel with it so the salesman recommended i try a CB650 as well to see if it gives me the best of both. I love the look of the CB650 but need to do some research on what luggage there are for it so I have the option to do some light touring if wanted.
I think te CB500X is top of the list at the moment though for practicality, riding pleasure and cost (providing it is similar to the F on the test ride)
Big thanks to Norton Way Honda as well as they are being very accommodating
Well a little update:
I have had a chat with the Honda dealer and should be going back this week to try their CB500X, but I am also going to try a CBR650F as I am a bit worried the 500 just won't have enough grunt to keep me happy for any decent amount of time. The price, luggage options and running costs are still drawing me to it though and coming from the Enfield is still way quicker than i have been on for years.
0% finance on the CBR brings the price differential down quite a lot, although the downside being that the bigger, sportier bike has less options in terms of luggage but i have seen some decent aftermarket panniers which would be suitable for the riding I will be likely to be doing.
I am also debating spending a little more and looking at a Triumph Sprint GT which seems a bit of a bargain at only £9000 with all of the luggage and extras as standard. If the dealer is open tomorrow i will take a trip down there too.
The Yamaha is a good shout but to be honest I don't like the way it looks and the nearest dealer to me is ages away.
Any thoughts?
I have had a chat with the Honda dealer and should be going back this week to try their CB500X, but I am also going to try a CBR650F as I am a bit worried the 500 just won't have enough grunt to keep me happy for any decent amount of time. The price, luggage options and running costs are still drawing me to it though and coming from the Enfield is still way quicker than i have been on for years.
0% finance on the CBR brings the price differential down quite a lot, although the downside being that the bigger, sportier bike has less options in terms of luggage but i have seen some decent aftermarket panniers which would be suitable for the riding I will be likely to be doing.
I am also debating spending a little more and looking at a Triumph Sprint GT which seems a bit of a bargain at only £9000 with all of the luggage and extras as standard. If the dealer is open tomorrow i will take a trip down there too.
The Yamaha is a good shout but to be honest I don't like the way it looks and the nearest dealer to me is ages away.
Any thoughts?
Jazoli said:
Have a look at the Bandit GSX1250 too they seem brilliant value at £8k, for a big bike with luggage
https://www.suzuki-gb.co.uk/motorcycles/motorcycle...
Great shout I will go have a look https://www.suzuki-gb.co.uk/motorcycles/motorcycle...
Another little update
Basically I ave decided that I would rather sacrifice cost instead of making any sacrifices with the bike, mainly so I can get some longevity from the purchase and also because i want to treat myself (and have been given the go-ahead from the misses
), so budget has been upped.
I went to Pure Triumph in Woburn today to try a couple of the bikes; a Sprint GT and Tiger 800 SCX
Sprint GT
Really strong engine, tons or torque, very easy to ride and great wind protection. Super stable at speed but felt quite heavy on the road. I didn't find it amazingly comfortable and it felt quite old fashioned and basic compared to the Hondas i have been trying. I don't think I would spend £9000 on one. Gearbox was quite clunky as well and i trapped my hands against the tank when turning the bike around.
Tiger 800 XCx
Fantastic bike, great suspension, powerful engine (felt a lot more lively than the Sprint) and very well specced with plenty of options. Absolutely loved riding it and is very much now at the top of the list. Really have nothing bad to say about it at all. Not really much else to say
And a goofy picture of me
I am also booked in to try a VFR800 (and possibly a VFR1200 but I am sure it will be too large) on Wednesday which I am very much looking forward to. Starting to get my list a bit shorter now and figuring out what i value and want from a bike. Sorry for the long ramblings
Basically I ave decided that I would rather sacrifice cost instead of making any sacrifices with the bike, mainly so I can get some longevity from the purchase and also because i want to treat myself (and have been given the go-ahead from the misses
), so budget has been upped.I went to Pure Triumph in Woburn today to try a couple of the bikes; a Sprint GT and Tiger 800 SCX
Sprint GT
Really strong engine, tons or torque, very easy to ride and great wind protection. Super stable at speed but felt quite heavy on the road. I didn't find it amazingly comfortable and it felt quite old fashioned and basic compared to the Hondas i have been trying. I don't think I would spend £9000 on one. Gearbox was quite clunky as well and i trapped my hands against the tank when turning the bike around.
Tiger 800 XCx
Fantastic bike, great suspension, powerful engine (felt a lot more lively than the Sprint) and very well specced with plenty of options. Absolutely loved riding it and is very much now at the top of the list. Really have nothing bad to say about it at all. Not really much else to say
And a goofy picture of me
I am also booked in to try a VFR800 (and possibly a VFR1200 but I am sure it will be too large) on Wednesday which I am very much looking forward to. Starting to get my list a bit shorter now and figuring out what i value and want from a bike. Sorry for the long ramblings
LoonR1 said:
To put this in one car manufacturer terms. You asked a question about a BMW 114i as you wanted mega economy and didn't care about image and are now looking at a BMW 540d as you've sacrificed economy and are concerned about image.
Brilliant.
Where did I say I am concerned about image? I started looking at £6000 bikes, decided they are sacrificing too much of the 'fun' I get from biking so am looking at slightly more expensive, bigger engined and better specced bikes that still do everything as well of not better at the sacrifice of 10-15 mpgBrilliant.
Another update if anyone is still listening
Test rode the VFR800 today. Really lovely bike. Fantastic engine; grunty around town but screams with the VTEC when opened up, it was really good fun. Handling was excellent as well. I did find that my test ride started to make my stomach ache after a bit from holding the weight off my wrists, but i think this is more due to me not riding 'sporty' bikes in years and after a few weeks would be fine with some strengthening up.
Unfortunately the weather was awful on the test ride, drizzly rain and fast gusty wind, so i did find myself getting blown about a lot, but the dealer has invited me back next week with the misses for hopefully a better chance to ride the bike and also see how comfortable she is as pillion. I am also still not sure if i prefer the upright adventure style or sports touring as i think either would fit what I want perfectly.
The only thing letting the VFR down really is the price, as with all the options i would want the best price the dealer could come to was £12,000, which was actually still a lot off or RRP but a huge amount of money.
I also popped into the local Suzuki / Ducati dealer to have a look at the V-strom and GSX1250 but to be honest neither really did it for me
One thing that shook things up a bit though was this:
Absolutely stunning looking bike, satisfies my Ducati urges and comes with most of the options I want as standard. Kitted out this work out about the same price as the Tiger, and almost £1000 cheaper than the VFR. Service intervals at 8000 miles (or yearly) and big service at 16,000 miles (or 5 yearly) means that it works out similarly to the Tiger as well (if not a little cheaper).
I have always been a Ducati fan (had 3 now) but was slightly turned off the brand by my Multistrada 1000DS which was a pain in the backside, so am slightly wary of that, and also the dealer does not have a demonstrator and when asked about test rides he just said most people don't want to ride them before and 'how bad can it be'!
Its a lot of money to spend without test riding IMO
So where I am at now:
VFR and Tiger are at the top of my list and I love both. I will have to do more research on the Hyperstrada and see if there is a dealer with a demonsrator available. Next up is to try the misses on the back and see what sort of deal could be had o the Tiger to weigh up against the VFR and Ducati.
Test rode the VFR800 today. Really lovely bike. Fantastic engine; grunty around town but screams with the VTEC when opened up, it was really good fun. Handling was excellent as well. I did find that my test ride started to make my stomach ache after a bit from holding the weight off my wrists, but i think this is more due to me not riding 'sporty' bikes in years and after a few weeks would be fine with some strengthening up.
Unfortunately the weather was awful on the test ride, drizzly rain and fast gusty wind, so i did find myself getting blown about a lot, but the dealer has invited me back next week with the misses for hopefully a better chance to ride the bike and also see how comfortable she is as pillion. I am also still not sure if i prefer the upright adventure style or sports touring as i think either would fit what I want perfectly.
The only thing letting the VFR down really is the price, as with all the options i would want the best price the dealer could come to was £12,000, which was actually still a lot off or RRP but a huge amount of money.
I also popped into the local Suzuki / Ducati dealer to have a look at the V-strom and GSX1250 but to be honest neither really did it for me
One thing that shook things up a bit though was this:
Absolutely stunning looking bike, satisfies my Ducati urges and comes with most of the options I want as standard. Kitted out this work out about the same price as the Tiger, and almost £1000 cheaper than the VFR. Service intervals at 8000 miles (or yearly) and big service at 16,000 miles (or 5 yearly) means that it works out similarly to the Tiger as well (if not a little cheaper).
I have always been a Ducati fan (had 3 now) but was slightly turned off the brand by my Multistrada 1000DS which was a pain in the backside, so am slightly wary of that, and also the dealer does not have a demonstrator and when asked about test rides he just said most people don't want to ride them before and 'how bad can it be'!
Its a lot of money to spend without test riding IMO
So where I am at now:
VFR and Tiger are at the top of my list and I love both. I will have to do more research on the Hyperstrada and see if there is a dealer with a demonsrator available. Next up is to try the misses on the back and see what sort of deal could be had o the Tiger to weigh up against the VFR and Ducati.
What made you move on from the Tiger?
I haven't spoken to the Triumph dealer yet about servicing costs but i have read online that it is quite expensive (and only 6,000 mile service intervals compared to 8,000 on the Honda and Ducati)
A small service on the Honda is £140 (600 mile service is £100) and large valve clearance service is £575 at 16,000 miles. The Ducati is around £200 small service and £700 large service (belts and clearances)
I haven't spoken to the Triumph dealer yet about servicing costs but i have read online that it is quite expensive (and only 6,000 mile service intervals compared to 8,000 on the Honda and Ducati)
A small service on the Honda is £140 (600 mile service is £100) and large valve clearance service is £575 at 16,000 miles. The Ducati is around £200 small service and £700 large service (belts and clearances)
LoonR1 said:
Cheap to run and reliable were the first two of your five requirements. Ducati doesn't tick those two boxes a,d the VFR won't tick the cheap box when the big service kicks in.
Yes tbh i think the Ducati might be a step too far. Reading online it seems to basically be the same as the Hypermoto with a screen and panniers, so still deep down is just a bonkers supermoto, so might not really tick the practical box either Edited by AceOfHearts on Wednesday 6th May 20:30
2OOM said:
I'm really enjoying this .. it makes me feel much better that I'm not the only one that starts off with a definite idea of what to get but gets distracted by the other sparkly options along the way and ends up with a completely different bike to what was originally intended ... keep going OP I'm looking forward to the final choice
Haha thanks, there is just so much choice and i am indecisive I'm sure i will be happy with whatever I end up getting. I think the Tiger is out in front at the moment so next thing is get the misses down there with us and see what she likes being on the most (as that will open up potential touring options in the summer
)PTF said:
AceOfHearts said:
Another update if anyone is still listening
Test rode the VFR800 today. Really lovely bike. Fantastic engine; grunty around town but screams with the VTEC when opened up, it was really good fun. Handling was excellent as well. I did find that my test ride started to make my stomach ache after a bit from holding the weight off my wrists, but i think this is more due to me not riding 'sporty' bikes in years and after a few weeks would be fine with some strengthening up.
Unfortunately the weather was awful on the test ride, drizzly rain and fast gusty wind, so i did find myself getting blown about a lot, but the dealer has invited me back next week with the misses for hopefully a better chance to ride the bike and also see how comfortable she is as pillion. I am also still not sure if i prefer the upright adventure style or sports touring as i think either would fit what I want perfectly.
The only thing letting the VFR down really is the price, as with all the options i would want the best price the dealer could come to was £12,000, which was actually still a lot off or RRP but a huge amount of money
The journos keep banging on about how the new vfr is a return to how the old pre-vtec bike used to be. I had a vtec and didn't like the switch to the other cams which used to unsettle it.Test rode the VFR800 today. Really lovely bike. Fantastic engine; grunty around town but screams with the VTEC when opened up, it was really good fun. Handling was excellent as well. I did find that my test ride started to make my stomach ache after a bit from holding the weight off my wrists, but i think this is more due to me not riding 'sporty' bikes in years and after a few weeks would be fine with some strengthening up.
Unfortunately the weather was awful on the test ride, drizzly rain and fast gusty wind, so i did find myself getting blown about a lot, but the dealer has invited me back next week with the misses for hopefully a better chance to ride the bike and also see how comfortable she is as pillion. I am also still not sure if i prefer the upright adventure style or sports touring as i think either would fit what I want perfectly.
The only thing letting the VFR down really is the price, as with all the options i would want the best price the dealer could come to was £12,000, which was actually still a lot off or RRP but a huge amount of money
As nice as the new one is, i can't get past the fact that it's essentially the same frame, engine and riding pos as the model from 15 yrs ago.
So. I just bought an R reg one for 10% of the new price you quoted. Lovely machine. Heated grips, scotoiler, rack included, plus it has FSH andit had the valves done not long ago.
If you like the vfr but not the price maybe hunt out an older one? They don't seem to suffer with age at all!
MoelyCrio said:
AceOfHearts said:
J B L said:
You ought to try an MT09 Tracer.
On my to do list, there is a Yamaha dealer near the Triumph one so I will pop in next time i am down there Hopefully tomorrow is the last day of looking and I will finally be able to make a decision
My summary so far:
Tiger 800
Ridden solo and really enjoyed it. Great engine, handling and a wide range of accessories available. Downsides that it is fairly expensive and the finance deals are not as good as others. Not too sure on the looks but love the brand (family have always had Triumphs). Great size luggage and the best running costs wise.
VFR800x Crossrunner
Seen one at a not so local dealer and will be test riding for the first time tomorrow. Tried the VFR800f though and loved the build quality and engine. Most expensive but Honda are offering 0%
_MT09 Tracer
Winner of most review tests and cheapest of the lot. It is growing on me tbh but I am unsure if the quality will stand up to the other two. Limited luggage options but not too bad. Best performance. I will also be test riding one of these for the first time tomorrow which I am really looking forward to.
Hopefully one will shine tomorrow above the rest and make the decision easy. I don't want the money side to effect the decision but the standard finance offered on the Yamaha brings the price almost exactly the same as the Honda which makes it seem like less good value, but obviously when i decide tomorrow hopefully there will be a deal to be had.
My summary so far:
Tiger 800
Ridden solo and really enjoyed it. Great engine, handling and a wide range of accessories available. Downsides that it is fairly expensive and the finance deals are not as good as others. Not too sure on the looks but love the brand (family have always had Triumphs). Great size luggage and the best running costs wise.
VFR800x Crossrunner
Seen one at a not so local dealer and will be test riding for the first time tomorrow. Tried the VFR800f though and loved the build quality and engine. Most expensive but Honda are offering 0%
_MT09 Tracer
Winner of most review tests and cheapest of the lot. It is growing on me tbh but I am unsure if the quality will stand up to the other two. Limited luggage options but not too bad. Best performance. I will also be test riding one of these for the first time tomorrow which I am really looking forward to.
Hopefully one will shine tomorrow above the rest and make the decision easy. I don't want the money side to effect the decision but the standard finance offered on the Yamaha brings the price almost exactly the same as the Honda which makes it seem like less good value, but obviously when i decide tomorrow hopefully there will be a deal to be had.
Well i'm back from anther good day on the bikes. Had the girlfriend on the back of all three, and all of which turned out to be very comfortable for her (the Triumph coming up top and the Tracer last but that was mainly due to lack of top box compared to the other two)
Unfortunately (for my decision making) all of the bikes were great, again the Triumph was best with pillion and had the smoothest engine and power delivery, the Honda felt the most grown up, the Tracer was a total hooligan in comparison
The only Honda that was available at the dealer sold earlier this week so if i decide I want one will have to fight to find one (although the dealer was very helpful and gave me a list of available bikes in the country on the system) so I will have to call around to actually see if there are any available (other than the 12 or so showing on the system they are on back order until August!
The Triumph dealer came back with a horrendous quote for the bike (albeit with the accessories I wanted) at 14.9% APR(!!!!!) which would make the total amount payable almost £5k more that the Yamaha and double the monthly payments!
I will call Triumph back up tomorrow to see if they can sort this out but if not that is definitely out of the running
So, top of the list at the moment is the Yamaha. As the majority of my riding will be solo I am sure it will be the most fun, and is no less useable (with the right accessories) than the other two for touring and everyday duties.
I will keep you updated
Unfortunately (for my decision making) all of the bikes were great, again the Triumph was best with pillion and had the smoothest engine and power delivery, the Honda felt the most grown up, the Tracer was a total hooligan in comparison
The only Honda that was available at the dealer sold earlier this week so if i decide I want one will have to fight to find one (although the dealer was very helpful and gave me a list of available bikes in the country on the system) so I will have to call around to actually see if there are any available (other than the 12 or so showing on the system they are on back order until August!
The Triumph dealer came back with a horrendous quote for the bike (albeit with the accessories I wanted) at 14.9% APR(!!!!!) which would make the total amount payable almost £5k more that the Yamaha and double the monthly payments!
I will call Triumph back up tomorrow to see if they can sort this out but if not that is definitely out of the running
So, top of the list at the moment is the Yamaha. As the majority of my riding will be solo I am sure it will be the most fun, and is no less useable (with the right accessories) than the other two for touring and everyday duties.
I will keep you updated
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