Funny old world isn’t it? Like so many urban myths there’s an element of truth in it but no, it’s not ‘half a car engine’

Really wow, as you say in those circumstances, no contest!

Hi, no it’s not sprayed, it’s standard as it came from the factory, it’s an ‘18 UK model if that helps. :)

It's a really good point. I think you're right, the low slung engine is a big help, 4 cylinder bikes with straight intakes and big airboxes rob a lot of the space where a frunk might be. Secondly, even with the low slung engine, you also have to find somewhere to put the tank. The NC gets by by being very economical which helps get good range out of a pretty small tank. Clever idea all round eh? :)

@@BikingChap Yes, a great bike, wish i had bought one years ago.

@@stillshakin2125 absolutely, I don’t know what else I’d change it for in honesty, a real workhorse.

I think it’s fair to say it’s one of the most solid motors out there, a real workhorse. 👍

Hi, that's impressive stuff, I suspect they take a good while to fully loosen up and at 47k miles yours is now running at it's best, great figures!

Glad it was of help :)

Oh I should imagine it’s an absolute blast, sorry to hear about the hunting though, might be worth checking the chain tension, if it’s ’slackened off’ it *might* just amplify the hunting. Just a thought.

Ah, thank you! I forgot to mention the fob battery, I had heard about it. Odd isn’t it? As mine has been mainly used round town this was the first dual carriageway run so it may still be a little tight. What impressed me most was how refined, stable and sweet handling it was. Nicer than the 350 ADV handling wise imho.

@@BikingChap After the initial breaking in period, it maxed out at 105 so it has definitely become slightly faster on the top end with a few more kms on the engine. As you noted, it is more lively at urban speeds than you would think for a 125.

@@macraemorse that’s useful to know, thank you. I’ve had CBFs and YBRs in the past and while they’re great for longer journey I think the scoots are so much better in town to avoid the endless gear changing.

I absolutely get that, the 125s are great around town, but do struggle over 50 or where you have bigger, longer hills where the 300 / 350s come in to their own. Then you have the ADV which many guys use for light touring in Europe, like an NC bit with better quality suspension / brakes. What’s not to like?

Thanks Keith! I’m trying to secure some more bikes to test but it’s hard to avoid the ‘we can lend you bikes if you say nice things about them’ trap which so many channels seem to fall in to. Might be trying some older ‘classics’ 400/4 for eg, not sure how it would go down but it would different :)

Thanks as ever Adam, struggled a bit with the quality on this one but I’m determined to get some more content up shortly. It’s a great little thing and given the stroke appears the same I wonder if it’s just the barrel / piston that differs. Would be a nice little upgrade if so for those with full licenses.

Good question! The Orange can sits somewhere between a wax coating like 'Waxoyl' and a traditional product like ACF50 that leaves an oily film. The Clear Coat I tested is significantly thinner and less effective. That said there is a new Mark 2 Clear Coat out now and I'll be testing that shortly. In answer to your question I'd happily use the orange can on a new bike but perhaps try to avoid using it for a while after applying it to minimise the muck that will stick in the coating.

@BikingChap ok thank you very much

Hi, thanks for the feedback, I've tried a few now and to be honest if you're retaining the cat then they all sound much of a muchness, especially out on the road. The longer cans tend to be a bit quieter and the stubby cans a little more noisy but it doesn't make as much difference as you might think. I'd go on quality / price / looks depending on where your priorities are in honesty. Good luck!

Hi, thanks for dropping by and the feedback, much appreciated, I still think it's a great bike but, and I never thought I'd say this, I really think a softer tune would suit the Transalp character better but is it a deal breaker as it is? No way :)

@@BikingChap I agree again. I went out today after reading about keeping the revs up on the XL750, and took various back road blacktops, keeping it above 4K rpm, and up to 5.5 - 6.5K, and had a LOT of fun really winding it out in 3rd and 4th gears! I realized I have been riding like an old man, and I am. I'll bet this bike, like my AT, like to keep the revs up. I've also been experimenting with turning the throttle down to 2 bars, EB at 2 or 3, and TC on a bit as well, like the Gravel Mode, and it's great on level gravel roads, way better then I'd previously thought. But when a steep and rutted dirt/gravel hill came up at the end, I did stop and turn off TC. Loving this thing more every day.

@PeterVred that's great to hear, I came to the conclusion that there's enough grunt there if you're not in the mood but wind it out and it really flies and sounds so good. Glad you like it too!

Hi, this was almost exclusively in DRIVE mode. 80mpg is really good, I'd say, two up at the legal limit, it obviously likes that booster plug! :)

I couldn't agree more, I was amazed at how much difference it made just riding really conservatively. How do you find the '24 compares to the '18 as a matter of interest?

@BikingChap As a background, I had 33,000 trouble free miles on the 2018 and I performed all the maintenance myself, including valve adjustments. The 3rd generation NC is lower, shorter, and a little more powerful. The 24 fits me better, but I did move the bars back and up about 200mm. The 24 has better suspension, and rides more sporty, vs dirt bike like. I find the saddle more comfortable on the 24. When I stand on the 24 I feel the geometry changes more than when in the saddle of the 18. The j head lamp on the 18 was superior to the 24! The 24 pierces far down the road, but lacks the side illumination of the 18. I commute in the very early dark hours in deer country, so I installed auxiliary lighting to see the road sides better. I'm very happy to have spent the money on the new bike and have no buyers remorse, except for having to start farkling all over!

@scottsellers9039 thanks for the feedback, much appreciated! I think I might need to try the '24, sounds like they've really improved it.

Hi Gord, thanks for your very kind words, much appreciated! The camera angle is a bit deceptive here, the Transalp feels a bigger, wider bike at the bars but no heavier in honesty. It feels more like a lighter Africa Twin rather than a bigger NC if that makes sense. Without going over the video again, I'd ask yourself why you'd want to upgrade. At low revs the Transalp doesn't drive any harder than the NC really, its power is very much stacked in the upper half of the rev range but it's more comfortable, much better suspended and better braked, arguably it's the better looking bike too. It's not as practical though, it obviously loses the frunk and those wheels, whilst looking very nice, are still running tubes. Try and get a test ride and let me know what you think. :)

@@BikingChap I think it might be the new shinny thing more than anything else. After 30 years of riding across likely 15-20 bikes of all kinds, I do really enjoy the NC DCT. I had a puncture during a ride last fall, the nail was in the tire so I was able to make it back without any issues (slow leak) with tubed tires couldn’t have made it home. Will definitely test ride at some point.

Hi, thank you for the feedback.! Going forward I need to remember that I have viewers outside the UK, especially the fuel consumption numbers, I'll either mention it in the commentary or in subtitles so as many people as possible can access the information :)

Hi, thanks for that. Interestingly the manufacturer has reached out and sent me a 'new improved' version of clear coat which is supposed to be longer lasting. Comparison video coming shortly!

@@BikingChap I wasn't sure at first either. The best example of applying protection I saw at Sam Vinset ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WU6IXHc-x2E.html

That's brilliant, thanks for the link, it'll be interesting to see how the new version compares!

Thanks so much! :)

Interesting, these systems certainly seems to give the best of both worlds, don't you think?

I agree re the different measurements, I really need to find a way of being more inclusive of other countries with fuel consumption figures. The figures in the video were imperial so taking the slightly pessimistic figure of 110mpg (imperial) that would be 92mpg (US), 2.6l/100km and 39km/l, phew! I'd say the ADV160 was doing well at 100mpg flat out, my 125 does around 130mpg but that's really just pottering around at low town / city speeds.

It all depends on your priorities really. Sure, the NC has a similar top speed to the TMAX at 115mph, but the TMAX costs over 14,000GBP now and the NC under 9,000GBP in DCT form and under 8,000 as a manual. There's no way you'll get this economy from a TMAX either. That said around town the TMAX's CVT is smoother and easier t live with. Of course the Transalp is more fun and far prettier too but again it's way more expensive and to get the best out of it you have to push it and while that makes sense in the Hornet it started to frustrate a bit in the Transalp imho.

Hi, thanks for the feedback. The NC and VFR are very different beasts and as I often say, there are few bad bikes, it's just finding the one that suits your priorities the best. If you want good mile crunching and epic mpg the NC is an excellent choice, though the economy does tend to fall apart somewhat over 60-70mph. The NC is not an exciting or 'fun' bike however, whereas the VFR has that glorious soundtrack. One of these you'd buy with your head, one very much with your heart I think, good luck!

I can’t think of another Japanese bike engine quite like it, it’s more like a refined Guzzi or Harley engine in that it works so well at low and medium revs and no doubt that’s why it gives such great mileage and lasts so long. 👍

But if I’d never ridden either what does that really tell me? The NC hasn’t a sporty bone in its body and I can’t imagine anyone actually going off road on the CB.

@@BikingChap I'm just pointing both out a simple design and facts of both, the NC750 is designed as a sports tour maybe just a bit daft using the sports as it's not really I guess just a tour then but with both 17-inch wheels front and rear points out with sports wheels, second of all the CB 500 with a 19inch front wheel gives it perfect for on off-road ADV, was not saying aginst you just pointing out a simple comment to others.

Sorry, was a bit dismissive earlier, yes, I see you're point, I think you're spot on.

Hi, glad it was helpful and I can imagine riding on the beach is a harsh test. Don’t think we can get Penetrol here but will have a look. I did find this link, does it look legit to you, early morning here so half asleep lol. walcar.com.au/products/xcp-rust-blocker

It's crazy isn't it, I'm going to just leave it in the garden and report back after a year!

Hi Kevin, that's what I've tried to draw out in the video basically that the two arguments that a) there's no connection to the Jazz engine and b) it's half a car engine, are both wide of the mark. A few components are the same, some are very similar, most are completely different. That said I think we'd struggle to find any other current bike engine that shared anything at all with a current car engine!

It really is good stuff Andy, I bought all the products tested with my own money and received no sponsorship of any kind so it’s a ‘legit’ as I could make. Let us know how you get on.

I have to say I’m convinced!

Hi John, good to hear from you. This is what made me do the test originally, we all thought certain products were good but where was the evidence? I'm now happy to recommend the XCP product as I know it's good stuff, if only I was on commission! I've a few things lined up for this season but always welcome ideas from the good folk who are kind enough to follow the channel. :)

Hi Adam, glad to hear it works well for you too! Yep, had a break as needed to find a way to bring some money in to help fund what I want to do on the channel but that takes time away from making content for the channel. A tricky balance. It must be a year since I started the MZ videos…oops…suffice to say I haven’t sold it so as time presents I’ll get an update out. Maybe. ;)

Thanks for sticking around Jim! 👍

You’re welcome and I’m glad it’s working well for you too. Still find it hard to believe that ACF50 didn’t do better but the evidence is pretty unambiguous.

Welcome back,my winning can working well also.😊

Thanks Tony, glad to hear it’s been of use, seems genuinely good stuff.

Hi, yes I remember the suggestion and I’m having a think as to how best to do that test. I think the challenge will be that most will be so good it’ll be hard to get an answer in a sensible time frame unless I can accelerate it a little, I’ll get my thinking hat on! :)

@@BikingChap Most of them seem to only claim to be good up to a year or so anyway, it does depend on what conditions you'd expose them to. I think inside a rear wheel well would accelerate things enough.

@@finlaybyrne5410 interesting, ok, leave it with me. As Michael Cane once 'I've got an idea...' :)

It really is brilliant stuff but the purple ‘clear coat’ and the orange product are very different I found.

@@BikingChap Yes, I generally use the orange through winter even though it attacks grime on the bike and give it a good degreasing come spring. Thanks for doing this amazing test as it's given me confidence that I've been using the right thing.

Yep I think that’s the secret, gives it a good old clean in spring to check for any issues, loose fastenings etc then re coat it as and when.

I found the same thing, even though it’s quite a heavy product, it sprays very easily. What I might try and do is see how easy it is to clean off, I know waxoyl can be a pain in that regard. That aside I think it’s a brilliant product and I’m glad you found it useful. :)

That's an impressive amount of tickling! lol

Hi, really good question, I found them very neutral and confidence inspiring, certainly much better than many of the OEM tyres Hondas come with. Suffice to say If I had this bike I'd be happy to replace these OEM Karoos with another pair when it came time to replace them. Hope this helps!

I have to say that's the change I'm considering, the brakes and front suspension are significantly better on the cheaper bike ironically.

Thank you, nearly at the magic 1,000! :)

Greetings John, thank you and funny you sold your NC because that’s what I’ve just done and guess what’s at the top of the likely replacement list? ;) As for advice, you mean re running in? If so I treat them gently when cold and once warmed up I gradually increase the load as the miles rack up to 600 miles or so. By load I mean no labouring at low revs with lots of throttle but equally not using loads of revs for extended periods. Common wisdom seems to suggest varying the revs and load a lot in preference to picking it up and then sitting on the motorway at a fixed speed for hours on end. Please shout if I’m barking up completely the wrong tree!

Many thanks for the running in advice BC as your suggestions are the same as my break in period plans. What a coincidence we have both parted company with our NC’s around the same time & I’ll be very interested in which bike you plan to bring to the channel over the summer. Keep up the brilliant work my friend.

@@johndavy8801 Thanks John, very much appreciated. My reasons were also similar to yours. I'm looking for something just a little lighter, as I've got older 250kg+ has become less and less attractive and with luggage that pretty much what i was looking at with the NC. Interestingly i haven't been that sad to see it go yet, which WAS a surprise...

Oil threads are always a good debate eh Kevin? ;) All I know is there are a number of guys with well over a 100k miles and I know of at least one with over 200k without issue and they've not used a fully synthetic oil. So is a fully synthetic necessary for a long and happy life? I don't believe so but if it works for you, that's all that matters :)

@@BikingChap I'd say that as long as you change it regularly it should be fine, but I'd always rather use the best one available for the job and I think that synthetic is definitely the better oil, but yeah you're right it's certainly one of 'those' topics 😂

Oh sure I don't disagree, using the best oil you can always feels like an insurance policy to me, certainly cheaper than engine rebuilds lol.

They really are a great workhorse Mark, not only super economical on fuel but long lived and cheap / simple to service. You should save a good but over the RT I'm sure!

Thanks Dave for your kind words. I found the NC very planted on the motorways, it's a pretty hefty bike, though i didn't run an aftermarket screen. I found the NT1100 quite a bit more intimidating and while much more powerful they do have a reputation for being a bit less than smooth off a closed throttle to the extent some ride them in rain mode, especially in town. As for the NC and it's frunk, just be careful with the camera gear because the temp in the frunk can get quite high. Good to hear from you, ride safe and enjoy yourself!

@@BikingChap Planted on the motorways is a good thing to hear as that is the main reason for the upgrade. Thank you for the heads up on the Camera idea. I do not know how but I have saved £300 on the insurance getting a bigger bike lol.

@@davecarrera Just worth checking re the cameras, they might be ok but certainly not ideal for chocolate lol. As an added bonus the NCs are WAY easier to service than the 500s and no worse on fuel, enjoy!

That about what I guess too!

I found the NC unintimidating and very accessible, a true workhorse and the DCT suits it well. The Transalp is a slightly mixed bag I felt, in the Hornet the engine is characterful and encouraged you to thrash it. In the Transalp, with the same tune as the Hornet, it felt a little peaky and the performance less accessible, all a bit at odds with it's very easy going soft suspension I felt.