DMV: Modding Out the NC750X for the Ride to STURGIS 

just a couple things joe.. for what it’s worth.. when removing and installing grips. To get the grips off, so you don’t have to cut them off, get a narrow flat blade screwdriver under the edge of the grip. Work that in while spraying Brake cleaner. Work the screwdriver all the way in and just spin it by the handle that will work the brake clean all the way around in the grips will pull off to live another day.. when installing new grips, I have been using hairspray for decades. It lubricates the install, so the grip will slide right on, and it’s sort of hardens like lacquer to keep them from spinning on the throttle tube or on the left handle bar… I have also used hair mousse as grip glue.. since you have a center stand, I carry a small 4 ounce “zoom “bottle. A zoom bottle can be bought at a heating and air-conditioning supply house. It is an oil plastic bottle with a long snorkel that retracts. They generally have them right on top of the counter. These little bottles about the size of a toilet paper cardboard roll have a retractable plastic tube for reaching into furnaces to get oil into furnace motor bearings through those little caps while reaching into the furnace. I have one in one of my videos for my Z 400 entitled, --Z 400 routine prep. --I use 90 weight gear lube on my chains. Honda recommended 90 weight gear lube as chain lube in the owners manual when I bought my Honda CB 750 new. I have been using 90 weight oil on all my street bike chains, and I have never worn out a chain/sprocket on a street bike. I put one drop between the plates where the O-rings are on each link.. I do the inside of the chain so that the chain/gear lube goes through the chain before flying off.. I also put one drop just on one side of each roller. Capillary action will get that oil in under the roller because it does not have an O-ring… I explained that in my video.. if you are going to use spray chain lube, to save time, rather than use a rag to catch the overspray, I use a pizza box to protect from getting chain lube on my Wheels and tires on my road racing machines, and four of the 24 Hour roadraces I was in back in the 70s and 80s..(they weren’t my bikes, and each team had four riders) One of the races, we started the race with a brand new chain that we put on just before the start of the race. When The writer who took the first shift it was about 45 minutes long, when he pulled in for the first pitstop, the bike got a stand under it, and I spun the back wheel, put a pizza box to protect the tire, and sprayed the chain. That shane was so hot that the chain lube actually sizzled and steamed off, because we never broke the chain in. we lost 15 minutes putting the original chain back on. That chain was turning dark blue, and it had seized links.. that was on a CB 750 Honda, which were prone to breaking the engine cases, if the chain were to snap and get caught between the countershaft sprocket in the engine cases. So we didn’t take a chance… when it comes to FreePlay in cables. That’s all you want to concern yourself with is FreePlay. you want to make sure that your throttle snaps closed all the way and does not increase RPMs as you turn your handlebars all the way to the left or the right.. using white lithium grease on your clutch and brake lever pivots makes a big difference. If you think about it, you pull that clutch lever in maybe thousands of times a day. You pull it in 10 times just shifting from first up through sixth and back down to neutral… Oil is a big subject. In 1988 or 89, the federal government had a meeting with car manufacturers and petroleum companies. They asked those companies how we could get more miles per gallon with our cars. The consensus was, thinner oil. That’s when 5W 20 and 0W 20 oil’s.started showing up.. Oil has friction. Thinning the oil might save 1 gallon per tank .. that can save millions of gallons of gasoline in a day.. but they did not give consideration to motorcycles. A motorcycle transmission is the most severe environment you can subject oil to on a motorcycle. It’s not the heat, it’s not the RPMs, it’s the shearing of the oil, the smashing of the oil between the teeth of the transmission gears under power. there is not a more severe duty to ask oil to stand upto than transmission lubrication ..That actually scissors the long molecules of oil apart… you can tell when your oil is sheared to death, when your motorcycle becomes difficult to shift, difficult to find neutral.. that lesson was taught to me by a NASA engineer that took a part-time job as the Moto Guzzi national rep when he was laid off from NASA in 1986 when the space shuttle blew up. I ran into this guy at the Moto Guzzi national rally that year. I have had a Moto Guzzi from 1979 all the way up till 2021, four of them. so how did petroleum companies reduce the friction in oil? By reducing the amount of zinc and phosphorus in the additives package. Zinc and phosphorus are the ingredients needed to give the oil film strength to reduce sheer… there are a few things I would tell new bike, buyers or used bike buyers when I sold motorcycles part time 17 years at several different shops here in Pittsburgh. never never never use Champion Spark Plug, don’t modify your engine or exhaust, because the factory knows more than you do, only use OEM oil filters, and use whatever weight oil specified in your owners manual for your motorcycle. It really doesn’t matter if you use Honda, Kawasaki. Suzuki or Yamaha four stroke motor cycle oil. Just so you use one of them. Those factories don’t want to get a reputation for having engine problems or transmission problems, and they sure don’t want to do warranty work, so they are going to make damn sure of the oil with their branding on. It has the additives package that is going to protect their product, your motorcycle… I myself use whatever for stroke. Motorcycle oil is on sale on eBay. I don’t worry about if it’s semi synthetic or if it is full synthetic. I have had 108 motorcycles so far, I have more than 700,000 miles behind bars. just on the street mostly commuting 31 miles round-trip six days a week, eight months a year mostly. I have never had an oil related failure on any of my four cycle motorcycles. I’ve had seizures of my two stroke motorcycles, due to jetting issues on my road racing machines. That’s quite an art to be able to Jet for 4000 feet of elevation, one week, and then sea level the next week. Sometimes , you get it wrong when your jetting for the knife edge of performance.. here in May 2023. I just recommended buying the motorcycle you have in this video to a friend of mine that is not comfortable with the weight of his current streetbike.. A friend of mine that is also a motorcycle junkie like myself that I’ve known for over 30 years, also has the same machine. He lives in Florida and commutes back-and-forth between oil city Pennsylvania, which is about two hours north of Pittsburgh, And back down to Florida like it’s nothing on his Honda 750. He was foaming at the mouth telling me how much I would love this bike… so I turned my friend onto your video and your website, and after viewing your video today, we are going to go see the bike that is near us for sale like yours.. in one of your other videos, I think you said you were getting over 70 miles to the gallon at times. That is quite remarkable. I have a Kawasaki Z 400 as my little bike right now, and that according to the onboard computer at times gets in the upper 60s. I don’t remember seeing in any of your videos what the mileage you were getting on your Kawasaki ninja 300. but when I checked my mileage against the gallons, using my Calculator, the figures did not match up for gas mileage with the onboard computer on my Kawasaki. But that’s assuming that the odometer is correct.. Anyway, I love your videos, and I’ll keep tuning in..

Next item Joe, fork gators. You'll probably never replace fork seals. Without, your tubes will get pitted from highway travels. Remember, Amsoil if possible all the time. The car oil works just fine ( 5-40 or 10-40). Joe I've got over 500 k on motorcycles.(72years young) Rotella works good if you change every 2 to 3 k. Amsoil good for 5 k. Good luck 🤞

I was using Mobile 1 synthetic then switched to Amsoil. It made a positive difference in the clutch, smoother engagement. I put just over 9000 miles on the oil using the Amsoil filter. Of course the oil was dark after that many miles, but it wasn't jet black and thick like dino oil. I could have changed the filter and gone until the next oil change interval according to Amsoil, but I wasn't going to try it. This next Amsoil will be changed at the recommended 8000 mile limit. I have almost 38000 on the bike now and the gear noise hasn't changed much. This is the CTX, same engine as your ST.

I have an 2005 ST1300 which is how I wondered onto your channel. Although my road motorcycle experience is fairly minimal, I have 40 years of dirt bike experience. In response to your question, I like to use the manufacturer’s brand of oil in my motorcycles. My KTM dirt bike gets Motorex, my ST, Honda brand oil. For my ST, Amazon, RevZilla, and Rocky Mountain MC all have oil change “kits” that are fairly well priced with free shipping. I figure using the manufacture’s oil you can expect all the additives and such are in the correct ratios according to their engineer’s recommendation for their product. Good clean oil and filters changed regularly is 90% of winning the battle however.

Yeah I can totally confirm the benefits of the grip mods, added them myself lately and wished I had them on a few years earlier... enjoy your NC! greetings from Germany, riding a silver NC from 2016 :)

I use amsoil in the engine, transmission and primary side.. I live in Illinois where we have extreme temperature fluctuations and the amsoil seems to hold up great, more mileage between changes and after running it my transmission shifted smoother along with it seeming to handle the temperature. Amsoil is sold at Harley dealerships along with many other well known stores. I've got several buddies who have hopped up Harleys and snowmobiles etc and they all run amsoil and haven't had any issues and it's made in the USA.. superior Wisconsin to be exact and if you become a member for a small fee every year you can get discounts on all their products including oil filters .. it's also nice that they sell kits that comes with everything needed

Spare clutch and throttle cables. Tuck them in to the back of one of your side bags and you'll never know they're there, until you need one!

Mobile1 4T 20w40 racing oil. It is a synthetic of course. Run it in all my baggers except the Harley. Mobile1 makes a great 50w now for Harley's. Never had any issues with Mobile1 synthetics.

Rotella T6 both in my KLR and Concours

10:03 I have the same bike, same color, but the givi alu cases. when I pack my bike, it looks similar. I love that. 😊

Try hairspray next time to put on your handle grips it lubricates the handlebar when sliding the new grips on but when it drys after just a few short minutes it locks the new grips on for life just use a razor blade to cut them off when it's time to replace them and repeat the process with hair spray

Cool scenery

I have a Gold Wing and I use Rotella T-6 5-40 synthetic oil for over 20 years and it has never used oil and never had any kind of mechanical trouble. I change oil at 5000 miles.

Will not miss the ST’s whine on your video, congrats on your choice of bike, Lucas mkes and sell full synthetic 10w30 motorcycle oil that exceed requirements, safe travels Joe.

Glad you are happy with the new ride. I am happy not to hear that winey noise from the old bike anymore LOL. Stay Safe.

IVE RIDDEN TO STURGIS 2019-21 FROM MOBILE,AL . I DECIDED NOT TO GO THIS YR BEING I HAVE 96K MILES ON MY 2017 ROAD GLIDE SPECIAL.I HAVENT HAD NOT ONE ISSUE WITH THE MOTOR YET BUT ID LIKE TO CHANGE THE LIFTERS BEFORE MAKING SUCH A LONG TREK AGAIN! I FIGURED I MIGHT RIDE THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY IN THE FALL ONCE I GET THE OIL PUMP AND LIFTERS CHANGED. MAN, I RODE TO THAT JOINT YALL CAMP AT LAST YR AND IT WAS HOT AS AN OVEN DOWN IN THERE. SO I STAYED IN SPEARFISH CANYON WHERE IT GOT TO 60 DGS AT NIGHT.

MAN, IM SO ECITED FOR YA THAT YOU GOT A NEW BIKE! IT'S A PIECE OF MIND KNOWING YOU CAN GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD ON THAT PUPPY WITHOUT WORRYING OF BREAKING DOWN AND IF DO GETTING PARTS FOR THE DAMN THING! RIDE HARD, JOE! BTW... I USE SUPER TECH SYNTHETIC OIL IN MY BIKE. 96K MILES MY BOY! SAW A RU-vid CHANNEL "FARM PROJECT" DO A PRETTY THOROUGH PERMANCES ON DIFFERENT OIL BRANDS AND THE SUPER TECH HUNG WITH AMSOIL!

Very good tip you taught me. See what tools fit the bike before you need them on the road. Rock on brotha God Bless.

Words in a movie I once watched really hit home with me. Theirs nothing more important than your Blood, meaning family. Everyone else are just strangers. Not totally true, but more than not.

You mentioned foam grip covers, i use grip puppies that slide over my stock harley grips and it helps alot. Ive iron butted my 2020 sportster numerous times and they are a game changer they are on all my bikes

I use Amsoil synthetic in the newer bikes. Use straight 50W in the Shovel. All Amsoil. Had good results with it.

Hey Joe, Rotella is great oil for automotive use but for a motorcycle with a wet clutch you should consider a motorcycle specific oil that has additives for the clutch and transmission (Jaso, ma or ma2) rating. Your owners manual should cover this.

It really is about you. Great stuff, you and itchy boots are riding Hondas. Reliability is everything.

Glad the bikes working out for you, thank you for letting us all know what kind of bike because right now I’m sitting in a computer looking it up, I’m liking the gas mileage, hopefully it keeps working out for you and you’ll get a good feel with it on the way to Sturgis, have fun don’t work too hard while you’re there

I use Rotella T4 in my NC700X DCT. Booklet says change every 8k but I do it 4k and it still looks new. I have 45k on the bike. Fork gators are a great suggestion. I installed a Motobriiz chain oiler. It uses wind/air pressure to dispense oil to a felt pad that the chain runs over. The faster you go the more it oils the chain. I put it way in the back under the pillion seat. It sets at an angle but works fine. I never have to oil my chain except after cleaning. My present chain has 16k. And I rarely have to adjust it. BTW if you measure slack on center stand, add another 1/2cm to the slack or it will be too tight. I was advised by a man who rode a NC over 100K to never over tighten the chain because the NC will just loosen it to by quickly wearing the chain. Enjoy your NC. It is the most overlooked and under appreciated MC on the market. IMHO it has great looks, balance, comfort, power, torque and 75MPG on the highway at 70MPH. And not bad on dirt roads. PS add a Bad Boy horn and more lights front and back for safety.

New bike looks good. I always find after packing up my gear 3 or 4 times I some how end up with more room, then think I forgot something. But I must just get better at arranging stuff along the way.LOL

Bike looks great with the new stuff on it. Stay safe out there.

Always enjoy your videos Mr Joe.. thanks 👍🏻👍🏻

Safe travels and keep the rubber side down and the sunny side up.

KTM 1290/ Motorex 15w50, recommended by manufacturer. Ride safe friend. 40,000 miles on two different LC8 V twins. 160+ hp. No problems.

Extra tip, after fitting the givi rear rack, the brackets lift the point where the rear seat rear rubber supports touch down. Just take 2mm off the rubber bungs in seat an ,it make the seat easier to open .

I use Honda G N 4 as suggested by my Honda dealership works great never had any problems with this oil great video hopefully this will work out better for you

Another good one hermano. Have a great ride to the Black Hills. See you there the last couple of days.

That install looks great.....very similar to my Ducati ST4 paniers and panier mounts. I also never ride without my foam Grip Puppies on my handlebars...way less fatigue. I also like my throttle rocker for holding highway speeds. All cheap and effective stuff. I also use Amsoil 20-50 oil, but use regular oil until the engine is broken in.

Have a safe Trip, Good Luck in Sturgis

Best oil for any engine, in my humble opinion, is whatever the manufacturer states, depending upon where you live... generally 10w 40 semi , in most cases, because it covers a wide temperature range. There’s a good reason for that. The manufacturer has invested enormous amounts of money into research and development to come up with the best application for any particular bike. Go by the book. I won’t though, use big manufacturer names because it’s just too expensive. As long as the chosen brand comes up to spec... it’s good for me.

Awesome video and awesome content can’t wait for the next video Thank’s Joe

Sup Joe. Getting on the road in a few days. Glad you made it.

Doing a big CCW loop of the country on my '93 nighthawk, hopefully I'll get out to sturgis before the rally finishes up. Gotta get thru the rest of Cali, some hikes in Oregon and Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming first tho. Been wanting to do some mods to help with touring - 17t front sprocket, case savers + highway pegs, diy top box, but keeping up with maintenance and repairs from me doing stupid stuff offroad getting to campsites is hogging the budget haha.

That Rotella is great never used it in bikes but all my vehicles have it

i did a 750 km(466m) in a day i did fire roads… did ok… but not so good with potholes…front suspention isnt made for that kinda terrain .. but im happy its happy …muy bike is a 2016 …46000 km (28583.075 m)

I have a 2009 ninja 650r that has 45 k on the odometer . I use Motul 7100 10w40 with K&N filter every 5 thousand miles. Bike runs like new

Clever solution to the gas filler👍. I really need a cleaner setup than the mess of straps and carabeaners I have now.

Good one Joe,have a good one💁‍♂️👍

Great set up Joe!

Use Rotella T-6 15-40 on my Goldwing and Goldwing Valkyrie why? They seems to love it and probably the most used/recommended oil by Honda owners. Still use Honda OEM filter but WIX and Hi Flo would be a good alternatives.

Thanks. An interesting video. This is a much under rated bike I think so thank you for posting this. Interesting that you sold the ST1300. I guess lighter is better. Have a great time in Sturgis.

me old ironhead only gets 50w VR-1 wit zinc cuz my friend dat helpd me build her is an old racer & he said its da best! ur new bike is sweeeet. startd my sssturgisss prep yesterday. gonna try & b dare da 5th! 🤘😎🤘

Good luck with the new set-up Joe. I think you’re gonna change that handlebar set-up. Looks to far forward for you. Maybe higher risers? Anyway, enjoy the ride and Sturgis rally.

Rotella T6 1540 Honda Goldwing since it was new no problems

Great video Joe! I use Rotella T6 in my 1986 Goldwing. I tried Amsoil but the engine was louder and the shifts weren’t nearly as smooth. Getting ready to try Rotella in my new to me 1999 BMW F650. Ride safe Brother!!

My knees would be jacked up if I had to ride in that position.. I wouldn't mind having pegs for midway but definitely have to have my legs straight forward but I'm a little older than you and have lived a rough life.. Rotella is used by many semi truck owners because it's good oil.. you should be able to go longer than 3k miles running Rotella diesel oil unless it's dark and looking like it needs changing.. you should be able to get 10k miles at the very least..semi trucks are usually 15k or more

I have the nc700x and just got top box and side racks I don't have them installed yet, I found a deal on panniers on Facebook so I will be kited out like urs soon, please give feed back on your trip

From down under god bless stay safe!🙏❤️🇦🇺🇺🇸

Congrats on the 3K subs man. I use the Mobile 1 V-Twin in my Sporty and the Mobile 1 racing 4T as it's designed for motor/transmission combination. Being around Dirt Track Racing as much as I am, I figured if Mobile 1 can handle the abuse of race cars turned 8500/9000 RPMS then it can take car of my motorcycles.

That’s an impressive bike! 😉👍

20 50 in cold weather straight 50 hd in the hot months.i use it in everything clutch tranny motor all the same.works for all my bikes

Way to go Jpe, I'm sort of caught up so I'll go back and really catch up. TTFN. I kind of liked the ST, that's coming from a Harley guy...

I use Amsoil in my vehicles for the protection properties (i.e. antiwear.) See what your manual suggest with your clutches and all and compare. The Rotella you decided to use is a great choice..just sharing my thoughts.

I have a new set of monokey locks/keys if you ever break a lock or lose keys. I could bring to sturgis if you want them

Yup this are pellets lol. 5:56

Roll that clutch adj 1/4 turn in or water will ruin ur cable

Enjoy your videos. Very good content. 750 should be like a feather compared to the ST1300.

Ride on Brother

Have you ever considered the Haven XL Hammock? One you tuber, Moto Giant, seems to swear by them. He says it is better than a tent.

Howdy, Been trying to leave a comment. I am from Abingdon and live right outside McAllen. When you come back through, look us up or buzz the church office. Pastor Tom First Baptist San Juan, Texas. Lived in Mexico for 18 years, just settled back in US about 5 years ago retired.

I should be there Wednesday see you there

I stay with 10x 40 Honda oil it's 28$ for a 4 quart bottle AR my local handa dealer I ride a 03 goldwing with 90k on it and no problems

Any problems fitting the bar risers? Just purchased a ‘19 NC750X with 3k miles on it and considering risers. Bummer if I’d need longer cables. Enjoyed your Sturgis videos and subscribed. Safe travels.

I wonder if there is an aftermarket gas tank/reservoir that fits into that 'tank' hole. Still going to keep my ST :)

Hey Joe, we are 2 miles down the road is you would like to camp in shady yard your welcome

Nice video. How tall / inseam are you and what is the model of that windsccreen. it isn't stock. any head buffetting?

Hey there, do you mind sharing what all (and sizes) you ended up bringing, in terms of tools? Thanks.

Do you find the seat to be comfortable? I’m trying to find an aftermarket seat to go with because the stock seat is quite hard and hurts me after 100 miles

👊

Joe, Can you please tell me if the hand guards help in rain & cold. Thanks mate. Nifty Australia

What do you think of the seat for long distance riding? Everyone seems to have a niggle with it...

Don't know man. You're just do darned dirty.

Good one,did you consider a Scot oiler for the chain?

Obligatory Oil comment to help algorithm: I run Valvoline VR1 60wt and 75w-90 gear oil (primary) ,both non-synthetic in my sportsters. High desert summer Temps and hot-rod'd sportsters.... if it's good enough for drag racing...it's good enough for me...

May be a pipe as well. 'Loud pipes save lives' :)

There's always a 13 bubby... Always...

Fully synthetic 10-40💁‍♂️

Corect oil for your bike is a semi synth or fully synth (even better) 10w30 motorcycle oil. Avoid using automotive oil.

How does it handle power-wise, while loaded with gear?

I like the sound better

Nice bike but a purely asinine place to put a gas tank. lol

Hey Joe, what year is your honda? How many miles was on it when you went to Bluefield to pick it up? Reason I ask is I'm getting ready to trade my 12 week old honda xr150L and 1000 cash for a 2012 Hoda nc700x, with duel clutch, it has 7200 miles on it, never dropped, garge keep, I been wanting a bigger bike , but I foolishly bought the xr150 l, because it's all old school, all mechanical

Joe what year is your NC750X ?

Bring it to California and I will port the cylinder head for you...

How many miles does it have?

Where did you source the sponge grips?

What year is the nc 750x you ride?

Ha I was wondering how many miles are on the bike when you bought it..

what yr???

I'm trying to steer my future onto full time living on my bike ,need a go pro and laptop ,gonna get a divorce and split

It's a honda , don't need tools 🤣

Hey Joe great video, I got me a bike I'm planning on beginning my life long dream Of traveling living from my bike etc basically your life style would love to talk to you trying to figure out how to get you my phone number...where are you going from Sturgis

Save yourself some skin, wear those gloves

You have takin alot of advice from scotty over the years.you should try a Evo next time.just saying.u gone threw alot of bikes.evo for ever