HONDA NC750X 2021 - Review and Test Ride 

Every bike review gives you all the tech info. But what is it like to ride? Allow me: It is a great bike that is not going to get you into trouble. You won't be looking at the sky when you burn away from the lights as it won't pop a wheelie. When you are coming out of a bend you can open it straight up, and you won't get thrown off as the back end loses grip. It is fast enough away from the lights to beat the vast majority of cars. It is comfortable enough that I ride mine from Warwickshire to Dorset and back in a day without being crippled. The frunk swallows your crash helmet, the bike is well capable of returning 100mpg which means less time wasted at petrol stations. The DCT is so easy to use you'll wonder why you ever wanted to use a clutch. Riding position is fantastic, and if like me you have a dodgy back it works a treat, giving fantastic vision, and it's narrow so filtering is dead easy. I have a few bikes. This is my 'default' bike. Incredibly boring? Maybe Boringly incredible? Absolutely....

When rambling started on 100HP, that was the end for me. If you need 100HP than you buy 100HP bike and pay $12k. And don't expect 80 miles per gallon but 50 miles per gallon.

This is one of the best bikes in the world, period. Almost perfect as is, tons of reviews say it has enough power and I agree, if they went to 100Hp it would totally change the dynamic and ruin it for what it is. There are lots of 100Hp bikes out there, buy one of those! But they are not as easy-going, easy-riding, not as refined, not as economical to run.

I have had the latest version…DCT variant…..had mine for a year, love it….got few goodies, radiator protector, engine bars, centre stand, hand guards….wind deflectors…..it works for me, returning after 43 years of not riding….nasty accident when 19..drunk driver destroyed my RD250LC….and almost me….I struggle with manual clutch, so DCT is perfect…..one thing I do not like…the fairing is fine height wise….but it scratches at the slightest touch…..budget bike….mmmm…….I think it is premium for me …… I ride defensively so not bothered how fast I can go…my old Yamaha LC gave me all my silly speeds back in the day……nice bikes I think….it’s horses for courses…

Great review, loving the voice over at the start. Great video

I get the thoughts on overtaking with this engine, but ultimately these are very naive comments exprssed about the rev range. This is a very long stroke engine, so piston speed would be crazy if it revved to 10k. It would also destroy the economy anyway to rev this high. Just like a diesel with similar low down torque but a small rev range you have to be in a higher gear. Equally, like a diesel, you get the equivalent low down performance of a more highly tuned petrol engine, BUT, you don't magically get another few thousand revs at the top end, plus the associated horsepower. You're riding a shire horse, commending it on its pulling power, but falsely expecting it to have the speed of a racehorse.

Top notch review! Thanks for the great work RevZ!

I was looking for info on the latest NC750X as I will be getting one as a loan bike soon and found the start of the video quite useful. But as others have mentioned, the 'nice to haves' section defeats the purpose of how Honda designed and engineered this bike to be an affordable, frugal and reliable motorcycle, a 10,000 rpm bike with 100bhp would easily take this bike to £10k+, as brakes, clutch, gearbox, swingarm etc would all no doubt need to be updated too, plus a riding pal has one and on our tours around Scotland, has no problems maintaining pace on the road despite having some 40bhp less than his son's and my usual bike. The NC750X just needs to be reviewed for its intended audience and price point.

"Little 750cc", When I first started riding, you would have killed for a 750cc bike.

Great review, I have just bought one of these bikes and really looking forward to riding it. I pick it up 01/10/2021. You have really described it well thanks.

One of the most useful review I hàve seen by now on this bike ,than you😊 well done

Think you are missing the point of the bike saying it should have 90bhp. That would increase the fuel used and that’s why a lot of people buy it and to most riders 57bhp is enough on today’s roads. Good review though.

Thanks for this review! I test rode a 2014 nc700x a few years back when looking to upgrade from a ninja 250 and was unimpressed with the lack of any throttle response. I went with a vstrom 650 which I get about 60mpg while commuting.

Great vídeo !!

“Heavy drizzle” 🌧😂 I will try using that one in Seattle, too 😉

A really excellent review of a brilliant bike. I've owned a '19 plate and now a '23 model. The changes are significant on the later bike. I've fitted a Powerbronze touring screen and it's fantastic. Goes really well in sport mode and nowadays I don't hanker after anything more than this bike gives

SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Nice review and I recognise the A32 my local area…Portsmouth 👍

Heated grips, cruise control, fender that protects rear shock and Larger windscreen.

Thank for the video....you wish it would rev at 10,000 before it gets into red zone (said at 11:00 min). Well, the stroke on this bike's engine is 80 mm not 60 etc. To push an engine to rev at 10k with such a long stroke would mean tremendous compression ratio / vibration / wear and tear / fuel consumption etc. It is like wishing a truck engine would behave like a race car engine; it defeats the purpose of this bike. One should test/review a bike against its intended use/design-goals and see if it holds up to that, else it is like comparing apples to oranges. From another perspective......... adding an analogy to prove the point further, let's compare Honda NC750 with Kawasaki Versys 650. Honda has ( 80mm stroke, redlines at 7000 RPM, Compression Ratio 10.7:1) . Kaw has ( 60mm stroke, redlines at 10,000 RPM, Compression Ratio 10.8:1) . As such, Vmean (mean piston speed) for Honda is about [19 meter/sec ] and for Kaw is [20 meters/sec ], almost the same. Now let's assume Honda heeds your suggestion and decides to make NC750 Rev up to 10K as well. This cannot be done unless compression ratio is increased tremendously (wear-tear/fuel consumption etc). As such, NC750 at 10K rpm would have a Vmean of 26.7 meters/ses. This is a huge increase in piston speed (7.7 meters more / sec). One might say it is just 7.7 / 19 = 40.5 percent increase, but in reality the wear and tear on engine is much more than 40 percent because the engine material (piston/cylinder etc.) are already pretty much at their max. tolerance with about 19 meters/sec piston speed. Adding another 40% to it would drastically damage the longevity of the engine (other issues aside). By the way the formula for piston mean speed is ...... Vmaean = [ 2 * stroke(mm) * RPM ] / (1000 * 60) => result will be in meters / sec ..... just to add more perspective to the discussion, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Formula one engines typically are designed with ~25 m/sec piston speed which results in very very short service intervals for those engines. NC750X is designed to have a very long service interval......cheers

Mirrors out front like the tmax makes such a difference in viewing

Currently Honda offers among others, the comfort pack which includes a tall windscreen, heated grips, center stand and wind deflectors for feet protection. This pack costs 714 euros. So, all the issues mentioned in the video can be quickly solved.

Shaft (or belt) drive, and cruise control and I'll go buy one.

Hi, great review 👍 will you considered this honda for a newbie as a first bike or more the cb500x!? Thanx and cheers ✌️

I needs more fuel capacity. I had the NC700 and the small tank was the biggest down fall. Still workable for long trips though.

I don't know why they give this bike hybrid tyres, it is not designed for off road. Road tyres would provide a better ride and more grip.

I LOVE this bike, and am so tempted to just buy a 2021 leftover model right now for $7600 USD at the local dealer brand new. However I cannot help but feel they will update the electronics and front forks next year perhaps. They got it most of the way there in 2019, but with the rest of the lower end CB lineup getting the suspension refresh I feel like it will be coming to the NC soon too.

My problems with the 2018 model where silly but annoying , like both front and back mudguards being too short and water/mud hitting the radiator , or the making a mess on the back of the bike so they need replacement, the chainguard being too small again making the chain a mess to clean , the windscreen being too short for me sending the air directly on my face , you can get aftermarket mudguards/screen/chainguards but they add to the cost of the bike and it is annoying that Honda didn't fix those easy issues.

Pity they didn't fit cruise control and shaft drive, subbed. I think you'll really like the new NT1100. it has all the things and more that you say you miss here.

Ez to add a top box? Rails?

Today driven the same one with dct and I have the forza 750 I must say for me it's rides good especially in sport its can handle it good But ok I like the forza aswell Thx for the review 🍻

I would love that bike for my daily rider/commuter bike. However, by the time one adds the heated grips and panniers, etc. that I would want on it the price comes up to $12,300+. I might still get one because of its versatility. But it gets rather expensive to make it as versatile as it claims to be.

Thanks for the review. I am the owner of 2020 manual (which you clearly didn't like) but am thinking about upgrading to the new 2021 model and it was good to see a review of the manual for a change - nearly everyone does the DCT. However, you misunderstand the nature of the engine and to an extent, what the bike is all about. The engine architecture is from a Honda Jazz four cyclinder car, that's why it redlines at 7k - mine is 6.5k - and has modoest hp, but it produces monster torque from 3500 to 5500. The engine HP figure is irrelevant when you get used to it because with 69Nm, it's making the same torque as more conventional bike engines with 80 plus horsepower, and at very useable engine speeds - that's the point. Give the throttle a handful at even 2000rpm and it picks up impressively. The NC is something of a left field choice...I thought twice before buying as on paper, it looks very budget but there is a reason why most owners love em.

I'm in Florida. It's HOT until October 1. Can I use the storage tank as an ice chest for cans of drinks? Will the water safely drip out or not a good idea?

great review,if only it had a bit more poke

File milage or power ,pick one

Would be nice to include a center stand for maintenance or tire repair. Nice job on the video, and I’m especially happy that you reviewed the 6 speed manual model. Mine is due in September and I think I made the right choice. Cheers from Wisconsin

This was a great video... I wonder why Honda did not use a TFT screen. Maybe its just an issue of costs.... Either way, a great bike.... Thank you.

Hi. What do you think is it worth to change my 2020 CB 500 X to this bike for next motorcycle? Will I feel relevant evolution of dynamic, agility and power compering to 500x? NC has hardly more horsepower than CB but lot more torque otherwise it has +20kg. I really like the new NC. I think around 70 hp would be enough for a perfect bike. In that range there would be sv650, Tracer7, Versys650 as competitors, but with this package and with 70hp Honda would take it all!

The purpose of this bike is economy and mpg. 58hp is great for the mpg. They wont and shouldnt trade off power for mpg. It makes more power and torque than the 500x and gets better mpg than the 500x.

Your video is nice, however then you start the talk about 100hp and 10.000rpm 🙄 I almost stopped watching the video. This bike it is what it is all because of that engine. My XL1200T the rev limit comes at 5500rpm stock, i have still plenty of power to over take no problems, the NC750X is better in that regards and powerful enough for her versatility. I rode the NC750X and never felt left without power, i felt love and become addicted to her to the point i want to change my XL1200T for an NC DCT. Enjoy riding and keep good videos

僕はNC750Xを注文しましたが、レブル1100のセカンドバイクとして使用するつもりです。 片道k200km程度のツーリングをするには、防風効果が高い方が有効だからです。 もちろん、普段使いにも適当だと思います。 ラゲッジがあれば、パニアケースをつける必要がないですから、取り扱いも気軽です。 セカンドバイクには最適化と思っています。 納車はコロナウイルス感染症の影響で4月になります。 ヤマハのYZF-R3とお別れです。

What is your opinion on this for a 47yr old first time rider ?. I’ve been looking at the cb500x but this is serious contender!?.

100hp is not needed. Maybe 65hp to max 75hp would be perfect. More protection/plastic etc would make it more expensive also.

I was about to ask if you had compared this to the CB500X and you answered :)... thx

Hi, sounds a lot like an info-mercial for the 2021 model year NC750x. Try to fit your helmet with your chin cam in that frunk... What about the inverted turn signal/horn position. I ride an NC and love it. Your review is lacking. Thx all the same and ride safe.

please remember about price point, they could throw all the newest stuff into bike but it would cost shit lots of money

I'm torn between the NC750X and Tiger 850 Sport. I do a good 35-40% city traffic, 60% freeway, no off-road. Obviously Tiger 850 is that bit more powerful, but the NC750X comes with more usability (storage, fuel consumption). Is Tiger 850 a bit more challenging to handle than the Honda in term of city traffic maneuverability? Which would you go for..?

can you tell us RPM at 120km/h please, i mean it is relaxed at that speed?

I'd take a few more ponies for a little less fuel mileage aswell. But still want a 2021 model.

If my grandma had wheels she'd be a bike!

Hm more power..take the NT 1100 the power is enough.. in Sweden we have ensurens depent on hp and kilo. Low hp low ensurens..

100 hp more fairing You need the goldwing

I really hated the predecessor as well, and still not sold on DCT.

Too many commercials ruins the review, far too many at the most inconvenient time !

so you want a totally different bike lol

Eb is enginebrake

Come si fa a fare una moto del genere con 1 solo freno a disco anteriore ...!!!

Nice bike , hired one in madiera, I'm old school so the rider modes mean nothing to me only needs throttle mode .

Yes Less rev-more torque and more rev-less torque so if Honda would give 10 000 revs then the torque gonna be less then the power.

No CC - at least on DCT = 💩. Shocks' travel 3cm less = 💩. Tiny, useless windscreen = 💩. Flimzy storage cover, with no possibility to strap anything to it = 💩. Still no mudguard for rear shock = 💩. Old outdated swingarm = 😣. Lower sitting position =😣. Other than those things - very nice bike 😀👍 No - it is NOT .....X anymore 🤷‍♀️ ! - the ground clearance is 3cm less 😖

HONDA DO GIVE YOU MORE PROTECTION 100 hp .it’s called a AFRICA TWIN 😂

I've never bought a bike with fuel efficiency in mind, tank range yes. But, uhm, yawn....