newer commuter Bike advice? (from Fz6 Fazer)

dartstothesea

Very, very, very new rider here. Got the FZ6 in October, still on my Learner til I can book the test from April on.
~18km daily commute each way along the M4 & N4 into city centre. All seasons



Got fairly cheap insurance on this bike, €520 for the year (3rd P & Theft)


No problems at all with it, running great, high mileage (>100k) but these engines apparently are golden and it's been serviced well (bought from dealer, still in full service warranty etc)


I was already a little interested in newer Yamahas with more modern features & bells & whistles (ABS of course) like the MT-09
- then I found out about the Honda NC700 & NC750 models.
I know they're not a blast to ride if you want to accelerate into high revs without shifting etc, I know guys love to call them 'boring', but I'm just commuting daily - the extra storage in the fake tank would be unreal for me - and it sounds like a great bike for making that daily commute life smooth while still looking nice and having *some of the touring/adventure capability you'd want. I'd like to be able to drive some places on the mainland at some point.

I'm 2 or so months into my insurance year and from the sounds of quote I got I could get insured on an NC750 SA or similar for only another €350 including admin fee for this year. Seems alright given it's my year 1 and all

I'd be thinking of trying to buy a ~2013 or so model for cheap (I don't mind a decent bit of mileage on it)



Am I crazy to be thinking of changing already?
Would going the trade-in route with a dealer be bad, any difficulties to anticipate selling my current bike privately if I go that way?

Grumpy Bike Wizard

Fazers always seem to sell. Just say it to the dealer, worst they can do is tell you they don't want it.

And you're not crazy to be changing. I think most lads start out changing a few times to see what suits them. Looks like you've done your research, and the solution to most bike-related problems is more bikes, so go for it.

dartstothesea

Just remembered my bike is suitable for the Full A test whereas models like the NC700 are maybe not. So I know I should hold onto it until that's out of the way at least. But after that (hopefully a short few months away)...

Now to also decide whether to pull the trigger on trying to buy & install the naked single headlamp stuff in the meantime

listermint

Sit on this decision till you are fully licensed that's my advice.

All bikers look around all of the time. But there's no sense to changing now. Let's let reality sit in. You've had your bike for a few weeks. Get the license and six months under your arse before you make a large financial decision like a new Honda.

CJhaughey

One of the Boardsies on here Richardtea has a NC might be worth picking his brains about how it works as a commuter, I will say this, they are supposed to be very economical.

Banzai600

my 2 cents.....

I have had many many bikes, exotic sports to big 1200 trailies etc. I use the both the bikes and 125 cc scooter for the city. I love the scooter - auto, 110 mpg, 44 litres of storage etc.

If you were to go down the route of DCT NC750 ( dont bother with the 700 ), i would do it, but hold off til Jan / Feb or so. The dct system is slick and the extra storage is fantastic to have as well, theyre nice to ride, plus they are a frugal bike, well built and although they wont set the world on fire, they are very functional. ive rode the current 2019 africa twin DCT a few times, both proper hoofing it and a lot of off road. the DCT is super, i couldnt find any negative aside from DCT changing gear mid corner, whifh can be annoying if pushing on , so switch to manual in this scenario ( this is resolved with 2020 AT dct system )

bike prices here are very high, there are 10 yr old 600's as an example going for 4500 euro and more on DD!! A RIP OFF! Id go to the UK a fair bit to buy bikes, mostly better bikes and better value for money - plus you'll get service history and a spare key - it pays to shop around.

zubair

Get a top box. FZ is a smashing bike. We all have our eyes on the next bike but even I wait a year before changing. Also, the people who said the NC is dull are correct, you'll want to sell that quicker than you did your FZ.

If you start looking at 2013 bikes you're going to want fully comp too.

Del2005

dartstothesea wrote: »

Just remembered my bike is suitable for the Full A test whereas models like the NC700 are maybe not. So I know I should hold onto it until that's out of the way at least. But after that (hopefully a short few months away)...

Do the test on an auto bike and you'll get an auto licence. Hold off till after you pass the test and buy whatever you want, you don't need worry about power or gears then.

dartstothesea

Sorry guys I forgot to mention I wasn't even thinking of the Automatic NC model! Manual is fine for me but I'm a bit agnostic even, if the DCT really is great then I'd be happy enough with the auto model I suppose. But yeah I'll do the Full test on manual bike (stick with the FZ6 for now for that)

dartstothesea

Banzai600 wrote: »

my 2 cents.....

I have had many many bikes, exotic sports to big 1200 trailies etc. I use the both the bikes and 125 cc scooter for the city. I love the scooter - auto, 110 mpg, 44 litres of storage etc.

If you were to go down the route of DCT NC750 ( dont bother with the 700 ), i would do it, but hold off til Jan / Feb or so. The dct system is slick and the extra storage is fantastic to have as well, theyre nice to ride, plus they are a frugal bike, well built and although they wont set the world on fire, they are very functional. ive rode the current 2019 africa twin DCT a few times, both proper hoofing it and a lot of off road. the DCT is super, i couldnt find any negative aside from DCT changing gear mid corner, whifh can be annoying if pushing on , so switch to manual in this scenario ( this is resolved with 2020 AT dct system )

bike prices here are very high, there are 10 yr old 600's as an example going for 4500 euro and more on DD!! A RIP OFF! Id go to the UK a fair bit to buy bikes, mostly better bikes and better value for money - plus you'll get service history and a spare key - it pays to shop around.

Thanks a mill for this - one or two questions:


Why's the NC750 so much better?



Also, what tends to be handiest approach for people trying to buy their bike from the UK (which is definitely me - I'm not made of money and want to try to spend under €4000 on next bike if it's possible) - is it always best just to stick to buying up north? Or is it even worth going over mainland UK and driving back on Ferry? Or do dealers over there even deliver it over? Any hidden costs to beware of?

dartstothesea

zubair wrote: »

Get a top box. FZ is a smashing bike. We all have our eyes on the next bike but even I wait a year before changing. Also, the people who said the NC is dull are correct, you'll want to sell that quicker than you did your FZ.

If you start looking at 2013 bikes you're going to want fully comp too.

Hah, I have a big (2 helmet) topbox, a 22L tank bag and of course a back for wearing backpacks, but I seriously end up carrying lots of things from place to place quite often (bits of music gear, camera gear, powerlifting gear) and the theft-resistant nature of the tank space on the NC Hondas just seems amazing for me. I'd very likely be using tail box as well as the frunk

Banzai600

dartstothesea wrote: »

Thanks a mill for this - one or two questions:

Why's the NC750 so much better?

Also, what tends to be handiest approach for people trying to buy their bike from the UK (which is definitely me - I'm not made of money and want to try to spend under €4000 on next bike if it's possible) - is it always best just to stick to buying up north? Or is it even worth going over mainland UK and driving back on Ferry? Or do dealers over there even deliver it over? Any hidden costs to beware of?

the 750 had a couple of revisions above the 700 , the engine and dct, so the bike is overall much smother and more power / torque. The 700 is not bad, its just the 750 is a little bit more, be it manual or dct.


re buying up north or UK , either is fine, going up or across the water i just get the bike collected, usually 250 / 300e depending on location. And ive only bought off dealers not private. Gumtree NI is worth looking at , as nice bikes always pop up. there is always wiggle room so ignore listed prices. The vrt process is handy, just dont go to tallaght vrt, i went once , never again, pure idiots. (I knew the process more than they did, and they were making it up as they went along). Ballymun VRT staff are great imo.

i would try not to carry any big / heavy gear in any backpack if you can help it, if the worst were to happen and you fall off, you dont want to be landing on it. Having the tail pack on the rear seat is better, but make sure its secure it cant fall of or someone steal it.

Richard tea

As Cj mentioned I have a Nc750x DCT. 2014 model. I have just passed 85,000km and never once had any issues.


The Nc is my ideal commuter bike. I commute 80 mile a day 5 days a week on it.

Its slim so filtering through the slow sections of the M4 and Palmerstown is handy enough.

It pulls away from the lights with ease.
I dont hold back and still achieve 70mpg.
The frunk along with a topbox is more than I need for storage.
They are an easy bike to work on so you can service it yourself etc.




Im seeing more and more NC's on my commute so they are becoming more popular. For me the DCT is excellent for the commute. She goes up and down the gears without issue. I wouldn't call them boring and they can easily keep up in the twisties on a Sunday spin.


I think I mentioned it before here, If having a sporty bike is important get a second bike. I have the NC and a Honda blackbird that I use on occasion.


I have only recently heard that due to some European emissions changes (euro 5) coming in there will be a revised NC in 2021. If thats the case ill most likely look to upgrade the beast around then.


Any questions Op fire away