2021 Honda NC750X DCT Ride Review

Hugh Janus · March 1, 2022

Honda’s NC750X DCT might be as practical as motorcycles can get. (Adam Campbell/)

Practicality, in the truest sense of the word, is hard to come by in motorcycling these days. The specialization of the marketplace has divided the showroom floor by making bikes so sharply focused that versatility has been developed out of the equation. Bikes have primarily been designed on a performance, styling, or even lifestyle basis, and for a new rider, that narrowness of focus can make choosing a motorcycle confusing and often intimidating.

But the practical philosophy is the driving force behind the Honda NC750X. For example, rather than take an existing motorcycle engine and repurpose it, Honda basically took the four-cylinder engine from its Fit/Jazz subcompact car and cut it in half. So instead of the usual motorcycle powerplant, which is designed for high power density and rpm, the NC750X parallel-twin engine’s forte is excellent efficiency at lower revs, as demonstrated by its comparatively low 6,500-rpm redline. Check out Kevin Cameron’s discussion of the NC750X’s predecessor engine, the NC700, here.

Related: Honda NC850 In The Works?

Base price for the NC750X DCT is $9,299. Without the Dual-Clutch Transmission, base price is $8,499. (Adam Campbell/)

But don’t assume that design makes the NC750X sluggish. With its quick-revving nature and a flat torque curve that starts just off idle, whacking the throttle open from a stoplight is rewarded with instant and surprisingly strong acceleration that will easily holeshot any traffic. That’s especially true of the DCT automatic transmission version we tested, more on which later. The 270-degree crankshaft design provides a broad spread of power with a much better exhaust note and none of the annoying vibes of a typical 180-degree parallel twin.

The engine design also allowed Honda to tilt the cylinders forward at a 55-degree angle, which provides numerous benefits: It permits a fairly low 31.6-inch seat height, which fosters confidence in new riders (and the seat feels much lower than that due to a shape that narrows at the front); it allows for a cavernous 23-liter ignition-keyed storage space, big enough for a full-face helmet or a decent load of groceries, where the fuel tank normally sits; and the 3.8-gallon fuel tank can be relocated below the rider’s seat, so the NC750X DCT’s center of mass is kept very low to aid handling.

In there, there’s half of a car engine—a very small one. (Adam Campbell/)

In fact, despite its somewhat porky 493-pound wet weight and 60-inch wheelbase, the NC750X DCT is surprisingly agile, and steering is light and neutral at all speeds. Yet the chassis remains very stable in nearly all situations, and there’s good ground clearance before the footpeg tips touch down. It’s easy to get the Honda moving quickly through any set of corners, a situation aided by decent grip from the stock Metzeler Tourance Next tires. The bike uses a nonadjustable 41mm Showa Dual Bending Valve fork, which is a sort of poor man’s cartridge fork straddling the design gap between a standard fixed-orifice damping rod unit and a shim-stack cartridge design. This cleverness, combined with a single rear shock, does an admirable job of keeping chassis pitch to a minimum. The bike only begins to come unglued when pushed to a pace that the vast majority of NC750X owners won’t approach.

Despite being fairly low-spec in the chassis department, the NC750X DCT is stable in corners. (Adam Campbell/)

Braking from the single 320mm disc with twin-piston slide-pin caliper up front is adequate, but is much better and stronger when used in conjunction with the single rear 240mm disc and single-piston caliper. Perhaps Honda’s Combined ABS would have been a good choice for the NC, but cost considerations likely canceled that idea.

As previously mentioned, we tested the DCT automatic transmission version of the NC750X, a $800 premium over the manual transmission model; considering the engine’s torquey, quick-revving character, this is the version to get. Honda has continually refined and tweaked the DCT gearbox since its 2010 debut on the VFR1200F DCT, and this latest edition is the best yet. There are four riding modes, Sport, Standard, Rain, and User, with User mode allowing you to individually configure power, throttle response, traction control, and engine-braking.

Considering the torquey power delivery of the NC750X’s engine, the DCT option is the best transmission choice. (Adam Campbell/)

Sport mode lets each gear rev out to near redline before shifting, while Standard upshifts to as high a gear as quickly as possible to keep fuel consumption to a minimum. This latest DCT, however, has a “learning” ability that can change shifting according to how you’re riding. For instance, if you’re in Sport mode and you dial back the throttle to cruise, the transmission will upshift to the next gear after a couple of seconds; if you stay at cruise throttle, it will continue upshifting to the appropriate higher gear. Subsequent takeoffs from a stoplight with mellow throttle will result in early upshifts instead of holding a gear. But start grabbing handfuls of throttle, and the DCT will immediately downshift and return to letting you rev out each gear before upshifting. Downshift programming is also much better than the first-gen unit on the VFR, making downshifts at just the right times before corner entry; downshifts coming to a stop in Standard mode are far less clunky and noisy.

User mode did an excellent job of determining when the rider is cruising or riding more aggressively. (Adam Campbell/)

Rain mode drastically dials back the engine response, power, and engine-braking, while boosting traction control to full nanny. I liked User mode, which allows a rider to reduce engine-braking and TC to the minimum; and the system did an excellent job of sensing when I was ramping up the pace through turns versus just commuting to work. And, as with any DCT transmission, you can shift manually using the paddles on the left handlebar switch gear.

One downside though: The NC750X’s DCT always defaults to Standard mode when the ignition key is turned off. Apparently Honda feels that the intended market for this bike, namely new riders, should always start in Standard. It’s easy to see their point, but it’s annoying to always have to make the change if one wants to start in Sport or User mode.

As far as fuel economy, riding in Standard mode only on a daily city commute achieved 55.7 mpg, very good for a full-size bike. That figure dropped to 49 mpg when Sport and User modes were frequently used with a lot of throttle twisting, but that’s still very good fuel efficiency.

With the fuel tank located below the rider, Honda placed a handy storage compartment in front of the rider. (Adam Campbell/)

The NC750X DCT’s ergonomics are pretty much standard bike fare, with a comfortable upright riding position providing good leverage over a wide handlebar. The seat-to-peg relationship was a bit tight for my 5-foot-8 frame, however; taller riders will probably feel even more cramped. And while the seat is plenty supportive, it started to cause discomfort after about an hour in the saddle. The short windscreen also didn’t really provide much wind protection, resulting in some helmet-area turbulence above 60 mph.

Riding position is upright but tight for anyone over 5 feet, 8 inches tall. (Adam Campbell/)

But those are minor nitpicks on a bike that’s an excellent overall choice for the rider looking for a truly practical and easy-to-ride motorcycle without any ego baggage. The Honda NC750X DCT delivers excellent fuel mileage and good performance to go with its convenient and cavernous keyed storage compartment and excellent automatic transmission. And it still stickers well under $10K. It’s one of the better deals in motorcycling, and it absolutely shouldn’t be overlooked.

Honda’s NC750X DCT is a value for those looking for a fuel-efficient, practical motorcycle. (Adam Campbell/)

2021 Honda NC750X DCT Specifications

MSRP:	$9,299
Engine:	OHC, liquid-cooled, four-stroke parallel twin; 8 valves
Displacement:	745cc
Bore x Stroke:	77.0 x 80.0mm
Compression Ratio:	10.7:1
Transmission/Final Drive:	6-speed DCT automatic/chain
Fuel System:	EFI w/ 36mm throttle body, ride-by-wire
Clutch:	Wet, multiplate dual automatic system (DCT)
Engine Management/Ignition:	TCI
Frame:	Tubular steel chassis
Front Suspension:	41mm Showa SDBV fork, nonadjustable; 4.7 in. travel
Rear Suspension:	Showa shock, nonadjustable; 4.7 in. travel
Front Brake:	2-piston slide-pin caliper, 320mm disc w/ 2-channel ABS
Rear Brake:	1-piston caliper, 240mm disc w/ 2-channel ABS
Wheels, Front/Rear:	Cast aluminum; 17 x 3.50 in. / 17 x 4.50 in.
Tires, Front/Rear:	120/70ZR-17 / 160/60ZR-17
Rake/Trail:	27.0°/4.3 in.
Wheelbase:	60.1 in.
Ground Clearance:	6.5 in.
Seat Height:	31.6 in.
Fuel Capacity:	3.8 gal.
Average MPG:	52.4 mpg
Wet Weight:	493 lb.
Contact:	powersports.honda.com