2014–2015 · Sport Tourer · Buyer's Guide
Frugal Miles, Zero Fuss
Honda built this one around a storage box. Where the fuel tank normally sits, the NC750X carries a lockable 5.8 gal (22 L) waterproof compartment, and the actual 3.7 gal (14.1 L) tank lives under the seat. That one decision sets the whole character. Mass sits low, the bike feels smaller than its 483 lb (219 kg), and the 745 cc parallel twin is tuned to match: 55 hp at 6,250 rpm, 50 lb-ft at 4,750 rpm, with the useful part of the rev range arriving early and ending early. In a class that usually starts at three figures of horsepower, this is the pragmatist.
On the road it does what the numbers promise. Full 17 inch wheels give it real road manners, it tracks straight at highway speed, and 67 mpg turns fuel stops into an afterthought. It ages well: the motor is understressed, running costs stay low, and the accessory supply behind it runs deep. A Honda DCT (2nd generation) automatic was offered as a factory option and suits this engine's low-rev habits. The caveat is a big one. 55 hp sits well below what this class normally brings, and two-up with luggage on a long climb you feel every missing horse.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 55 hp (40 kW) @ 6,250 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 50 lb-ft (68 Nm) @ 4,750 rpm |
| Displacement | 745 cc |
| Engine | Parallel twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 160/60-17 |
| Seat height | 32.7 in (830 mm) |
| Wet weight | 483 lb (219 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 3.7 gal (14.1 L) |
| Fuel economy | 67 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Safety
The named systems that set this bike apart — and what each one does for you.
Drivetrain
Two decades of paddock talk, owner conversations at club nights, and the messages riders send me directly add up to a fairly consistent picture of this bike. Owners bring up running costs and ease of use before anything else. The complaints are just as consistent, and most of them sit in one area.
Fuel economy leads almost every conversation, and the range that comes with it. Riders who ordered the automatic gearbox report seamless shifts and no trouble with it at high mileage, which makes traffic and long days easy work. The upright position gets credit for suiting a wide spread of rider sizes, with a natural reach to the bars and enough padding under you to start with.
The stock seat is the complaint I hear most. Riders say it slopes forward and pushes them into the tank, and that it starts to hurt after an hour or two, so aftermarket seats are common. The engine draws a quieter criticism: smooth, but short on excitement, running out of breath high in the revs. Beyond that, owners mention a harsh ride over broken surfaces, a firm pull at the front brake lever under hard stops, and wind noise at highway speed that sends most of them looking for a taller screen.
Accelerated corrosion on fasteners and small parts
Owners in wet climates report surface rust appearing early on bolts, brackets, and other exposed metal components if not regularly treated.
Where this Honda NC750X pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the NC750X is actually built for.
Comfort, economy, and 300 mile days it will hand you without complaint. Just know the sporting half of sport-touring is thin here. You get the miles and the scenery, not the passing punch.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
For learning lines instead of chasing speed, this is a genuinely good tool. It steers light, tells you everything, and the modest power keeps your mistakes cheap on the Dragon or the Cherohala.
Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
Loaded two-up over Beartooth or Going-to-the-Sun, 55 hp runs thin and the base bike gives you no cruise control. It will cover the distance cheaply, but it asks more of you than a full touring rig.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2012–2013
The Frunk-First City Commuter
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Honda NC750X. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Competitor · 2015–2016
Reliable Miles, Low Drama
Roughly $1,200 pricier used than this bike at 11 yr
Competitor · 2012–2016
Bulletproof Miles, Zero Drama
About the same used price as this bike at 11 yr
Competitor · 2010–2014
Smooth Twin, Bulletproof Bones
About the same used price as this bike at 12 yr
Same Platform · 2017–2020
One Bike, Any Road