First good motorcycle ride of the season.

I have an 2012 Honda NC700X motorcycle. This model is a twin cylinder, water cooled, 6 speed, tall adventure (on or off road) bike.

The previous owner had put engine guards, skid plate, radiator guard and hand guards on it but it had Continental street tires on it. He began to explain about types of 80-20 and 50-50 tires that I could get depending on how much I wanted to ride it off road. I rode dirt bikes a lot when I was younger but I told him that I am 72 years old and my off road days are now in the rear view mirror. Since there is not a scratch on the bike, he never took it off road either.

I live in Columbus, Oh and set out to see my brother and his wife who live near Akron. It is a little over a 200 mile round trip. My choices were I71 which is 2 hours of boring superslab or State Route 3. SR3 is mostly good road through beautiful farm country with some hilly areas. Along the journey is Sunbury, Centerburg, Mt. Vernon, Loudenville and Wooster plus 5 smaller communities sprinkled in there. It is a way more scenic and relaxed route.

I put on my armored riding jacket and since it was cool out I needed some gloves. I couldn't find my riding gloves so I grabbed the first pair of gloves I found in the closet. My throttle hand started cramping after about 40 miles. The smooth, thick leather gloves that I chose had forced me to grip the throttle too hard. It didn't help that I have a little arthritis and managed to break a few knuckles over the years. I stopped in Mt. Vernon at a Honda shop along the main drag and bought a throttle lock. Problem solved. Without the gloves, cramping on the way home wasn't a problem.

I have taken this route many times and expected the usual petroleum smell from oil wells north of Mt Vernon. There was only one short area where I could small petroleum. What took it's place was the smell of manure that the farmers had spread on the fields. The smell was with me for most of the trip.

I also encountered my first swarms of bugs. I thought that it was too early in the season for bugs. My half, face shield was covered with bugs when I got to Akron. They were bigger than gnats and they stung when they hit my chin or lips. Maybe it had to do with bugs hatching out of the manure, not a pleasant thought. I didn't need lunch after snacking on so many bugs.

I did encounter a low flying ultralight airplane flying parallel to me for a couple of miles. We waved at each other. I wished that I was him. That was a first for me.

I am 6' 2" tall and there were times when the wind was gusting. I realized that the short Honda windshield will need to be replaced with something a little taller. I felt like I was speaking into a leaf blower at times.

The posted speed limit for many sections of the trip is 55 mph and I tried to maintain 60 mph for those parts. The engine seems to be happy when I kept it between 3,000 and 4,000 rpm which meant 5th gear on a couple of longer hills but top gear for most of the way. This was my first fuel injected bike and I like the easy start and predictable throttle response whether the engine is hot or cold.

I just sold my 77 naked Goldwing which I renewed rather than restored since it had a different, more comfortable seat on it etc. It had finicky CV carburetors and was really cold blooded. You had to let it warm up for at least 5 minutes before driving off.

The 75-77 GW's were the first generation of the GoldWing and they were the fastest. They had big carbs and hotter cams and 1,000 cc's. They developed 80 hp and had a redline of 8,500 rpm. My 650 lb, Gen 1, was a hoot to ride fast, I was a willing accomplice and it was going to get me hurt.

In 78, Honda committed to making them cruiser bikes and switched to smaller carbs and milder cams to make the engines more docile. They started loading all the tupperware on them until a 2020 Goldwing weighs 847 lbs. The weight of my Gen1 GW was beginning to be a problem for my knees. I believe that this 470 lb, NC700X is a better all round recreational/commuter bike for me.

The gas tank is under the seat on this bike and it is a little awkward getting the fuel filler nozzle under the raised seat. I managed to get 69 mpg for the trip.

I am 72 and I am usually in pain (butt burn) after a long ride but the riding position and the stock seat on this bike are pretty good. After 2 1/2 hours, I was ready to take a break but I was not in pain when I arrived.

All in all, a good visit and a great ride through nice country on a beautiful day.