Honda NC700X (2012-2014) Maintenance Schedule
This is the maintenance schedule for the Honda NC700X, made between 2012 and 2014.
The Honda NC700X is a utilitarian do-everything motorcycle with an upright, comfortable riding position, a middleweight engine with a strong torque band, and very usable amount of power.
The engine in the Honda NC700X is a 670 cc liquid-cooled fuel-injected parallel twin. Honda used the same engine in other motorcycles, like the Honda CTX700 cruiser for example. In the NC700X, it has a mile 10.7:1 compression ratio and makes peak power of 38.1 kW at 6250 rpm, or lower power for A2 licensing compliance.
The Honda NC700X was one of the very early motorcycles with Honda’s “Dual Clutch Transmission”, their auto system that is now used on bikes up to the Gold Wing and Africa Twin.
After the 2014 model year, the Honda NC700X was superseded by the Honda NC750X.
This site has links for things like oil and spark plugs from which we earn a commission (which unfortunately nobody can save, not even us). If you appreciate this work, then please use those links. Thanks!
What you need to service a Honda NC700X
If you’re servicing your Honda NC700X, you need the following consumables and parts, per the manual.
| Part | Honda NC700X spec |
|---|---|
| Oil | Honda recommends SAE 10W-30, JASO T 903 standard MA / API SG or higher. Pro Honda GN4 10W-30 is good. Use a torque wrench to tighten the bolt to 30 Nm (22 lb-ft). |
| Oil filter | Honda’s standard part number for the oil filter is 15410-MFJ-D01 (used on many Hondas). You can also use a Hiflofiltro HF204RC for the oil filter. |
| Air filter | The OEM air filter part is 17210-MGS-D30. You can also use the K&N alternative air filter, whose part number is HA-7012. |
| Spark plugs | Use NGK spark plug part IFR6G-11K. Use a gapping tool to set the gap to 1.0-1.1 mm. |
| Brake fluid | You can use many brands, but Honda recommends Honda DOT 4. |
| Brake pads (front) | EBC double-hardened front brake pads have part number FA196HH. |
| Brake pads (rear) | EBC double-hardened rear brake pads have part number FA496HH. |
| Coolant | Use Honda Long-life Coolant, which is based on ethylene glycol. |
Maintenance schedule for the Honda NC700X
Below is the maintenance schedule for the Honda NC700X. It’s from the manual, reformatted slightly for ease of use.
Service intervals: The Honda NC700X has 4000 mile / 6400 km minor service intervals, but you only change the oil + filter every 8000 mile / 12800 km or year. Honda also recommends inspecting valve clearances every oil change. There’s other detail in the full maintenance schedule below.
Notes
- At the end of the maintenance schedule, continue servicing it in the pattern below.
- The original manual recommends getting steering and tyres serviced by an authorised mechanic. Most other items can be done by a mechanically skilled home operator with a shop manual.
- Since the NC700X has been superseded, the break-in schedule is not shown.
Maintenance Legend
- I: Inspect (clean, adjust, lubricate, or replace, if necessary)
- R: Replace
- L: Lubricate
- C: Clean
| mi x 1000 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km x 1000 | 6.4 | 12.8 | 19.2 | 25.6 | 32 | 38.4 | Every |
| Engine Oil (Pro Honda GN4 10W-30) | R | R | R | 1 year, R | |||
| Engine Oil Filter (HF204RC) | R | R | R | ||||
| Spark Plug (NGK IFR6G-11K) | I | 32000 mi (51200 km): R | |||||
| Valve Clearances | I | I | I | ||||
| Air Cleaner (HA-7012) | R | R | More often when riding in dusty/wet areas | ||||
| Cooling System | I | I | I | ||||
| Radiator Coolant (Pro Honda Coolant) | I | I | I | 2 years, R | |||
| Brake Fluid (Honda DOT 4) | I | I | R | I | I | R | 2 years, R |
| Brake Pads Wear | I | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Drive Chain (Motul chain paste) | 600 mi (1,000 km): I, L | ||||||
| Clutch Oil Filter (DCT) | R | ||||||
| Fuel Line | I | I | I | ||||
| Throttle Operation | I | I | I | ||||
| Crankcase Breather (CA only) | C | C | C | C | C | C | |
| Engine Idle Speed | I | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Evaporative Emission Control System | I | I | More often when riding in rain / at full throttle | ||||
| Drive Chain Slider | I | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Brake System | I | I | I | ||||
| Brake Light Switch | I | I | I | ||||
| Brake Lock Operation (DCT model) | I | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Headlight Aim | I | I | I | ||||
| Clutch System (Standard/non-DCT) | I | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Side Stand | I | I | I | ||||
| Suspension | I | I | I | ||||
| Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners | I | I | I | ||||
| Wheels/Tires | I | I | I | ||||
| Steering Head Bearings | I | I | I |
Chain Maintenance for the Honda NC700X
It’s important to maintain your chain on the NC700X, particularly as the NC700X typically is exposed to a wide variety of conditions as a commuter.
Use a good-quality chain lubricant like Motul chain paste, or a Motul chain care kit which comes with a couple of handy tools to maintain the chain.
Honda recommends you follow the following chain maintenance schedule:
| Chain maintenance item | Every |
|---|---|
| Check drive chain lubrication condition, lubricating if necessary | 500 mi / 800 km |
| Check drive chain slack, adjusting if necessary | 500 mi / 800 km |
Notes:
- Do these items (checking/adjusting slack, and checking/applying lubrication) more often if you ride your NC700X in dusty or rainy conditions.
- Always lubricate the chain after washing the motorcycle.
Tire size and pressure for the Honda NC700X
The Honda NC700 has the following tyres and tyre sizes standard:
| Tyre | Size | Tyre pressure |
|---|---|---|
| Front | 120/70 ZR17 M/C (58W) | 36 psi (250 kPa, 2.50 bar) |
| Rear | 160/60 ZR17 M/C (69W) | 42 psi (290 kPa, 2.90 bar) |
Stock, the NC700X shipped with Bridgestone BT023F G or Metzeler Roadtec Z8 Interact tires.
About the Honda NC700X
The Honda NC700X is the epitome of Honda efficiency. It’s a practical, affordable, frugal, and effective motorcycle that would be the perfect bike for many — but often gets overlooked for the shinier, more expensive, and less practical other bikes. Go figure!
But for those who figure it out, the Honda NC700X can do nearly everything. Commute, travel, go offroad, or even be a bit of fun in the windier bits of the road. The Honda NC700X has just enough of a bunch of things — power, torque, protection, comfort — to be able to take many riders to many places.
The NC700X is powered by a 670cc parallel twin. It’s quite a mild engine, with a gentle state of tune (a 10.7:1 compression ratio), which will last frankly forever unless you bleed it dry of oil and redline it.
Ride gear on the NC700X is quite basic and reflects its everyday intentions. The front suspension is non-adjustable, and the front brakes are provided by a 320mm single disc with a 2-piston caliper (or a 3-piston caliper on the DCT version).
There are a few things that make the Honda NC700X stand out vs its rivals like the Versys 650 and Suzuki DL650 V-Strom.
Firstly, the NC700X comes with optional DCT. It was one of the early bikes to do so.In case you haven’t heard of DCT, it’s Honda’s version of an automatic gearbox.
But it’s not quite automatic. In fact, it has a lot of the feel and engagement of a regular gearbox. You can even override it and shift via toggle shifters if you want.
So don’t think of the NC700X (DCT) as a scooter — it’s just a more comfortable bike.
These days, you can get optional DCT on many of Honda’s highest-end motorcycles, so it’s by no means something you’d only see on a non-sporty bike.
Secondly, the Honda NC700X has quite a unique engine. The parallel twin is intentionally low-power but has very usable torque. It’s super reliable and maintenance of it is a doddle, seeing it has only one head to open.
Unfortunately the Honda NC700X needs a valve service every 8000 mi / 12800 km. This is quite aggressive for Honda. They doubled the service intervals (i.e. halved the required maintenance) in the replacement for the NC700X, the NC750X.
Thirdly, storage. The NC700X has a huge “frunk” large enough to store a full-face helmet. This is on top of the optional full luggage (top box and side luggage) that you can get for the bike.
There are other things that make the NC700X interesting, like combined ABS, very high fuel efficiency, and a very attractive display that’s easy to read night and day. Nothing fancy though — just an LCD.
Reference — Screenshots from Honda NC700X Manual
The above maintenance schedule came from the Honda NC700X’s manual. You can see reference screenshots below.
You can download manuals for Honda motorcycles from Honda Powersports.
