[HHOTDI]

Hey C-Chris, thanks i like it too. I did a lot of automotive painting when i was young and have contemplated painting it White, or maybe Red. We'll see, and then again i very well may just leave it alone.

(but what is that funny looking lever in front of the left handgrip). I believe you're referring to the right grip maybe, and that is the Throttle Cruise Control. OR, you're looking at my Clutch lever. Yes mine is a manual, for now! As soon as i can find a great deal on a DCT i'll grab it and then sell my manual.

(82 mpg with just a gearing change, there is some real potential in there I think.) Me too, i had matched and even bested that several times with the stock 16T. I had a best of 99mpg once keeping it around 45-50mph! Now that the 17T is on duty, i'll head to a remote river road and see what i can squeeze out of it now!

(It looks like I will actually get to make about a 300 mile loop in mixed gravel and pavement this weekend, more pavement than not, but up through the mountains some.) You might consider lowering the air pressure in your tires a few pounds if you experience some traction issues. That has always helped me in the past. Just make sure you have a tire plug/patch repair kit and a mini air compressor along to refill your tires after the long stretch of gravel if needed.

I plan on putting all the bags on for this ride just to see where I am in a "touring/adventuring" configuration. I feel like the bags are too small for my ultimate cargo requirements. Hopefully (against what I see most adventure type bikes with) just a larger top case will do the trick. With the current bags, I am pretty sure a brick has a lower Cd.....(IKR!!??)

I am planning a central america ride for next year, and fuel economy is not something that often gets discussed(true'Dat).

I talked to some friends who did Prudhoe Bay and they were in the 40 mpg range. No wonder they all put on bigger tanks and talk about range....(that is so true again. The main reason i bought the NC700x was because of a write-up that AMA Hall of Famer Craig Vetter wrote about the NC. He mentioned the great mpg, upright position and ease of maintenance typical of Hondas. That was probably 5 years ago and i set out to find one i could afford. Well, a few months ago i found mine for $2500 cash from a student and i grabbed it! Like i mentioned before, i really wanted the DCT version, but that'll come later i'm sure as i wont be able to use the manual for too much longer i'm sure. but that's is no prob, i look forward to it actually and am happy. It is what it is, just getting old.