We Took The Long Way To Work On The 2020 Honda NC750X

If you have to be at work at 8:00AM, and it's typically a 15-minute ride to work, what time do you leave?

7:45 seems safe. But on Wednesday, June 17, I hopped on the 2020 Honda NC750X at 5:00AM. And rather than exiting my driveway onto Route 6 in a westward direction toward Summerside, I turned right. 

There's nothing like the Gulf Shore Parkway when the only traffic is the lobster boats off shore. Inside Prince Edward Island National Park, with only birds and foxes as company, a motorcycle is the perfect companion. And when it comes to sport touring two-wheeled companionship, the 2020 Honda NC750X is an ideal partner. There's a ton of reasons why, but first, let's establish the route. 

Coming from Stanley Bridge, turn left off of Route 6 at the Mel's Petro-Canada/PEI Red Dirt Shirt intersection onto Route 13. The sign says Cawnpore Lane. You'll pass through the national park toll booths and then you're on the Gulf Shore Parkway, heading toward North Rustico. (There is another, entirely separate portion of the Gulf Shore Parkway between Brackley and Grand Tracadie.) 

But before you're even fully accelerating away from the tolls, turn left onto Terre Rouge Lane. This is called Cavendish Beach East, and it's home to the Oceaniew Lookoff. It's also a great entry point to trails that lead to Cavendish Beach, the Cavendish Campground, and the area we used to know as Rainbow Valley, Cavendish Grove. That's Stop No.1, but you're also going to stop to check out the views and explore the shoreline at MacNeill's Brook, MacKenzie's Brook, Orby Head, and Cape Turner. MacNeill's Brook has the Anne connections for which so many people are looking, and they say from Orby Head you can see the western and eastern tips of Prince Edward Island. (Prove it.)

The NC750X was the right bike for to use for my morning tour for four primary reasons. 

First, it's supremely comfortable. The ergonomics are spot-on, with perfect distance to the bars and the pegs, a firm cushion your rear end can tolerate all day, and an upright seating ADV seating position so you can get off feeling limber rather than stiff.Second, there's storage. Real, genuine, authentic storage. The NC750X's fuel tank isn't at the front; it's accessible through the rear seat. That means there's a 22-litre storage compartment up front, big enough for most helmets or for a quick stoop the home for groceries.

Third, the NC750X's fuel efficiency is remarkable. On our 80-kilometre journey from Kensington to Cavendish to North Rustico to Cymbria and back, we achieved 3.8 L/100km. Some reviewers have seen fuel economy as good as 3.0 L/100km. It nearly eliminates fuel costs in your weekly budget.Finally, the NC750X's torque is simply so enjoyable. There are a lot of driving elements that make the NC750X enjoyable to ride for 15 minutes on the way to work (or 3.5 hours not the way to work), including the friendly clutch, the smooth ride quality, and the ease with which the NC750X will bend through a corner. But among all of those enjoyable elements, the parallel twin's wave of train-like umph is at the top of the list. There's no frantic shifting here, there's just all kinds of third-gear flexibility, as the 745cc will pull no matter what.

In the end, I didn't get to work on time. Not even close. 

Find Your Honda NC750X At CentennialAST.com.