2018 Honda NC750X

Hand it to Honda for making brave, forward-thinking moves. One such experiment was the 2012 NC700X, a middleweight that offered utility features like a large centralized storage area—a “frunk,” if you will—and useful options like a dual-clutch transmission in addition to the standard six-speed gearbox. Pioneered in the sports-car world (think BMW and Porsche), DCTs combine the virtues of traditional manual gearboxes with the convenience of seamless electronic shifting. Voila: All the fun of a normal motorcycle, without the need to master or manage the song and dance of clutch and shift levers.

Fast-forward six years, and the pleasant, although hardly scintillating, NC700X has morphed into the larger NC750X and is branded as an “adventure” bike by Honda. It’s still a captivating piece, navigating the tenuous middle ground between the plebeian and prodigious (or perhaps the herbivores and carnivores!) of the motorcycle world. The liquid-cooled, fuel-injected parallel twin now displaces 745cc, the 22-gallon storage area between your knees remains (relegating the fuel tank below the seat), as does the choice of a traditional manual gearbox or, for $700, a DCT.

Likes: Contemporary styling meets class-leading engineering and utility

Dislikes: Middling performance and suspension

Verdict: Even if you never buy one, ride one—it's that different

Honda’s 2018 NC750X Is Every Scientist’s Favorite Bike