Meet the NC30. Ok, meet my NC30! She is a 1991 Mk.III, one of the last of the full UK specification models. When I bought her in July of 2003, she had 29,000miles on the clock. For (at the time) a twelve-year-old bike with this mileage she was in beautiful condition, and also had the original handbook. There was some corrosion to the side stand and number plate bracket, but that was all. It was sorted with a good rub down and repainting with corrosion resistant paint. At some point in her life I believe she has fallen off of her stand, as there are some chips on the right-hand side to the lower fairing and indicators. They are only chip marks, not horizontal or vertical scrape marks as if the bike had slid down the road, so I am sure it is not crash damage. Other than this, the only other damage is a small patch where the paint has been stripped from the front mudguard. My theory is that this has been caused by brake fluid being dripped/spilt when the front reservoir was being filled. I think a heavy key ring had been left on the keys whilst the bike was being ridden, as the paint on the top yoke had been rubbed away. I re-sprayed this with some enamel paint that can be polished to give a metallic finish, it looks great. Those of us who own NC30s will rant on about them for hours. Those of you who are thinking of buying one will shortly find out why. Apologies to the rest of you, you'll just have to listen!

So, just what can be so special about a 400cc Honda? Many people will brand Honda's as characterless, dull and uninspiring. When it comes to the NC30 this couldn't be further from the truth. On numerous occasions I have returned to a car park to find an admirer or two surveying the bike. The NC30 oozes charm and character that makes you and anyone around the bike instantly fall in love with it. It just looks right and turns heads everywhere you go. Ok, LETS RIDE!

Swing your leg over the low seat and you are instantly assured that you are on a sports bike. The riding position pitches you forward, placing weight over the front wheel. The bars are not as low as you may expect, nor the pegs as high. You also notice the width of the seat, giving you room to move about on the motorcycle. It is well padded too. The low centre of gravity hides the NC30's rather portly 192Kg curb weight well. All the switchgear is where you would expect; everything comes to hand easily. The span of the front brake lever is adjustable to suit the length of your fingers. In front of you, the racy dash is dominated by the large, centralised Tachometer. The Speedometer is offset to the left, and a tiny temperature gauge to the right. Four basic warning lights sit in a neat cluster at the base of the assembly and the fluid reservoir for the front brakes sits somewhat clumsily bolted to the right-hand clip-on.

Flip up the choke and thumb the start button, the V4 quickly spins over and burbles into life. Starting is usually a choke only affair, with the occasional smidge of throttle. Great handfuls will result in soggy sparkplugs. With the choke closed the engine settles to a steady tick over and warmth begins to seep through the twin spar frame. Time to move off. The cable-operated clutch is noticeably heavier than on more modern bikes. First gear goes in with a clunk, as does the shift across neutral to Second. First is a very tall gear, it'll see you to 60mph in under four seconds, if you so desire. This means that moving off requires a fair few revs and plenty of clutch slip. There is a knack to it, it comes with practice.

The noise from an NC30 is distinctive; often people will stop and look as you crawl through a town. At stand still, the noise is a sort of combination between the silky smooth whine of a multi-cylinder inline bike, and the raw thump-thump of a V-Twin. On the move the ninety-degree four-cylinder engine produces a wonderful howl. A less restrictive end-can opens this up further, but could you really bring yourself to cut the beautiful, full stainless steel, OE system? The gears driving the four camshafts produce an eerie high-pitched whine, again very distinctive to the NC30. Open the throttle hard in any gear and, for a small bike, the air box emanates a surprisingly deep, vicious snarl. It's a noise that becomes very, very addictive. Going over bumps produces a slight rattle from behind, which I have tracked down to be movement of the chain guard, or the chain making contact with the slider. Again, it's all part of the character!

Moving through town, especially in traffic, is somewhat of a pain. As with moving off, careful clutch slip is essential to avoid stalling. Although heavy, the clutch could never be accused of lacking feel, the long lever gives plenty of leverage for precise control. The rear brake is perfect for keeping control over the speed in traffic, while it's not particularly powerful, it is progressive. The brake light activation point can be adjusted via a small adjuster wheel near the rear brake master cylinder. There is no adjustment for brake light activation from the front brakes; the slightest squeeze of the lever illuminates the brake lights. The riding position loads your wrists, so without the support of the slipstream wrist ache quickly sets in. The bars are however higher than on some sports bikes so the discomfort is bearable for longer.

Motivation to get out of town and onto the twisties is great! As soon as you get onto open roads you realise what the bike is all about. Wind the throttle open in First and the needle quickly sweeps cleanly around the Tachometer, with a menacing growl from the airbox. Power feels flat until 5000rpm, and then you feel it. As the engine comes into the power band the Speedometer needle also surges around the clock and the air box growl quickly rises to an urgent shriek. First gear will see you to 60mph and almost the 14,500rpm redline. Shifting up through Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth the motor is extremely smooth and never feels tired or lacking in power. Sixth is best left for flat-out (licence killing) blasts, or lazy cruising on straight, uncomplicated roads. The top fairing and screen offer good wind protection. The OE screen suits me fine, shovelling air straight over my head. When carrying a tank bag however I find I can't tuck in as much and do experience more buffeting. On the subject of carrying luggage, the NC30 has a metal fuel tank, so a magnetic tank bag is a viable option, and there are also several points to which bungee hooks could be attached if you feel inclined to carry a tail pack. They look as though they were probably designed with this purpose in mind too. All of this is probably just as well as the under seat storage space is pretty laughable, especially with the tool kit in place. With a lot of determination you can just about force-feed it a disc-lock in a case. Talk of luggage may seem insane, but you can actually cover distance on an NC30. The wide seat gives you plenty of room to move around and a 15-litre fuel tank gives you a range of about 130 miles, obviously depending how you ride. There is no fuel light, but there is a two-litre reserve. Just don't expect to be able to get at the tap whilst you are on the bike! Rest assured though, the NC30 is no tourer.

On longer stretches of straight road such as dual carriageways, the fairings deflect much of the windblast. Sixth gear comes into its own, although you have to keep a watchful eye on the Speedo. Tucked in behind the screen, it's amazing how easy it is to glance down and find the needle pointing at three-figures, leaving you asking yourself ‘how the hell did I get here?!' It just creeps up and up so effortlessly. There is power poking around in Sixth gear, although you have to be over 50mph to find it (the power band starts at 5000rpm and 50mph in sixth gear equals about 5000rpm). With a little forward planning, top gear roll-ons for overtakes are perfectly possible, and great fun too!

As you ride, you and the NC30 become one, your body moulds to the contours of the bike. On slight bends, you think turn, and the bike turns. Only minimal pressure to the steering is needed, there is no conscious effort to it. It's as though the bike is reading your every thought. You move together as one perfectly synchronised entity. Sharp corners, however, require a bit more input. As with all motorbikes, the wheels act as gyroscopes, keeping you upright and going straight. The NC30 has 'lightweight' (they would actually be considered pretty heavy nowadays) aluminium wheels to help reduce this effect, but you do notice that turn-in isn't incredibly rapid. You need to choose a line carefully when cornering. The rock-solid stability that the NC30 is so widely acclaimed for means that she won't love you for changing your mind mid-corner. On the upside, get it right and the NC30 will hold a line very well. Pick the right approach and you can carry a great deal of corner speed without you ever feeling like you're out of your depth. I am currently running Bridgestone BT92's and in the past have run Dunlop GPR70 tyres. Out of the two my personal preference has to be the Bridgestone's. They provide excellent grip, warm up quickly and inspire confidence in the wet. They seem to be lasting well too.

Some complain that the suspension is on the soft side, although this could be because they are riding an import (see 'Buying an NC30'). I have had the suspension on my bike (it's UK Spec & OE) set up to my weight; I personally find it to be fine, although I don't weigh much! The difference in handling once this was done was instantly noticeable, it definitely helped the bike hold a line (even better than before!) and cured a little understeer that I had been experiencing. Being firmer does mean that after a few miles on an extra bumpy road it can leave your lower back aching and twinging.

Downshifting to Third before you turn-in means there is power on tap to rapidly drive you out again. The gearbox needs working constantly to keep the bike in the power band. On exiting a corner you find yourself ripping up through the gears, before coming back down, because you are already at the next bend! It is often said that you learn to ride properly on a bike that you have to work, rather than a 100+bhp any-gear-will-do affair. You will get to know your power band intimately, as you are using most of it nearly every time you ride. Many corners can be executed by downshifting a gear or two, perhaps blipping the throttle to match engine and back wheel speed, then just backing off the power a little, or with just a mild brush of the brakes. When you perfect the technique and learn to read the road effectively, corner after corner for mile after mile can be annihilated this way; you and the motorcycle really get into a rhythm. Inevitably though you will eventually come across a corner you need to brake for, and you won't be disappointed. Two four pot Nissin Calipers bite twin 296mm discs, huge for a physically small motorcycle! I have upgraded the OE lines with aftermarket braided steel items by HEL and they have made a huge difference. The brakes are incredibly powerful, they offer strong and progressive stopping power, but are never grabby. Like the clutch, they definitely don't lack feel.

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