Honda Raises MSRP for 2013 NC700X But Lowers Price for DCT Option

The big news from Honda last week was the introduction of the new CTX700 and CTX700N cruisers. Flying a little under the radar however was a change to American Honda‘s pricing structure for the 2013 NC700X which sees a price increase for the base model but a price cut for combined anti-lock brakes and a dual clutch transmission

Honda introduced the NC700X last year at an impressively low price of $6999 for the base model and $8999 with ABS and DCT. The low price point was one key advantage we awarded the 2012 NC700X over the $7899 Kawasaki Versys in our recent Middleweight Multi-Tool Shootout.

For 2013 however, American Honda is increasing the NC700X’s price to $7499. That’s still less expensive than the 2013 Versys which also saw a price increase to $7999, but the difference is now $500 rather than the $900 gap last year. The NC700X is unchanged from last year, and Honda did not explain the reason for the price increase. One reason might be the addition of the CB500X to the lineup; American Honda has yet to announce a price for the CB500X, but some of the NC700X’s price increase may be to create a bigger price difference between Honda’s two adventure-style models.

The good news is the DCT and ABS equipped version is getting a price cut to $8499. Incidentally, that’s also a $500 difference over the Versys, but with DCT and ABS, two features the Kawasaki does not have.

The new pricing structure also reflects a reduced cost for the two technologies. In 2012, the second-generation version of Honda’s DCT and the C-ABS system added $2000 to the price of the NC700X. This year, the new technologies add just $1000 to the price. Unfortunately, DCT and ABS are once again only available as a single package; those who want ABS but don’t want to pay more for DCT are still out of luck.

The 2013 Honda NC700X will be available in two colors, with a new red version joining the returning Light Silver Metallic color scheme.

[Source: Honda]

By Dennis Chung