What is the attraction of a pcx bathtub and similar bikes?

[Fruit Trader]

10 hours ago, LammyTS1 said:

What’s your definition of a scooter?
 

 

8 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Gay transport.

 

10 hours ago, Ks45672 said:

Twist and go..... 

 

2 hours ago, LammyTS1 said:

So my Lambrettas & Vespas ain’t scooters cause they’re geared?

 

Wiki defines it as a type of motorcycle with a step-through frame and a platform for the rider's feet.
 

 

[HHTel]

Other definitions are that a motorcycle has the engine separate whereas a scooter engine is part of the frame.

A motorcycle has the fuel tank in front of the rider and a scooter doesn't.

 

[LammyTS1]

So, Honda’s Forza 300 is a bathtub and a different frame from the PCX150.

Yamaha’s Xmax 300 is a larger frame than the Nmax 150.

Yet Vespa can produce a 300 using the same frame as their 125 & 150.

Scomadi are also releasing a 400 & 450 scooter using the same frame as their 125 & 200.

 

 

 

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[Kwasaki]

18 hours ago, LammyTS1 said:

 

So my Lambrettas & Vespas ain’t scooters cause they’re geared?

 

I'm sure you know there still scoots whether auto or geared.

An auto big bike motorcycle as they say is still big motorbike.

[transam]

15 hours ago, HHTel said:

Other definitions are that a motorcycle has the engine separate whereas a scooter engine is part of the frame.

A motorcycle has the fuel tank in front of the rider and a scooter doesn't.

 

I think the PCX tank is sort of in front of the driver, well it ain't under the seat...?

[Issanman]

My Aprilia Mana GT 850 "twist and go" v-twin that I had a few years ago in Florida.

[spidermike007]

On 7/26/2018 at 11:24 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

Did you ever try "any other bike"?

Because if you did then you should know there is a night and day difference.

 

I never tried one of those bathtubs. But I was on motorcycle taxis with them. Waiting in the traffic behind all those other cars. Except the cars have aircon and a roof.

 

Most Thai bikes are built for a guy or gal who weighs between 35 and 65 kilos. For those of us who are larger, the other bikes are simply not comfortable, have poor suspension, and do not support much weight, especially with a passenger. The PCX on the other hand, supports 150-175 kilos without a problem, for two larger people. It is a great bike, and is marginally wider than the others. A smooth bike to ride. Way more comfortable than many of the others. I have driven motorbikes all my life. But, I am getting on in years, and do not find a sport bike to be comfortable enough these days. The Mios, the Scoopys and some others are cute little bikes for a gal, but some of us would not be caught dead driving one, and the suspension barely supports more than 65 kilos, safely.

 

For those with a little more cash, the Suzuki Burgman 200, and the Yamaha XMax 300 are great choices. But, at 140,000 to 170,000 baht, they are not affordable for many. Both ride great. Both have alot of power, support two large passengers in comfort, and are great for the highway. Both are very well built, and super comfortable rides with plenty of acceleration. The Burgman has as much power as the Honda Forza (perhaps the ugliest bike in the country), but is far more attractive, and handles far better. The XMax is the best bike currently available in Thailand for the money. It is a very serious bike. A lot of the qualities of the flagship TMax, but without the 450,000 baht price tag.

 

Edited August 1, 2018 by spidermike007

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Most Thai bikes are built for a guy or gal who weighs between 35 and 65 kilos. For those of us who are larger, the other bikes are simply not comfortable, have poor suspension, and do not support much weight, especially with a passenger. The PCX on the other hand, supports 150-175 kilos without a problem, for two larger people. It is a great bike, and is marginally wider than the others. A smooth bike to ride. Way more comfortable than many of the others. I have driven motorbikes all my life. But, I am getting on in years, and do not find a sport bike to be comfortable enough these days. The Mios, the Scoopys and some others are cute little bikes for a gal, but some of us would not be caught dead driving one, and the suspension barely supports more than 65 kilos, safely.

 

For those with a little more cash, the Suzuki Burgman 200, and the Yamaha XMax 300 are great choices. But, at 140,000 to 170,000 baht, they are not affordable for many. Both ride great. Both have alot of power, support two large passengers in comfort, and are great for the highway. Both are very well built, and super comfortable rides with plenty of acceleration. The Burgman has as much power as the Honda Forza (perhaps the ugliest bike in the country), but is far more attractive, and handles far better. The XMax is the best bike currently available in Thailand for the money. It is a very serious bike. A lot of the qualities of the flagship TMax, but without the 450,000 baht price tag.

 

They might be comfortable. But all of them are BIG. And that means they don't fit between the cars. And I think that is one of the main attractions of bikes: They fit between cars and that makes them fast in traffic. If someone buys one of these huge things he/she can also buy a car. They both get stuck in traffic but at least the car has a roof.

[bobbin]

8 hours ago, LammyTS1 said:

Yet Vespa can produce a 300 using the same frame as their 125 & 150.

Scomadi are also releasing a 400 & 450 scooter using the same frame as their 125 & 20

 

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And that's a good thing?  

 

I have sat on the Vespa ... too small.

Edited August 1, 2018 by bobbin

[LammyTS1]

And that's a good thing?  
 
I have sat on the Vespa ... too small.

Which Vespa? Was it the 300?


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[bobbin]

1 hour ago, LammyTS1 said:

 

Which Vespa? Was it the 300?


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Yes.

[Tofer]

On 26 July 2018 at 1:12 PM, action said:

I agree with the OP.  I always joke that the PCX is for old farts who either can't afford or can't handle a Harley or similar.  The Honda Phantom used to fill this role. 

 

Worse than the PCX is that Honda Forza!  If you want a scooter buy a scooter.  If you want a big bike buy a big bike.  The two don't mix IMHO.

 

I totally understand the bathtub reference.  My motto is:  "If a bike's seat is wider than it's handle bars, it ain't a cool bike".  I've lived in rental houses with sofas smaller than the seat on these things.  

 

In the Thai community the PCX is a status symbol.  You're way more HiSo than those scoopy riders.  Throw a bunch obnoxious LED's and a stereo system and you're the king of the street!

 

  

 

 

Well I'm verging on old fart status, can afford a Harley but would rather have another car which keeps me out of the rain and sun and probably costs less to run as well.

 

The seat is the main reason I bought one, as well as having wider handle bars than a scooter which would give me round shoulders, way too cramped for a broad shouldered chap. Automatic - as I'm too lazy to flex my ageing ankles to change gears. Perfect for pottering around the local area, and with a bit more presence than the flimsy Clicks etc. so as to be seen and hopefully avoided.

 

The seat is not wider than the handle bars and,anyway, who gives a toss about "being cool" - I'm certainly not that insecure!

 

What's not to like? Comfort over image every time!

Edited August 1, 2018 by Tofer

[DILLIGAD]

If I could afford a ‘real bike’, the last one I’d buy Is a ‘Harley Davidson’

We are all different so why expect our requirements/wants to be the same. Scooters/maxi-scooters/cruisers/adventure bikes/super sport/retro, all have their place so why worry about what others think/want!

 

 

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[Andrew Dwyer]

Hey OP, I got a chuckle from the "bath tub" name - it kinda fits, like the US cars circa 1970s, we called them "tuna boats". 
 
My buddy likes his PCX a lot, always excited to have me try it out, saying I would buy one after I did.  I finally relented and took it for a ride around his moo baan. 
 
Wow!  Compared to the pink Hello Kitty Scoopi I share with the Mrs.,  this was a smooth, quiet ride.  Like floating on a cloud.  I got a bit caught up in a delayed mid-life crisis as I floated down the narrow soi.    Suddenly my arm muscles seemed bigger, wallet thicker, I felt great, like a million Satang.   I started to feel the eyes of every Thai housewife in the moo baan peering out at me longingly from their kitchen windows, thinking:

"OMG, look at that young, fit, handsum stud on the PCX!".

Each fantasizing about me suddenly pulling into her driveway, serving me cold Mama noodles and hot beer whilst massaging my neck and shoulders until I sweep her off her feet and carry her to the hong naam for a romantic snog on the toilet, before Somchai gets home from work.
 
Man, I was flying high in this dreamy, PCX-improved life idea, but it turned out I was actually flying high..... up and over the handlebars, because I'd hit a &^%!! soi dog having a krap in the middle of the *@#%$! moo baan road!   
 
                                  ~RUDE AWAKENING~
 
I came to my senses in mid-air flight, luckily a pile of uncollected, putrid rubbish bags in front of a garden boundary wall, broke my fall, but the bike crashed into a parked car belong to a Thai housewife.
 
Well, turns out this "Real Thai housewife" wasn't so alluring, and was not impressed when I told her she had bragging rights for having her car smashed by a Top of the Range PCX, not some garden variety, cheap charlie Scoopi.   She started screaming unintelligibly in one of those shrill, nasal Thai female voices that splits your head like a hot knife through butter.  You know the kind....  Yeah, one of those....
 
My mate threatened me into buying his smashed PCX at full value so he could get a new one, and his wife folded her arms and stared menacingly until I agreed to fix the damage I done to the neighbor's parked Honda Jazz.   

So now I'm even more broke, forced to keep riding my wife's Scoopi, suffering the emasculating insults from the lads down at the local with their phat pensions, fancy PCXs and big bikes parked up out front.  Waxed and detailed in the sun, they are gleaming symbols of success, the likes of which I'll never be able to afford now.
[emoji1]

Great post [emoji106] made me laugh out loud !!

Well worth a read ( for those who missed it ).

Gf has been hinting about a scooter and I’ll have to admit they are fun to poot around the rice fields when we visit Mil .

But she keeps going on about a Honda Step !!, I have seen one and it looked ancient !!

Probably go for a Click as she’s only 45 kg and I’m skinny also ( ? ) , okay 76 kg .

[Rhys]

Huevos el grande...

[LammyTS1]

Yes.

You must be a big big lad.
The GTS is the large frame Vespa & I’ve covered a 400km day trip in complete comfort. The Sprint, Primavera, LX, S & 946 are all small frame yet the GTS can still get thru all traffic at ease. Best of both worlds.
My Click feels so cheap & nasty when I jump on it and it’s totally uncomfortable on the back. It’s still an ok scooter for short trips but for the extra money, the Vespa is worth it.
I found the PCX suspension very poor. The Zoomer, Mio & Nuevo I found poor compared to the Click.




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[spidermike007]

21 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

They might be comfortable. But all of them are BIG. And that means they don't fit between the cars. And I think that is one of the main attractions of bikes: They fit between cars and that makes them fast in traffic. If someone buys one of these huge things he/she can also buy a car. They both get stuck in traffic but at least the car has a roof.

Totally untrue. I weave in between traffic all the time with my Burgman. Super nimble and quick. It is a delight to ride. It is maybe 30cm wider than a Honda Wave.

[HAKAPALITA]

There are some cruel folks outthere.At last ive spotted one just like a Victorian Bath.All the rider needed was a Crash Helmet with twin Eartrumpets , 2 old water jugs for panniers to complete the Total Dork Image.


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[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Totally untrue. I weave in between traffic all the time with my Burgman. Super nimble and quick. It is a delight to ride. It is maybe 30cm wider than a Honda Wave.

You admit it's 30cm wider than a small bike but you write: "Totally untrue. I weave in between traffic all the time with my Burgman. "

That does not add up!

 

Nobody can ride a bike which is considerably wider than other bikes just like the small bike. It's like saying you can drive with a truck everywhere where you drive with a Mini. It's just not true!

 

Maybe you ride somewhere on streets without traffic or the streets are very wide and there is a meter space between all the lanes where you can squeeze your bike through. But that's about it.

 

I have and had several bikes. The smallest one, Suzuki Raider 150, fits almost anywhere. Bigger bikes might fit or they might fit with some wiggling and sometimes there is no way to get them through the cars. It's true and it's measurable. Why is it so difficult to admit this truth?

[transam]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Totally untrue. I weave in between traffic all the time with my Burgman. Super nimble and quick. It is a delight to ride. It is maybe 30cm wider than a Honda Wave.

Think we will have to leave it that some folk like cheap girlie scoots with crap weight distribution and where holding an umbrella when riding is paramount and the rest who like a scoot for it's benefits but like something that handles well for a scooter ...

[Kwasaki]

On 8/1/2018 at 10:47 AM, transam said:

I think the PCX tank is sort of in front of the driver, well it ain't under the seat...?

The Airblade too you don't have to get off to fill up with petrol. 

[transam]

 

I had a fuel injected Lambretta TV175, it went well. Folk do have fun on them...

Edited August 2, 2018 by transam

[transam]

 

[Kinnock]

8 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

The Airblade too you don't have to get off to fill up with petrol. 

In Bangkok there's a petrol station in lower Sukhumvit that's opposite Nana Plaza - so you can fill up with petrol and get off at the same time.

 

And after reading the discussions in this thread - I asked an expert lane splitter (local motorcycle taxi rider) why I don't see them using the PCX.  His explanation was simple .... cost.to buy, repair and run. As for width - he said many of their female passengers ride side-saddle, so the extra width of a PCX is not an issue for them. 

 

Personally, I think if an extra cm or 2 is a critical difference, then you're riding way too close to the cars, especially in Bangkok where the huge pot holes need a decent amount of wiggle room for last minute course corrections.

 

 

[spacebass]

On 7/26/2018 at 4:54 PM, toofarnorth said:

I had a Phantom , never compared it to a HD. I now have a Forza , better by far than the Enfield I had or the Norton I had. I press the button and go , I don't have to oil a chain or check the points or buy a capacitor every year or two. Oh and the most comforable bike I have ever sat on .  Ok it is a big scooter , 300cc , nothing wrong with that IMHO.

Or screw the exhaust pipes back into the head every couple of days. (Norton Commando).

[spacebass]

PCX 100kms - 2.5 litres

[OneMoreFarang]

33 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

Personally, I think if an extra cm or 2 is a critical difference, then you're riding way too close to the cars, especially in Bangkok where the huge pot holes need a decent amount of wiggle room for last minute course corrections.

Often enough it is a question of less than 5 cm (and maybe 1 or 2) in inner Bangkok traffic. And these critical centimeters are normally between the handlebar ends or mirrors on the bike and mostly the mirrors on the cars and vans.  But then it's about riding between standing vehicles to get to the front. This happens at slow speed (I guess less than 10km/h) so potholes are not an extra risk.

 

[Kadilo]

6 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Often enough it is a question of less than 5 cm (and maybe 1 or 2) in inner Bangkok traffic. And these critical centimeters are normally between the handlebar ends or mirrors on the bike and mostly the mirrors on the cars and vans.  But then it's about riding between standing vehicles to get to the front. This happens at slow speed (I guess less than 10km/h) so potholes are not an extra risk.

 

I hope your wife don’t go on so much about the size of your manhood. 

[OneMoreFarang]

59 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

I hope your wife don’t go on so much about the size of your manhood. 

And just in case my wife would complain about the size do you think I should change my small bike against a bathtub? Do you think that would satisfy my wife?

[transam]

4 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

And just in case my wife would complain about the size do you think I should change my small bike against a bathtub? Do you think that would satisfy my wife?

If your shower has packed up then l think you will be walking...