Reliability. Honda vs Yamaha

[Moonlover]

So, I'm on the cusp of buying my next scooter. I've narrowed down my choices to the following 4.

 

   1. Honda Click 150cc

   2. Honda PCX

   3. Yamaha Earox

   4. Yamaha Nmax

 

Of the four, the Earox is the front runner, but in a recent thread, doubts were being cast on Yamaha's build quality and reliability, although no actual evidence was presented.

 

So I'd like to hear from riders of all these scooters letting me have your comments regarding reliability. I already know Honda to be reliable, having ridden a Click for four years, but would like to hear. 

 

Safe riding everyone and have fun.

 

[Farangwithaplan]

They are all reliable. Simply get them serviced by the book - no more, no less - and clean it occasionally. Keep it out of the weather when you can, keep the tyres correctly inflated and use the recommended fuel. You will be fine.

 

Find the scooter with the best comfort or features you want or price or whatever is most important for you then buy it. Don't sweat the little things. Just do it.

 

[2long]

Agree with Farangwithaplan

I own an Aerox, but I love Honda (cars & bikes).
Don't get the NMax. It has small wheels and a long wheelbase and rides horrible.

I've never ridden a PCX and nor do I want to, but I believe they're a good bike.

Before my Aerox I had 2 Nouvos.

Service by the main dealer every 4,000 kms is cheap and enables them to run forever.

My only disappointment with is Yam's stop-start compared to the Honda. the Honda activates from word Go and cuts the engine after 5 seconds, which is perfect. My Yam needs to wait 10 seconds the first time, and from then on it cuts INSTANTLY when I get to 0k/mh. But I still love it.

[Mavideol]

am with you as currently shopping for a new scooter, have had my 125cc Click for the past 4.5 years never had a problem, wife's complaining (ass grown bigger) about lack of seating space when the kids seats with us, went looking for new 150cc Click, nice and still has the same hook on to hold my groceries bag but the Earox it's also nice, appears bigger but has  no hook for my groceries bag, maybe this is not a problem for some but for me it's a consideration (different people have different needs/likes) Honda 150cc is 61K and the Earox R model is (with discount) 69,400.... I don't drive long distances does practicality is the thing here

[lust]

Aerox and Nmax have oil problems. Many come through my friend’s shop in need of new pistons. 

 

I would argue that they have better performance, but less reliability than the pcx.

[Kinnock]

I've owned both Yamaha and Honda and used as daily rides in Bangkok.

 

I'd say they were of identical build quality and reliability.

 

Both are built to a low price point due to the competitive market, but with so many sold and tested to destruction in Asia they have evolved to be pretty tough.

 

Strong sunlight is the main cause of deterioration, and looking at older bikes in the street I'd say Yamaha plastics are marginally more UV resistant, especially the clear plastic over the speedometer which is a Honda weakness, but if you can park in the shade this is not a critical issue.

 

But the biggest difference between the two brands is ABS.  Honda should be ashamed that the same models sold in other markets have ABS, but they do not offer it in Thailand where the bikes are made.

[lust]

1 minute ago, Mavideol said:

am with you as currently shopping for a new scooter, have had my 125cc Click for the past 4.5 years never had a problem, wife's complaining (ass grown nigger) about lack of seating space when the kids seats with us, went looking for new 150cc Click, nice and still has the same hook on to hold my groceries bag but the Earox it's also nice, appears bigger but has  no hook for my groceries bag, maybe this is not a problem for some but for me it's a consideration (different people have different needs/likes) Honda 150cc is 61K and the Earox R model is (with discount) 69,400.... I don't drive long distances does practicality is the thing here

Autocorrect hates you, lol.

[Joe Mcseismic]

Honda has better resale value.

[Farangwithaplan]

8 minutes ago, lust said:

Aerox and Nmax have oil problems. Many come through my friend’s shop in need of new pistons. 

 

I would argue that they have better performance, but less reliability than the pcx.

There is more to that story. I'm willing to wager that piston has not ended up in that condition through normal use or with the bike receiving standard servicing. There must have been damage imposed in either the cooling or oil delivery service from misuse or impact damage or a lost sump plug or whatever. That piston damage is not caused through normal operating conditions.

 

[Moonlover]

16 minutes ago, lust said:

Aerox and Nmax have oil problems. Many come through my friend’s shop in need of new pistons. 

 

I would argue that they have better performance, but less reliability than the pcx.

 

9 minutes ago, Farangwithaplan said:

There is more to that story. I'm willing to wager that piston has not ended up in that condition through normal use or with the bike receiving standard servicing.

 

I would suspect that wrong fuel or neglect is the issue here. Especially as in neglect due to lack of oil changes.

 

P. S. When I first scrolled down and saw the top of this picture coming up, I wondered what the heck was emerging! lol.

[johng]

Yes that piston is very damaged looks like the rings wore away too !!...no water, no oil seized up then pushed by friends foot on another bike to the shop 50 kms away ?

[VocalNeal]

42 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

but in a recent thread, doubts were being cast on Yamaha's build quality and reliability, although no actual evidence was presented.

I'm of the opinion that Yamaha build quality is equal to or better than Honda's but build quality is difficult to prove one way or the other. 

 

In Thailand one sees one Nmax for every PCX

In Indonesia it is one PCX for every 10 Nmax.

Aerox is like an Nmax GT .

[VocalNeal]

34 minutes ago, 2long said:

Don't get the NMax. It has small wheels and a long wheelbase and rides horrible.

Aerox has same wheelbase as NMax just that Aerox has 14 inch wheels. PCX is marginally shorter wheelbase, same size wheels as Nmax

 

[Moonlover]

55 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

am with you as currently shopping for a new scooter, have had my 125cc Click for the past 4.5 years never had a problem, wife's complaining (ass grown nigger) about lack of seating space when the kids seats with us, went looking for new 150cc Click, nice and still has the same hook on to hold my groceries bag but the Earox it's also nice, appears bigger but has  no hook for my groceries bag, maybe this is not a problem for some but for me it's a consideration (different people have different needs/likes) Honda 150cc is 61K and the Earox R model is (with discount) 69,400.... I don't drive long distances does practicality is the thing here

Have to agree with you. The Click is a great load lugger. A Big C tote bag fits perfectly into the foot well and I'm always amazed at how much we can lug home. Madam Moon has got it down to a fine art.

 

But we're keeping our Click as the wifeymobile, so we won't loose that facility and I'm free to choose my own bike.

 

Judging from the comments, thus far, for which I thank you all, the Aerox remains the front runner.

[alx123]

Iv'e own both brands. i can say they are almost at par when it comes to quality. I'm currently using a Honda PCX but won't think twice about buying or changing into a Yamaha. 

 

I have a 12 year old Yamaha 110 cc and it's still running good. 

 

Besides, parts and repairs for small bikes are cheap here. Get the one which features you like best. 

[2long]

46 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Aerox has same wheelbase as NMax just that Aerox has 14 inch wheels. PCX is marginally shorter wheelbase, same size wheels as Nmax

 

I haven't measured or checked specs online.... but are you saying I'm wrong that the the NMax wheelbase:wheel size is different to the Aerox? They ride very differently, which is my reason to judge.

Same wheelbase & wheel or not?

[Issanman]

^^Same wheelbase at 1350mm but 13" wheels on the NMax and 14" wheels on the Aerox.

 

However, the NMax does not have the convenient, built-in, knee-banging function that is designed into the Aerox body.

 

But the NMax does have way more room for adjusting your leg and foot position. 

 

Sit on both and see for yourself.

 

I started buying Yamahas a few years back when I discovered they actually handle better and are more stable at higher speeds than my previous Hondas.

 

I really haven't noticed any difference in quality.

[2long]

So, not the same wheelbase:wheel diameter ratio, which is what makes a vehicle handle or ride accordingly.

There was me thinking I was wrong for a second.

Nmaxs are horrible to ride IMO and Aerox's are nice. The Aerox doesn't have the nice hangy hook, but there's plenty of space under the seat and in the 'glove compartment'.

Not sure if the NMax has a USB charger or not. Also not sure if the newer NMaxs have the silent starter that my Aerox has.
Hondas and Yams are all good, and reliable if looked after. So choose the one that fits your lifestyle, budget and whatever else.

[lust]

2 hours ago, Moonlover said:

 

I would suspect that wrong fuel or neglect is the issue here. Especially as in neglect due to lack of oil changes.

 

P. S. When I first scrolled down and saw the top of this picture coming up, I wondered what the heck was emerging! lol.

The bikes had between 6,000-10,000kms. I personally saw 4 come through his shop. He specializes in Aerox, Nmax, Xmas, etc. My friend said it’s an oil feed problem.

[Moonlover]

12 minutes ago, lust said:

The bikes had between 6,000-10,000kms. I personally saw 4 come through his shop. He specializes in Aerox, Nmax, Xmas, etc. My friend said it’s an oil feed problem.

All between 6,000-10,000kms? That would suggest these bikes are still under warranty. Is 'your friend' an authorized Yamaha mechanic?

 

I would have thought that such a serious problem would have been flagged up big time.

[WhatsNext]

I have driven a lot of rental bikes and finally bought an Nmax, negatives are a very firm ride, and not the latest technology like the smart key or the silent start. However it has ABS front and back, drives very stable, is great with a passenger and has plenty of room. 

The Aerox is fine if you are born without legs. Honda was not on my list as i want to have ABS on a bike. 

 

However the greatest bike at the moment with the right price is in my opinion the FIlano hybrid ABS for 62.000. I would have gotten that one if my girlfriend didnt think i look like a dork on the thing because i am tall... 

[gjoo888]

My mechanic insists that Honda makes the most reliable motorbike, and he certainly knows more than me. But, I have a 15 yr. old Yamaha Nouvo that virtually nothing has needed repair and still runs like new. We regularly maintain it, change the oil, etc., and it just keeps on running like a top. In the 15 yrs. we've had it, the only thing that doesn't work right is the fuel gauge. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but it's easy enough just to look in the tank to see how much fuel there is. 

[unamazedloso]

20 hours ago, lust said:

Aerox and Nmax have oil problems. Many come through my friend’s shop in need of new pistons. 

 

I would argue that they have better performance, but less reliability than the pcx.

As a retired performance mechanic thats made and exported race parts world wide for both brands i can tell you the above pic doesnt tell the whole story. You will get skirt scores as the rings fail but this is probably a badly fitted big bore kit and nothing more than not oiling up the rings and cylinder unless they used grease scrapped off the beach dropped from a boat combined with a leaky headgasket letting coolant run free and a broken valve spring? Would be interesting to see the whole piston. With no oil and a normal person owning/riding it the bike will die or purposely be checked long before a piston can look like that. Breaking a piston is far easier to emulate than that type of damage. No oil issues will show scores on the skirt and atleast the oil rings would have failed and letting oil through but not like that.

My 2cents.. both makes are cheap rubbish people! Buy them, use them, replace!! Thats all they are good for unless your profiting from these things. I mainly worked with hondas because thats where the main market is because there is a lot of trust in hondas but this trust shouldn't extend to these stupid bikes. If i had to say whats better in reality its yamaha. Better performing engines. More bang (if thats appropriate) for your buck! 

I say this because i have made many a big bore, stroker crank, bigger valve heads for many local yamahas and always had success however in reality they are all just as good as each other. I aint biased, i own heaps of different makes..

[ToddinChonburi]

Honda has the better resale value in Thailand. More Honda shops.

[jirathama]

Drove a NMax for 2 years. Can not really say, that the ride is firm. Actually,  drove almost 100% 2 people on it with very comfortable seating. Just make sure, not to put too much air in the tires. Front is only 22psi! Most put much more in. Back is 36psi.

About resale. I think, time is changing. Many Thais buy now Yamaha and see that they get an similar product then Honda produces. As unamazedloso wrote, Yamaha was/is enginewise ahead.

I sold my Nmax within 2 days of advertising it. For a very good price. Couldnt go better having owned a Honda instead.

Dont know the new PCX, maybe they are ahead of Nmax now. But cost new more too.

 

[NoshowJones]

Honda PCX.

[Mavideol]

5 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Honda PCX.

I like it but it's big and not easy to move around as I do with the Click

[tlandtday]

23 hours ago, lust said:

Aerox and Nmax have oil problems. Many come through my friend’s shop in need of new pistons. 

 

I would argue that they have better performance, but less reliability than the pcx.

yes many reports of blown engines under 10k due to lack of oil to the engine... maybe why these aerox and nmax motors sound so rough at low rpm...

[SteveK]

Yamaha has a quoted failure rate of 11%, Honda 12%, so Yamaha is technically more reliable but there's not much in it. My last decade or so in the UK, I only ever bought Yamahas as the first one I bought was totally bullet proof. I had an R6 and an R1 and aside from routine maintenance nothing ever went wrong, and I drove them pretty hard all over the UK. Saying that, I had a Honda that never broke down also, I would say any of the Jap bikes should be reliable, although I'm not sure how big bike reliability related to scooter reliability but I suppose it should be a good indicator of the company's quality control. A lot of Thais seem to only buy Honda Waves, and I can see why, they just seem to keep going forever, even without proper maintenance.

[spidermike007]

Both are outstanding brands, and super reliable. Some say Honda has better resale value? Between the Click and the PCX, there is no contest. The Click is built for a small guy or gal, and is not really a good bike with a passenger on board. The PCX is a far more stable platform, and performs better with a passenger. More power and control. Better suspension.

 

Have you considered an X-Max, or is that out of your budget range? I think it is by far the best bike available in Thailand right now, for the money. But it is 170,000 baht. Worth it.