Anyone with a Honda Adv 150 - how is the suspension ?

[Agusts]

35 minutes ago, properperson said:

 

I spoke to the manager of The big honda dealers by the Honda factory in Bowin, last week about when the ADV300 / 350 was coming out ..... he knew nothing about it !  .  lol...

 

i do hope it isn't the same pie in the sky that has been threatening a CRF 300 for several years !

.

Yes, it's only talk now, but they did keep Forza 350 quite a secret until a few months before release. We will see what a Forza 750 looks like on 14 Oct announcement... 

 

But they now do have a big gap between ADV 150 and X-ADV 750 (kind of adv chassis type, not Forza), so will make sense if they come up with something in the middle...

 

We have to wait and see, if anything it will be mid next year or even later, ADV 150 is fairly new..., so they see how it sells and get feedback...

 

Edited October 12, 2020 by Agusts

[properperson]

On 10/12/2020 at 1:36 PM, Agusts said:

Yes, it's only talk now, but they did keep Forza 350 quite a secret until a few months before release. We will see what a Forza 750 looks like on 14 Oct announcement... 

 

But they now do have a big gap between ADV 150 and X-ADV 750 (kind of adv chassis type, not Forza), so will make sense if they come up with something in the middle...

 

We have to wait and see, if anything it will be mid next year or even later, ADV 150 is fairly new..., so they see how it sells and get feedback...

 

 

Agreed ...a 300/350, would slot in there nicely .......

 

i'm surprised Yamaha haven't done some ADV offering too....... Maybe that's on the cards ??

.

[juanzo]

On 6/14/2020 at 6:31 PM, SS1 said:

You can’t expect much from a cheap 150cc engine but I must say it’s very slow out of the box. Compared to my Aerox with some variator mods, it felt really sluggish. The top speed is around 118km/h which is almost enough for BKK, but it gets there so slowly it feels boring and is dangerous when overtaking cars. I went to ร้าน Set By..Sar โชคชัย4/44 who gave me a modded ADV150 to try. Told them to copy whatever they did there and after upgrading the air intake, throttle body and modifying the pulley, it was completely transformed. Now it accelerates like crazy (for a scooter) and is a total blast to ride. Cost: 5500 baht.

 

The part of this post I'm most interested is where in Chiang Mai I can find the engine mod kit.  The rest is a brief review of the bike vs my experience with the NMAX.

Well, I bit the bullet and picked up an ADV150.  I love riding that thing, I enjoy the higher riding position and overall feel of the suspension, and it definitely eats bumps far better than my nmax 150.  Far more comfortable ride, but does require a little extra attention when splitting lanes due to ride height.  Im pretty sure it has a larger gas tank as I've been going to the pump less.

 

The only place where I see the NMax is better is throttle response and access to power.  The ADV150 is a bit sluggish and I have to be a bit less aggressive, but its not a dealbreaker.  

 

Also, I believe the NMAX has front and back antilock brakes - the ADV150 only has the front.  I've had one time where I had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting a car that pulled out of in front of me and while I did avoid a collision with my rear brake squealing, I'm wondering if I would have missed the car by a better margin with rear antilock or not.  The fact that I could slide the rear end may have actually helped swing it out of the way of the front of the car.

 

I'm located in Chiang Mai and was wondering how I might go about finding that engine mod, any ideas?

 

Thank you!

Quote

 

 

Edited October 25, 2020 by juanzo

[SS1]

40 minutes ago, juanzo said:

The part of this post I'm most interested is where in Chiang Mai I can find the engine mod kit.  The rest is a brief review of the bike vs my experience with the NMAX.

Well, I bit the bullet and picked up an ADV150.  I love riding that thing, I enjoy the higher riding position and overall feel of the suspension, and it definitely eats bumps far better than my nmax 150.  Far more comfortable ride, but does require a little extra attention when splitting lanes due to ride height.  Im pretty sure it has a larger gas tank as I've been going to the pump less.

 

The only place where I see the NMax is better is throttle response and access to power.  The ADV150 is a bit sluggish and I have to be a bit less aggressive, but its not a dealbreaker.  

 

Also, I believe the NMAX has front and back antilock brakes - the ADV150 only has the front.  I've had one time where I had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting a car that pulled out of in front of me and while I did avoid a collision with my rear brake squealing, I'm wondering if I would have missed the car by a better margin with rear antilock or not.  The fact that I could slide the rear end may have actually helped swing it out of the way of the front of the car.

 

I'm located in Chiang Mai and was wondering how I might go about finding that engine mod, any ideas?

 

Thank you!

 

 

I would recommend contacting Set by Sar in Bangkok via Facebook or Line and explain to them exactly how you want your bike (e.g. focus on acceleration, top speed, or both). They ship parts even overseas, they're famous in Asia. If you want you can PM me your Line ID and I'll share the contact of a person at the shop who speaks English. You could order by post then have any local shop install them for you in CM. 

Yeah, the ADV doesn't have ABS on the rear but I much much prefer it that way. I often slide the rear into corners, a bit like riding a supermoto. You can see a video here from Friday I'm testing it on the track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0yjRuJNb6c&t I've also upgraded the tyres, the suspension with YSS and the front brake with a 300mm rotor after my original review.  

If you find yourself locking the rear during panic braking, I recommend to get into the habit of only keeping 1 or 2 fingers on the rear brake. This way even if you slam the brakes, you won't have enough force to fully lock the rear. When I'm filtering fast in Bangkok traffic I've always got 3 fingers on the front brake and 2 on the rear ready for a quick stop. 

Edited October 25, 2020 by SS1

[juanzo]

On 10/1/2020 at 10:25 PM, Xonax said:

I just got the new 2021 Honda ADV 150 yesterday and I am extremely pleased with how it drives and handles. The suspension is great, like on a bigger bike and the bike is perfectly balanced, opposed to my old PCX 150, which was horrible to ride. The only disadvantage is the limited storage space under the seat, which doesn´t fit a large full-face helmet. I wanted this bike badly, so I had to buy a new and smaller helmet for it as well.

The same day I bought it my brother in law who seems to know just about every shop in CM brought me to a place that sells top boxes - under the seat storage problem solved.  My only suggestion is to view a few designs and especially look at the opening/locking key hardware feel.  mine feels a bit, for lack of a better term, cheap.  Works for now, nice convenient upgrade.

[juanzo]

36 minutes ago, SS1 said:

 

I would recommend contacting Set by Sar in Bangkok via Facebook or Line and explain to them exactly how you want your bike (e.g. focus on acceleration, top speed, or both). They ship parts even overseas, they're famous in Asia. If you want you can PM me your Line ID and I'll share the contact of a person at the shop who speaks English. You could order by post then have any local shop install them for you in CM. 

Yeah, the ADV doesn't have ABS on the rear but I much much prefer it that way. I often slide the rear into corners, a bit like riding a supermoto. You can see a video here from Friday I'm testing it on the track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0yjRuJNb6c&t I've also upgraded the tyres, the suspension with YSS and the front brake with a 300mm rotor after my original review.  

If you find yourself locking the rear during panic braking, I recommend to get into the habit of only keeping 1 or 2 fingers on the rear brake. This way even if you slam the brakes, you won't have enough force to fully lock the rear. When I'm filtering fast in Bangkok traffic I've always got 3 fingers on the front brake and 2 on the rear ready for a quick stop. 

Awesome brother, thanks for the hookup.  

 

Did you have both front and back suspension upgraded?  Was it an off-the-shelf yss product or did they get into the valving and tune them for your weight/needs?  I could spoil myself and upgrade the suspension if it means even more of a road Cadillac ride.

 

Panic braking hasn't happened often, but I always ride with at least 2-3 fingers on the brakes.  You're likely a much more advanced rider than me, I don't have the feel for when the rears lock up (its actually not concerning, I've spent a lot of time off-road on big bikes with the rear locked up and can control the bike with relative ease).

 

Thanks!

Edited October 25, 2020 by juanzo

[SS1]

9 hours ago, juanzo said:

Awesome brother, thanks for the hookup.  

 

Did you have both front and back suspension upgraded?  Was it an off-the-shelf yss product or did they get into the valving and tune them for your weight/needs?  I could spoil myself and upgrade the suspension if it means even more of a road Cadillac ride.

 

Panic braking hasn't happened often, but I always ride with at least 2-3 fingers on the brakes.  You're likely a much more advanced rider than me, I don't have the feel for when the rears lock up (its actually not concerning, I've spent a lot of time off-road on big bikes with the rear locked up and can control the bike with relative ease).

 

Thanks!

Yeah I've added the YSS g-sport rear shocks and their performance fork kit. It's an off the shelf product but allows for many adjustments. The shop that installed them adjusted them roughly for my weight, but I might go to a proper suspension specialist in Bangkok later to get it set perfect. It was a very good investment as I'm quite heavy (95kg) and the stock suspension kept bottoming out. 

I recommend to purposefully practice locking the rear on different road surfaces in a safe area and you'll get the feel for it. I slide the rear almost every day in a couple of corners in my soi (not blind corners) just for fun and practice ???? you'll get a good feel for it. 

[soi3eddie]

On 6/13/2020 at 10:52 AM, papa al said:

It will ride smoother

if you have a hefty girl riding behind.

Too big you might bottom out,

so experiment.

Or just run lower air pressure

which helps a lot.

But not too low.

The middle path.

 

Advised tyre pressures for ADV150 on OEM tyres are 30 Front and 35 Rear. I bought a digital pressure guauge off Lazada and some 90 degree valve extensions in order to check/inflate easily. Suspension is good for me (I'm 90kgs) and even when bike loaded for touring with a rear Givi box it handles very well. I did Bangkok to Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang rai and back last month. Super trip.   

[soi3eddie]

On 6/14/2020 at 12:31 PM, SS1 said:

 

I wouldn’t actually use this bike for "adventures" out of town since it won’t be fast enough for the highway, but it’s the best commuter for Bangkok you can find. I realise I’ve just written an essay raving about a goddamn 150cc scooter so maybe that will give you an idea on how good it is ????. Highly recommend getting one if you’re currently in the market for a scooter.
 

 

I bought my ADV150 in February and have covered 9,000 KMs so far. From Bangkok, a 3,000 KM tour around Southern Thailand and back and also a 3,000 KM tour around Northern Thailand and back. Add in a few trips to Hua Hin and Pattaya too. It's a great bike for touring especially if you might to do a bit of rough road or off road tracks. True, it's no fun on the faster divided highways but would they really be fun on any bike? Where the ADV150 definitely wins for me is the versatility and the fact that it can go almost anywhere (except serious off roading for which a CRF would be needed). Pretty much any road other than the main highways is a blast - it goes plenty fast enough and handles really well for a scooter. Mae Sot - Mae Sariang - Mae Hong Son - Pai- Chiang Mai - Arunothai - Chiang-Rai was simply fun all the way. The scooter could keep up with bigger bikes in the mountain curves. The brakes (discs front and back) and low centre of gravity meant confidence on approach to sharp downhill corners. I'm using it more around Bangkok too but I still dislike the cut and thrust of all the other bikes such as couriers and food delivery riders in the city. It gets through traffic well and is really stable to ride. All in all I'm pleased to have chosen it and have booked for modifications at Set by Sar to give it a bit more power.          

Edited November 18, 2020 by soi3eddie

[SS1]

8 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

 

I bought my ADV150 in February and have covered 9,000 KMs so far. From Bangkok, a 3,000 KM tour around Southern Thailand and back and also a 3,000 KM tour around Northern Thailand and back. Add in a few trips to Hua Hin and Pattaya too. It's a great bike for touring especially if you might to do a bit of rough road or off road tracks. True, it's no fun on the faster divided highways but would they really be fun on any bike? Where the ADV150 definitely wins for me is the versatility and the fact that it can go almost anywhere (except serious off roading for which a CRF would be needed). Pretty much any road other than the main highways is a blast - it goes plenty fast enough and handles really well for a scooter. Mae Sot - Mae Sariang - Mae Hong Son - Pai- Chiang Mai - Arunothai - Chiang-Rai was simply fun all the way. The scooter could keep up with bigger bikes in the mountain curves. The brakes (discs front and back) and low centre of gravity meant confidence on approach to sharp downhill corners. I'm using it more around Bangkok too but I still dislike the cut and thrust of all the other bikes such as couriers and food delivery riders in the city. It gets through traffic well and is really stable to ride. All in all I'm pleased to have chosen it and have booked for modifications at Set by Sar to give it a bit more power.          

Glad to hear you are enjoying the bike. For me personally it's way too slow for anything outside of Bangkok. For the highways I want a bike where I can safely keep ahead of traffic without cars/trucks overtaking me. For Northern mountain loops, I prefer a lighteweight +450cc supermoto (KTM 690 currently) with some sticky tyres, heaps of low end torque and proper engine braking. Anyways, I'm sure you can have fun on the ADV150 too it handles great indeed and is very comfortable too. 

Best way to avoid the delivery riders in Bangkok is to ride faster than them ???? safe rides!

[teacherclaire]

Put some progressive springs into the front suspension plus a thicker oil and you should be fine. 

Edited November 18, 2020 by teacherclaire

[teacherclaire]

23 minutes ago, SS1 said:

Glad to hear you are enjoying the bike. For me personally it's way too slow for anything outside of Bangkok. For the highways I want a bike where I can safely keep ahead of traffic without cars/trucks overtaking me. For Northern mountain loops, I prefer a lighteweight +450cc supermoto (KTM 690 currently) with some sticky tyres, heaps of low end torque and proper engine braking. Anyways, I'm sure you can have fun on the ADV150 too it handles great indeed and is very comfortable too. 

Best way to avoid the delivery riders in Bangkok is to ride faster than them ???? safe rides!

Yep, not a bike for the highway. I'd fall asleep. 

[juanzo]

On 10/25/2020 at 9:56 PM, SS1 said:

I recommend to purposefully practice locking the rear on different road surfaces in a safe area and you'll get the feel for it. I slide the rear almost every day in a couple of corners in my soi (not blind corners) just for fun and practice ???? you'll get a good feel for it. 

I haven't practiced it, but I have done it a few times in avoidance of accidents.  A little practice may be in order...

[juanzo]

On 11/18/2020 at 1:49 PM, soi3eddie said:

 

I bought my ADV150 in February and have covered 9,000 KMs so far. From Bangkok, a 3,000 KM tour around Southern Thailand and back and also a 3,000 KM tour around Northern Thailand and back. Add in a few trips to Hua Hin and Pattaya too. It's a great bike for touring especially if you might to do a bit of rough road or off road tracks. True, it's no fun on the faster divided highways but would they really be fun on any bike? Where the ADV150 definitely wins for me is the versatility and the fact that it can go almost anywhere (except serious off roading for which a CRF would be needed). Pretty much any road other than the main highways is a blast - it goes plenty fast enough and handles really well for a scooter. Mae Sot - Mae Sariang - Mae Hong Son - Pai- Chiang Mai - Arunothai - Chiang-Rai was simply fun all the way. The scooter could keep up with bigger bikes in the mountain curves. The brakes (discs front and back) and low centre of gravity meant confidence on approach to sharp downhill corners. I'm using it more around Bangkok too but I still dislike the cut and thrust of all the other bikes such as couriers and food delivery riders in the city. It gets through traffic well and is really stable to ride. All in all I'm pleased to have chosen it and have booked for modifications at Set by Sar to give it a bit more power.          

I had my first multi-lane highway experience today. Traffic was light, so I decided to open her up.  She maxed out at 113kph, and I can't say I was entirely comfortable.  90kph felt fine.  That said, I am going to get in touch with Set by Sar and see what options are available to pull some extra horsepower out of it and maybe a suspension upgrade (even though I'm mostly comfortable with the suspension).  A trip to BKK may be in my future unless there is a shop here in CM that can do all the work.

[taninthai]

On 11/18/2020 at 10:29 PM, SS1 said:

Glad to hear you are enjoying the bike. For me personally it's way too slow for anything outside of Bangkok. For the highways I want a bike where I can safely keep ahead of traffic without cars/trucks overtaking me. For Northern mountain loops, I prefer a lighteweight +450cc supermoto (KTM 690 currently) with some sticky tyres, heaps of low end torque and proper engine braking. Anyways, I'm sure you can have fun on the ADV150 too it handles great indeed and is very comfortable too. 

Best way to avoid the delivery riders in Bangkok is to ride faster than them ???? safe rides!

 Completely agree absolute nightmare touring on a 150 cc scooter ,small cramped ,rubbish brakes ,no power the list goes on and on

[taninthai]

On 11/18/2020 at 1:49 PM, soi3eddie said:

 

I bought my ADV150 in February and have covered 9,000 KMs so far. From Bangkok, a 3,000 KM tour around Southern Thailand and back and also a 3,000 KM tour around Northern Thailand and back. Add in a few trips to Hua Hin and Pattaya too. It's a great bike for touring especially if you might to do a bit of rough road or off road tracks. True, it's no fun on the faster divided highways but would they really be fun on any bike? Where the ADV150 definitely wins for me is the versatility and the fact that it can go almost anywhere (except serious off roading for which a CRF would be needed). Pretty much any road other than the main highways is a blast - it goes plenty fast enough and handles really well for a scooter. Mae Sot - Mae Sariang - Mae Hong Son - Pai- Chiang Mai - Arunothai - Chiang-Rai was simply fun all the way. The scooter could keep up with bigger bikes in the mountain curves. The brakes (discs front and back) and low centre of gravity meant confidence on approach to sharp downhill corners. I'm using it more around Bangkok too but I still dislike the cut and thrust of all the other bikes such as couriers and food delivery riders in the city. It gets through traffic well and is really stable to ride. All in all I'm pleased to have chosen it and have booked for modifications at Set by Sar to give it a bit more power.          

Just out of curiosity have you ever owned proper bikes?

[soi3eddie]

On 11/29/2020 at 9:01 AM, taninthai said:

Just out of curiosity have you ever owned proper bikes?

Thanks. A trip down memory lane... Some of my bike history just for you; from age 16yrs; Yamaha FSIE 50cc, Kawasaki AR80, Yamaha RD80, RD125, RD250, RD350YPVS (Marlborough Racing), Kawasaki GPZ600R, Yamaha Tenere 600, Yamaha FZ750 (my absolute favourite), Yamaha FZR1000, Honda CB250, Honda CB350 and now Honda ADV150. I'm sure there's a few more (there was a Suzuki or two but can't remember the model numbers). Not sure if you'd consider any of these "proper bikes" but they certainly gave me a lot of fun, adventure and riding experience. I am also a college qualified motorcycle technician after studying motor vehicle technology and electronics along with welding and machine shop work.

[taninthai]

2 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Thanks. A trip down memory lane... Some of my bike history just for you; from age 16yrs; Yamaha FSIE 50cc, Kawasaki AR80, Yamaha RD80, RD125, RD250, RD350YPVS (Marlborough Racing), Kawasaki GPZ600R, Yamaha Tenere 600, Yamaha FZ750 (my absolute favourite), Yamaha FZR1000, Honda CB250, Honda CB350 and now Honda ADV150. I'm sure there's a few more (there was a Suzuki or two but can't remember the model numbers). Not sure if you'd consider any of these "proper bikes" but they certainly gave me a lot of fun, adventure and riding experience. I am also a college qualified motorcycle technician after studying motor vehicle technology and electronics along with welding and machine shop work.

Cool as said just curious and wondering what sort of people these scooters attract .....my view is it’s either new to bikes people or old people that don’t like the bigger bikes????

[soi3eddie]

2 hours ago, taninthai said:

Cool as said just curious and wondering what sort of people these scooters attract .....my view is it’s either new to bikes people or old people that don’t like the bigger bikes????

Originally, I was thinking about getting both a Honda Click for local and a Honda CB650 for longer trips. In the end very happy with my choice of scooter. The roads here have too way many dangers for a powerful or fast bike. I'm only 53 but just don't have the need for speed like in teens or 20's. Staying alive to enjoy adventures is important to me. 

[Omorfos]

Okay, I was fairly set on an ADV  before reading this forum, and your mostly positive comments have convinced me.

Before I go to the shop, how will I know if they are selling a 2021 model or a leftover?

2 reasons for my question.

2020 has been a year to forget and, 2021 might hold its value longer.

In the shop today, sales lady was either uninformed or disinclined to comment.

[Omorfos]

On 10/25/2020 at 11:53 AM, juanzo said:

The same day I bought it my brother in law who seems to know just about every shop in CM brought me to a place that sells top boxes - under the seat storage problem solved.  My only suggestion is to view a few designs and especially look at the opening/locking key hardware feel.  mine feels a bit, for lack of a better term, cheap.  Works for now, nice convenient upgrade.

Hi Juanzo

I went to the shop today, but couldn't be sure if it was 2020 or 21 model , how can you know?

[soi3eddie]

2 hours ago, Omorfos said:

 

Before I go to the shop, how will I know if they are selling a 2021 model or a leftover?

2 reasons for my question.

2020 has been a year to forget and, 2021 might hold its value longer.

There's a Honda dealer near to where I'm staying on 3rd road in Pattaya. They have 2 brand new ADV150 bikes on display out front. The colours look different from the original 4 colours from the 2020 line up so I assumed they are 2021 models. Doesn't seem to be anything else much different though. I'll see if I can get some pictures and info for you 

[Omorfos]

7 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

There's a Honda dealer near to where I'm staying on 3rd road in Pattaya. They have 2 brand new ADV150 bikes on display out front. The colours look different from the original 4 colours from the 2020 line up so I assumed they are 2021 models. Doesn't seem to be anything else much different though. I'll see if I can get some pictures and info for you 

The value may be the colours. Matt colours or metallic, not sure which is newer. Thanks for your help soi3eddie, I can't wait to get my new bike. We all need cheering up sometimes. 

 

[soi3eddie]

14 hours ago, Omorfos said:

The value may be the colours. Matt colours or metallic, not sure which is newer. Thanks for your help soi3eddie, I can't wait to get my new bike. We all need cheering up sometimes. 

 

 

I stopped at the Honda dealer while passing this morning. A couple of new bikes on display. Spoke to the dealer and he told me new model 2021. Couldn't see any differences other than the colours (maybe compare specifications). The new colours are both metallic. 

 

[Omorfos]

10 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

 

I stopped at the Honda dealer while passing this morning. A couple of new bikes on display. Spoke to the dealer and he told me new model 2021. Couldn't see any differences other than the colours (maybe compare specifications). The new colours are both metallic. 

 

 

10 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

 

I stopped at the Honda dealer while passing this morning. A couple of new bikes on display. Spoke to the dealer and he told me new model 2021. Couldn't see any differences other than the colours (maybe compare specifications). The new colours are both metallic. 

 

Sorted, cheers, Eddie. Shiny silver it is. 

[piston broke]

On 12/2/2020 at 6:32 PM, Omorfos said:

Okay, I was fairly set on an ADV  before reading this forum, and your mostly positive comments have convinced me.

Before I go to the shop, how will I know if they are selling a 2021 model or a leftover?

2 reasons for my question.

2020 has been a year to forget and, 2021 might hold its value longer.

In the shop today, sales lady was either uninformed or disinclined to comment.

 

the 2021 ADV 150 colours ......

.

[Omorfos]

17 minutes ago, piston broke said:

 

the 2021 ADV 150 colours ......

.

 

[Omorfos]

Just now, Omorfos said:

 

Any idea where to find them? Not quite the same as soi 3eddie showed me from Mityon 3rd road. 

[Omorfos]

On 10/25/2020 at 11:53 AM, juanzo said:

The same day I bought it my brother in law who seems to know just about every shop in CM brought me to a place that sells top boxes - under the seat storage problem solved.  My only suggestion is to view a few designs and especially look at the opening/locking key hardware feel.  mine feels a bit, for lack of a better term, cheap.  Works for now, nice convenient upgrade.

Where did you get the 2021 version ?

[Omorfos]

2021-ADV150-Brochure.pdf