Honda ADV 150/160 or Forza 350 in Bangkok - Handlebar Width Question

[Scaliwags66]

Hello all, 

I am interested in buying an ADV 160 and live in Bangkok. I currently drive a 2013 PCX and it is time to upgrade. I was thinking the ADV 160 would be great to handle all of the poor road conditions throughout the city with a little more comfort given the fatter and more rugged tires. However it seems the handlebars are a bit wider then any bike I have ridden in Bangkok. Also, considering just going to a Forza 350 which surprisingly has more narrow handlebars despite being a bigger bike . 
 

Any ADV riders here have any feedback on the extra width of the handlebars? Do you find it more troublesome when weaving thru traffic? Or is it a non-issue in general? Even when I am on little clicks or qbix you kind of have to do a heavy lean to side when in stop and go traffic to maneuver thru the cars when cars are stopped mirror to mirror. So was wondering if ADV owners find it more annoying or it's not a big deal at all as this is a small part of the time you are using the bike so the pros outweigh the cons. 

 

And Forza riders, do you guys find any issues in traffic with the bigger bike compared to when you may have driven a smaller cc bike? 

 

I am probably thinking too much about it. Both seem like good bikes. But any feedback I would be appreciative of. 

 

Thanks for any feedback. Cheers!

Edited April 4 by Scaliwags66

[digbeth]

handle bars you can manage as you'll be aware of where your hands are, it's the mirrors positioned on the same level as car's mirror that's gonna be a problem,

 

If you look around  a lot of Thai Forza350 riders just fold them permanently and attach small mirrors to the side instead 

there are garages that makes the mirror fold electrically which is a lot more useful than the electric windshield

[Agusts]

Forza is a lot heavier and longer, it's generally much bigger bike than ADV160. 

 

It has comfortable seat and great ride on the road, but not so good for Bangkok traffic, ADV160 is a much better bike for the city, don't worry about a few cm width, but I say rent one for a day, it's a bit small for long legs, specially coming from PCX... 

 

Yamaha Aero is also great bike, check the specs, it's top on all aspects...! 

[Scaliwags66]

@digbeth Yeah good point with the mirrors vs handlebars. I definitely have to fold in the mirrors first when dealing with tight traffic in my experience. Will consider some modifications as I have certainly noticed many people with those tight little mirrors coming of the center column. I didn't know if those would be effective at all as I definitely use my mirrors. Something to consider. 

 

@Agusts I was focused on just the extra width of handlebars, but yeah you are right the weight and length will prob be the bigger issues when tight maneuvering we all come to love dealing with in Bangkok. 

 

In regards to the leg length, I hadn't considered that aspect coming from the PCX to the ADV. I rode an ADV several years ago but haven't recently. As someone who is 6ft2in, this is definitely something to consider. The new 2024 160's which is what I had my eye on also changed the seat arrangement. I read

 

"Although the overall stance of the new 2024 Honda ADV 160 is about 4.6 inches taller than the previous model, the seat height is lower by 0.6 inches to give an overall height of 30.1 inches. This reduced seat height makes riding on the scooter easier for short individuals by helping them place their feet more comfortably while riding."   

 

Thanks y'all for the comments!