New Honda Airblade Model

[beginner]

A friend just went to buy an Airblade and was advised by the salesman (a friend of his fiance) to wait "a couple of weeks for the new model".

The salesman also had a Thai brochure but would not part with it.

Is this going to be something to match and compete with the Yamaha Nouvo Elegance's bigger engine and speed?

The fact that a salesman actually postponed a sale makes me think it might be true.

Has anyone heard or seen anything about this new model?

[jackcorbett]

Honda has to do something. That was in the cards as soon as the new Nouvo Elegance came out. Sure, the Airblade is a nifty tidy attractive package and it's perfectly fine as is for Pattaya driving conditions.

But, the new Nouvo is a significant step up. It's got 135 cc's, substantially larger than the Air Blades 110 cc. It is less noisy than the 115 cc. Nouvo I have. It is liquid cooled like the Airblade. It's simply a better machine in most respects and it's noticeably more powerful. Like I've said here before, I've driven the Air Blades a number of times and I own the 115 c.c. Nouvo. I've driven the Suzuki Hayake and I've driven the Mio, the Fino (my ex girlfriend had one) and I've driven my buddy's 135 c.c. Nouvo and I find it to be the best all arounder of the bunch. But my 115 cc. model is fast enough for around here and so is the Airblade.

Honda has to come up with a new model Airblade to continue competing against Yamaha because right now as good as it is, it is seriously outgunned.

[beginner]

More information on the 'new model'. How reliable is this source? I am not sure.

It seems that it is just a revamped Air Blade.

The difference is the paint job which will be called Phoenix Edition to retain its designation as King of Cool. Everything else remains the same.

[jackcorbett]

More information on the 'new model'. How reliable is this source? I am not sure.

It seems that it is just a revamped Air Blade.

The difference is the paint job which will be called Phoenix Edition to retain its designation as King of Cool. Everything else remains the same.

I just went to the nearest Honda dealer to get the oil changed in my Yamaha Nouvo. Previously I had asked to see if the new Nouvo was about to come out, the new Nouvo being 135 c.c.'s. The girl at the desk made a phone call, then assured me the rumors were true. The new Nouvo would be out very shortly. Well.....today I asked about the new bigger Airblade and the same woman told me as far as she knew no such animal was coming out.

[tropo]

Honda has to come up with a new model Airblade to continue competing against Yamaha because right now as good as it is, it is seriously outgunned.

I seriously diagree. The new Nouvo only beats the Air Blade in CC's. The Air Blade is better than the Nouvo in every other aspect including styling which IMO is the most disappointing aspect of the new Nouvo and one of the main reasons I didn't buy one.

[asle]

Hi...

I think, the new model is not A/T type.. maybe underbone 110cc complete with pgm-fi...Honda CZ...??

[Kimera]

A friend just went to buy an Airblade and was advised by the salesman (a friend of his fiance) to wait "a couple of weeks for the new model".

The salesman also had a Thai brochure but would not part with it.

Is this going to be something to match and compete with the Yamaha Nouvo Elegance's bigger engine and speed?

The fact that a salesman actually postponed a sale makes me think it might be true.

Has anyone heard or seen anything about this new model?

Had an Air Blade a year or more now they are great bikes, it will do everything you need to do and more I'm sure

[McFarang]

A friend just went to buy an Airblade and was advised by the salesman (a friend of his fiance) to wait "a couple of weeks for the new model".

The salesman also had a Thai brochure but would not part with it.

Is this going to be something to match and compete with the Yamaha Nouvo Elegance's bigger engine and speed?

The fact that a salesman actually postponed a sale makes me think it might be true.

Has anyone heard or seen anything about this new model?

Had an Air Blade a year or more now they are great bikes, it will do everything you need to do and more I'm sure

I agree 100% I just bought the New Red Pheonix Edition Great Paint Job same Airblade, I am a big guy and the Airblade is by far even though its 110cc the best of the Bunch the Combi Brake is superb saved my ass twice already when Young Thais come out of nowhere squeezing spots in the wing mirror when they should be watching the road.

Airblade all the way you can keep your Ugly New Yamaha even though its 135cc

Actually bought the Bike for Teelak but I am on it more than her but with the rain that is here in Phuket now back to the DMAX

[jackcorbett]

It's a tossup between the Airblade and the Nouvo. Airblade is a nice tidy package and all one needs for Pattaya. And I agree, that red paint job looks terrific. Brakes probably a little better on the Airblade but the Nouvo has a longer wheelbase going for it, and longer wheelbase usually equates to better ride. It has larger storage under the seat. As I mentioned I own the 113 cc. Nouvo and I like it, but a few days ago a friend and I rented two Airblades on Ko Larn Island. (which is about the 10th time I've now driven the Airblade). Now that's a pretty steep hill but we had no problems getting up it with our girlfriends on the back. And trust me, both the Nouvo and the Airblade will easily outhandle the Waves when you put anything of substance in that front mounted basket on the waves versus putting the same amount of weight under the seats of either the Nouvo or the Airblade since the weight is evenly distributed). So yeah, I love the Airblade. However......I really don't think Yamaha is going to wait much longer before improving the paint schemes on their new Nouvo Elegance models (which presently suffer compared to some of the much more cosmetically pleasing Airblades), and that 135 c.c. engine, well need it or not, it's a lot better performer than the 110 cc. engine on the Airblade. Both are great machines represeenting the state of the art.

[LivinLOS]

And trust me, both the Nouvo and the Airblade will easily outhandle the Waves when you put anything of substance in that front mounted basket on the waves versus putting the same amount of weight under the seats of either the Nouvo or the Airblade since the weight is evenly distributed

ha ha ha.. 'outhandling'.. With a full front basket.. Yeah thats usually race time !!!

Why wouldnt you just put it in the underseat storage tho ?

[jbeck]

Honda has to come up with a new model Airblade to continue competing against Yamaha because right now as good as it is, it is seriously outgunned.

I seriously diagree. The new Nouvo only beats the Air Blade in CC's. The Air Blade is better than the Nouvo in every other aspect including styling which IMO is the most disappointing aspect of the new Nouvo and one of the main reasons I didn't buy one.

the nouvo has 16" wheels and the airblade has 14" wheels so the nuovo beats the airblade on that, and on engine size. That's all. Nuovo: No fuel injection, and the front brake isn't nearly as good. The airblade dash panel is way better than the

nuovo and the airblade can come with aluminum rims. What's considered a good price for a brand new airblade?

One other thing: the nuovo has a LOT of performance parts available from many companies, the airblade does not, as far as I can tell.

[LivinLOS]

So we have engine.. Wheels (ride comfort).. Performace parts even above the better engine..

Add storage space.. Size..

[Richard-BKK]

Honda indeed upgraded the Air Blade with a PGM-FI (fuel injection) system, pretty good upgrade.... If I say...Honda Air Blade i (PGM-FI)

[moo9]

Honda has to come up with a new model Airblade to continue competing against Yamaha because right now as good as it is, it is seriously outgunned.

I seriously diagree. The new Nouvo only beats the Air Blade in CC's. The Air Blade is better than the Nouvo in every other aspect including styling which IMO is the most disappointing aspect of the new Nouvo and one of the main reasons I didn't buy one.

Same reason for me not to buy the Nouvo elegance. It looks terrible imho.

I bought the Airblade Phoenix edition in dark grey instead and it's a plaeasure to ride in town!

[jbeck]

Honda has to come up with a new model Airblade to continue competing against Yamaha because right now as good as it is, it is seriously outgunned.

I seriously diagree. The new Nouvo only beats the Air Blade in CC's. The Air Blade is better than the Nouvo in every other aspect including styling which IMO is the most disappointing aspect of the new Nouvo and one of the main reasons I didn't buy one.

Same reason for me not to buy the Nouvo elegance. It looks terrible imho.

I bought the Airblade Phoenix edition in dark grey instead and it's a plaeasure to ride in town!

did you get the fuel injected one? how much did you pay?

[davethailand]

Honda has to come up with a new model Airblade to continue competing against Yamaha because right now as good as it is, it is seriously outgunned.

I seriously diagree. The new Nouvo only beats the Air Blade in CC's. The Air Blade is better than the Nouvo in every other aspect including styling which IMO is the most disappointing aspect of the new Nouvo and one of the main reasons I didn't buy one.

Same reason for me not to buy the Nouvo elegance. It looks terrible imho.

I bought the Airblade Phoenix edition in dark grey instead and it's a plaeasure to ride in town!

did you get the fuel injected one? how much did you pay?

i got one today and it was 55000bht although I got 30000bht for my old Air Blade, its very nice and much the same as the old model except it of course has fuel injection and the fuel filler has moved, there is also more room under the seat and there are 2 storage compartments with covers down buy your legs for storing stuff.

[davethailand]

I've had it 3 days now and I love it, by far the best small bike I've ridden, great power now and it feels very torquey (spelling ).

[jbeck]

I've had it 3 days now and I love it, by far the best small bike I've ridden, great power now and it feels very torquey (spelling ).

can you recommend a dealer in chiand mai or phuket? Is the price negotiable (in general) when purchasing from a dealer?

thanks,

jeff

[davethailand]

I've had it 3 days now and I love it, by far the best small bike I've ridden, great power now and it feels very torquey (spelling ).

can you recommend a dealer in chiand mai or phuket? Is the price negotiable (in general) when purchasing from a dealer?

thanks,

jeff

I can't really all I can say is go to the nearest honda dealer and have a chat.

Edited November 18, 2008 by davethailand

[jackcorbett]

I just looked at one today. And I really like it. As I've mentioned here I presently have the 113 c.c. Nouvo. I had a few beers with a Norwegian friend of mine who always rents the same Nouvo at the same shop every time he stays here and Peter thinks the Nouvo is simply the best thing going. Yesterday he and his girlfriend drove his latest rental from Pattaya to Rayon which is a little over an hour's drive. But his latest rental is an Airblade and it's his first experience with one. His favorite rental shop had already rented out the Nouvo he always gets. Peter said to me that he had no problem riding two up to Rayon at 90 kilometers per hour and it goes right up the hills at 90 kilometers per hour but the Airblade just didn't cut it. Of course he meant the old model Airblade.

The way I have it figured is the new model most certainly will with its fuel injection and 15 % more power from the same 110 cc. engine. Also...what I like about the new Air Blade it is supposed to get 15 % better fuel economy. Not that this makes much difference in the pocket, but what it means is this. Say you get 80 miles on the small tank of gas with the old Air Blade. Now with the 15 % increase in fuel economy you get 12 more miles to the gallon or 92 miles miles down the road instead of just 80. That difference can be crucial in a lot of situations. Also if I normally fill up around Pattaya every five days this now means I fill up every six days. That too is signicant as finding gas stations to fill up is not my favorite passtime.

But Yamaha is not going to sit still. The paint schemes and styling of the New Nouvo Elegance is as others pointed out pretty ugly compared to the old model Nouvos and the Airblades, both the more recent old model Airblades and the new model. So we can expect Yamaha to correct this deficiency so that its Nouvo Elegances will no longer be whipped with ugly stick. Also.....expect fuel injection in the next six months to one year at the latest so the Yamaha Nouvos will also have fuel injection good for 15 % more power and fuel economy. Now...the old Nouvo had 8.9 horsepower. The new water cooled 135 cc. models have about 11 horsepower. If it has a comparable fuel injection setup that the new Airblade has a 15 % increase in power is 12.65 horsepower, good for a 42 % increase in power over what my Nouvo has or the one Peter was driving to Rayon had. When Yamaha puts fuel injection into that 135 c.c. model it's going to have a real goer.

In fact that will be the machine many Americans should get for driving around in their cities, and even getting on a few expressways out to the suburbs. I'm not talking about interstate driving now, I"m talking about getting all around the city and even into the burbs where cruising at 55 to 65 should do it.

[jongkolkhoo]

I just looked at one today. And I really like it. As I've mentioned here I presently have the 113 c.c. Nouvo. I had a few beers with a Norwegian friend of mine who always rents the same Nouvo at the same shop every time he stays here and Peter thinks the Nouvo is simply the best thing going. Yesterday he and his girlfriend drove his latest rental from Pattaya to Rayon which is a little over an hour's drive. But his latest rental is an Airblade and it's his first experience with one. His favorite rental shop had already rented out the Nouvo he always gets. Peter said to me that he had no problem riding two up to Rayon at 90 kilometers per hour and it goes right up the hills at 90 kilometers per hour but the Airblade just didn't cut it. Of course he meant the old model Airblade.

The way I have it figured is the new model most certainly will with its fuel injection and 15 % more power from the same 110 cc. engine. Also...what I like about the new Air Blade it is supposed to get 15 % better fuel economy. Not that this makes much difference in the pocket, but what it means is this. Say you get 80 miles on the small tank of gas with the old Air Blade. Now with the 15 % increase in fuel economy you get 12 more miles to the gallon or 92 miles miles down the road instead of just 80. That difference can be crucial in a lot of situations. Also if I normally fill up around Pattaya every five days this now means I fill up every six days. That too is signicant as finding gas stations to fill up is not my favorite passtime.

But Yamaha is not going to sit still. The paint schemes and styling of the New Nouvo Elegance is as others pointed out pretty ugly compared to the old model Nouvos and the Airblades, both the more recent old model Airblades and the new model. So we can expect Yamaha to correct this deficiency so that its Nouvo Elegances will no longer be whipped with ugly stick. Also.....expect fuel injection in the next six months to one year at the latest so the Yamaha Nouvos will also have fuel injection good for 15 % more power and fuel economy. Now...the old Nouvo had 8.9 horsepower. The new water cooled 135 cc. models have about 11 horsepower. If it has a comparable fuel injection setup that the new Airblade has a 15 % increase in power is 12.65 horsepower, good for a 42 % increase in power over what my Nouvo has or the one Peter was driving to Rayon had. When Yamaha puts fuel injection into that 135 c.c. model it's going to have a real goer.

In fact that will be the machine many Americans should get for driving around in their cities, and even getting on a few expressways out to the suburbs. I'm not talking about interstate driving now, I"m talking about getting all around the city and even into the burbs where cruising at 55 to 65 should do it.

verdict ?

i vote airblade.

[davethailand]

The new airblade now has storage area's with lockable flaps in the front and you can now get more under the seat. A big plus point for me.

[jbeck]

The new airblade now has storage area's with lockable flaps in the front and you can now get more under the seat. A big plus point for me.

has anyone tried to fit a REAL dirtbike helmet (with the visor) under the seat?

I want to bring mine when I move, but no need if no fit!

Can someone try and let me know?

I already have too much stuff to ship!

Jeff

[davethailand]

A full face helmet will not fit.

[jackcorbett]

Dave.......I take it you've tried the Nouvos as well. How would you compare the new Airblade performance wise to the Nouvos? I actually raced my 113 c.c. Nouvo against the Airblade up to 50 km per hour or so and they were a dead heat until about 45 to 50 km when my Nouvo started to pull away.

Also......Are you actually noticing any discernable increase in gas mileage in your new Air Blade over the old one you had? As I've said before, I don't care about saving a few pennies, it's the prospect of the increased range that really appeals to me and not having to stop to buy gas as often.

[davethailand]

Dave.......I take it you've tried the Nouvos as well. How would you compare the new Airblade performance wise to the Nouvos? I actually raced my 113 c.c. Nouvo against the Airblade up to 50 km per hour or so and they were a dead heat until about 45 to 50 km when my Nouvo started to pull away.

Also......Are you actually noticing any discernable increase in gas mileage in your new Air Blade over the old one you had? As I've said before, I don't care about saving a few pennies, it's the prospect of the increased range that really appeals to me and not having to stop to buy gas as often.

Yeh I used my mates 135 Nouvo for a couple of weeks whilst he was away, I like the power of it but IMO the Air Blade feels so much more solid and stable.

I haven't raced against the 135 Nouvo (yet, might have a race against me mate as we're both about the same weight ) but the new Air Blade feels alot quicker than the one before and yes I also reckon that it is better on fuel.

[technocracy]

I never thought I would see the day when people are discussing the pros and cons of 110cc and 135cc twist n go scooters!!

However which way you look at them the performance (or lack of it as the case is) for either the 110cc or 135cc scooter will not set the world on fire. You be talking about a few HP or Nm of torque difference thats it.

Just buy the one you like the look of most or the one with the most storage if thats what you need. Babbering on about 'performance' and possible performance upgrades on 110cc or 135cc 4 strokes is just pointless!

If you start tweaking small engines such as these it makes them peaky and removes any flexiblity they had. I bought a Kolao 125cc twist n go here, I just thrash it to the shops and back far easier than taking the car for small things.

I've had 100kmph on the clock bolt upright but I will NEVER get in a race crouch to find out it's top speed . . . why bother? I used do that on my 50cc and 125cc bikes when I was 12 (I was an early starter!).

As for performace tweak amongst other bikes - I used to race 125cc moto-x bikes - you only have to look at these when you are talking about performance of small cc bikes. They are balls to the wall 35-38hp 2 stroke 125cc bikes weighing sod all - redline at 12,000rpm the power kicked in at around 9,500rpm! Outside of that 2,500rpm range absolutely bugger all but that's because they were designed to be ridden only in that band in a race.

It makes me laugh when I see the knackered Honda Tena 2 stoke 125cc bike with a full 12hp being ridden like they are some kind of race bike - I can honestly say that if these folks were put on a 125cc Moto-x bike they would s**t themselves! The last thing you expect is having to fight to keep the front wheel of 125 down!

In short just buy the one you like the look of whatever performance differences there is it'll be minimal.

[jbeck]

I never thought I would see the day when people are discussing the pros and cons of 110cc and 135cc twist n go scooters!!

However which way you look at them the performance (or lack of it as the case is) for either the 110cc or 135cc scooter will not set the world on fire. You be talking about a few HP or Nm of torque difference thats it.

Just buy the one you like the look of most or the one with the most storage if thats what you need. Babbering on about 'performance' and possible performance upgrades on 110cc or 135cc 4 strokes is just pointless!

If you start tweaking small engines such as these it makes them peaky and removes any flexiblity they had. I bought a Kolao 125cc twist n go here, I just thrash it to the shops and back far easier than taking the car for small things.

I've had 100kmph on the clock bolt upright but I will NEVER get in a race crouch to find out it's top speed . . . why bother? I used do that on my 50cc and 125cc bikes when I was 12 (I was an early starter!).

As for performace tweak amongst other bikes - I used to race 125cc moto-x bikes - you only have to look at these when you are talking about performance of small cc bikes. They are balls to the wall 35-38hp 2 stroke 125cc bikes weighing sod all - redline at 12,000rpm the power kicked in at around 9,500rpm! Outside of that 2,500rpm range absolutely bugger all but that's because they were designed to be ridden only in that band in a race.

It makes me laugh when I see the knackered Honda Tena 2 stoke 125cc bike with a full 12hp being ridden like they are some kind of race bike - I can honestly say that if these folks were put on a 125cc Moto-x bike they would s**t themselves! The last thing you expect is having to fight to keep the front wheel of 125 down!

In short just buy the one you like the look of whatever performance differences there is it'll be minimal.

i dont agree w/you - when the performance IS so little, every little extra bit is even more important. especially when most of us dont have a bigger bike to blast around on.

It IS a factor, but I agree with you not the most important one. If one bike had 7hp and one had 11hp but I couldn't tell them apart otherwise, I'd take the 11hp model unless it looked like sh*t. like the elegance.

[davethailand]

I never thought I would see the day when people are discussing the pros and cons of 110cc and 135cc twist n go scooters!!

However which way you look at them the performance (or lack of it as the case is) for either the 110cc or 135cc scooter will not set the world on fire. You be talking about a few HP or Nm of torque difference thats it.

Just buy the one you like the look of most or the one with the most storage if thats what you need. Babbering on about 'performance' and possible performance upgrades on 110cc or 135cc 4 strokes is just pointless!

If you start tweaking small engines such as these it makes them peaky and removes any flexiblity they had. I bought a Kolao 125cc twist n go here, I just thrash it to the shops and back far easier than taking the car for small things.

I've had 100kmph on the clock bolt upright but I will NEVER get in a race crouch to find out it's top speed . . . why bother? I used do that on my 50cc and 125cc bikes when I was 12 (I was an early starter!).

As for performace tweak amongst other bikes - I used to race 125cc moto-x bikes - you only have to look at these when you are talking about performance of small cc bikes. They are balls to the wall 35-38hp 2 stroke 125cc bikes weighing sod all - redline at 12,000rpm the power kicked in at around 9,500rpm! Outside of that 2,500rpm range absolutely bugger all but that's because they were designed to be ridden only in that band in a race.

It makes me laugh when I see the knackered Honda Tena 2 stoke 125cc bike with a full 12hp being ridden like they are some kind of race bike - I can honestly say that if these folks were put on a 125cc Moto-x bike they would s**t themselves! The last thing you expect is having to fight to keep the front wheel of 125 down!

In short just buy the one you like the look of whatever performance differences there is it'll be minimal.

Don't agree with you! The performance etc is quite important I reckon as i've driven nearly all the twist and go bikes and me weighing 100 kilo's the bikes were quite different especially up hills and hard braking etc.

If I want more power then I'll use my other bike but for nippy acceleration and manouvreability the bikes are all different.

[jackcorbett]

Dave is absolutely correct. Let's take a one horsepower transportation method and change the power ever so slightly. In one corner is a plow horse. It can do everything around the farm. In the other corner is the finest thoroughbred ever to have trod a track. The difference is between night and day. But to compare either to a 1000 c.c. super bike producing 150 horsepower? And does this mean that I wouldn't enjoy riding the likes of a Sectretariat? And to feel the exhilaration?

To compare an Air Blade to a Nouvo or the new model Nouvo to the old is comparing apples to oranges. The Nouvo sits tall. It has larger diameter wheels than the Air Blade. It wants to drive in straight lines, yet, it is quite agile compared to larger bikes. The Air Blade has squatter tires. Appearance wise the Air Blade resembles a small motorcyle. It is a unified whole with tires in relationship to the size and weight of the bike much more in proportion to that of say an old 350 cc. Honda twin which it reminds me of on a much smaller scale. In fact, driving the two lane highways near Ao Nang Beach in Krabi when I rented the Air Blade I loved it. I was reminded of those many times driving the backroads in the Missouri Ozarks when I road my 350 Honda just for enjoyment, and I often got lost in the process. I wanted to drive that Air Blade faster and to take the turns much more aggressively but my now ex girlfiend sitting behind me wanted no part of it. I felt I could enjoy driving that Air Blade all over Thailand and it would do it easily (but not at 70 miles an hour).

In comparison the Nouvo looks gangly. But it's a bigger machine. It too drives quite well. And which is more stable at high speeds? I'll never really know because I live in Pattaya (unless I do side by side comparisons back in Krabi or someplace similar) and I don't care to drive a bike very far from here. My 113 c.c. Nouvo is more than fast enough to get me into trouble right away. If I want to go to the River Kwai, I'll go on a mini-bus. If I want to go to Bangkok it will be by taxi or bus. I like living. But back in the U.S. I've driven BMW's at 140 miles an hour and I've driven dirt bikes straight up eight foot tall nearly perpendicular embankments. If I open up my Nouvo around here just put me in the loony bin because I'll never see the idiot who comes out of nowhere going the wrong way who will make a paraplegic out of me.

But I sure like the feel of a nice bike beneath me. I even enjoyed my ex girlfriend's Fino that had the same engine as my Nouvo. But the engine was just a bit different under the hood and it just didn't have the get up and go of the Nouvo. I've had 300 pound men behind me on my Nouvo and I've had a big man and my girlfiend behind me for short distances, and I shudder to think how that would have felt on a Honda Click or Yamaha Mio.

The Airblade short on power...well, my Norwegian friend thinks the old Airblade doesn't compare at higher speeds to the old Nouvo even but I've rented old model Air Blades often on Ko Larn Island and they went up that big hill quite nicely. How much power do I need around Pattaya? Well......I've not found the old model Air Blade to be lacking for my needs and with that extra 15 % power, gas mileage, and range with the new model, I'd by the seat of my pants have to rate it powerwise as splitting the difference between my 113 c.c. Yamaha Nouvo (that my Norwegian friend thought was quite adequate for going up and down the hills all the way to Rayon) and the new 135 cc. 11.2 horsepower Nouvo Elegance. Let's just say you increased the cc's and torque of the old model Nouvo in the same relationship as going from 113 c.c. to 125 cc's and I think we'd be about spot on.

To those who care to laugh at the new automatics, I look at it this way. They are the cutting edge of modern technology and the king of the crop are the Nouvos and the Air Blades. Take your pick. I'd be happy with either. But they don't drive the same. But they both drive very well.

Edited November 27, 2008 by jackcorbett