Honda Pcx

[Darrel]

As a total non-rider I have been advised that a Honda PCX would be suitable for short sedate journeys of a handful of km around the quieter roads in Pattaya/Jomtien, when I dont want the hassle of parking/driving a car. I'm also told that the seat opens up to provide a reasonable amount of (secure?) space for a few groceries, helmet etc.

All I'm interested in is having something comfortable, cheap and reliable. Automatic gears, electric start, decent suspension, good brakes. I'm not a boy racer and will probably never have a passenger on it. I weigh under 100kg.

Any comments would be helpful.

I would rather buy new than used, but do these things still tend to get stolen from condo carparks and the front of restaurants these days? Just wondering.

[NALAK]

i looked at them but for what i wanted just to zip about around town felt it a little to big plus wife said to big for her so went for the suzuki 125 fuel injection, great bike. friend has PCX loves it, cuts out when you stop, starts again when you open throttle, combined braking, alarm and 135 engine,

all looks good but i wanted something a little smaller.

[gmac]

I've had a PCX for about 6 months and am very happy with it. I'm 85kgs and it's the most stable of any of the scooters that I have ridden and to my mind ideal around Pattaya and Jomtien. Can stow a couple of smallish bags of shopping or a helmet under the seat. Cheap to run but about the most expensive of the scooters to buy at 71k Baht or thereabouts. In my opinion well worth it though. Some people say that the PCX is a prime target for motorbike thieves but a couple of years theft protection insurance gives me peace of mind and the policy I've got from Mityon (through BT Insce) this time seems to cover the full value of the bike for the first year rather than the 80% provided by the Honda scheme that they used to use.

[transam]

PCX s a great '' scooter ''. My tiny mrs loves it and l like speeding around the lake on it. Comfort and good braking is OK. recommended.

[Darrel]

Interesting comments. Thanks. Any more?

[moe666]

I think any of the scooters are ok for running about. Have seen them going from Chiang mai to Mae Hong Song so can be used for lots of stuff. I ride the girlfriend 2 up, and I am a big guy, lots of zip and enough power up small hills. She has the small scooter below the Honda PCX its 110cc..

[juehoe]

Interesting comments. Thanks. Any more?

I also using a PCX (it has "only" a 125 cc engine, not 135 cc) since it is available in Thailand (paid THB 70'000). I am 171 cm tall, gross weight 80 kilograms...

The PCX is more a European-style scooter than the usual Thai "moppets". It accelerates very good, has a stable chassis and good brakes. My Thai wife loved it too because of the style - but the PCX is too heavy for her and she prefers the Honda Scoopy.

Luggage capacity is OK for a small trip. The alarm system is more a gadget than really functional too me.

Fuel consumption is about 2.7 litres for 100 km. My PCX in Switzerland consumes only 2.2, but there a fewer full throttle roads. Normally, I am driving on the car lane at 80 to 100 km/h. But I have found now a quieter roads for my daily trips. I assume that the fuel consumption will drop more to the Swiss level.

So I am very satisfied with my PCX 125 - but I am waiting also for a bigger version with 250 cc up...

[johnboy3739w]

i'm on my 2nd pcx now and would say that its leaps and bounds ahead of the competition........

When i first arrived here i hired a few bikes (yamaha Mio, Yamaha Fino, Yamaha Nouvou Excellence) - but they are out dated chicken chasers compared to the pcx - around town the slitest bump see's them rattle to fury, none have decent enough rear view mirrors so you can never see behind you and if you have to venture on the sukonvit, they are so small and light they are blown all over the place...

the PCX by contrast is heaver, so doesn't rattle and shake over very pot hole (and has much wider wheels / tyres) has decent enough mirrors to see behind you and on the sukomvit it is large enough not to get blown everywhere - and around town its still small and nimble enough to nip in and out with the rest of them...

So to conclude - if you are going to get a new scooter and can afford the 70k price tag - the PCX is the ideal choice...........

[Thailaw]

Everything the OP described as important is in/on the PCX, except "cheap". Mityon Honda is now asking B76,000 for a new PCX, and a new Nuovo Elegance (135 cc) can be had for about B56,000 (with alloy wheels). I already own a PCX, so I was not bargaining seriously, but I got the impression that no price discounts were available (I was considering selling my white and brown 9 month old PCX and buying a red and black one, but I opted instead for a complete color change to the one I already own -- they did a great job in 1 day, it looks brand new ("suai mak mak!" from everyone)). You can probably find it cheaper if you are willing to hunt outside Pattaya (I was told that the Honda shop in Chonburi will sell one for B71,000, but I haven't checked). If you want cheap and "acceptable" (old technology with a carburetor (the PCX is fuel injected), but solid transportation without issues) look at the Elegance. Boring and really ugly, but good transportation. If you want the best scooter available on the market today (and with great styling) and don't mind paying B20,000 more for it, the PCX is it -- full stop. And yes, they are a hot item, so be sure to get theft insurance -- you'll sleep better.

Edited May 22, 2011 by Thailaw

[eezergood]

Forget the PCX, ok it has FI but its a boat! For a non-rider get the Nuovo, I have for the last 8 months and the best scooter I ever owned. Great brakes, smaller, more manouverable then the PCX and looks much better than that Liberache on wheels. As for the issue with carbs, you sound like you wont do huge KM's so it will not be an issue and carbs are easier to clean then injectors. Go rent 1 of each for a day or so and see how you feel.

[JeffreyMcCollum]

Best words I've seen here is go rent one for a day and try it our yourself.

I have a PCX now for 9 months. Have taken it to Nong Khai. Khon kean, Chaing mai - Pattaya and BKK all 2 up.

I get 48 km/l on mine and the big tank of 6 L means I don't have to worry so often. Yes it is slightly bigger but much more stable and well worth the extra 20K

2 of my friends tried mine and went same day down to the dealer to get their own (Both had Nuovos)

I get free service for mine and paid 70,000 but the red one I know is more, (I got white with brown seat. One of my friends paid 69,500 guess he is better haggaler.

I do have thieft insurance, but honestly my key is left in it most of the time and I have never had a problem. Just be smart as with anything.

When I use my wifes MIO or the extra Suzuki step they just seem small and unstable.

I would buy anothor one in a minute, Honda did a wonderful job on this one and it shows

[johnboy3739w]

mess 9 - i paid 71,000 for my new red/black PCX and got a free sticker kit thrown in to the deal - at Mityion South Pattaya / 3rd road junction.......

I p/x'd my silver / brown 11 month old PCX which they gave me 55,000 b for....

so 16,000 to swap - too good a deal to turn down (i was also wary that once the black plastics models become availalable second hand and are pitched next to the brown plastic ones - i felt that the brown plastic ones wouldn't be worth as much - so a good time to drop mine - IMHO)......

[CMX]

Darrel,

As you're a new rider, I think that selecting an automatic transmission is a brilliant choice. It allows a new rider to concentrate on the habits of drivers here, as their customs look different from two wheels and having one's complete focus on traffic is best.

I also think that the PCX is a fine bike, exceptional. But it is, as these things go, expensive for what it does. It handles very well but is heavier and bulkier than the competition. Since you are less interested in top speed (which is very good on this bike for a 125), handling at slower speeds might be important. A PCX will excel in the country, perhaps, but it is not as quick or handy as the Yamaha Elegance mentioned above in slower maneuvers. Its wide mirrors are superior for viewing, but not good if you are trying to drive between lanes of stopped cars. The bike is harder to park in jammed lots, such as the parking area for bikes at a megastore. However, I gather that space is not much trouble for you.

In sum, the way I read your Original Post, you don't need this relatively expensive machine for the missions you describe. Still, until you try the candidates (I settled for a Hayate 125Fi), you won't know what you'll like best. Basically, I'm guessing that the candidates would be the PCX, the Yamaha Elegance, the little known Hayate, or perhaps Honda's own alternative, the Airblade. All are reliable, and with the exception of the 'Zuki, likely to have dealers not too far away for better-trained service.

I would not put too much weight about the Yamaha's absence of fuel injection. It has liquid cooling, and the result of Yamaha's know-how and limited expansion and contraction (I have learned) lead to an efficient and powerful fuel burn; also they all now can use the less expensive 10% ethanol "gasahol" 91 octane mixture.

[samuijimmy]

Mine just coming up to 1000 kms... I've been running for about a month now, and generally happy with it. Certainly more pick up and go, than the Honda Click... Easier on hills even with two people!

The Switch for idle and running takes some getting used to... just another thing to think about! and switching back before going over 20 KMH!

Space under seat better than say, the Click. ... The fuel tank larger... so not so many "pitt stops"!

The space the Click provides in front is convenient and one thing I miss on PCX, however have to used the Thai term "modified" to make a hook for bags... so worked around that...

Perhaps not quite as fast as I had hoped, but still in the "run stage" so have not pushed it too much yet!

Probably not a bike for someone with short or weak legs!

Good advice given to rent or borrow on and try it out... I just did that with a friend today and he's "sold"... !

[Darrel]

Thanks for all the further comments. Testing a few different models for a day seems to be a very good idea, and quite possibly a slightly smaller machine would be better suited to my needs. Cant imagine I will ever do that many km on it so fuel consumption versus purchase price shouldnt be a big issue, but who knows?

[Darrel]

Thanks for these extra comments. Testing a few different models seems a very good idea, and now I have an idea what to look for.

[BSJ]

I think the appearance of the PCX is starting to look tired. Sure it looked rad when it came out but now???

[transam]

I think the appearance of the PCX is starting to look tired. Sure it looked rad when it came out but now???

If so the rest look like antiques with snazzy colours to make them look eeeeer, modern

[robblok]

I think the appearance of the PCX is starting to look tired. Sure it looked rad when it came out but now???

If so the rest look like antiques with snazzy colours to make them look eeeeer, modern

I have a nouwo and a cbr250 and i really dont like the looks of the PCX but everyone has different opinions about such things.

[transam]

I think the appearance of the PCX is starting to look tired. Sure it looked rad when it came out but now???

If so the rest look like antiques with snazzy colours to make them look eeeeer, modern

I have a nouwo and a cbr250 and i really dont like the looks of the PCX but everyone has different opinions about such things.

Absolutely, but PCX ''looks tired'' noooooooooooo, my mrs loves hers, perhaps different up country but the locals ''wow'' daily when she parks up.

[eezergood]

I think the appearance of the PCX is starting to look tired. Sure it looked rad when it came out but now???

If so the rest look like antiques with snazzy colours to make them look eeeeer, modern

I have a nouwo and a cbr250 and i really dont like the looks of the PCX but everyone has different opinions about such things.

Liberache on wheels! :jap:

[johninbkk]

My wife is 45 kg's and 5 foot nothing here's her biike. Well we all ride around on it but mostly she does...

[homeslice]

Almost 22,000 on my PCX and still lovin' it.Got a complement today, one yesterday also. Have ridden the click and the scoopy, the PCX is a much smoother ride. I have to go to the gas station almost every day on the chicka's scoopy, about once a week on the PCX. Don't worry about theft, just get a brake caliper lock for the bike and close the ignition. The thieves would have to pick the bike up and put it in a truck to steal it. It would take at least three people to pick it up. I'm glad there were five people helping me when I moved.

DON'T buy the Yamaha! I know someone who did and they had it in the shop for a carburetor adjustment three times. He only had five thousand km on it. Not my idea of quality.

[jackcorbett]

Almost 22,000 on my PCX and still lovin' it.Got a complement today, one yesterday also. Have ridden the click and the scoopy, the PCX is a much smoother ride. I have to go to the gas station almost every day on the chicka's scoopy, about once a week on the PCX. Don't worry about theft, just get a brake caliper lock for the bike and close the ignition. The thieves would have to pick the bike up and put it in a truck to steal it. It would take at least three people to pick it up. I'm glad there were five people helping me when I moved.

DON'T buy the Yamaha! I know someone who did and they had it in the shop for a carburetor adjustment three times. He only had five thousand km on it. Not my idea of quality.

I've admitted here many times that the PCX is a great bike but I think you are doing everyone here a disservice by your very advising people not to buy a Yamaha. You have a database of precisely one bike that according to you had carburetor problems. I've had one Yamaha Nouvo for three years with no problems and my present Elegance for 2 1/2 years now with no problems. My friend Ross has put 30,000 km on his Elegance with no problems. I tried to convince two American friends to rent PCX's because both of them weigh around 300 pounds but both wound up renting Elegances which they were very happy with. Neither even considered renting PCX's.

Now let's take a worse case scenario of your friend filling his carburetor with mashed potatoes and gravy. He could replace the entire carb for a pittance based on my very recent experience renting a 250 CBR. Got out of the hospital yesterday after being operated on for a broken clavicle. Took the rental to the Naklua Honda dealer to replace a few parts and the total bill was 2900 baht. (I'll be calling my forthcoming article on my web site "Jack Corbett Crash tests Honda's new 250 CBR"). My point is repairs can be ridiculously inexpensive compared to repairing the human body.

[Phatcharanan]

I tried to convince two American friends to rent PCX's because both of them weigh around 300 pounds but both wound up renting Elegances which they were very happy with. Neither even considered renting PCX's.

Sounds more like a decision based on rental cost.

[BSJ]

I don't want to turn anyone off buying a PCX just because I think the WOW factor isn't there anymore. The people willing to pay a lot more for a scooter are still going to do so.

[Atmos]

are any of the modern bikes 'bad'?

Had a Nouvo with 48,000 on the clock, still running fine. Bought a Fino - as at today 20,100km since Nov 2009, a lot of highway use I think 450km in a day was the most I've done. Regularly do the trip Chanthaburi-Sa Kaeo 200km. Have it serviced as per handbook; in that time have never had a single fault, added a carrier/topbox, some punctures, replaced tyres, filled the tank with gasoline and that's it.

I have a friend with a Suzuki Hayate - bough the same time as mine, but under 2,000km. Shopping trips, never let him down. Don't know anyone with a modern scooter that has been 'bad'.

[homeslice]

Each is entitled to their opinion, and that is exactly what you offered, an opinion. This post is not about repair costs vs. health care costs. The OP wants something "comfortable, cheap and reliable". My "database" is about more than one bike, but one bike is all I have written about. I have seen many people waking their fino just like it was a Harley from the seventies. The Nouvo is a bike that needs constant carburetor attention, and that is not cheap when you consider the "actual expense" and the "down time". I don't know about the elegance, your friends, their ability or the validity of your claim... I do know you know that I think that the JCosta variator you or you friend sells is fishy, and I gave you a chance to sell me. You shouldn't try to come around the corner on someone. Put your product on a shelf and stand behind it like any decent business person would. Oh, and go slow, use your mirrors and wear a full face helmet, I hear clavicle repairs can be expensive. Original post below.

As a total non-rider I have been advised that a Honda PCX would be suitable for short sedate journeys of a handful of km around the quieter roads in Pattaya/Jomtien, when I dont want the hassle of parking/driving a car. I'm also told that the seat opens up to provide a reasonable amount of (secure?) space for a few groceries, helmet etc.

All I'm interested in is having something comfortable, cheap and reliable. Automatic gears, electric start, decent suspension, good brakes. I'm not a boy racer and will probably never have a passenger on it. I weigh under 100kg.

Any comments would be helpful.

I would rather buy new than used, but do these things still tend to get stolen from condo carparks and the front of restaurants these days? Just wondering.

[Atmos]

^ homeslice was that aimed at me? if so you have the wrong person, have no idea what you are talking about, Jcostas and clavicles?

One thing I thought worth mentioning is the 'floor space' on some bikes, can be useful for carrying small items (reasonably securely!), one extra bag of shopping etc, between your knees.

[homeslice]

^ homeslice was that aimed at me? if so you have the wrong person, have no idea what you are talking about, Jcostas and clavicles?

One thing I thought worth mentioning is the 'floor space' on some bikes, can be useful for carrying small items (reasonably securely!), one extra bag of shopping etc, between your knees.

Not aimed at you!