Pcx150 Vs. Sh150I Vs. Best Scooter In Thailand...

[RaysFan]

I dont live in Thailand yet, and Ive never owned or researched scooters before.... From what I have gathered... The PCX 150 and the SH150i are the 2 best scooters in Thailand. Please add to this if there are other great scooters.... I want to buy one in the next month or so. It will mainly be used for getting around Chiang Mai, occasional trips to Chiang Rai and Mae Sai (3 or 4 hours, highway). Budget isnt a problem... I would also like to customize it a little bit.

Also, keep in mind, I am 27 years old, and I am 6'4 (192 cm) weigh 180 lbs (82 kg) and (hopefully) will be carrying a female passenger at times...

[twominutesbuddy]

oh, i can almost see you with the wind whistling through your hair, wearing your woman like a cheap suit.

its quite a picture.

[Neilly]

Maybe the Honda Forza would be better?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626571-the-new-honda-forza-300cc/

[guzzi850m2]

I have a PCX150 and are very happy with it, but I only use it around Pattaya with my wife so can't justify the extra cost of the 300Cc Forza,

which off-course must be more suitable for the highways 2up.

The PCX is very cheap on fuel, sometimes over 40km/l.

[Shurup]

Never been to Chiang Mai but if it's anything like Phuket with its hills, a 300cc will be more suited.

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[RaysFan]

oh, i can almost see you with the wind whistling through your hair, wearing your woman like a cheap suit.

its quite a picture.

OMG I cant wait until this is my life... I can almost see it too...

[loserlazer]

There is no sh150 in thailand. But forza 300 is the best scooter for that price.

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[jackcorbett]

A couple of weeks ago, my friend, Per, and I did still another heads up road test comparison that amounted to traveling from Pattaya almost all the way to Rayong and back. You can see the review on my web site in the Looking Glass Magazine section. Per's bike is a 125 PCX. I rented a 150 PCX and then we tested them against each other for top speed and fuel economy. I will do a test of the 300 Forza soon, but Per jumped the gun. I think it was the very next day that we did our run together that he rented a Forza and did the same loop we had done. Bottom line on the Forza is it took 200 baht of fuel to cover the same distance we covered the day before for just 70 baht.

Another bike worth considering is the 125 Yamaha Nouvo SX. It trumps the PCX in handling over many situations although it is not quite as good traveling at higher speeds on the highway. But it is so good in handling in your typical Pattaya driving conditions that my girflriend commented that "it's like a snake, so quickly." She rarely drives my bike which is a Yamaha Nouvo 135 c.c. Elegance fitted with larger Michelin Sporty tires rather than stock. Her bike which I recently bought for her is a Yamaha Filano which rides on 12 inch diameter wheels.

[thaicbr]

There is no sh150 in thailand. But forza 300 is the best scooter for that price.

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Loser. You sooooo behind the times.... the Sh150 is here and at an S & M shop near you

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[Amavel]

I bought the PCX150. I was new to scooters but fell in love with it. I am 300lbs. Of ex US football player. I bomb around with my wife on the back and 7 year old in front. No problem with power tackling the mountain roads on Koh Chang or accelerating out of trouble. I got it up to 94kmh before scaring myself and the wife. It holds a days groceries or helmets inside. I have done a bunch of mods through Xspeed and Mai Thai, making everything red. YKK gas shocks and short windscreen really made a difference. I hated the seat hump and changed that immediately. It is incredibly stable and never surprised me. It is just plain fun.

[guzzi850m2]

Yes if the fuel bill is an issue go for the PCX and also easier around town.

A few members here has done relatively long trips on their pcx's without any problems.

Okay it will be safer on a Forza due to the more power and you can follow 4 wheeled traffic, no so on the pcx.

@jackcorbett: I can't find your web site when goggling it?

[brfsa2]

The advantages that I see on the SH150 is rear disk brake and a bigger wind shield, also it has more space in the front to carry big things and many plastic bags.

The the PCX has a bigger seat, so if you plan to ride with your G/F most of the time and don't care about going shopping for groceries often, then the PCX is a good choice.

but personally I'd choose the SH150.

what I don't really like about the PCX is that they have speed limit of 110Km/h. that bike can easily handle 130-140Km/h safely because it's a very big and stable, big tires and not too bad breaks.

Yamaha seems to have higher top end speeds and very good acceleration from the ones I've tried.

I'm getting a ninja soon. I will keep my honda click for shopping times... but i'm done with scooters and honda limitations.

[Thailaw]

A couple of weeks ago, my friend, Per, and I did still another heads up road test comparison that amounted to traveling from Pattaya almost all the way to Rayong and back. ...... I think it was the very next day that we did our run together that he rented a Forza and did the same loop we had done. Bottom line on the Forza is it took 200 baht of fuel to cover the same distance we covered the day before for just 70 baht.

Another bike worth considering is the 125 Yamaha Nouvo SX. It trumps the PCX in handling over many situations although it is not quite as good traveling at higher speeds on the highway. But it is so good in handling in your typical Pattaya driving conditions that my girflriend commented that "it's like a snake, so quickly." ......

To say that the Forza uses 3 times the fuel used by the PCX150 to travel the same distance is totally rediculous. The "average" gas consumption of the PCX 150 is 102 mpg (43.36 kpl). Assuming that this was a straight highway ride, that might go to 50 kpl. My new Forza with only 200 km on the clock gets 29.4 kpl in average driving. It will probably do better on fuel with more run time and if only driving on the highway. But, even at 29.4 kpl, it uses 1.7 times the fuel as the PCX 150, assuming "the best of conditions" 50 kpl. If the PCX 150 used B70 of fuel, the Forza would use B119.05 -- and that is the extreme case, giving all advantage to the PCX. B70 is approximately 2 liters and a 100 km trip. If you are that concerned about B50 for an afternoon's ride, you probably won't and shouldn't be riding a Forza in any event. If I drive my car, I get 12 kpl on average, so I consider the Forza a cheap (and fun) ride in any event. I have no idea what the interest on fuel economy of scooters is -- on the list of things I would identify as important when buying a scooter, it is the absolute lowest -- it wouldn't even register. I have never measured and have no idea what the mileage on my PCX 125 or PCX 150 is. I don't care. I like the idle stop feature on the PCX (it is not on the Forza sorry to say), but it more for interest (it works great) than that it saves me any money.If I traveled 36,500 km per year on my Forza, the fuel cost over my PCX would be B18,250, worst case. Not much/any issue there, I think.

Why someone would take the time and effort to measure or compare fuel economy of scooters is beyond me, since all of the information is readily available from the manufacturers -- a case of, I think, if you can, somebody with time and little else to do will. Purely mental masterbation. But at least if you are going to report fuel economy for those that care, do so accurately and honestly.

IMHO, there is no question that the best scooter sold in Thailand today is the Forza, it is a great bike -- quck, solid feel and just super fun, which is the number 1 item on my list of what is important in a scooter. But it is not "cheap". The next best bike is the PCX 150, also a lot of fun to ride. Apart from price considerations and affordability (which the OP says are on a concern to him), there is really nothing else -- full stop. Is the Forza worth more than twice the price of the PCX? Probably not, unless you plan to do significant long distand, hi-way driving. But how a Yamaha Nouvo, a bike that compares favourably with the Honda Click, crept into a thread on the "best scooter in Thailand" is beyond me. Certainly, if you would consider a Honda Click, you should also look at the Nouvo. Neither is, however, probably a good choice for a male "6'4 (192 cm) weigh 180 lbs (82 kg) and (hopefully)[, who] will be carrying a female passenger at times". And neither is one of the "best scooters" in Thailand. Frankly, I would buy a Wave 125 before I would buy either one of those. Same for the Elegance, how it got into this story is beyond me -- stop beating a dead horse (bike). As far as girlfriends and snakes, I'll leave that one alone...

Edited May 31, 2013 by Thailaw

[jackcorbett]

"what I don't really like about the PCX is that they have speed limit of 110Km/h. that bike can easily handle 130-140Km/h safely because it's a very big and stable, big tires and not too bad breaks.

Yamaha seems to have higher top end speeds and very good acceleration from the ones I've tried."

According to my road tests my Yamaha Nouvo Elegance has gotten up to 112 kph (as shown on its speedometer). The 150 PCX we tested has shown 115 kph. As for acceleration, in my opinion the PCX 150 has plenty but my 135 Nouvo Elegance in city traffic conditions is quicker. As for getting 135 kph out of this type of bike, Honda already has this one covered with the Forza. But, in order to have the capability for getting that extra 20 kph a huge fuel penalty is imposed.

With most of these bikes big tradeoffs must be made in order to trump this machine's or that machine's attributes. The Yamaha Nouvo Elegance and Nouvo SX has terrific handling at slow and moderate speeds. But....and you can read in my latest review it was engineered to have this capability by Yamaha and in order to get it sacrifices had to be made. It will not feel as stable on the highway as a PCX for example. And as for the Forza, it's going to do quite well in highway conditions compared to the PCX 150 but as Peter my sidekick during many of these road tests, commented, "it uses so much fuel I'd always have to be bringing my own fuel pump along". And, if you live in such a place as Pattaya, that Forza is going to be overly large for the conditions. For getting through traffic or parking the new Honda CBR 500 will be far superior--and a CBR 250 will be absolutely Lilliputian by comparison. Why it's got the ass on it of a 300 pound woman and the Sym 300 or 400 is even worse.

[Rimmer]

Posts referring to an external blog site removed. Also quoted replies

[VocalNeal]

IMHO, there is no question that the best scooter sold in Thailand today is the Forza,

As price is not a concern to you I think some Vespa 300 GTS owners would question your opinion. Just sayin' as I'm feeling humble!

[Shurup]

Don't know about all the technical spac differences between the PCX and Forza, but if ridden in a similar fasion, Forza's fuel consumption will not be much more. Yes it has more power (available) but if not pushed hard, fuel consumption won't be too bad. In reality, when loaded to the Max and pushed really hard, PCX's will drink more than Forza loaded with the same weight and pushed as hard as the other bike.

Perhaps the test run that was mentioned wasn't very accurate and/or the Forza was in a need of a time up... who knows how it was treated being a rental...

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[Thailaw]

IMHO, there is no question that the best scooter sold in Thailand today is the Forza,

As price is not a concern to you I think some Vespa 300 GTS owners would question your opinion. Just sayin' as I'm feeling humble!

Ok. I'll take your advice and I won't argue with you.

[BSJ]

I am a PCX150 owner so I am biased! The rear suspension was a bit soft for 2 up riding with shopping bags on board as well, but I fixed that with YSS units. It's a good scooter with only one remaining problem being acceleration 2 up from 70 is a bit sluggish. The other day I got to an indicated 120 out on Hwy 7....but that probably 105! But, in time, someone will bring out a big bore kit and that problem will be solved!

Oh, and like most if not all scooters the rear brake is a drum. So every week it's another turn on the adjuster. Maybe someone will cum out with a rear disk conversion kit.....

[Bladefire]

e

Mine is for sale

[Bladefire]

[RaysFan]

Nice scooter! Is that a 150? How many KM? Whats the price?

[poanoi]

I saw this interesting Yamaha TMAX for the first time just yesterday evening

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Yamaha_TMAX_2007TMS.jpg/250px-Yamaha_TMAX_2007TMS.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_TMAX

[VocalNeal]

^ Quite a few here in Bangkok and a couple in Pattaya Just not very visible.

Edited June 2, 2013 by VocalNeal

[BSJ]

Yamaha TMAX are usually ridden by people who fear nothing.....or they are just foolish men!

[poanoi]

I am a PCX150 owner so I am biased! The rear suspension was a bit soft for 2 up riding with shopping bags on board as well, but I fixed that with YSS units. It's a good scooter with only one remaining problem being acceleration 2 up from 70 is a bit sluggish. The other day I got to an indicated 120 out on Hwy 7....but that probably 105! But, in time, someone will bring out a big bore kit and that problem will be solved!

Oh, and like most if not all scooters the rear brake is a drum. So every week it's another turn on the adjuster. Maybe someone will cum out with a rear disk conversion kit.....

I think your brake is special, it shouldnt be that way.

I have had an 1100 chopper with rear brake drum for perhaps 8 years and never an issue or adjustment on the brake

[BSJ]

I am a PCX150 owner so I am biased! The rear suspension was a bit soft for 2 up riding with shopping bags on board as well, but I fixed that with YSS units. It's a good scooter with only one remaining problem being acceleration 2 up from 70 is a bit sluggish. The other day I got to an indicated 120 out on Hwy 7....but that probably 105! But, in time, someone will bring out a big bore kit and that problem will be solved!

Oh, and like most if not all scooters the rear brake is a drum. So every week it's another turn on the adjuster. Maybe someone will cum out with a rear disk conversion kit.....

I think your brake is special, it shouldnt be that way.

I have had an 1100 chopper with rear brake drum for perhaps 8 years and never an issue or adjustment on the brake

Yes your right it is 'Special' and bl00dy annoying too! I only do 1000km a month and I use the front brake more.

8 years and you never adjusted the rear brake, that's almost unbelievable! Maybe the spanner twirlers did it for you at service time???

[thaicbr]

I am a PCX150 owner so I am biased!  The rear suspension was a bit soft for 2 up riding with shopping bags on board as well, but I fixed that with YSS units. It's a good scooter with only one remaining problem being acceleration 2 up from 70 is a bit sluggish.  The other day I got to an indicated 120 out on Hwy 7....but that probably 105!  But, in time, someone will bring out a big bore kit and that problem will be solved!

 

Oh, and like most if not all scooters the rear brake is a drum.  So every week it's another turn on the adjuster.  Maybe someone will cum out with a rear disk conversion kit.....

I think your brake is special, it shouldnt be that way.

I have had an 1100 chopper with rear brake drum for perhaps 8 years and never an issue or adjustment on the brake

Yes your right it is 'Special' and bl00dy annoying too!  I only do 1000km a month and I use the front brake more.

 

8 years and you never adjusted the rear brake, that's almost unbelievable!  Maybe the spanner twirlers did it for you at service time???

Its not unbelievable... he never goes out

Sorry poanoi. I have only discerned that from your posts

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[poanoi]

lol, yes, for the last miserable 3 years i havnt left my place,

and before that i was too drunk to remember the rear brake, i think.

[BlackArtemis]

PCX is big like a whale. I honestly dislike riding a fully auto.

125cc honda Wave for cheap bikes, but at 27 and looking at the price of a PCX I would get the Honda MSX125, hell they have 200cc kits for them already. They have a full clutch or semi auto like the wave.