What's the most trouble free on a scooter: Auto, semi-auto or standard shift

[AllanB]

When you say semi-auto I assume that you mean auto clutch, that is what I would go for and as someone else mentioned Wave 125i.

Wave 125i is a bit overpriced (30% more), and can't be legally ridden by anyone aged 15-17.

Wave 110i much cheaper (basic model 35k) and can be ridden legally by anyone over 15 years old.

I think your price is a bit out of date, I checked a couple of months ago and the cheapest Wave 110 was 43k, in my local dealer, but Yamaha do a 115cc about 36k, Suzuki too, which is a little less.

Maybe some CVT's are better than others regarding engine braking, we hired a couple on Kho Summed and no engine braking at all, though were were going slow. It was a nightmare on a loose surface, with only rear wheel braking going down a steep hill. My wife came off hers when she touched her front brake, her first ever off (in 25 years).

Manuals (auto clutch) take a little more practice to start, but on the descents feel a lot more secure. In fact we saw a guy drop a scooter on the gravely road just outside Pai last year, lost a lot of skin.

[FiftyTwo]

When you say semi-auto I assume that you mean auto clutch, that is what I would go for and as someone else mentioned Wave 125i.

Wave 125i is a bit overpriced (30% more), and can't be legally ridden by anyone aged 15-17.

Wave 110i much cheaper (basic model 35k) and can be ridden legally by anyone over 15 years old.

I think your price is a bit out of date, I checked a couple of months ago and the cheapest Wave 110 was 43k, in my local dealer, but Yamaha do a 115cc about 36k, Suzuki too, which is a little less.

Maybe some CVT's are better than others regarding engine braking, we hired a couple on Kho Summed and no engine braking at all, though were were going slow. It was a nightmare on a loose surface, with only rear wheel braking going down a steep hill. My wife came off hers when she touched her front brake, her first ever off (in 25 years).

Manuals (auto clutch) take a little more practice to start, but on the descents feel a lot more secure. In fact we saw a guy drop a scooter on the gravely road just outside Pai last year, lost a lot of skin.

I bought one Friday, 35,300bht + 1,900bht for two year total loss insurance.

(List price 35,800 but 500bht discount for cash)

Wave 110i Front Drum Brake version, Red only

Model number AFS110KDFE(2TH)

From the main Honda Dealer in CM (the one between bus station and bridge)

(43k is the price for the electric start Wave 110i)

Edited March 23, 2014 by FiftyTwo

[papa al]

When you say semi-auto I assume that you mean auto clutch, that is what I would go for and as someone else mentioned Wave 125i.

Wave 125i is a bit overpriced (30% more), and can't be legally ridden by anyone aged 15-17.

Wave 110i much cheaper (basic model 35k) and can be ridden legally by anyone over 15 years old.

ANYONE over 15 years old, or anyone over 15 WITH a drivers license?

[papa al]

Hello.. I started this topic.

Thanks everyone for your input.

I am a mechanic and have not had much experience with semi-auto and auto shift motor bikes, (mostly cars)..but am interested in how they work, etc.

My son and his wife and I will be living outside of Pai for a year or so. Just easy riding to town and around the local countryside., (no trips to Chiang Mai).

I have owned a bunch of motorcycles , but not for many years.

My son can ride but his wife has never driven a motorbike.

We will all be sharing the bike so, it looks like an automatic makes the most sense.

It's time to rent a few bikes and see how they ride.

I am not stuck on Honda. The Yamaha Nouvo sx 125cc or older Elegant 135cc is looking pretty good for our purposes. And like most people here have been saying, take care of it and it will last a long time, no matter what bike it is.

Thanks again for your info.

Pai is in the mountains and remember you don't get any engine braking with an auto (referring to a CVT) so overheating brakes could be an issue.

When you say semi-auto I assume that you mean auto clutch, that is what I would go for and as someone else mentioned Wave 125i.

I've read that Waves are unsuitable for taller guys as they can induce back pain and make the rider unattractive to females???

Maybe that is just BS, dunno.

Edited March 24, 2014 by papa al

[ll2]

Hello.. I started this topic.

Thanks everyone for your input.

I am a mechanic and have not had much experience with semi-auto and auto shift motor bikes, (mostly cars)..but am interested in how they work, etc.

My son and his wife and I will be living outside of Pai for a year or so. Just easy riding to town and around the local countryside., (no trips to Chiang Mai).

I have owned a bunch of motorcycles , but not for many years.

My son can ride but his wife has never driven a motorbike.

We will all be sharing the bike so, it looks like an automatic makes the most sense.

It's time to rent a few bikes and see how they ride.

I am not stuck on Honda. The Yamaha Nouvo sx 125cc or older Elegant 135cc is looking pretty good for our purposes. And like most people here have been saying, take care of it and it will last a long time, no matter what bike it is.

Thanks again for your info.

Pai is in the mountains and remember you don't get any engine braking with an auto (referring to a CVT) so overheating brakes could be an issue.

When you say semi-auto I assume that you mean auto clutch, that is what I would go for and as someone else mentioned Wave 125i.

I've read that Waves are unsuitable for taller guys as they can induce back pain and make the rider unattractive to females???

Maybe that is just BS, dunno.

unattractive for bar girls but attractive for normal girls especially the ones over 25 waiting to get married - in the small towns and villages of course, Bangkok no chance

It shows you as a good family guy and a humble person

and at 5.9, wave is comfy for me.

Edited March 24, 2014 by ll2

[speedtripler]

Advantage of a manual is that you can downshift to slow your bike going downhill not wearing the brakes out so soon.

yeah , because brake pads for scooters are so expensive ..........

a couple of hundred baht every 12,000km or so ,

i think braking with your engine will prove more costly over time

[Wong!]

honda wave. most reiable vehicle on the planet.

Sent from my GT-P3100 using Tapatalk

[AllanB]

Advantage of a manual is that you can downshift to slow your bike going downhill not wearing the brakes out so soon.

yeah , because brake pads for scooters are so expensive ..........

a couple of hundred baht every 12,000km or so ,

i think braking with your engine will prove more costly over time

I am not referring to costs, I am talking about safety. Riding down a steep hill in a low gear will prevent brakes overheating and help prevent skidding.

A front wheel skid and subsequent "off" will also make you unattractive to women.

Braking with the engine, not the clutch............

Edited March 25, 2014 by AllanB

[speedtripler]

Advantage of a manual is that you can downshift to slow your bike going downhill not wearing the brakes out so soon.

yeah , because brake pads for scooters are so expensive ..........

a couple of hundred baht every 12,000km or so ,

i think braking with your engine will prove more costly over time

I am not referring to costs, I am talking about safety. Riding down a steep hill in a low gear will prevent brakes overheating and help prevent skidding.

A front wheel skid and subsequent "off" will also make you unattractive to women.

Braking with the engine, not the clutch............

i have yet to "overheat " my brakes and "go into a front wheel skid and suqsequent off"

maybe we go down hills at differnt speeds?

braking with the.........oho yeah ,those things ,was wondering why they call them "brakes"

[anon11]

A good ONE

[AllanB]

Advantage of a manual is that you can downshift to slow your bike going downhill not wearing the brakes out so soon.

yeah , because brake pads for scooters are so expensive ..........

a couple of hundred baht every 12,000km or so ,

i think braking with your engine will prove more costly over time

I am not referring to costs, I am talking about safety. Riding down a steep hill in a low gear will prevent brakes overheating and help prevent skidding.

A front wheel skid and subsequent "off" will also make you unattractive to women.

Braking with the engine, not the clutch............

i have yet to "overheat " my brakes and "go into a front wheel skid and suqsequent off"

maybe we go down hills at differnt speeds?

braking with the.........oho yeah ,those things ,was wondering why they call them "brakes"

Got brake fade two up on Kho Summed and that ain't even the mountains. ever heard of shifting into a lower gear during a steep decent, or maybe they just put those signs up worldwide for fun? Two up on a small bike on a long steep hill, equals brake fade.

Or maybe you don't live on a road of steep hills and a hundred or so hairpin bends, as this guy does.

[speedtripler]

Got brake fade two up on Kho Summed and that ain't even the mountains. ever heard of shifting into a lower gear during a steep decent, or maybe they just put those signs up worldwide for fun? Two up on a small bike on a long steep hill, equals brake fade.

Or maybe you don't live on a road of steep hills and a hundred or so hairpin bends, as this guy does.

all depends on the gradient and length of the desent doesnt it ? personally id rather put the clutch in and roll down as much as possible but each to his own ..........

[mikeoxwelling]

Got brake fade two up on Kho Summed and that ain't even the mountains. ever heard of shifting into a lower gear during a steep decent, or maybe they just put those signs up worldwide for fun? Two up on a small bike on a long steep hill, equals brake fade.

Or maybe you don't live on a road of steep hills and a hundred or so hairpin bends, as this guy does.

all depends on the gradient and length of the desent doesnt it ? personally id rather put the clutch in and roll down as much as possible but each to his own ..........

There is a time and a place to use engine breaking, as there is a need to adjust front and rear brake pressure depending on the conditions. As for rolling down hills.. haha

[AllanB]

Drukjar, I may not be the most experienced rider here, but I have driven about half of the Mai Hong Son Loop including the section from Chiang Mai to Pai and you would have to be off your head to ride that without using engine braking.

These fools that think that brakes will be effective on such roads will likely end up like many of the Thai kids who take a 1 minute driving test here (at best) and then go off and add to the statistics.

One thing I didn't mention is discs all round, which I think are fitted to the Wave 125 as standard, so that's your bike IMO, or equal and approved from Y/S/K.

Forget about auto scooters for another reason, smaller wheels, these roads are full of potholes (which appear on a daily basis) and whereas Isaan roads are straight and flat, so you can see the potholes and have half a chance, where you are going they are neither, so you can't.

Don't worry so much about reliability, worry about safety and easy handling ..and actually with a Wave 125 you will have all three.

I am planning on doing the whole loop this coming winter, if I can get my bike 100%

[papa al]

I recently rented a Click on an island and freewheeling down a steep gravel/sand road without engine compression to help it slow was exciting for sure.

Wheel size: Nouvo & Hyate have 16"wheels which, with a bit larger tires, work ok through holes except for the unsprung weight thing.

Disk brakes cool better and thus fade less than drum brakes.

Much better overall methinks...hence the popularity?

Wave 125 has drums on rear I think, hence not disks 'all around.'

Raider or Sonic for rear discs.

Edited May 23, 2014 by papa al

[Wong!]

I recently rented a Click on an island and freewheeling down a steep gravel/sand road without engine compression to help it slow was exciting for sure.

Wheel size: Nouvo & Hyate have 16"wheels which, with a bit larger tires, work ok through holes except for the unsprung weight thing.

Disk brakes cool better and thus fade less than drum brakes.

Much better overall methinks...hence the popularity?

Wave 125 has drums on rear I think, hence not disks 'all around.'

Raider or Sonic for rear discs.

Our 2 year old Wave 125 has a rear drum brake.

Sent from my GT-P3100 using Tapatalk

[jackcorbett]

Belts 25-35k. Chain + sprkt sets 5 - 10k depending on maintenance. Plus chain lube. Having said that, i hate autos. Wave every time. And if the w/shop manual says 4k oil changes, change it @ 2k. I am a professional m/c mechanic of 35 years standing.

I had a little hands on experience with belts on the farm. This was one of my rigs. This outfit would reduce the cornstalks left over from harvest to confetti as you can see in this picture. The green machine directly behind my tractor is a stalk shredder. It used two belts on each end to grind up the stalks. Cost to replace a set used to be 3000 baht...a set of two. Now, these belts had to withstand many times the force that's placed on a single belt on the likes of a Honda Click or Yamaha Nouvo so let's get real on the price of small motorbike belts. Let's say 800 to 1000 baht. Certainly not 30 or 35 k.

Here's my little story about driving automatic motorbikes in Koh Samet. It's time to debunk another myth about automatic belt driven small motorbikes.

Those are very steep rutted unpaved roads on Koh Samet. So much for automatics being bad on steep hills and being unable to brake effectively on mountain roads. I can assure everyone that the Honda Click with the offroad nobby tires was much smoother on such steep trails. A manual shift would not be nearly as controllable. The main limitation on such small automatics compared to dirt bikes is they don't have as good a suspension and they don't have as much ground clearance. Other than this it provided much smoother performance than the manuals and most certainly far better than a Honda Wave.

[tingtongfarang]

In 2007 i bought a new honda wave Z 110cc fully manual...ie hand clutch, 28k bht, fuel consumption is just amazing, always tanked with gasohol 91 and the motor is bullet proof,

After nearly 40k km its still goes like new, i always changed the oil every 2 months but never checked how many km between changes, the chain and sprockets were changed 1 time, tires 3 times, still has the original spark plug, front brake pads changed 1 time, bulbs have blown i think 3 times in all front and back on different occasions, air filter changed 1 time, no electric start and the battery never failed...always starts 1st-2nd kick,

I just cant fault the thing!

[brfsa2]

In 2007 i bought a new honda wave Z 110cc fully manual...ie hand clutch, 28k bht, fuel consumption is just amazing, always tanked with gasohol 91 and the motor is bullet proof,

After nearly 40k km its still goes like new, i always changed the oil every 2 months but never checked how many km between changes, the chain and sprockets were changed 1 time, tires 3 times, still has the original spark plug, front brake pads changed 1 time, bulbs have blown i think 3 times in all front and back on different occasions, air filter changed 1 time, no electric start and the battery never failed...always starts 1st-2nd kick,

I just cant fault the thing!

sorry for out-of-topic, but.

You are polluting the environment changing oil every 2 months, that's how many KM? 500?

you should change 1-year or 3000-6000 KM depending on the oil brand. besides, new oil is BAD for the engine on the first 100KM.

back to topic.

like everyone said, Wave 125i is the one to go. OR, go for a Suzuki raider 150 if you want a real full clutch experience and better braking

those bikes last forever.

Edited May 24, 2014 by brfsa2

[papa al]

Honda wave 125i is considered the most reliable longest lasting trouble free machine out there.

Agree, I live in the rural area of Ubon. We have a lot of dirt roads. You just can't beat a Honda Wave 125i around here. Very functional and practical.

Disagree.

The Honda Dream is better.

What is the difference between a Dream and a Wave mechanically?

[dave_boo]

Belts 25-35k. Chain + sprkt sets 5 - 10k depending on maintenance. Plus chain lube. Having said that, i hate autos. Wave every time. And if the w/shop manual says 4k oil changes, change it @ 2k. I am a professional m/c mechanic of 35 years standing.

I had a little hands on experience with belts on the farm. This was one of my rigs. This outfit would reduce the cornstalks left over from harvest to confetti as you can see in this picture. The green machine directly behind my tractor is a stalk shredder. It used two belts on each end to grind up the stalks. Cost to replace a set used to be 3000 baht...a set of two. Now, these belts had to withstand many times the force that's placed on a single belt on the likes of a Honda Click or Yamaha Nouvo so let's get real on the price of small motorbike belts. Let's say 800 to 1000 baht. Certainly not 30 or 35 k.

Here's my little story about driving automatic motorbikes in Koh Samet. It's time to debunk another myth about automatic belt driven small motorbikes.

Those are very steep rutted unpaved roads on Koh Samet. So much for automatics being bad on steep hills and being unable to brake effectively on mountain roads. I can assure everyone that the Honda Click with the offroad nobby tires was much smoother on such steep trails. A manual shift would not be nearly as controllable. The main limitation on such small automatics compared to dirt bikes is they don't have as good a suspension and they don't have as much ground clearance. Other than this it provided much smoother performance than the manuals and most certainly far better than a Honda Wave.

I don't have any issue with the lifespan of well made belts, but the engine braking is a concern. And if you think that's steep, what do you call real mountain roads where one has kilometers of ascents and descents like below?

[BlackArtemis]

I Hate autos.

I don't like driving with my feet in front of me

I hate their small 14" wheels that make it feel unbalanced

I dislike the lag when you go to accelerate from a stop

I dislike being able to down shift to pass

But they are easier to load up with groceries or have space under the seat.

I hate the crappy suspension on them. They start rattling earlier and take bumps and potholes as good as my 94yr old grandmother...

Personally I agree that the Wave 125i is great, great gas, you can put a basket on it, it has larger tires, absorbs more of the road and in bangkok you don't have to worry about working the clutch all the time.

If you can an older carbed model any mechanic in the country can work on it for next to nothing.

[jackcorbett]

I Hate autos.

I don't like driving with my feet in front of me

I hate their small 14" wheels that make it feel unbalanced

I dislike the lag when you go to accelerate from a stop

I dislike being able to down shift to pass

But they are easier to load up with groceries or have space under the seat.

I hate the crappy suspension on them. They start rattling earlier and take bumps and potholes as good as my 94yr old grandmother...

Personally I agree that the Wave 125i is great, great gas, you can put a basket on it, it has larger tires, absorbs more of the road and in bangkok you don't have to worry about working the clutch all the time.

If you can an older carbed model any mechanic in the country can work on it for next to nothing.

Whereas most autos might have 14 inch wheels, the Nouvo's have 16 inch. And most Waves come with skinny tires. I have outfitted my Nouvo Elegance with one size larger tires. If I recall a Wave has a 17 inch wheel.