are Honda PCX 150 still a good bike to buy new?

[speedtripler]

Well abs have saved me a couple of times on my Versus, never tried a Thai scooter with abs. Don't ride my scooters on the highways so abs not so important to me on my scooters but I will never again buy a big bike without it. Been riding bikes for over 30 years and my V is the first one with abs.

I have a versys too and they could have done a better job with the brakes but for the value for $$$ its one of the best bikes out there,

The judder in the front combined with the fork dive is very pronounced and emergency stop distance leaves a lot to be desired compared to my other (more expensive) bikes but you get used to it

There are many improvements you can make if you search the kawa forums, some users switched to brembos and braided stainless lines and ebc sintered pads and it apparently make a great improvement

Sticky tyres are the best bang for your buck for better braking distances imo or you could just ride slower but where is the fun in that lol..

[papa al]

trials

[papa al]

I know I said I wasn't much on scooters, mainly cause of the small wheels. Well someone mentioned ABS on the Yamaha as being "gold", but those bloody small wheels offset any additional safety over the PCX.

How can you ride a bike in Thailand with bottle tops for wheels, even if they are "gold tops"? ABS ain't much use when you are over the handlebars and flying through the air, because you ran over a shitsoo.

The Italians invented the scooter and they put hairdryer engines in them for a reason and even back then Italian roads were better than Thai roads today, so 155cc with fuel injection?...not for me....

ABS? a parachute would be better.

Bloody

Bottle tops

Shitsoo

Hair dryer

Parachute

Such insightful commentary!

...or a black belt in bullshit?

You decide.

[DILLIGAD]

I know I said I wasn't much on scooters, mainly cause of the small wheels. Well someone mentioned ABS on the Yamaha as being "gold", but those bloody small wheels offset any additional safety over the PCX.

How can you ride a bike in Thailand with bottle tops for wheels, even if they are "gold tops"? ABS ain't much use when you are over the handlebars and flying through the air, because you ran over a shitsoo.

The Italians invented the scooter and they put hairdryer engines in them for a reason and even back then Italian roads were better than Thai roads today, so 155cc with fuel injection?...not for me....

ABS? a parachute would be better.

Bloody

Bottle tops

Shitsoo

Hair dryer

Parachute

Such insightful commentary!

...or a black belt in bullshit?

You decide.

I went to an Animal Park once. It was rubbish as they only had one dog.

It was a Shitsoo

Edited October 11, 2015 by DILLIGAD

[AllanB]

Well abs have saved me a couple of times on my Versus, never tried a Thai scooter with abs. Don't ride my scooters on the highways so abs not so important to me on my scooters but I will never again buy a big bike without it. Been riding bikes for over 30 years and my V is the first one with abs.

I didn't know that the Versus had 13" wheels...and low profile tyres.......

Jasus you guys like to start an argument over nothing....I SAID ABS is a waste of time on a scooter with tiny wheels (and you kind of agree with that), since ABS doesn't work if the front wheel is stopped by a pothole...or a shitsoo.

I didn't say ABS was useless, indeed I am considering the sister bike to your Versus, the Vulcan, which I looked at yesterday, which has ABS. I am well aware how important ABS is on a bigger faster bike. Even more important than on a car, where a wheel lock up can be dealt with.

The point I was making for the OP's benefit is that the bigger wheels on the PCX is a much better asset than ABS, thus arguing the point you made which was that ABS was gold when related to these two scooters.

[papa al]

Would a 13" rim with a high profile tire perform (vs chucks) as well as a 14-inch with medium tire?

[AllanB]

Would a 13" rim with a high profile tire perform (vs chucks) as well as a 14-inch with medium tire?

When I visited the Yamaha dealership the brand new one I saw had quite a low profile (13") tyre fitted, whereas the PCX had a fairly standard (14") tyre, I assumed both were standard. This made the NPower look odd in comparison and not something I would choose.

My main opposition to scooters is the wheel diameter, given the crap roads around here, so my Wave with bigger wheels makes me feel more secure. I personally think ABS is more suited to big bikes, as I never managed to lock up my front (drum) brake....I also prefer to sit astride a bike.

Maybe things are not so bad elsewhere, but it seems every day another big crack or pothole appears just in the road en-route to the city and late at night it is hard to spot them all and I usually hot one or two. I have already uprated the tyres on the Wave, would go bigger if I could.

Talking of fan tyres, ever considered the Suzi Vanvan?

[Gweiloman]

Well abs have saved me a couple of times on my Versus, never tried a Thai scooter with abs. Don't ride my scooters on the highways so abs not so important to me on my scooters but I will never again buy a big bike without it. Been riding bikes for over 30 years and my V is the first one with abs.

I didn't know that the Versus had 13" wheels...and low profile tyres.......

Jasus you guys like to start an argument over nothing....I SAID ABS is a waste of time on a scooter with tiny wheels (and you kind of agree with that), since ABS doesn't work if the front wheel is stopped by a pothole...or a shitsoo.

I didn't say ABS was useless, indeed I am considering the sister bike to your Versus, the Vulcan, which I looked at yesterday, which has ABS. I am well aware how important ABS is on a bigger faster bike. Even more important than on a car, where a wheel lock up can be dealt with.

The point I was making for the OP's benefit is that the bigger wheels on the PCX is a much better asset than ABS, thus arguing the point you made which was that ABS was gold when related to these two scooters.

The Versys, a sister bike to the Vulcan????

And why is ABS a waste of time on a scooter? There are also roads without potholes and it also rains on these roads sometimes......

[NoshowJones]

Check out the new Yamaha Nmax. Same price. Dual disc brakes, very nice !

Watch the depreciation on Yamaha, best buy the PCX 150, fuel comsumption excellent.

[NoshowJones]

Just for the ABS and rear disc the NMax has it all over the PCX....but will buyers see it that way!

NMax has it all over the PCX?? Yes, it will probably depreciate much quicker.

[eisfeld]

AllanB: ABS on a scooter is as useful as on a big bike. Why would it be different? It's not even about speed, tire size or weight. You can slip away at 50km/h and get nicely injured in a scooter as on any other bike.

Yes it might be hard to lock up a wheel on a scooter on asphalt because the brakes are so shitty. But once sand or other things are in play, it's easy.

The reason why scooters usually don't have ABS is that they have tight margins and need to cut corners. Plus the majority of Asians who buy these scooters don't even know what ABS is and hence it's no buying criterion.

[nongai]

I sat on both bikes yesterday and like the Honda PCX more...bigger seat and overall feel.

[Chwooly]

When I was decideing between the honda and the yamaha, the overriding factor for me was availablity of replacement parts and expertise in repairs. Because Honda's market share is so much bigger it is easier and cheaper to get OEM replacement parts and the mechanics are better at fixing honda's. That being said I have had my PCX over a year and have only had to do oil changes on it. I did go with bigger and wider tires front and back and have seen an increase in stability. However even with out ABS I have had no problems with stopping. I did increase the front disk plate to a larger plate but don't think that really had any impact.

At the end of the day buy what fits you best. I find the seat and riding position of the PCS the most comfortable for me, I can stretch my feet out a little bit where as on most of ther bikes I am biting my knees

Cheers

[losworld]

Yamaha really needs to get their act together in the marketing of their bikes. It took them years to get a competitor to the PCX and this is the best they can do? First the Tricity failed and this bike may go the same way.

All yamaha had to do was put on the same size tires as the PCX, make the tank almost as big and put a cheap usb plug on the bike and they would have a legitimate contender. Instead they put 13 inch low profile tires, skip the charger and make the tank smaller.

Yamaha has variable valve timing and ABS which is excellent but they will lose out on the other shortcomings.

I am sure this is a pretty good bike buy marketing wise they will have problems denting Honda's share with this formula.

Edited October 21, 2015 by losworld

[beachump]

PCX's combi-brake is why I'm going with the NMax. I don't want any front brakes when it's wet or I see gravel.

[inzman]

Just for the ABS and rear disc the NMax has it all over the PCX....but will buyers see it that way!

NMax has it all over the PCX?? Yes, it will probably depreciate much quicker.

I don't buy bikes to resell. If you need to make a profit on a little scooter maybe it's best you buy a used one. My bikes need to provide optimum safety for the driver and passenger. Too each their own I suppose. Edited May 23, 2016 by inzman

[Henryford]

Yamaha really needs to get their act together in the marketing of their bikes. It took them years to get a competitor to the PCX and this is the best they can do? First the Tricity failed and this bike may go the same way.

All yamaha had to do was put on the same size tires as the PCX, make the tank almost as big and put a cheap usb plug on the bike and they would have a legitimate contender. Instead they put 13 inch low profile tires, skip the charger and make the tank smaller.

Yamaha has variable valve timing and ABS which is excellent but they will lose out on the other shortcomings.

I am sure this is a pretty good bike buy marketing wise they will have problems denting Honda's share with this formula.

If it's choice between twin disks and ABS or an USB plug and an extra 0.5 litre tank i know what i would choose.

[DILLIGAD]

We have had 3 1/2 faultless years with our PCX so I would not hesitate to replace it with the same again (updated version).

[rayinkrabi]

A lot has been discussed here about ABS and some have said they wouldn't buy the PCX because it doesn't have it. A fair and valid point I guess if you feel it's that important, and after reading this old but brilliant article on the subject (link below) I would certainly take this into consideration when (if) I ever get fed up with my 2013 PCX..which so far is highly unlikely as I love everything about it.

Having said that, I feel I should explain further as 'everything' was not true when I first bought it in Dec 2013. The stock seat with it's silly hump was the first to go, in fact I'm now in the process of changing it yet again from the same company (should be here any day now)..this is very easy to do and not too pricey from these people (excellent service btw).. DELETED They have a huge range to choose from and even give you a choice of how far to set the backrest back, they also give the choice of a copy or Honda frame, I def recommend paying extra for the original Honda frame as it has the rubber seal on it. Oh and they also do Forza seats :-)

I also changed the mirrors for ones with LED indicators, added a small time clock (analogue) and a passenger back rest. I've now ordered 2 LED cree spot lights and will get some decent ally or ss step plates to replace the boring rubber ones as soon as I can locate them (no luck so far..any body any ideas?) finally I intend to change the tyres for bigger ones soon, 110/70 front and 140/70 rear...I'm not sure how this will affect handling but reckon they will look great..any ideas?

To finish, I'm curious as to why Beachhump knocked the combi braking sytem, I thinks its excellent and although I'm no expert, I always thought that the correct way to apply brakes on a 2 wheeler was by a % combination (not sure of the numbers but sure its not 50/50) of both front & rear?? also, as I understand it, the combi system only applies with the front brake lever on the PCX so his comment doesn't make sense to me.

link for the ABS article if anyone's interested: DELETED

Edited May 28, 2016 by seedy
personal details

[seedy]

Post Edited. Forum Rule -

18) You will not post phone numbers, email addresses, business names, or web/Facebook/Twitter/Google+ addresses in posts or signatures. Web addresses to personal non-commercial sites sites/blogs, or Facebook/Twitter/Google+ addresses, may be posted in a member's profile page.

[rayinkrabi]

Apologies seedy I really wasn't aware of this and thought I was helping fellow members with some useful / relevant info...ahh well, if any one is interested simply PM me.

[Kenny202]

I have a Honda Click at the moment which I adore for city driving in Khon Kaen but been ogling a PCX for a while now. Talking to a guy the other day and he had one and told me the slightly extra size made him uncomfortable in city traffic. Any of you guys found the same thing?

[idman]

Bought a new 2016 Honda PCX 150 last week at Honda Bigwing and I am enjoying the bike very much. I had a 2012 model and IMO the upgrades made to the bike bring the new model to a higher level of excellence. Combi brakes, more HP, LED lights front and rear, more cargo space, improved mileage, charging socket, new seat material and the smart key make the 2016 model a must see at the very least. I payed 84000 baht that included first class insurance, additional policy which provides me with coverage at hospitals should I require medical care and the necessary fees.

[Kenny202]

Went and had a look at one before. Not overly impressed? I can't really see any features the click doesn't have apart from smart lock. Looks a lot nicer of course. They offered me a very fair trade and a decent buy price but just don't see that I'd be getting a lot extra?

[papa al]

Kenny:

rent one

Edited May 30, 2016 by papa al

[losworld]

PCX's combi-brake is why I'm going with the NMax. I don't want any front brakes when it's wet or I see gravel.

Best thing you can do in my opinion is keep new sticky one size up tires on the bike and have the combi brake disconnected. I did and my brakes are better and safer than ever.

[rayinkrabi]

As I understand it, the combi brake system only applies with the front brake lever on the PCX which imo is a good safety feature so why would anyone want to disable it?

I also really like the idle stop feature and reckon this would benefit everyone globally by reducing noise and emissions if all vehicles had it fitted,

However I do know it can catch some people out..a friend of mine had just taken delivery of his brand new Click, called into PTT a few minutes later to fill the tank...had to wait behind a truck for a while so dis-mounted (the idle stop had kicked in)..then pushed the click to the pump..the inevitable happened as he twisted the throttle resulting in him being dragged along the forecourt..lots of damage to the Click and his legs !!

[Kenny202]

I love the dual braking system and can't see why anyone wouldn't?

[beachump]

On 5/30/2016 at 10:48 PM, Kenny202 said:

I love the dual braking system and can't see why anyone wouldn't?

Do you enjoy being forced into using your front brake on gravel and wet roads?

[pgt99]

I have had a PCX 125 and thought it was a good solid machine. Now I have an exciter. If I was going for a new scooter it would be the N-max. If they did the S-max here I would trade the exciter in tomorrow. The ABS wins hands down for me. Simply the amount of gravel/sand on the roads is very similar to black ice back in the UK. It could literally be the difference between life and death.

 

Some have gone on about the size of the fuel tank. If you need the range for touring or whatsoever just get an MT bleach container say 3 ltr. Clean it out and put gas/petrol in and stick it under your seat or store in a top box. Even with the n-max's 6.7 ltr tank is more than ample. The exciter's is a poxy 4.7 ltr.