2015 PCX 150 top speed

[typhon2222]

Yesh, those results with the NCY were on my 2011 125. With Givi Mid. (I think I said small earlier, but can't edit the dratted post.)

I've got a 2013 150 too, so I'll be interested to hear your results.... You're using 13g rollers?

Hmmm, I used no loctite..... perhaps I should? (and get an impact driver....)

[sendler2112]

1,750 rpm at idle. Hopefully 8,000 at full throttle as you pull through 30-50 mph. Now that you have the longer gearing of the clone NCY vario, you may never see redline again at 9,600 rpm which would be 80 mph.

So, having installed the NCY variator & drive face, with 12g rollers, along with a tachometer, I took the red candy bomb out for a test spin today.

Idle after a few minutes of warming up: 1,725.

RPM at full throttle pulling through 30-50 mph: about 7,800 on average.

Max speed: about 62 mph (and even at that speed, tach only showed about 8,000).

I'm surprised to get those results with the 12g rollers. If I recall, 7,800 is what Homie and some others with the NCY were getting with 13g rollers....

Am also bummed that top speed wasn't a tad higher. I'm a small light guy (5'8", 140 lbs), and am running with a small Givi windscreen (which, if I recall, is about ideal for speed).

I guess every vario is a little different. You probably could have gone with 11gm rollers. I forgot you had a 2011 PCX125. The power to go faster is just not there. At least now you have some revs in reserve for down hills or tail winds. Or if you get in to follow a truck. Your redline is also lower than a 150 at 9,200. I was getting 8,000 rpm from my 12gm sliders in my original vario but replaced it, the face and the belt with factory parts and now I am pulling at 7,700 rpm with the same sliders.

[typhon2222]

Hun, interesting....

So if I understand right, ideally I'd like to find rollers of a weight that would pull at or a little above 8,000 when full-throttling up from 30 through 50 mph or so, and would hit naturally limited (by wind & weight) top-speed at something like..... oh, maybe 8,800 on flats (leaving a few hundred RPM in reserve for when downhilling/tailwinding)?

[SECoda]

Yes on the 13 gr rollers.

Yesh, those results with the NCY were on my 2011 125. With Givi Mid. (I think I said small earlier, but can't edit the dratted post.)

I've got a 2013 150 too, so I'll be interested to hear your results.... You're using 13g rollers?

Hmmm, I used no loctite..... perhaps I should? (and get an impact driver....)

[SECoda]

Sure be nice to be able to edit these technical posts.
The manual says the Drive pulley face nut is torqued to 44 ft lb. and to apply "engine oil" to the threads and seating surface and no where else.

[sendler2112]

Hun, interesting....

So if I understand right, ideally I'd like to find rollers of a weight that would pull at or a little above 8,000 when full-throttling up from 30 through 50 mph or so, and would hit naturally limited (by wind & weight) top-speed at something like..... oh, maybe 8,800 on flats (leaving a few hundred RPM in reserve for when downhilling/tailwinding)?

Well the top speed at 8,000 is about as good as it gets since this is the rpm of the power peak. There is no way to change this relationship other than as the parts wear, hopefully you can keep your 62 mph even as the rpm rises to 8,300 with the lost gearing. You can get a bit more cheaply by drilling the exhaust and removing the snorkel in the air box. Maybe 1 mph.
.
Getting the pulling rpm up to 8,000 might improve the acceleration times and hill climbs a little more.

[typhon2222]

1,750 rpm at idle. Hopefully 8,000 at full throttle as you pull through 30-50 mph. Now that you have the longer gearing of the clone NCY vario, you may never see redline again at 9,600 rpm which would be 80 mph.

So, having installed the NCY variator & drive face, with 12g rollers, along with a tachometer, I took the red candy bomb out for a test spin today.

Idle after a few minutes of warming up: 1,725.

RPM at full throttle pulling through 30-50 mph: about 7,800 on average.

Max speed: about 62 mph (and even at that speed, tach only showed about 8,000).

I'm surprised to get those results with the 12g rollers. If I recall, 7,800 is what Homie and some others with the NCY were getting with 13g rollers....

Am also bummed that top speed wasn't a tad higher. I'm a small light guy (5'8", 140 lbs), and am running with a small Givi windscreen (which, if I recall, is about ideal for speed).

Looks as if the new NCY vario/drive face just needed to be worn in a little. I took the red candy bomb out again today, and this time was getting higher tach readings, pretty much exactly in line with what you guys predicted for the 12g rollers: was averaging about 8,100 (instead of 7,800) pulling through 30-55 mph. Excellent.

[yodaismycopilot]

I'm not happy with my new Yamaha SMAX. (There's lots to like about it — but it's just not for me.)

Am looking for a first bike. Am looking at both PCX 150 and SMAX. Was curious to know what you did not like so much about the SMAX. Thanks and I appreciate any of your insights!

[typhon2222]

I'm not happy with my new Yamaha SMAX. (There's lots to like about it — but it's just not for me.)

Am looking for a first bike. Am looking at both PCX 150 and SMAX. Was curious to know what you did not like so much about the SMAX. Thanks and I appreciate any of your insights!

Of course. Here's something I wrote elsewhere (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost ... tcount=415) comparing my experiences with the two bikes:

A local used dealership had a great deal on a 2011 Honda PCX125, so I picked it up.

And almost wish I hadn't, because it turns out I far prefer it to my new SMAX.

I really wanted to like the SMAX. And it does get some things right for me over the PCX, such as...

* the flat floorboard (not just because it's easier to step into the SMAX, but also because it provides a place to put stuff, temporarily rest things when you're fiddling with gear and moving things in and out of the underseat compartment, etc.);

* the much larger cubby hole in the front fairing (the PCX's glovebox is miniscule, and a pain to use);

* the presence of a bag hook on the front fairing, a tiny item that adds great utility;

* a far more comfortable seat (though the new 2015 PCX150 redesigns the seat, eliminating the hump that was the bane of the earlier models);

* higher speed, of course, than the PCX125 (and perhaps marginally faster than the PCX150, but if so, by only a few MPH);

* standard arrangement of controls (the PCX switches the position of the blinker and horn buttons, so you're constantly honking when you mean to indicate a turn -- it's really obnoxious, and absolutely unnecessary; plus both buttons are hard to reach on the PCX);

* bright attention-grabbing running lights below the headlights;

* far far brighter taillights, and brighter braking lights, than the 2011 and 2013 PCX (don't know how the new 2015 PCX stacks up);

* and greater under-seat space, or at least, a more usable configuration of space than what the PCX has.


So why do I still, hands down, prefer the PCX? It handles like a nimble dream to me, while the SMAX feels like a cumbersome tank in comparison. The SMAX is heavier, of course, but I guess it's also a matter of where the weight is concentrated: the Yamaha has a higher center of gravity. Combine that with the scoot's greater weight, and it's a beast for me to wrangle around in my garage. I'm sure guys with big bikes will laugh at me for saying it, but the SMAX is just too big for me to maneuver comfortably. And on the road too, it feels like a tank to me. The handling on the PCX is more akin to my tiny 50cc Metropolitans than it is to the SMAX: quick and nimble like a bicycle.

The PCX also feels much easier to handle at very low speeds (say, when turning out of a parking space) than the SMAX -- and it's more than just a function of its lighter weight. Much of that has to do with the throttle and power transmission. The PCX will start moving forward very gently with a slight twist. The SMAX, in contrast, transmits no power at all, then suddenly leaps forward.

And while the SMAX's seat is more comfortable, it's just too high for me. (I'm only 5'8".) The PCX keeps my butt and legs closer to the ground. Doesn't much matter when you're hauling along. But come stop-and-go city traffic, and it makes a huge difference in my comfort.

There's also the aesthetic factor. Straight from the side I prefer the looks of the SMAX. But from almost every other angle, I think the PCX is the sexier machine. The scale plays a role here too. The PCX's styling seems perfectly matched to its smaller proportions. Whereas something about the SMAX's design seems mismatched to its size. Wish I could be more specific here, but that's the best I can put it.

I haven't given up on the SMAX yet. Hoping that with more riding I'll come to understand how it wants to move, learn to control it, and develop a better feel for the twitchy throttle. But for me, at least, it's no PCX-killer.

[OldGuy]

Went on about a 260 mile ride yesterday on my unmodified 2015 pcx 150. On the way there (Spanish Fort, TX), I took mostly secondary highways, got lost a couple times, stopped for lunch etc. However by the time I got there it was already after 3pm and the grandkids baseball game was at least 2 hours away, so I just rodeher wide open on the freeway for about 90 minutes, on the 75 mph freeway till I hit a traffic jam at Denton. All this to say that with 2000 plus miles on the bike she's indecating about 58-62 mph on the speedometer but the cars and trucks on Interstate 35 are not passing me all that fast. Except for the stop and go traffic jam I didn't feel threatoned by the freeway traffic. In spite of that long traffic jam I got to the ball park right after the game started. The scooter is a joy to ride in town. I can get places much quiter than in my minivan.

[Branyers]

Went on about a 260 mile ride yesterday on my unmodified 2015 pcx 150. On the way there (Spanish Fort, TX), I took mostly secondary highways, got lost a couple times, stopped for lunch etc. However by the time I got there it was already after 3pm and the grandkids baseball game was at least 2 hours away, so I just rodeher wide open on the freeway for about 90 minutes, on the 75 mph freeway till I hit a traffic jam at Denton. All this to say that with 2000 plus miles on the bike she's indecating about 58-62 mph on the speedometer but the cars and trucks on Interstate 35 are not passing me all that fast. Except for the stop and go traffic jam I didn't feel threatoned by the freeway traffic. In spite of that long traffic jam I got to the ball park right after the game started. The scooter is a joy to ride in town. I can get places much quiter than in my minivan.

Awesome. I am contemplating a 100 mile highway journey on my 2013. Your story gives me the courage to do it! Was the bike comfortable for that much distance?

[OldGuy]

Not all that much for me Branyers. I am 6 feet tall and weigh about 196 lbs. But the main factor in being comfortable or not is that I am also 73 years old and just are not comfortable staying in one position for long periods of time. I found that I was able to periodically sit on the front of the passenger seat area and straighten out my legs, which helped when my knees started hurting from being bent for long periods. The temperature was in the lower 90s so it also cooled my butt. . After I got to the ball pack, I was happy just to stand in the shade for a few minutes, as my sitter seemed over worked. If your bike is comfortable for your build, then you should be fine for a 100 mile jaunt. I was sitting on mine for over 4 hours that day. Your 2013 should be able to go 65mph or a little better, so you'll spend less time if you go just below the limiter in speed. That is how I set my freeway speed, hit the limiter and backed off a hair. That ended up being just above 60mph indicated. The pcx is known to be pretty accurate in displayed versus actual speed. No faster than the cars passed me, when the posted speed was 75mph made me wonder if their indicated speed was more than actual.

[OldGuy]

I should add, about my trip to Spanish Fort, and freeway travel, that visability was very good weather wise, and that I wore abright yellow modular helmet, and a very bright (almost glow in the dark) yellow sweat shirt, to both be seen and to protect my old skin from sun damage. I feel sure that cars and truck had no trouble seeing me, long before passing me.

[vamootsman]

I've done just shy of 200 miles in one shot, and was pretty comfy. I have the Givi tall windshield so the wind doesn't beat me up too bad. 100 will be a piece of cake.

[tbln930]

I took my NCY w/13 gr rollers upgraded PCX on vacation to the Ozarks a few weeks ago and even though it raised the top end into the 70s the upgrade really helped out on the Ozark mountains. Much better acceleration and speed maintenance up the steep inclines then when I first used it in the Ozarks stock last fall.

[vamootsman]

I took my NCY w/13 gr rollers upgraded PCX on vacation to the Ozarks a few weeks ago and even though it raised the top end into the 70s the upgrade really helped out on the Ozark mountains. Much better acceleration and speed maintenance up the steep inclines then when I first used it in the Ozarks stock last fall.

The NCY variator and lighter roller upgrade is the best thing you can do for these things. Should be a sticky saying "before you ask about making your PCX faster, do this!". I don't think a single person on the forum has been anything but amazed at the performance difference.

[OldGuy]

I might have to try the NCY variator upgrade. I was noting the angle of the stock windscreen, if you can call it a screen. It should direct the wind up over most riders. From long ago experiance it likely would if you could get enough speed out of the bike. Way back with my first bike, a Honda cb350, I was going across the West Texas desert and for a short distance ran wide open to see how fast it would go. I had no windshield other than the bubble shield on my helmet. The wind had ripped my nylon wind breaker to tatters, but at about 85 or 90mph all of a sudden I was settinh upright in almost still air. I assumed that the headlight must have deverted the air around me. It was amazing. Too bad I couldn't just stay at that speed, but didn't want to get a speeding ticket. Anyway, I would bet this tiny windscreen would act similar at high enough speed. I am happy however that Givi now has a screen for the 2015 PCX. Happy to hear that the NCY helps maintain speed up hills. Thanks.

[vamootsman]

I might have to try the NCY variator upgrade. I was noting the angle of the stock windscreen, if you can call it a screen. It should direct the wind up over most riders. From long ago experiance it likely would if you could get enough speed out of the bike. Way back with my first bike, a Honda cb350, I was going across the West Texas desert and for a short distance ran wide open to see how fast it would go. I had no windshield other than the bubble shield on my helmet. The wind had ripped my nylon wind breaker to tatters, but at about 85 or 90mph all of a sudden I was settinh upright in almost still air. I assumed that the headlight must have deverted the air around me. It was amazing. Too bad I couldn't just stay at that speed, but didn't want to get a speeding ticket. Anyway, I would bet this tiny windscreen would act similar at high enough speed. I am happy however that Givi now has a screen for the 2015 PCX. Happy to hear that the NCY helps maintain speed up hills. Thanks.

Do the NCY upgrade and get the Givi Screen (second best thing to do to the PCX). I love riding it so much now with the better acceleration and mid range, and the wind protection, that I complain when I have to start my car.

[kurt_tml]

Hi, anybody tried malossi variator? Its costd about usd130

[Oyabun]

Hi, anybody tried malossi variator? Its costd about usd130

Sure, I have it also and so many other wrote about it. Do a search for multivar.

In fact I've just done it for you. Topics discussing the Malossi Multivar regarding PCX:
http://hondapcx.org/search.php?keywords ... mit=Search