Forza 300 damn good in the rain.

[davenowherejones]

As many people here know I ride quite a bit. My last fill up was at 91983 km. I am still having fun with the Forza.

I was supposed to work on Saturday but the sun was shining so I rode to Hope River for a pepperoni and coffee. That was good so I continued on to Lytton for an ice cream.

No rain so I headed home but detoured to the Hope Slide to see if they had finished the Electric car charging station. The gate was locked but the Forza went adequately around it on the rocks & grass. No power for the cars yet but the toilets were unlocked. Too many tags on the recently painted walls. But none in the women's toilet, I checked.

There was guy on a WR250R after I checked the Women's. He was a little curious what I was doing behind the locked gate. We talked bikes & gear for a while.

The next day (Sunday) it rained a lot. It quit for a few minutes so I put on my riding gear. It was now raining lightly again so I rode over to Popkum to check my lottery ticket. I won a free ticket but had to pay $1 for the Extra. I had a quick coffee and then back on the Forza.

I rode a big figure 8 around Harrison Hot Springs and headed for home. It had become very windy and wet. The wind seemed to be coming from 4 different directions. The weight of the Forza keeps it planted and the Michelin City Grips just never quit.

My next stop was Seabird Island store for ice cream and another lottery ticket for next week. I had to park so that the really strong wind would not push over the Forza. I found a sheltered spot and got off as the lightning was getting closer.

The rain slackened a little after the ice cream but there were several deep puddles on the highway. It was getting dark even though it was not yet supper time. The riding hours are getting shorter each day. Too many drunks and pot addicts at night.

The Forza handled the puddles and the Olympia suit mostly kept me dry. I wanted to go up in the mountains but it is now snow season. Most of the mountain highways had snow today. The mountains beside my house probably have snow but the clouds are blocking my views. The many waterfalls were going full tilt.

My gear is dripping in the bathtub ready for the next adventure. This rain riding is very dangerous but the Forza seems capable and I just close my eyes.

[erisaman]

There's an old saying "A picture paints a thousand words" - your words paint a thousand pictures. Right now - I'm 'seeing' the picture of you coming out of the ladies toilets - and a fellow biker watching.

Have a good 'un - and enjoy every one.

[davenowherejones]

There's an old saying "A picture paints a thousand words" - your words paint a thousand pictures. Right now - I'm 'seeing' the picture of you coming out of the ladies toilets - and a fellow biker watching.

Have a good 'un - and enjoy every one.

It was one of those times when you thought you were completely alone in the middle of nowhere and then a dual sport shows up.

Or like the time I was taking a piss at the side of the road and a bus load of Chinese tourists with cameras pulls in.

[E. Foster Salsbury]

There's an old saying "Dance like nobody is watching" You ride like nobody is watching. Is the road up the west side of Harrison Lake to Tipella scooter-able?

[davenowherejones]

There's an old saying "Dance like nobody is watching" You ride like nobody is watching. Is the road up the west side of Harrison Lake to Tipella scooter-able?

I don't think so. A bridge got washed out. Dirt bikes can get through but I don't know if a scooter could. The bridge is at a crazy angle in the last photo I saw.

I went from Sandpiper Golf Course at Highway 7 and got about 25 km up the road before I ran out of time and courage. I went down a nasty hill that I wasn't positive I could get back up. The gravel road is pretty good but the Forza only has about 2 inches of suspension. You need to go around the potholes carefully.

I think I could probably do the road but it might be wise to carry extra gas and start early on a summer day. It gets dark too early right now. Some food and water would also be a good idea.

[davenowherejones]

The Forza is not bad in the cold either. It was dry this morning so I planned to go for a ride BUT my landlord messaged me that he needed help cleaning out his garage.

We needed to empty his garbage trailer first. We went to the dump but it is closed on Fridays. It was a nice PAID sight seeing trip.

His garage is for a full size COACH motorhome. It is FULL of insulation he got for free and other stuff. We moved a few things around and then he took me for lunch.

He went home to his wife in his other house. I quickly got the Forza out and put on 7 layers of clothing. It is a few degrees above freezing.

I rode up a few thousand feet to the Hope Slide Rest Area to inspect the recently installed Electric car charging station. There were patches of ice in the parking lot. In 1965 a substantial portion of the mountain came down making a huge mess. Last week some more came down blocking one lane of traffic. They are still cleaning it up.

I then headed back to Hope and up the Fraser Canyon to Boston Bar. I expected more landslides but it was quite clean. There was no rain for my trip back to Hope. I stopped at Hope River for a salmon roll.

I was home before 5 but it was dark. I have no problems riding in the dark on the Forza but the drunks scare me. Marijuana in now legal in Canada so there is that problem with drivers also. Hell, old people scare me and I am one.

95585 km now on the odometer. I won't make 100,000 km this year but maybe next year if I live long enough. These rides are dangerous you know. We are also expecting 100 km winds tonight. I better get my flashlights ready and keep my long underwear on.

[aguim]

Wow, Dave, 95.K !!! And still 'enjoying' it !!! Hell, I used to understand you thought it one crappy money
pit, right...

Mine hadn't cost me ONE cent in repairs in 3 yrs/ 40,000 km when I traded it for a car - got
fed up with draining them clothes 'in the bathtub' haha...

I rate the Forza 9.5/10. Biggest shortcoming : no top.

I have 600$ worth of spare windshield/plastics, here in the washroom, if you need those- well, that's
3,000 miles away...but free...

[davenowherejones]

My Forza needed some sorting out when I bought it as a rebuilt wreck. It was dropped in a parking lot and had minor body damage on it. The government insurance agent wrote it off with less than 1000 kilometers on it. It wasn't really broken in yet.

I bought it from a guy who bought the wreck from another guy who bought the wreck. The paper work seems legitimate.

The handling of the scooter was awful when I bought it. A 1 inch bump in the road would bottom out the forks. I eventually had the oil changed in the forks. It became a totally different scooter. I suspect that it came from the factory with no oil in the forks. It was number 98 made in the Thailand factory. It might of skipped that manufacturing step.

The brakes kept wearing out really quickly. Eventually I took the callipers apart and put proper grease on the slides. Most normal motorcycles wear out the front brakes a lot quicker than the rears. The Forza geometry is the opposite.

My rears wear out first. My current rear brakes have 15519 km and the fronts have 73674 km. The ABS works quite good but you better have a foot ready to hold up the scooter. It can stop very quickly when needed. I have needed it a few times!!!

I currently have 95730 km on the 2014 Forza 300 and it had 1450 km when I bought it for cash (no questions asked). I keep a spreadsheet on ALL my costs related to this scooter. I am currently at $15,833.74 Canadian Dollars which is a lot of money to me. BUT that is ALL expenses.

The engine has given me no problems, just that oil leak. It is not really a big problem but it should not happen at all.

I have a problem with the tires wearing out but that is just from too much use.

The plastics all have various cracks in them. The quality of the plastic was not good and the engineering could have been better. I have oversize screws holding it together. A few zip ties also. No duct tape though. The passenger foot pegs are permanently screwed up (the ball fell out). Some parts are held on with silicone, some parts need MORE silicone.

It might be a few months before I get to ride it again. Earlier today I was at 2400 feet at the Hope Slide Viewing Area. The parking lot had lots of ice and snow. Not good for a scooter but OK for my Dodge Dakota 4x4. It really sucks putting gas in the truck.

I do like my Forza 300 for what it is. It is not really a high speed highway cruiser, the engine is too small. I pull over and let people pass often. It is a heavy scooter for in town riding but the weight is good on the highway. I have ridden it about 2000 km on gravel roads but you have to go slow and around the pot holes.

I have ridden thousands of kilometres in the rain. I added the tall Honda windshield and it made the wind easier to handle. I even have a few km in the snow.

No one motorcycle is perfect for all riding but the Forza is pretty good for me at my almost 60 years of age. The CVT is good for a hearing impaired person. I destroyed a Ford Ranger because I had it in the wrong gear (No tach).