New Forza owner from S.E. USA saying hello.

[supermattyp]

Hey guys and gals (I'm assuming there are some here??)

My name is Matty. I just bought a 2014 Forza 300 from a local powersports dealer. It's slightly used with just over 5k miles on it but otherwise in great condition. My previous scoot was a 2004 Honda Reflex 250 so this seemed like a natural fit for me. I put over 15k miles a year on that Reflex and never had to do anything but oil changes and a set of tires. It was flawless and never gave me one minute of trouble. I rode it pretty much 10 months out of the year. Even though it wasn't my only vehicle I used it as my primary transport.

I'm taking delivery of my new bike tomorrow but I'm online looking up as much info as i can. As a bigger rider there are some things I'm always looking out for (like suspension) and I've been reading a lot about the rear suspension on these scoots as being inadequate for smaller riders. I'm 6'3" 130kg so I don't really fall into that category. Are there any other bigger riders out there with this bike that could give some feedback about stock/aftermarket suspension??

Also, my last Reflex 250cc was carbbed and made 14.5bhp. This new one is efi and rated at 24.5bhp so that's a significant leap in power while dropping the weight 27lbs! Obviously I'm not trying to use a scooter as a sports bike but being a heavier rider I'm always looking to maximize what I have. Hill climbs aren't fun if you start slowing down! I'm going to do some research into what exhaust, intake options are available and see if they're worth the money. I'm always open to opinions though so feel free to fire away!

Currently I work in healthcare and do a lot of travel around the world. I'm living in the S.E. US right now and looking to buy a home in Florida. If there are any local groups or people to get in touch with I'd enjoy meeting with them.

I'll be sure to post plenty of pictures and impressions next week after I've had a chance to put a few hundred miles on the bike.

Cheers,
Matty

[MichRocks]

Matty-
Welcome to the forum, and congrats on the bike! If it fits you, you are going to be a happy camper with the performance with respect to the Reflex. Ride safe, and pics are always welcome!

[Darth Emma]

Matty:
Welcome to the forum!

I have a Forza. I also have a Ruckus. I bought the Forza because I wanted a bike that could go highway speeds if needed. I love my Forza and finds it has the power I need.

I suggest you ride the Forza for a while before deciding if you really want or need after market upgrades. For me the suspension is just fine. I'm also rather happy with how quiet it is. I like to ride through the countryside and not scare away the wildlife.

The only thing I might like to do is have the seat reupholstered. I had a Honda CTX700 and LOVED the seat on that bike because you sat "in" the seat rather than "on" the seat. I'd like my Forza seat to feel more like that. I am going to see if a local upholstery shop can redo the Forza seat for me.

Good luck!

[supermattyp]

Thanks guys. I put about 140 miles on it todayand have to agree the suspension may be just fine. The seat however needs to go in the Trash bin immediately. So terrible. Need to really shop around for a shop to build me a custom seat.

[fish]

Thanks guys. I put about 140 miles on it todayand have to agree the suspension may be just fine. The seat however needs to go in the Trash bin immediately. So terrible. Need to really shop around for a shop to build me a custom seat.

Hello and welcome!
Pictures please when you get your seat rebuilt!
Thinking the same thing this winter.
Fish

[Z-Mac]

Hello Matty and welcome!

[supermattyp]

Sorry for the lack of updates and info. I bought the bike on saturday and it's been storming every day since. I decided to risk the weather today and rode into town (40mile roundtrip) just to make sure I'm getting my moneys worth!

I have to say I'm VERY upset about the fuel gauge on the bike and will possibly have to go back to the dealer to have it inspected or replaced. According to the dash I'm averaging 64.5mpg (mostly highway at 65+mph with 130kg rider). Thats not the bad part. With 136miles indicated on the trip computer my fuel needle was BELOW "E". I was terrified I was going to be pushing the 450lb bike another 2 miles to the nearest gas station. When I got to the servos I filled it up and found it BARELY took 2 gallons....meaning I had another 33% of fuel available.

Does anyone else have this experience or do I have a bum gauge? I never expected it to be spot-on accurate but being 33% off is just unacceptable.

I'll get pics as soon as the rain breaks. Also, The bike came with aftermarket gel hand grips with palm rest (love it), a Givi adjustable windscreen (dont like it) an aftermarket mount for rear top box (going to be for sale very soon) and a RAM mount system with (2) mounts. I'm going to sell it as well and buy the correct one for this bike.

[mboni]

Your gas gauge isn't defective, it's just a poor design. You have almost a full gallon above F, and a full gallon below E. Only the middle gallon of your tank will show up on the fuel gauge. Your best bet is to reset trip 'A' every time you fill the tank, and use the trip meter plus the average MPG reading to figure out when you need to fill. Most people here seem to like 2.5 gallons as a reasonable fill point, so if your MPG reading says 70mpg you can target (70 * 2.5) = 175 miles.

[supermattyp]

Thanks for the tip Mboni. I was using my 64mpg x 3gal for an estimated 180miles but when I went below the E at 130 I started panicking. I didn't know if the mpg indicator was off or the fuel gauge....now I know which one is the bogus gauge.

p.s. I have a lot of family in Georgia. We hail from Valdosta and bleed red and black. How bout them dawgs?

[mboni]

Having fuel injection means that there is a computer on board that knows almost exactly how much fuel is being used at any moment, so the MPG meter can be very accurate. Honda seems to like the idea of having a full gallon of 'reserve' fuel, below the E mark. But that just doesn't quite make sense when the whole tank is only 3 gallons.

Dawgs suck, sorry to say. They just aren't yellow and black enough, it seems.

[supermattyp]

This means war......

[LuvinLife]

Hello from the Midwest! I just purchased my Forza a month ago and use it for my 15 mile commute to work. I just experienced the empty fuel gauge yesterday after only 130 miles ridden, so seeing your replies is very timely and makes me feel better.

This is my first scooter and I'm having a blast!

[davenowherejones]

Two year old posts

[Ishkabibble]

This means war......

Two mules fighting over a turnip...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNxLxTZHKM8

[WhiteNoise]

LuvinLife...1st Scoot! cheers to You. Great to read you're having Fun! Riding makes you feel "one" with everything around you. "Nothing Compares!"
Be safe, wear protective gear and keep on smiling