PCX 150 Ship Date (and break-in question)

[auerbacs]

Hello All,

I'm new to this forum as I've just decided to purchase the new PCX150. I'm hoping to have it as soon as possible. I currently live in Wisconsin. The dealer hasn't got back to me yet on when he can get one. Does anybody have an idea of when they start shipping out to the dealers in the US?

As a second question, what is the general opinion of you PCX enthusiasts regarding break-in? I've been really bothered by how ambivalent advice is on this topic, with a clear divide between those who believe one should follow the owner's manual approach of babying it in and those who prefer to treat it more aggressively. My inclination is to stick with the owners manual as I trust the manufacturer more than those who advocate the aggressive technique, but I'd be keen to hear how you PCX enthusiasts chose to break it in. I think my main objective is maximizing fuel economy and reliability, rather than top speed.

I look forward to discussing more technical issues with you all in the future, once I have my own PCX this summer.

Many thanks for your help!

Shane

[edscoot]

Hi and welcome.

Can't help you with the availability of the 150cc as I'm in the UK and it won't be sold here. As for break in; I'd just follow what it says in the owners manual. Honda have a reputation for quality and reliability, it will not have been gained by giving bad advice for breaking in new engines.

If the 150 is being shipped to the US does this mean the 125 will be dropped?

[b0r3dguy]

I've been contacting a few dealers here in the southern california area and they all seem to be set on receiving a limited amount (an average of 4 per dealer) by the end of July or early August.
And I would also follow the manual regarding break-in.

[maddiedog]

Welcome!

The break-in procedures in the manual aren't too specific, for good reason. Modern engines are precision instruments, with most of the initial break-in done in the factory.

The two most important factors of break-in are:
1. Do not ride at full throttle / full speed for more than a few moments until after break-in (any arbitrary mileage after 1st service is good).
2. Vary throttle and RPM constantly so that the engine wears over varying revs. Your right wrist should never be still before the first service.

Other than that, I recommend riding it like you stole it. Studies show that a engine broken in by riding with more, varied throttle has better compression than one that has been babied.

Honestly, as long as you get the first service done in time and don't ride at full-throttle consistently before then, your scooter will be fine.

[C-Note]

Hey welcome to the club! You are gonna love the PCX, and you'll giggle under your breath every time you stop for gas and fill up for about $5 + change. I used to spend about $60 a week for fuel, but not any more. It's a huge savings in fuel and insurance which is $75/year for me. Plus I sold one of my three cars so I have saved there as well on fuel, insurance, and maintenance.

Just got my PCX in March, I live in Illinois about 60 miles west of Chicago. The bike was just in for the first 600 mile check last week with no problems (other than they had to replace my battery which was trashed from the start) it's all good now though. I rode my bike as suggested the first 600, varying throttle and generally taking it easy. I use my bike mainly for work which is only 20 miles round trip a day. Most of the ride is on 40 - 50 mph roads +/-.

Now I am riding it a bit harder, it seems to respond well and smooth as silk.

I spoke to my dealer here in the area about the new 2013 PCX's, they said they'd be in around August. If it's fuel economy you're looking for, this is the way to do it. I get right around 100 mpg I'm guessing, I haven't actually watched that close but I know for sure it's right around there maybe even more without a doubt. The trip meter reads about 110 miles every time I fill up, and that's with a little still left in the tank.

Anyway welcome once again, save some dough, and have fun. Be safe too!

[Cascanciu]

Hi and welcome. Can't help you with the other questions, but I can give a hand with the break-in thing. Stick with the manual and follow what the other fellas said. Maddiedog explained it perfectly, and that's pretty much the way I did it. Once the engine was warm, just ride normally, don't "baby" her. Just avoid high revs and hard accelerations, and you'll be good to go.

[haildamage]

broke mine in a bit hard, which means i just rode it like i usually do now. i didnt baby it at all.

[JGC]

Hello and welcome to this forum

Just ride as you normally would and don't thrash it, that's how I'm breaking mine in. Maddie has explained it pretty well to be honest

[duive01]

Delivery in Holland is week 26 for the PCX150 but that doesn't say much about the US ofcourse.

[FritzPinguin]

Delivery in Holland is week 26 for the PCX150 but that doesn't say much about the US ofcourse.

Got mine on May 9th in Thailand. And yes - a red one.

[duive01]

Delivery in Holland is week 26 for the PCX150 but that doesn't say much about the US ofcourse.

Got mine on May 9th in Thailand. And yes - a red one.

I've ordered a red one! How do you like it? I thought I've read somewhere else on this forum that you don't have much mileage on it yet?

[FritzPinguin]

I've ordered a red one! How do you like it? I thought I've read somewhere else on this forum that you don't have much mileage on it yet?

I am just at 750 km now, just hunting up and down the island. My only modification was the seat (see Gallery). Now I am waiting for a call from my dealer to get new tires on the bike, I am one of the "lucky" guys with the recall. The sales guy told me to ride "not fast", since there is a possibility the layers of the rubber might separate.
But I am happy with the performance of the bike (or should I call it scooter?), and with the new seat it's really comfortable.

[gn2]

A scooter is a type of motorcycle, so call it whatever you like.

[auerbacs]

Thanks to all for the responses.

Just got off the phone with the dealer in Wisconsin. He says that Honda's told him that they'll have a few of the PCX 150s to him by July 9th. This is earlier than I expected (great!) and actually the exact day I was hoping to pick it up. Of course, I'm sure it will now be delayed until August or something and I'll get frustrated. But at least the initial estimate was good, so I put down a 200 dollar deposit to reserve the first one. I'll keep the forum updated if I get a new estimate.

In the meantime, how do people feel about the Honda Protection Plan? For those not familiar with it, it essentially extends the initial warranty out over multiple years. Here are the prices:

To extend by one year (for two year total warranty): $400
To extend by two years (for three year total): $500
By three years (for four year total): $600
By four years (for five year total): $800

I think those prices are quite reasonable, although they're obviously able to offer such good deals because the bike is so reliable. I'm also aware that these types of warranties are usually huge profit-makers for the manufacturer, so I'm predisposed to turn them down, and would do so automatically for things like TVs and such.

However, I plan to use the bike for commuting every day in Wisconsin, and my commute is 45 miles each way, so I'm going to be putting a hell of a lot of miles on it. Some of them will likely be in rain. I do have a car that I can use when I absolutely have to, like in the snow, but otherwise it's my primary form of transport. Given all this, I'm inclined to just shell out for the full four year extension. It's transferable to other owners if I decide to sell the bike and the warranty has no mileage limit (critically!). Anybody care to talk me out of it?

Cheers,
Shane

[daugava]

I only paid $300 for this plan: "By three years (for four year total)".
If you decide to go thru with it, haggle

[maddiedog]

I didn't bother to get it. Any issues that will arise should arise within the first year.

If you're not mechanically-oriented at all, it may be a good idea to get it though. That way, Honda will cover any minor issues for you, so you don't have to get your hands dirty.

[EddieC]

i say don't bother. But hey, thats me. Are you planning on doing your own maintenance?

[Tristik]

~~
Heya, I'm a Wisconsinite and waiting for the 150's to come in as well. The owner at the local shop (Midwest Action Cycles, Lake Geneva, WI) said he's expecting them sometime in July, but he's not sure if they are going to send him more than 1. He seemed rather upset that Honda was taking so long to get them out. They're losing a lot of money since they didn't have the bikes ready to go here until mid-late summer.

As far as the extended warranty, I'm not really sure. Chances are, if anything major is going to go wrong, it'll do so in the first year of riding assuming you put a good number of miles on it before the 1 year is up. Although the extended warranty being transferable does add a significant amount of value to it for resale purposes. If I can budget it, I'll probably get one although buying the bike brand new already has my anxiety up (never spent that much money on something before).
~~