The Honda PCX / Forza / ADV150 / SH Forums

iceman wrote:Insurance is now £100 3rd party only (I ride safe and figure I save money on fully comp which would be higher premiums if an accident happens, excess, etc, so better off in the long run and they would not pay full cost anyway)

As an absolute minimum you should have TPFT, chances are it will only be a few quid more, the big surprise could be the cost of fully comp.
Usually when I check my insurance at renewal time, fully comp is only around a tenner more.
Worth having a look next time your renewal rolls around.

Not for me - with 2yr's no claims on the bike, 19+ on the car (at the point now I've lost all that due to not driving for 3yr's!), and being in London cheapest with excess was about £500+ (no point having a cheap quote with huge excess, as if you claim you pay). If I claim for fire or theft same thing, excess and higher cost next time (it's heavy chain locked on a drive hidden behind a car at home and underground gated secure car park at work).

gn2 wrote:

easyrider wrote:Apples and oranges.. cannot compare... two different concepts..

Rubbish.
Its the cost of ownership we're comparing, not the vehicle itself.
(cost of oranges can be easily compared with the cost of apples)

OOPS my mistake..thought the OP was referring to the ownership cost comparing a motor car to a PCX in regards to maintenance and overall ownership. In this regard you would be comparing two different concepts hence apples to oranges. A car provides safety , comfort, air cond, music and is much cleaner ridership with less dangers to body and limb as where the PCX is more of a sporty ride , just used for short commutes , provides little comforts, risky to bodily injury etc. Maintenance wise Its obvious that a two wheeler would be less to maintain than a 4 wheeler. Whats to compare? You have four tires to replace vs two and you have 4 -5 quarts of oil as compared to one on PCX. I would think if one were to compare the two modes of transportation for transportation then you should factor in comfort, maintenance, depreciation and initial cost. Very subjective in the sense that everyone has different comfort and safety levels that matter.

I think the bike vs car argument is different for a lot of people, for me it saves me putting mileage on my car for just around town quick errands/seeing friends, which because you don't properly heat it up and cool it down, is huge wear and tear on the car. And I have a high-performance new car that I'd like to keep in good shape.

I guess after reading all these posts, I'm still at a loss as to whether the PCX is a reliable mode of transportation, or is it just a big kids toy that has to be treated gingerly so as not to incur excessive maintenance down time. I had asked in one of my other posts, without a definite answer, if Honda offered an out-the-door warranty on the PCX. Similar to the 3 year / 36,000 mile warranty on a new car. My thinking is that if Honda did make a robust machine, and felt secure in their design, then an out-the-door warranty would not result in excessive warranty claims causing them to lose money. On the other hand, should they not give that out-the-door warranty, I'd certainly be questioning their confidence in their product. Trying to sell me an extended warranty is a red flag.
I recall many years ago when AMF bought Harley Davidson, the quality control really went down hill. Everyone wanted the Harley status symbol, at the cost of high breakdown and maintenance repairs. Like they say, you can always tell a Harley rider by their smell of gas and oil.
I'm sure like anything else, there is always that one lemon in the bunch that seems to always have problem breakdowns and unscheduled maintenance repairs. Then again should that one lemon in the bunch start turning to handfuls in the bunch, I'd certainly question the overall reliability.

So to answer my question in regards to UN-scheduled repairs and maintenance, would you say that you are very satisfied with your PCX in this area, somewhat satisfied, or really starting to question the overall reliability of your PCX?

Apart from the driven plate bearings that appear to be a weak point I've had no problems with my 125. It's been reliable and economical and fun to ride. Great in town, but not so great on fast roads. It's a small engined scooter designed for an urban environment so does it's job well.

Thanks Alibally, that's exactly the type of post I'm looking for, it tells me a lot!!

In the UK the PCX comes with a twovyear unlimited mileage warranty.
Esp models are as reliable as a reliable thing.

Rick54 wrote:Thanks Alibally, that's exactly the type of post I'm looking for, it tells me a lot!!

Next!

Rick54 wrote:I guess after reading all these posts, I'm still at a loss as to whether the PCX is a reliable mode of transportation, or is it just a big kids toy that has to be treated gingerly so as not to incur excessive maintenance down time. I had asked in one of my other posts, without a definite answer, if Honda offered an out-the-door warranty on the PCX. Similar to the 3 year / 36,000 mile warranty on a new car. My thinking is that if Honda did make a robust machine, and felt secure in their design, then an out-the-door warranty would not result in excessive warranty claims causing them to lose money. On the other hand, should they not give that out-the-door warranty, I'd certainly be questioning their confidence in their product. Trying to sell me an extended warranty is a red flag.
I recall many years ago when AMF bought Harley Davidson, the quality control really went down hill. Everyone wanted the Harley status symbol, at the cost of high breakdown and maintenance repairs. Like they say, you can always tell a Harley rider by their smell of gas and oil.
I'm sure like anything else, there is always that one lemon in the bunch that seems to always have problem breakdowns and unscheduled maintenance repairs. Then again should that one lemon in the bunch start turning to handfuls in the bunch, I'd certainly question the overall reliability.

So to answer my question in regards to UN-scheduled repairs and maintenance, would you say that you are very satisfied with your PCX in this area, somewhat satisfied, or really starting to question the overall reliability of your PCX?

For the love of god and all that is holy, will you just buy a scooter or not?

I pretty much ride my PCX full throttle everywhere I go.
It runs like a Swiss watch. Every beat of the engine is exactly the same. It is an amazing thing. I love my bike!

Do I expect it to run 100,000 miles? NO!

2U's, if you're that impatient then send me the money!

All warranties on vehicles are basic cover - despite what the blurb or dealer or Honda say. Basic things are covered if you get the bike checked and serviced, more major things may be covered but dealers/Honda/any manufacturer will try and get out of it if they can.
A very small percentage of PCX buyers have bought a lemon - only seen two people say that had endless issues - seeing that 10,000's have been sold what are your worries? It's fairly cheap compared to public transport of cost of running a car, very rellable and one of the best commuter vehicles you can find for town use. If you need to ride on fast open and long roads in lanes of traffic - no, you need something with lots of horsepower left to get you out of dangerous situations.
Only advantage other makes of scooter have, or so it seems, is easier access to the engine and valves - a real pain on the PCX.

Besides the fun factor, I got mine for commuting to work in place of my car, and am able to use it about 75% of the annual trips.

So the math: 11 miles daily x about 180 commute days = 1980 miles not on my car at 0.54 cents mile = $1069 worth of wear and tear my car doesn't see every year.

I had an out the door price of $2700 on my leftover 2013 pcx, and have added about $300 worth of accessories. Insurance for the first two years was under $300 and maintenance has been 2 quarts of oil. Fuel at an average of $2.50 is around $60 a year so I am all in at about $3500 all together for my first two years use. At this rate it will have paid for itself on car milage savings by the third year and after that I am ahead nearly 1k more with each passing year.

The other advantage is my car will literally last years longer due to disuse. I actually need to charge the cars battery occasionally during riding months to ensure it stays full.

I expect my scooter being used this way it will be another 3 to 4 years before I need to do any real maintenance like tires ect., and I am expecting the bike will run well till at least 20k miles, maybe more.

Where I got the 0.54 cents/mile:

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today issued the 2016 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.
Beginning on Jan. 1, 2016, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:
54 cents per mile for business miles driven, down from 57.5 cents for 2015

Rick54 wrote:2U's, if you're that impatient then send me the money!

You still wouldn't get one...

You'll do more mileage on this forum than on a PCX.

I'm always surprised to hear the high cost of maintenance in Western countries. Living here in LOS (Thailand - Land of Smiles) maintenance is a pittance. I think it was under $12 at the local dealer at 12k km. And I think I had him do more than was required like a spark plug.

The PCX is 2.5 years old now has 12k km on it and looks and runs like brand new. May need tires in six months...or not.

Beachboy wrote:I'm always surprised to hear the high cost of maintenance in Western countries. Living here in LOS (Thailand - Land of Smiles) maintenance is a pittance

You have to bear in mind that average wages here in the UK are seven times more than what average wages are in Thailand.
So the prices we pay may sound expensive to you but really for us its not as bad as you might think.

Rick54 wrote:
Trying to sell me an extended warranty is a red flag.

So to answer my question in regards to UN-scheduled repairs and maintenance, would you say that you are very satisfied with your PCX in this area, somewhat satisfied, or really starting to question the overall reliability of your PCX?

Rick54,

You have gotten things exactly wrong. There are people in this world that overthink things so much, that they take every last bit of joy out of anything they do.... Honda has sold me an extended warranty on every motorcycle I have bought from them. That is a HUGE PROFIT for them if the bike does not break down. Selling an extended warranty on a bike that breaks down frequently would be a LOSS for the company.

You are in a forum where people LIKE to work on their bikes, and do some modifications etc. Recognizing reality, analyzing information is part of being smart about something. The Honda PCX is a great scooter,nice to ride, and very reliable. I would bet big money that you would quit riding before the PCX would be worn out.... If the PCX is not reliable enough for you, you should never buy anything more complicated than a brick ;D

Riding a scooter is so much fun, and even changing the oil, doing the scheduled maintenance, learning about it, etc can be enjoyable. If all you are looking for is cost and practicality, a scooter is not for you. Looking at just cost and reliability, the city bus is the best solution.

Mike

For all of you who thought I over thought the PCX subject, it was delivered Thursday.

Michigan, eh? Hope you get a few miles in before the new baby goes for the winter nap. Enjoy!